Bubble Palooza Question

[eda]

Hi All,

We have a Sonny's Bubble Palooza applicator that we are about to install. It comes with 3 foam heads. My backroom has a dual supply available. Can I use all 3 foamer heads and use a tee to split so to speak, the middle one sharing? If I only use 2 , should I stagger them different? Should I plug the middle one if need be?
I just want even coverage, as many I have seen in action can be overkill with the amount which I assume is with 3 heads.

I know I could consider buying a third backroom supply, but I prefer not to.

Hope I didn't confuse you with my dilemma.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

D

 

[Earl Weiss]

Lets face it, it's all about the show. So the issue is whether 2 flo jets or whatever your using will provide the show. My biggest beef with these units was product usage cost. 3 Flo Jets at 50 PSI each migh be delivering 15 GPM.

Here is a visdeo of my system. Runs one Flow jet at about 10 PSI. Maybe 1 GPM of Product.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a7Vnh4dypI&list=UU2oDMe1Aklko_tcNnsQJJaA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmOOopvTuQg&list=UU2oDMe1Aklko_tcNnsQJJaA&index=12

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ8z5Klq2W4&list=UU2oDMe1Aklko_tcNnsQJJaA&index=13

 

[hkim310]

We are about to install one of these as well We are planning on using two Flo Jets and plugging the holes for the other two. Will let you know how it looks.

 

[TEEBOX]

Earl,

I noticed in your video that you use the shower heads on the sides of the arch as well. I'm planning on installing something similar. Do you recommend that I continue using the shower heads along with the new foamer? Haven't decided which one to use, either Tsunami from Vaughn or Wave Curtain from TSS Carwash.

 

[hkim310]

We have finished installing our unit and it actually came with 4 foam heads. Initially we plugged two of them and ran off the 2 foam heads. We could never get the show aspect to look right so we used a tee to split the 4 foam heads between 2 pumps and the it looked great afterwards.

 

[TEEBOX]

What product are you using for foam? Also, which tip are you using on your Hydrominder?
I just installed my Tsunami with 3 foam heads and 3 pumping stations. I'm not getting the show but I'm still tweaking.
Also, They are set at 40psi chemical and 20psi air. Still not good for me.

 

[hkim310]

We are currently using Lava Foam from Simoniz. We have installed the complete Simoniz Lava System (Lava Foam, Lava Clean, Lava Low, and Lava Sealer). We are currently using Dosatron pumps so there aren't any tips. I believe we have the foam set to 120-1.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Earl,

I noticed in your video that you use the shower heads on the sides of the arch as well. I'm planning on installing something similar. Do you recommend that I continue using the shower heads along with the new foamer? Haven't decided which one to use, either Tsunami from Vaughn or Wave Curtain from TSS Carwash.

With some new competition coming in I have now switched to tri Color foam sticks (Home made) at each location. Each stick uses 1/3 the product of the other system so it only needs a little more backroom stuff, but no extra solution cost.

 

[Earl Weiss]

What product are you using for foam? Also, which tip are you using on your Hydrominder?
I just installed my Tsunami with 3 foam heads and 3 pumping stations. I'm not getting the show but I'm still tweaking.
Also, They are set at 40psi chemical and 20psi air. Still not good for me.

I use KR Cherry Blossom Foam with utlra lean pink Tip. I thin it's 400/1. I have one Flo Jet at 10-15psi and a vac blower motor.

Trying something else now. Good show, lower cost. I will report back on that.

At 40 PSI x 3 that is about 12 GPM. Wat does that cost you at a factor of 20 seconds a car?

 

[hkim310]

Wow Earl, I'm amazed that you could get the show aspect to look good with an ultra lean tip at 400/1 with one flo jet! We are currently using a Sonny's Total Bath Applicator with 2 Dosatron Pumps set at 120-1 and I thought we were doing pretty well in terms of show vs. chemical usage/car. For our Hot Wax, we are using an NS Bubbelizer that uses a Dema pump set at around 75-1 which seems to go through A LOT of chemical. After reading this, I may have to rethink a way to use less chemical.

 

[Earl Weiss]

When I first saw these units at the ICA show and I asked the reps about chemical usage I forget if they said 50 cents per application or$1.50 per application. I said "Sounds like a chemical reps dream" . He said "We all need our dreams".

Having said all that I still wonder if the Tunnel equipment suppliers have missed the mark.

See videos of these items

http://www.effectspecialist.com/Foam.htm

While we could adapt it easily with our typical mixing / pumping stations I don't know if the components could cycle 100K times a year and last in a car wash environment. Still, it seems someting our suppliers could adopt.

 

[TEEBOX]

Okay so it's the first busy week after installing Tsunami. All 3 flojets and hydrominders clicking on all cylindars. In the ten years, I have I never experienced such a drop in water pressure. It got down to 15 psi during our peak hours 1-3pm. A few customers were not happy! So I called city and they will send out somebody in the meantime to check why the pressure is low. The tanks for the pumping stations could not fill fast enough for the next car. Called plumber and said if city can not resolve it for you to consider a booster pump.
Any recommendations would be appreciated! Thanks1

 

[Washmee]

I had to use a booster pump at my wash for many years due to low water pressure from the city. How big is your supply line and what equipment do you have drawing water?

 

[Earl Weiss]

Is the pressure at the meter or at the line feeding the pumping stations? If the latter what is the realtive size of that line vs the size of your service?

 

[TEEBOX]

Sorry it took so long to respond! The size of the line coming in from the water supply from city is 2 inch. Last couple of days the city has come out and flushed out the hydrants they worked on down the street as well as opened up the gateways surrounding my building. I have a 1 inch line feeding the pumping stations.

The city stance is that I have enough water pressure coming into the building, However, they feel that the water meter may be defective. So they are testing it through a by pass. in the meantime I spoke with a master plumber and he believes that its the RPZ (Reduced Pressure Zone) on the backflow that is restricting the water pressure. So, I'll let the city finish its work and see what they come back.

 

[Earl Weiss]

I have a 1 inch line feeding the pumping stations.

.

How many pumping stations does the 1 inch line feed?

I have a Chart that says Max Safe GPM for 1" Pipe is 18. I think a Flo Jet is rated at 7 GPM max. Don't know what the volume you are using from the Tsunami but as you can see, you could easily exceed the max of the 1" Line.

a 2" line handles 52 GPM.

1 way I tried to solve this issue was I brought the 2" line to the wall above the Pumping stations , brought it down and the T'd it to a couple of 1" lines, one in each direction (T should be in the center or close to it.) which gives you 18GPM on each direction. You could also go with a 1.5 inch (32 GPM) and a 1" or start of with a 1.5" and bush it down as it travels out further.

Of course, none of this works if the flow is restricted somewhere else.

 

[Earl Weiss]

You also need to know that a Flo Jet which is rated at 7gpm exceeds the 506/511 Hydrominder rating of 4.5 GPM.

Rule of thumb might be:

Arch 20 seconds on and 10 seconds off per car, or on 66% of time per minute.

Optimaly a Hydrominder would provide flow at 64% of the rate a wide open Flo Jet could use at above rates but the flo jet would pump at 66% being on 2/3 of the time.

I figure flo Jet provides about 1 gpm for each 10PSI from 10-70, maxing out at 70psi.

So, reducing the Flo Jet 10PSI or timing by even a couple of seconds can help the hydrominders keep up.

Again, if supply is insufficient, then noyhing matters.

 

[MironBriley]

We are not getting the amazing foam generated like these videos. the bubbles are bigger and more wet in our tunnel.

Using a purple tip with a 530 hydrominder and a graco pump husky 515.

Any ideas on what i could do. I had 3 generators but cut down to 2.

Lets face it, it's all about the show. So the issue is whether 2 flo jets or whatever your using will provide the show. My biggest beef with these units was product usage cost. 3 Flo Jets at 50 PSI each migh be delivering 15 GPM.

Here is a visdeo of my system. Runs one Flow jet at about 10 PSI. Maybe 1 GPM of Product.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a7Vnh4dypI&list=UU2oDMe1Aklko_tcNnsQJJaA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmOOopvTuQg&list=UU2oDMe1Aklko_tcNnsQJJaA&index=12

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ8z5Klq2W4&list=UU2oDMe1Aklko_tcNnsQJJaA&index=13

 

[Earl Weiss]

Made my own with this
http://www.menards.com/main/plumbin...-10-spee-d-channel-drain/p-1454346-c-8639.htm

Cut to 6 feet . Put on end caps. 1/2" PVC t'd in center with 1/8 ninch holes every 4 inches facing down to carry liquid, and 1 Inch PVC with T in center increased to 2" to attach to Vac Hoe. Same Holes.

Vac Blower same as used for SS air Shamme in equip room. Cover top of trench drain with lexan leaving a 1/2 " open along an edge. One or two cycles leavessome liquid in trough. Blower provided huge amount of air so less liquid is needed.. Keeping blower out of harsh tunnel environment is better for the blower. Gives Bubbles rather than Sheet effect but uses less than 10% of the product.

Cost of unit maybe $200 for tunnel materials and Vac Hose, Plus a typical Pumping station (Had some on hand) and VAc Motor was about $200. Also need a 110 -110 relay so as not to overload the controller. Blower motors seem to last about 100K cycles.

I now have 4 in operation. Got lots of comments from Customers.