getting weeps ready for winter

[torquewrench]

I would like to hook up an outside thermostat to a solenoid on my weepers. This way I won't loose sleep every night the temp is right at that hovering evil point.
Any ideas of the best place to get the solenoids and stuff?

 

[Randy]

Install a Dixmor DX1000 Weepmizer. It's the only way to operate your weep system. You'll need a normally open valve, I recommend a ASCO 8210G34 or a 8210G35, Kleen-Rite is a good place to start. I sometimes get in a recon unit.

 

[madscientist]

average daily high temperature here for the last 30 days.....104. just sayin'.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

Listen to Randy, he is very wise (those old-timers usually are). It will pay for itself in water savings in a short time and peace of mind is priceless.

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

Sometimes DIY isnt worth it: +1 to the weep mizer recommendation.

 

[Jeff_L]

The WeepMizer will allow up to 3 temperature sensors to be installed, which I highly recommend at least two. It will key off the sensor with the lowest temperature. I use two sensors on it, one on the East side of the wash and one on the North. I only had it on the East side and noticed the morning sun was throwing off the temp. I put one on the North side of the building as well last fall and didn't freeze up one time all season.

Randy is also correct about using the normally open valve. If you lose power in the winter, you want your water to flow through the pipes.

 

[pitzerwm]

You can get away with one sensor if you put inside something to shield it from abnormal events.

 

[MEP001]

I use a standard refrigerator control thermostat from Grainger, but I've never liked it because it has a 5? on-off variance. I have to set it to 35? to make sure it comes on before it freezes, and then it won't shut off again until it gets above 40?. It's reliable but very wasteful. If we had the cold winters like Michigan I'd have done something else a long time ago.

I use a Dema O473P (Normally open) 120V solenoid, which you can get from Kleen-Rite for $52.24. The diaphragm type are less likely to stick open than the plunger type, which I've had fail after just one year. I prefer normally open so if your power fails due to an ice storm, your weep will come on. I'm not sure if the Weep Mizer has outputs for a normally open solenoid, but you could add a relay if it doesn't.

 

[car washing systems inc]

The weep mizer comes ready for a NO sol

 

[torquewrench]

I have a weep Mizer but it has never worked since I bought the wash. It appears to on have 1 temp. sensor hooked up to it. When i turn it on it is just stuck at -22. maybe I just need a new sensor.Unfortunately I have a reclaim system with zero discharge so if I loose power I'm totally screwed no matter what soenoid I put on .

 

[Randy]

Normally when the Weepmizer shows -22 the Sensor or Sensor cable is bad. You also want to keep them powered up year round, there's a memory battery inside that will go bad faster if the Weepmizer isn't left powerd up during the summer.

 

[MEP001]

Unfortunately I have a reclaim system with zero discharge so if I loose power I'm totally screwed no matter what soenoid I put on .

If it's a frequent problem, you could just add a NO solenoid with no control, supplied with city pressure, and leave it on all winter. Which would be a bigger problem, frozen lines or a slightly higher water bill?

 

[JGinther]

If you have reclaim running all of the time, I wouldn't work on the weepmizer - especially if your reclaim has a recirculating line that you can tap into. Just let the water run in circles. Zero discharge reclaim huh? I have to know how you are doing it... What equipment do you use, what type of wash, and how good are your results. Are you using fresh water for anything??? How does your spot free or soap work?

 

[Eric H]

Unfortunately I have a reclaim system with zero discharge so if I loose power I'm totally screwed no matter what soenoid I put on .

You need to pipe both the city water and your reclaim water tee'd to the NO solenoid. The reclaim line is piped unrestricted while the city line needs a check valve and a pressure regulator set to a few psi less than the reclaim pressure. When the reclaim system shuts down (power loss or low water level) the check valve will open automatically switching to city water until the reclaim system failure is fixed.

 

[torquewrench]

No city water. I have a well so if power does go out I'll just stay home and cry!

 

[Randy]

After 27 years of fighting the ice and cold weather we?ve decided to close down the washes when it gets down into the teens. Last year was the first year we did it and it worked great. When it got down into the teen or it was forecast to get down in the teens we disconnected the foam brush handles and High pressure guns and pumped windshield anti-freeze into the system. I put in a Tee just down system of the solenoid valve for the weep system and use that has the entry point for the windshield anti-freeze. The little bit of money we lose by closing down is nothing compared to the cost of a lawsuit brought on by someone who falls on the ice. We don?t have floor heat up here, no one does. We only get a week or so of really cold weather.

 

[soapy]

I used to have a weep system that circulated the weep water through all the Ss wands. It had a recirculating pump and also a heater element to heat the water when it got cold. Turned out to be a bigger problem than what it was worth. Weep miser is the only way to go.