Stainless tubing for HP bay lines

[Bubbles Galore]

During our Washworld Razor install, I spent the extra money and installed stainless tubing for all my high and low pressure lines to help add to reliability and reduce maintenance issues. I liked working with it so well, that I am considering doing the high pressure lines to my self serve bays. My question is, will 3/8" O.D. be big enough to handle the volume without losing pressure? I run 310's at 1200 psi. Obviously I have a price motivation behind using the 3/8" vs. the 1/2", but I don't want to lose quality of wash either.

Any input would be great!

Thanks,

John

 

[mjwalsh]

During our Washworld Razor install, I spent the extra money and installed stainless tubing for all my high and low pressure lines to help add to reliability and reduce maintenance issues. I liked working with it so well, that I am considering doing the high pressure lines to my self serve bays. My question is, will 3/8" O.D. be big enough to handle the volume without losing pressure? I run 310's at 1200 psi. Obviously I have a price motivation behind using the 3/8" vs. the 1/2", but I don't want to lose quality of wash either.

Any input would be great!

Thanks,

John

John,

The distance to your farthest manifold probably would be a factor in any pressure &/or volume drops. If you give some of us the distance & also the ID of the tubing it possibly could help some raw engineering person to give an answer or even use an equation or a chart to tell you. Of course there could be other factors such as the number of bends etc.

Mike

 

[Bubbles Galore]

John,

The distance to your farthest manifold probably would be a factor in any pressure &/or volume drops. If you give some of us the distance & also the ID of the tubing it possibly could help some raw engineering person to give an answer or even use an equation or a chart to tell you. Of course there could be other factors such as the number of bends etc.

Mike

Mike,

Thanks for the quick response. My furthest bay away is roughly 55' away from the equipment room. There will only be 2 bends, one up to the trough, and one down to the boom. I am going to use a ss manifold from McMaster. Tubing I.D. is .305"

Does that help?

Thanks!

John

 

[Ric]

Are you running 3/8 hp hose out to the bays now? I do. If so, why wouldn't 3/8 tubing work? I've been using 1/4 hp hose from the boom down to the gun for over 5 years with no problem. It is more user friendly.

 

[SonofOsirus]

We have used 3/8" SS tubing for many installs (50+ easily) and it works very well. We use 1/2" tubing for a common feed for spot free when only a single pump is being used for all bays at medium pressure. No engineering to back the results but 15+ years and no issues.

 

[aberaleigh]

You shouldn't have any problems at all. We've done it at a few washes with no issues.

 

[MikeV]

I use 3/8" s.s. tubing at my 5/1 for all the high pressure and all the installs I do, I use s.s.tubing. 3/8" for the self serv bays, 1/2" for undercarriage and 3/4" for the autos. Works well, lasts forever and easy to do, a little more up front money, but worth it in the long term.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

How forgiving is it when it freezes?

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Thanks for the feedback guys. One last question, don't one of the car wash mfg's make stainless steel manifolds? I want to redo my entire setup, no more brass elbows and couplers.

 

[Ric]

Thanks for the feedback guys. One last question, don't one of the car wash mfg's make stainless steel manifolds? I want to redo my entire setup, no more brass elbows and couplers.

I think National pride makes one.

 

[2Biz]

Grainger sells SS Manifolds:

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/manifolds/fittings/plumbing/ecatalog/N-a8bZ1z0o309

 

[Ric]

Hey John,

Come to think of it, when I had my tunnel I did the prep guns (Cat 340's) with 3/8 ss tubing. The runs were about 75'. It worked great.

National Pride part # on the ss manifolds is 607B. I used them when I re did my trough 6 years ago.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Thanks for all the advice guys, I will let you know how it works out.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

Does it burst when it freezes or does it thaw out with no serious consequences?

 

[Jeff_L]

Does it burst when it freezes or does it thaw out with no serious consequences?

That would be my question as well. Although I have my system pretty tuned to have very few, if any, freezes during the winter, it can happen. So when it does, will the pipe be stronger than the normal HP hose and withstand the expanded ice?

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I've never had a freeze up in my SS auto lines so someone else will need to take the reigns on this one. Good question though as I intended to run the ss from the equipment room to the manifold and then to the top of the boom as well...interested to hear opinions.

Thanks!

John

 

[Jeff_L]

Here's another thought as well. To get around the corners (up into the attic, down the trough, down into the boom, across the boom, etc.) you'll end up with around 4 or so 90degree fittings. With each perpendicular turn you reduce some force of the water. Is that something to take into consideration or is it so minimal that one wouldn't need to worry about it?

Maybe to retain the integrity of the flow one would use 45 degree connections or HP hose to make the turn more gradual.

(I might be overthinking this. )

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Here's another thought as well. To get around the corners (up into the attic, down the trough, down into the boom, across the boom, etc.) you'll end up with around 4 or so 90degree fittings. With each perpendicular turn you reduce some force of the water. Is that something to take into consideration or is it so minimal that one wouldn't need to worry about it?

Maybe to retain the integrity of the flow one would use 45 degree connections or HP hose to make the turn more gradual.

(I might be overthinking this. )

I bent all the tubing with a tubing bender used for electrical conduit. Worked like a champ and helped to mitigate the problem of pressure loss. Good call though, I appreciate the feedback!

 

[mjwalsh]

That would be my question as well. Although I have my system pretty tuned to have very few, if any, freezes during the winter, it can happen. So when it does, will the pipe be stronger than the normal HP hose and withstand the expanded ice?

Bubbles & Jeff,

I remember when we had 3/8" OD copper tubing in our self service bays from 1968 to 1987 when we changed to 3/8" ID HP hose. One consideration is that even if the stainless does not burst it might expand the tubing just enough to give you grief on potential future fittings that might be needed to be fitted.

MJ

 

[car washing systems inc]

John where did you get the tubing?