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High pressure break away connection

Etowah

Knight01

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Got to the wash last night to find this high pressure line disconnected at the boom. Is there a preferred brand or style of connection to use for these? I've never replaced one of these yet, so any advice is appreciated of what to expect. I read an old thread about brass vs stainless, are there any newer preferences? I'll have to order one today as
 

MEP001

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Was the hose broken off at the boom?

I use a brass male-to-female fitting at the end of the boom, not a breakaway because they're deliberately weakened within the hex so you can easily remove a broken one with a wrench, but it's a weak point where it breaks too easily. With a regular non-weakened fitting, it's difficult to break but it will still break before there's damage to the boom. You just need an extractor to get the broken part out.


 

Toms PTcarwash

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I use a brass 90 degree connected to a brass straight swivel at the end on the boom.


These work pretty well. I sometimes use stainless if they are on sale for less than brass.
If you've never had to replace one of these, you must be new to the business. I always keep enough in stock to replace / repair at least three bays.
That's 3 90 degrees and 6 straights.
Plus always have spare guns, wands, hoses and nozzles.
 
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Randy

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Tom, I've seen that before. Most of our booms have a 90 built into the end of the boom so we use a high pressure ball bearing swivel at the end of the boom, when the hose gets caught on a bumper the swivel will break at the end of the boom. At one wash we still use the Zierdan booms with a swivel about a foot from the end of the boom.
 

Toms PTcarwash

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When I first bought the wash the previous owner used just a 90 fitting on the boom, then the straight swivel.
I find everything works better and the straight swivels last longer without the side loading put on them without the 90 swivel.
 

MEP001

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That's what a "swivel saver" hose is for, a one foot piece that goes into the boom so the swivel doesn't wear out from being pulled on. Kleen-Rite will make them male/female ends so you don't need any other fittings and it looks cleaner. The swivel saver outlasts a couple of bay hoses to the gun.
 
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