High Ph Soap vs Low ph Soap

[wood]

I have played around with my prep gun and soap foamer solutions. In a cloth tunnel with some high pressure assist should I use one over the other (high ph soap vs low ph soap) in the prep gun or soap foamer based on season? Quite honestly, I really haven't noticed a big difference.

Presently, I have the low ph in the gun, and the high ph in the foamer. Originally, in early spring the supplier set it up the other way. They both supply a good soap/foam show either way.

One busy day a few months ago the foamer kept getting clogged. We tried everything. For the heck of it I switched the products and the foamer was perfect again. I have left it since.

Any thoughts?


Wood

 

[Chiefs]

The biggest reason you have not seen that much difference is a lack of soap concentration that is endemic to using chemical through a high pressure gun. What I mean is that your concentration is so minimal, you shouldn't expect to see a difference.

Try installing low pressure coil hoses that allow you to paint the vehicle with pre-soak (high or low ph) then you'll be able to see a difference. This would be of particular help with things like bugs and bird crap.

 

[emwachtel]

Chiefs,

You are exactly correct!! How can you expect chemical to have any PH at 500-1000:1 Dilutions.

 

[JimmyJaffa]

Most soaps that we use are really lubricants for the following friction equipment. You need a chemical that works in a high pressure application. I would look at the soaps formulated for self service applications. And yes, 500:1 works good for our application.

 

[DivineSuccess]

I don't understand...

Maybe I just missed something but the way we have our high pressure guns hooked up is there is a big hydrominder that the cat pump feeds from so if i have a solution that is 8:1 in that tank why would it come out less diluted? I did switch to the low pressure wands and that works a lot better, but I was just a bit confused.

 

[Chiefs]

Can I be your chemical supplier? At 8:1 through a high pressure gun, you should be able to see the level in your drum drop as the gun is used. Yes your soap is going on at 8:1 but with a huge volume of water. The greater the GPM of the pump, the more soap will be used. Soap along with the high pressure gun is helpful but cost prohibitive at very low dilution levels. At 100:1 or greater, it gives the high pressure gun some extra bite which is all you are loking for. But a low pressure application is a much better way to allow the pre-soak to sit on the surface you are trying clean. When used with high pressure, most of it simply goes onto the floor instead of staying on the car and that is a waste of soap.

 

[DivineSuccess]

Can I be your chemical supplier? At 8:1 through a high pressure gun...

I am not using soap in my gun at 8:1 for the record...

That's what I thought. I just got confused when it was mentioned that his soap was 1000:1

 

[wood]

chief:

thanks for the reply. I understand and it makes sense. I do have the coil/bug hose too. this is applied under low pressure, and is more concentrated like you stated.

that being said, same type of question: am i better off with, or which is more beneficial: low ph bug, hi pressure as needed through guns followed by high ph through presoak arch, or the other way around? i am in the midwest as well. does it depend on season, or whose brand of product?

just trying to understand the philosophy, etc........

thanks,
wood

 

[Chiefs]

High PH does a better job on roadfilm while low PH does a better job on glass and chrome. However, as I alluded to, I do not see any reason to use low ph in addition to high ph unless once is washing vehicles touchless. Even then, it depends on how dangerous a low ph wwe are talking about - e.g. HF -

 

[stevie g]

I absolutely believe that lubricating low Ph soaps in your cloth are the way to go. I think they "set up" the car better for drying, as well as making them shine more than high Ph soaps do.

FWIW, we use both. We have a heavily-diluted alkaline coming out of our prep guns, a concentrated, low-pressure high Ph presoak in our first arch, then low Ph foaming soap and/or water throughout all our cloth. We foam the wraps and high side washers but use a stepped down non-foaming water solution for our mitters and HCRP's. This seems to work very well, and if I'm not mistaken, is pretty common practice.

 

[wood]

stevie g:

i have the same set-up. i agree using both is a benefit in my cloth with small hi pressure assist tunnel.

wood