foam brush solenoid

[thbeard8]

Im pretty new to the ss car wash world and slowly working on upgrading a lot of the aging components. when i purchased the wash i noticed that each foam brush line had a solenoid in the equipment room and then an addition solenoid in each bay where the air and chemical lines meet. to me this additional solenoid seems redundant. is there a better way this could be set up? additional my wash doesn't have any low pressure functions. i would like to change this but im having trouble figuring out how to run the low pressure functions into the high pressure line. is there a manifold that works well for this application and does each low pressure line need a solenoid in the bay like the foam brush? sorry for the newbie question. i tried searching around and really couldnt find a straight answer. thanks in advance!

 

[MEP001]

The simplest method to bring everything together is to use tees or crosses and check valves at the boom. The fewer check valves the better.

Some pictures of your foam brush system would make it easier to understand, but the simplest and most reliable setups have both solenoids in the room, usually just a stack for air and a stack for liquid, then the two go to the foam brush boom in separate tubing and combine and connect to the boom with a 1/2" boom. A foam generator will make more foam, but a lot of guys just use a tee.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

One solenoid in the equipment room is all I have ever seen. The LP functions that share the HP hose will need a check valve. Maybe someone used the redundant solenoid for a CV.

 

[thbeard8]

The simplest method to bring everything together is to use tees or crosses and check valves at the boom. The fewer check valves the better.

Some pictures of your foam brush system would make it easier to understand, but the simplest and most reliable setups have both solenoids in the room, usually just a stack for air and a stack for liquid, then the two go to the foam brush boom in separate tubing and combine and connect to the boom with a 1/2" boom. A foam generator will make more foam, but a lot of guys just use a tee.

Yes sorry I should have been more clear. there is a stack of solenoids for air and a stack for liquid in the equipment room. They run to a tee that is connected to an additional solenoid in each bay. The additional solenoid is what is throwing me off.

 

[thbeard8]

One solenoid in the equipment room is all I have ever seen. The LP functions that share the HP hose will need a check valve. Maybe someone used the redundant solenoid for a CV.

what would be the purpose of the check value on the foam brush? (Sorry again if this is a newbie question)

 

[I.B. Washincars]

what would be the purpose of the check value on the foam brush?

None, it doesn’t share the HP hose.

 

[cantbreak80]

I prefer to deliver PS, tire cleaner, and bug/mag cleaner thru a separate foam gun.
Delivery of product to the customer is much faster and the show is terrific.

I use AirLogic low pressure panels for all foam products.
Zero check valves required...I hate check valves in the roof trough/duct!

This installation was still under construction when the photo was snapped. (And, it was beer-thirty )

 

[jack954]

cantbreak80 that is a clean nice looking set up! is it all going through a tri foam gun, and do you have tri foam? also, do you not mix air with your tire cleaner?

 

[cantbreak80]

Thanks Jack.
This system uses "tri-foam" guns with 3040 spray tips. This install does not include tri-foam.

The presoak panel's air solenoids provide the air-assist for the tire cleaner, bug/mag, and blow-out during cold weather. The foam brush's air solenoids are also used for FB blow-out. Each solenoid is wired to the big grey I/O control panel.

 

[JGinther]

I prefer to deliver PS, tire cleaner, and bug/mag cleaner thru a separate foam gun.
Delivery of product to the customer is much faster and the show is terrific.

I use AirLogic low pressure panels for all foam products.
Zero check valves required...I hate check valves in the roof trough/duct!

This installation was still under construction when the photo was snapped. (And, it was beer-thirty )
View attachment 3068

I'm sorry to point this out, but it looks like you have a leak just past the backflow preventer... Just don't want you to get more water in that beer. I like the panduit along the top!

 

[cantbreak80]

JGinther...

Nice to hear the Ginther family sense of humor is hereditary!

 

[JGinther]

Required tool of the trade for sure. If it stops being funny, its time to sell! (Randy)

 

[cantbreak80]

JGinther...
Fixed "the leak"!

 

[JGinther]

Careful! Might get flagged posting these nsfw pics here! I'm not staring, you're staring.

 

[Greg Pack]

I've never considered drinking beer at the wash. It's possibly the best idea I've picked up on this forum in 25 years.