Gun discharge fitting and wands

[Rfreeman]

Hey guys just checking what everyone uses for wands and guns in their bays?

I ask because I have 3 washes, 18 bays total, and it seems it never fails there is at least 1 or 2 bays everyday that have a broken wand or broken discharge fitting at the gun. I did notice they have stainless wands and thinking that would be more resistant. Usually, my guys in my shop cut new threads and fix the wands or tap out the broken discharge fitting and replace with a new one.

I have my Hp gun holders in the middle of the bay wall and grease my booms so they swing smoothly. A lot of times I see my customers just throw the gun down from the bed of the truck or before they are going to leave and that breaks the wand or the fitting. I tried break away fittings but then I was having more break because by design that fitting is designed to break at least without the breakaway fitting the setup is a little more resistant. Thought about going to the rubber flex wand.

My setup has the following:

Gun:

Car Wash Spray Gun | Weep Gun | GUK600W | High-Pressure Spray Gun

The Kleen-Rite GUK600W is a high-pressure spray gun for self-serve car wash bays. Handles a maximum pressure of 4000 PSI and a 10.5 GPM max flow rate.

www.kleen-ritecorp.com

Wands:

Hamel 721G18MF 18in Yellow Coated Spray Lance | 1/8 F x 1/4 M

This yellow lance is a great compliment to your existing car wash bays! It measures 18" long from end to end.

www.kleen-ritecorp.com

 

[Randy]

I use a Suttner 1500W gun, I can’t remember the last time I had one break. I make my own wands, they look like these. https://www.kleen-ritecorp.com/p-29926-15-blue-flex-wand-golden-gate-series.aspx I used to get them from a company in California but they went out of business so I’ve been making them myself. I’m not a big fan of the rubber flex wands. We stopped using the type wand your using 25 years ago because of the breakage.

 

[MEP001]

Does the hose swing all the way close to the wall without having to be pulled there? I always tilt the boom spindle so it wants to swing on its own toward the wall a little to the rear corner. I think we discussed this before, it's a pain to do this with Coleman booms but it can be done.

I tried the stainless wands. IMO they break even easier than galvanized.

I order a few 20" wands along with the 18", so when the discharge fitting gets broken I just extract the broken piece and screw the wand straight into the gun. I have yet to have one of those get broken. I use Adams guns and the wand fits snug in the plastic hole and gives it some support. Hamel will make that coated wand to any length you want if you order direct.

 

[OurTown]

We also use the KR guns with the blue handle lock but use the stainless Hamel 18" flex wand. Although we only have three bays in four years not a single one has broken at the fitting or wand.

 

[soapy]

I have switched over to the AR north american guns https://www.kleen-ritecorp.com/p-62...ll-trigger-8-gpm-spray-gun-weep-4500-psi.aspx and use Hamel flex wands. I have had little problems with a flex wand breaking compared to the long solid wands. The long wand gives too much leverage to the user and some folks just break them on purpose.

 

[Greg Pack]

Wow, I have nine moderate volume SS bays and I probably break 1-2 wands per year max. I use the stainless steel barrel with Dilling & Harris style black insulator and tip protector. You can't see the barrel at all, it's covered in plastic. Is it possible that the insulator makes people treat the wand differently?

 

[Rfreeman]

Thanks for the replies guys, yeah its sounds like this isn't the norm for you guys. I was actually looking at making my own wands as well buying the galvanized stock and cutting the threads myself. Maybe even going all stainless steel with hopes that it will last longer. I have a small machine shop at my main business so was thinking about having the guys look into options as well.

Do you guys think it could be the chemicals as well that are weakening the wand and the fittings? I am using C K Enterprises out of Missouri their Signature Series soap line.

@Mep yeah I have the booms swinging freely back to the wall and taking the hose with it.