CTA - Home made - mostly.

[Earl Weiss]

CTA update. A while ago I posted an idea. Using a "Tapeswitch" to trip a paraplate timer to open an air solenoid T'd to a flo jet and air line to dispense wheel cleaner on tires. (I was sick of messing with the treadle units.)

Sonny's sells a "control box" for the tapeswitch set up for about $340.00. Using the timer set for 3 seconds for one pulse has shown promising results. So much so that I am now installing in 3 addittional locations. Cost for timer from KR was about $55.00. Bought a plastic junction box at Lowes for $11.00 and an outlet to plug the solenoid into. So, total parts about $70.00.

what I don't know is the rated "duty Cycle" for the timer. Paraplate did not respond to my e-mail query. Figure a vac may operate 4000 times a year and at 2x per car it might operate this many times on a good fri-sat.

Will report back in a few months.

 

[MEP001]

The load on a vac timer's relay is what makes it fail. If you're just switching a solenoid, you'll likely never wear it out.

 

[Whale of a Wash]

I think the tapeswitch and flojet will wear out many times sooner than the paraplate under almost no load. The timer should last forever without a load.

 

[pgrzes]

CTA Idea

Our CTA uses a bell hose into plastic tubing, then into the box where we have an vacuum switch that triggers the timer. Works good until the moisture clogs the tubing, or my guys roll our cart over the hose and cut it. Has been installed for almost 10 years, only parts replaced are some tubing and bell hose.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Our CTA uses a bell hose into plastic tubing, then into the box where we have an vacuum switch that triggers the timer. Works good until the moisture clogs the tubing, or my guys roll our cart over the hose and cut it. Has been installed for almost 10 years, only parts replaced are some tubing and bell hose.

Been there done that. For whatever reason I don't think I ever had a hose work for more than a week on the one I had. Wasalways replacing it.