Filmy sides

[jensen]

Help! I've got 6 carwashes with filmy sides. Brushless, low pH/ high pH system, water is hot and water is soft. Rinsing with hot soft water. I've had chemists and soap salesmen trying to fix the problem (it is a NEW problem) and still getting what appears to be a hydrocarbon film. Has any operator out there come up against this problem and HOW DID YOU FIX IT?

 

[DiamondWash]

What Mfg's chemicals are you using?

 

[jensen]

We have a private manufacturing company. We spray a low pH then a high pH through arches in the tunnel. We've tried a bunch of the "big" guys but always gone back to our own formulations. The current generation worked incredibly well until three months ago, when we got rain. We are located in the Southwest so we get a lot of hydrocarbons after it rains, that then get baked on.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Forgive me but does "Brushless" mean totally touch free? Just High pressure?

 

[soapy]

Do you titrate your chemicals? I was once using a small chemical firm that made a great product that worked very well for me for years. Unknown to me they started getting one of their key ingredients from a china supplier and not a us supplier. The cleaning went down hill and by the time I figured out what was going on it costs me a lot of business. I had to point out the problem to the supplier who corrected the problem but the damage had already been done. I now titrate regularly and don't assume that chemical companies stay consistant.

 

[Whale of a Wash]

I can't believe the rain this time was any different than you have seen before, so soapy is right your chemicals have probably changed. The soap salesman will probably never figure out anything. Check out similar washes in your area and see how they are doing. The soap or your water softener is the answer.

 

[Waxman]

Do you titrate your chemicals? I was once using a small chemical firm that made a great product that worked very well for me for years. Unknown to me they started getting one of their key ingredients from a china supplier and not a us supplier. The cleaning went down hill and by the time I figured out what was going on it costs me a lot of business. I had to point out the problem to the supplier who corrected the problem but the damage had already been done. I now titrate regularly and don't assume that chemical companies stay consistant.

How often should one titrate? once/month? more?

 

[MEP001]

If your machine is consistent in chemical use, you should titrate at least with each new batch of soap. The Vector uses a very accurate injector pump so I don't have to worry about something like a variation in water pressure affecting how a Hydrominder draws, for example. Otherwise, titration along with checking water hardness and RO quality should IMO be a weekly thing.

 

[soapy]

I now get my chemicals by the pallet from Kleenrite. I check titration at least once per month per automatic and more often when I get a new pallet of soap. I have my automatics setup with a flow meter after 2 different presoaks are blended. I can check the flow of chemical on the meter to know I am getting consistant chemical usage on each wash. It also makes it easy for me to turn it up or down a little using the flowmeter without having to change out meter tips. I like the visible confirmation of the variable flowmeter. I try to keep my titration around 18 drops with a simoniz titration kit.

 

[Waxman]

I admire how much you seasoned operators have dialed in your automatics. I'm learning alot of good ideas from you. Thanks.

 

[mrfixit]

First is the dwell long enough..

Then switch to base then acid.

No.

Then Increase your acid strength by about 25% and reduce the base by 25%. This is probably what will help... You may be over the recommendation on the acid but it's needed.

No - then switch back to acid /base and see

Make sure you have a dwell time of at least 25 seconds when application is done. Or as long as you can while not having the suds run off too much Around a minute total with the application pass.

Let me know how that improves.

 

[rph9168]

If you have not made any changes in the chemistry at your wash the problem is probably equipment related in the form of an hydraulic leak or the temperature of the chemicals has dropped off. If not, the problem is probably chemically related and the it sounds to me like you may need to use chemicals that have more solvency or detergency. Look at the list of the ingredients in your current chemicals and see how far down any detergents or solvents are listed. The farther down they appear on the list the lower the concentration. It would also be important to know where you are located since the elements in road film can vary greatly depending on the local environment. Locations near factories or industries that emit more carbon create a different type of road film. Road film there would probably require more solvency. Locations in heavy traffic locations tend to have road film that contains more non carbon related soils like abraded concrete and tire residue. Road film there would have more microscopic particles that would require more detergency.

 

[WikiWash]

How often should one titrate? once/month? more?

Waxman I believe you mix powder right? Whenever I mixed a new batch of powder I would test my titrations later that day or the next day. Because every batch is a little different you might not always mix the same exact amount of water into each batch.

 

[WikiWash]

If you have not made any changes in the chemistry at your wash the problem is probably equipment related in the form of an hydraulic leak or the temperature of the chemicals has dropped off. If not, the problem is probably chemically related and the it sounds to me like you may need to use chemicals that have more solvency or detergency. Look at the list of the ingredients in your current chemicals and see how far down any detergents or solvents are listed. The farther down they appear on the list the lower the concentration. It would also be important to know where you are located since the elements in road film can vary greatly depending on the local environment. Locations near factories or industries that emit more carbon create a different type of road film. Road film there would probably require more solvency. Locations in heavy traffic locations tend to have road film that contains more non carbon related soils like abraded concrete and tire residue. Road film there would have more microscopic particles that would require more detergency.

I had a similar problem of a customer saying their car came out with a film on it. The first thing I checked were my hydraulic hoses and pump motors. Go to find out it was a leaking hydraulic pump motor.

 

[MEP001]

I assume he got it figured out in the four years since the original question.

 

[mrfixit]

Lol, omg that was me.. I get reading deep back in the forum and don't check the dates. I read a lot on searches and similar thread links. Oops. Lol