Flowjet G57...Viton or Santoprene?

[Monte]

Is it worth it to pay more for the Viton seals/diaphragm or just go half price and get the Santoprene model??! I was going to compare them side by side to compare service life, but figured there would be no lack of opinions from all you experienced operators. I would appreciate anyone's advice. Thanks

 

[Greg Pack]

I buy santoprene. haven't seen a vast difference in lifespan in Self Serve applications.

 

[MEP001]

I use Viton for tire cleaner and trifoam. Santoprene on those two won't last two years because of the harsh chemicals. I don't want to have to keep two different pumps on hand so I just use Viton on everything. They last about five years on tire cleaner/trifoam, maybe seven on the rest.

 

[soonermajic]

I use Viton for tire cleaner and trifoam. Santoprene on those two won't last two years because of the harsh chemicals. I don't want to have to keep two different pumps on hand so I just use Viton on everything. They last about five years on tire cleaner/trifoam, maybe seven on the rest.

What makes the tri-foam so harsh?

 

[MEP001]

I don't know, it turns the Hydrominder hoses hard in a few weeks. I've seen stuff even harsher that ate through a Kip stainless solenoid clear through to the outlet.

 

[Earl Weiss]

................................ I don't want to have to keep two different pumps on hand so I just use Viton on everything. T

Same. Plus eliminates possibility of accidentally using the wrong one.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

I agree with MEP. I’ve only used Viton for years.
The hoses get hard and are a pain in the butt to work on with Santoprene.

 

[soonermajic]

I don't know, it turns the Hydrominder hoses hard in a few weeks. I've seen stuff even harsher that ate through a Kip stainless solenoid clear through to the outlet.

View attachment 2730

Wow. I thought Triple Foam & FB was real mild...

 

[Monte]

On the topic, I was going to buy a Santoprene G57 and plumb it up to transfer products from drums to pails or kegs. I figured I would always rinse it out with water after I was done using it, so therefore, it would last even if I was transferring the harshest stuff I got. Anybody have a better idea for a transfer pump or what are you using for the job?? Thanks

 

[Monte]

More importantly, if the G57 wont self prime, It wont work well as a transfer pump......I dont know the answer to my question, but I would guess it is NOT self-priming???

 

[MEP001]

On the topic, I was going to buy a Santoprene G57 and plumb it up to transfer products from drums to pails or kegs. I figured I would always rinse it out with water after I was done using it, so therefore, it would last even if I was transferring the harshest stuff I got. Anybody have a better idea for a transfer pump or what are you using for the job?? Thanks

More importantly, if the G57 wont self prime, It wont work well as a transfer pump......I dont know the answer to my question, but I would guess it is NOT self-priming???

I've done exactly that. I used a Viton, I rinsed it out just with a couple gallons of water in a pail, and I've ended up needing it in service once after loaning someone my last new spare. It will self-prime very well.

 

[cantbreak80]

More importantly, if the G57 wont self prime, It wont work well as a transfer pump......I dont know the answer to my question, but I would guess it is NOT self-priming???

Monte,
As MEP001 stated...
The G57s prime quite easily.

I have one that I've used for filling gylcol into floor heat systems, transferring windshield washer fluid/soaps/wax/etc. from drums to pails.
I've even used a G57 to inject brine into an obsolete twin water softener that needed unobtainium parts. Got another 8 years of service outta that old beast!

Keep the air motor dry and they'll easily last 7-8 years.

 

[soonermajic]

Monte,
As MEP001 stated...
The G57s prime quite easily.

I have one that I've used for filling gylcol into floor heat systems, transferring windshield washer fluid/soaps/wax/etc. from drums to pails.
I've even used a G57 to inject brine into an obsolete twin water softener that needed unobtainium parts. Got another 8 years of service outta that old beast!

Keep the air motor dry and they'll easily last 7-8 years.

Wth is the "air motor"?

 

[MEP001]

The part that makes it pump, although I think it's technically too simple to call an air motor since it's just a switching valve that redirects airflow to the two pistons.

 

[water guy]

On the topic, I was going to buy a Santoprene G57 and plumb it up to transfer products from drums to pails or kegs. I figured I would always rinse it out with water after I was done using it, so therefore, it would last even if I was transferring the harshest stuff I got. Anybody have a better idea for a transfer pump or what are you using for the job?? Thanks

I use my milwaukee 18volt transfer pump for everything its very handy.

 

[cantbreak80]

The part that makes it pump, although I think it's technically too simple to call an air motor since it's just a switching valve that redirects airflow to the two pistons.

From now on I'll call it the "Slide valve and shaft assembly".

g57_82000-014.pdf (xylem.com)

 

[Greg Pack]

I use my milwaukee 18volt transfer pump for everything its very handy.

I've seen those. So have you used them with harsh chemicals? I'm always looking for an excuse to buy another Milwaukee battery operated tool.

 

[Greg Pack]

Well, looks like I'm the only Santoprene guy. Mine usually die from stalling/moisture. I'm lucky to get more than a couple of years out of one. Having said that, My tire cleaner is much more aggresive than most operators use in the SS and I know my Santo G57 has worked a couple of years in that application.

Wow. I thought Triple Foam & FB was real mild...

Foam Brush is usually neutral. "Triple foam" is a generic term that refers to a product that can be neutral or low PH, depending on whether you use a polish or conditioner. HF is about the only product the car wash industry uses that can slowly eat away at stainless

 

[Randy]

My Flo-Jet pumps say “Coca Cola” on them. They work just fine and have lasted a long time. Back in the day before the G57 came out we used the N5100, they worked pretty good. We field tested the Flo-jet G5X pumps for about 2 years before they were released. They sent us dozens of pumps to test in a real world application. All the pumps had a test number on them and when they failed we’d send them back and they’d send more pumps.

 

[STXCW]

What makes the tri-foam so harsh?

Some of the cheaper tri foams are a soap based formula, not saying that his are. Years ago we received a sample from a salesman and could not get it to rinse worth a darn on our autos. When we researched the ingredients we realized why and switched back to our old supplier.