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Can't get wax to draw, Help!

Mojo_Carwash

New member
I cannot get the wax to draw from the wax tank. I have it plumbed to the suction side of a CAT 5CP2120. It tees into the hot water line just below the soap Tee. From the wax tank it goes to a solenoid(it is working and brand new), then goes to the Tee in the hot water line up through a check valve, and into suction side(lower left hand port when facing pump. The soap line is set up exactly the same way and is approximately 1" above the wax Tee, and I get plenty of soap. When I unhook the wax line from the solenoid bank, and lay it on the ground the wax solution runs out, so I don't have any blockages. I get plenty of high pressure hot water when on the wax setting, just not any wax mixed in. Am I missing something? I have spent 1.5 days trying to figure it out. Help Please!
 
Is this in all bays or just one bay? I like MrAap suggestion of switching the soap and wax supply lines. Could be that no wax signal is coming from the bay.
 
Mojo

I think MR. Aap may have meant that there is a ball valve on your water tank. If you throttle your Hot water closed a bit more it will cause greater draw from the pump which can increase the wax flow. If you throttle the wax you will increase its resistance. Gravity tanks work on just that gravity. Try increasing the float level in your wax tank above your hot water level that will give it a little more dynamic head pressure.
Lastly and I hate to even mention it.Is your wax stock solution strong enough to handle the dilution Maybe slug it so you know for sure its good.
 
Eliminate the variables one by one. Remove the check valve and plumb straight in without it. If that works, then your check valve is the problem.
 
You might also check to see if you have a filter on your wax supply line. Sometimes that can get clogged up. If this was the case it would impact all bays not just one. At least that is how my set up is. Also is this setup new or has it worked in the past and just quit working/
 
Mojo

I think MR. Aap may have meant that there is a ball valve on your water tank. If you throttle your Hot water closed a bit more it will cause greater draw from the pump which can increase the wax flow. If you throttle the wax you will increase its resistance. Gravity tanks work on just that gravity. Try increasing the float level in your wax tank above your hot water level that will give it a little more dynamic head pressure.
Lastly and I hate to even mention it.Is your wax stock solution strong enough to handle the dilution Maybe slug it so you know for sure its good.

No....I was talking about the wax tank.....
 
Mojo Carwash said:
I cannot get the wax to draw from the wax tank. I have it plumbed to the suction side of a CAT 5CP2120. It tees into the hot water line just below the soap Tee. From the wax tank it goes to a solenoid(it is working and brand new), then goes to the Tee in the hot water line up through a check valve, and into suction side(lower left hand port when facing pump. The soap line is set up exactly the same way and is approximately 1" above the wax Tee, and I get plenty of soap. When I unhook the wax line from the solenoid bank, and lay it on the ground the wax solution runs out, so I don't have any blockages. I get plenty of high pressure hot water when on the wax setting, just not any wax mixed in. Am I missing something? I have spent 1.5 days trying to figure it out. Help Please!
Does the wax have a separate check valve from the soap line? Maybe the check valve is stuck closed.

Get a cheap brake line suction bleeder kit, disconnect the line at the pumps plumbing, energize the solenoid, prime the line and see if it runs out when that hose is laid on the floor.
 
I little more information would be nice. Why do you use Hot Water for Wax? We’ve never in 28 years used Hot water for anything other than High Pressure Soap. My guess from what you posted would have to be the check valve.
 
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