Foam Brush Pressure Regulator

[Bubbles Galore]

Last night I had to switch out pressure regulators twice because they were leaking so bad. Why would the regulator begin to leak like that? When I switched it out the first time it was good for about two hours and then I had two bays running at once and that is when it started leaking. I checked the new one this morning and everything appeared to be okay so far. If it is back pressure from the outgoing lines, could I just put in a check valve between the regulator and the manifold? When the regulators start to leak can they be repaired or should I just buy new? Thanks for helping the newbie.

 

[Earl Weiss]

If you have liquid and water lines T'd together at some point and the air is a lot lower than the liquid the liquid will feed back thru the air line and leak out the air regulator. Try to set the air at 20 psi. Check your foam action and see if that works. You can try cutting back as low as 10 psi and see if the faom is good and the leaking stops.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I don't know if I have a really dated setup or what. But the way that mine works is that I have 2 separate manifolds one for air and one for the solution. Each bay has a solution solenoid and an air solenoid. At the bottom of each manifold I have a regulator. The regulator for the solution manifold is the one that is leaking. I don't know if I am making any sense but does that help?

 

[Kevin Reilly]

Putting a check valve between the regulator and the manifold should take care of your problem.
One thing you might also check is the whether the gauge on your air line is correct.

Two dissimilar lines feeding into one line without a check valve would cause this problem. Years ago we changed from an air regulator to a Watts water pressure regulator and that solved our problem but still used a check valve.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Yeah, it is sounding like a check valve is going to be my safest bet. I keep the soap at about 45 psi and the air is right around 30 psi. Hopefully I wont get there tonight and have my soap all over the floor!

 

[Earl Weiss]

I don't know if I have a really dated setup or what. But the way that mine works is that I have 2 separate manifolds one for air and one for the solution. Each bay has a solution solenoid and an air solenoid. At the bottom of each manifold I have a regulator. The regulator for the solution manifold is the one that is leaking. I don't know if I am making any sense but does that help?

My question is How is soap provided to the manifold? Is it with an air operated pump? If so, I do not understand why you have a pressure regulator at the liquid manifold. The pressure regulator supplying air to the pump will regulate the liquid pressure. Some manifolds have a needle valve which can regulate volume, but the soap is relatively cheap so you don't need to regulate volume for cost onlt to provide optimal foam. But this can alo be done by regulating the air to the pump.

 

[Jeff_L]

I agree with Earl, at least my system is set up the way he's talking. I have a regulator between my air tank and the air pump, no regulator between the air pump and the liquid manifold. My air manifold has a regulator between it and the air tank. Thus, both regulators only touch air, no liquid.

I assume you either have check valves between your manifolds (both liquid and air) which have gone bad, or have no check valves on those lines at all.

 

[MEP001]

I would try a different regulator. The Cash Acme has always been reliable.

Perhaps the one you're using is for air and isn't "leaking," it's doing its job by bleeding off pressure on the outlet side.

I never use check valves on foam brush. If it's adjusted properly they're unnecessary, and just something else to fail and cause a problem.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

The problem went away with the new regulator I installed. I pulled apart the two regulators that failed and everything appears to be in working order. I am still not sure why it leaked like it did. I was talking to the previous owner and he said that had never happened to him. At least its working now. Thanks for all of the help guys!