Overload Relays Tripping

[Rfreeman]

At one of my locations I have 6 bay jim coleman super saver stand. We had been getting a lot broken wands in the bays for various reasons so I switched to a flex wand setup using this item from KR:

https://www.kleen-ritecorp.com/p-1305-hamel-manufacturing-291g18mf-blue-18-inch-rubber-flex-wand-1-4-inch-mpt-x-1-8-inch-fpt-galvanized-steel-2500-psi.aspx

Since switching to the flex wands I have noticed the overload relays (I think that's what their called) have been tripping shutting down the Hp pump and the bay. I know during hot summer days, especially here in Texas, breakers can trip more easily or so I have been told but we have never had this problem before.

The only thing that has changed is the flex wands in all the bays and since we made the change, about 2 weeks ago, 4 of the 6 bays have tripped at least once some 3 or 4 times already.

Thoughts or any of you veterans have experience with this?

Thanks!

 

[Eric H]

Make sure all of your motors/pumps are still turning in the correct rotation.
next get a clamp on amp meter and check the amps on each wire. Set the overload relay to just above the highest amp reading. It’s possible but unlikely that the flex wand is causing your issue but I won’t say it’s impossible. Did you install new tips at the same time?

 

[Greg Pack]

Make sure your unloaders are adjusted correctly-check the pressure when no one is pulling the trigger. They should't spike too high.


Are you finding your wands half way in the holders and bent over sharply?

 

[Rfreeman]

Make sure all of your motors/pumps are still turning in the correct rotation.
next get a clamp on amp meter and check the amps on each wire. Set the overload relay to just above the highest amp reading. It’s possible but unlikely that the flex wand is causing your issue but I won’t say it’s impossible. Did you install new tips at the same time?

Thanks for the reply. Would the rotation cause this though? Everything is the same except the new flex wands and yes I did change the tips...sorry I forgot to add that in original post.

We clamped an amp meter on bay #6 but that motor was also making a very odd sound...as if it was about to go out. It read as high as 18 tripped it. We reset it, tried again then it was only reading 9 to 10 around there. Because it read so high and the odd noise I changed it and haven't had an issue so far.

Ironically after posting earlier my bay #5 tripped and went down, pissed a customer off and they slammed my flex wand on the brick column until it broke off from the gun! Gotta love car wash customers

 

[Rfreeman]

Make sure your unloaders are adjusted correctly-check the pressure when no one is pulling the trigger. They should't spike too high.


Are you finding your wands half way in the holders and bent over sharply?

Greg

Psi is set at 1200 and the pumps and unloaders are running fine when they pull the triggers or don't pull the triggers.

Yes some wands customer are leaving bent over half way out of the wand holder.

 

[TMoliver]

What type of unloader are you using. I have had the same issue with the BR5 pairpate unloader sticking before bypassing and found softener resin in them. Make sure that your gauge is still working correctly.

 

[MEP001]

If your pressure isn't excessively high, it's very likely the heat. Keeping a fan blowing on the motors will help. I seriously doubt it's the wands or anything else on that end. The flex wands bent over won't cause a restriction because the pressure is more than enough to expand the hose, and the regulator will still regulate the pressure and prevent excess current draw.

 

[Rfreeman]

Well since my original post I have tripped bay #5 3x's bay #2 once and bay#4 once.

I turned up the setting on the overload to 15 amps to see if that would compensate but they're still tripping. I'm going to home depot today to buy a floor fan to put down and leave running on the control panel because I can't think of anything else.

The only bay that hasn't tripped is bay#6 and I had my guys change the motor because it was making a weird noise almost as if a bearing was about to go out.

 

[Randy]

We use the Hamel 18 Inch Rubber Flex Wand and we find halfway in the holder, bent over a 90 deg. a lot of the time. We’ve never had a problem with the motor overloads tripping. Why don’t you go back to what you were using and see if the problem go away. It could be the heat, it's a lot hotter in Ft. Worth then it is up here in the Pacific Northwest

 

[Rfreeman]

I'm thinking about it Randy just to see if that solves it. Right now I'm running a floor fan for the weekend to see how it goes. It's been hot as hell down here....last week I think we hit 106⁰ with a feels like reading 116⁰!!!!

The flex wands have saved me from breaking wands in the bays. I have a lot of trucks with ladder racks snagging the Hp line and snap the wands as they drive off. The flex wand has helped alot but now I'm dealing with overloads tripping.

 

[MEP001]

IIRC your booms have the bolt holes bent and bolted to the side purlins, so it'll be difficult to "home" the booms where they will swing out of the path like they should, but when they are properly set up you shouldn't have the problems you're having with wands getting broken.

 

[Rfreeman]

My booms "home" pretty good their set up right. We also grease them regularly and clean out the old grease as well bc I hate when a boom and hose are difficult to move around in the bay.

This weekend so far we have tripped 3 of 6 bays. I have a fan running on the control cabinet about 24 inches from the overloads with no luck.

I'm changing the wands back Monday to the old ones just to see what happens bc im at a lost for the cause.

 

[MEP001]

Put a fan on the motors.