Ok so here is the story. Just started working at family’s SS. Everything works, but now great. The foamy and HP soap run out of the same soap tank. Foamy is running like slightly watered shaving cream which I think is is good. The problem is the HP soap. I’ve been to other SS carwashes and thier HP soap leaves a nice white film on your car when using it(you can tell you are using soap). At my family’s carwash you can barely tell there is soap being used. I can see the tint of blue color of the soap and very little bit of bubbles , but there is no white soap suds show. Any recommendation? May take a day to get back younwith answers as I will need to search the pump room to find the answers your questions
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HP Soap & foamy same soap tank problem
- Thread starter Blahhh87
- Start date
chaz
Active member
Foamy soap should be like shaving cream....not watery. I don’t know your set up.... but at my place, I have hydro minders. Make sure the tips are clean and also the chemical injector area may need cleaning with either air or garden hose water through a nozzle. Also check for a sediment filter after chem leaves tank that may need cleaning
MEP001
Well-known member
It sounds like your mixing setup is fine - when you say "slightly watered shaving cream," that sounds like it should be. IMO as thick as shaving cream is too dry and it usually comes out too slow. I like to give a high volume of foam because it's cheap to deliver and they have to spend more to rinse it off.
Your high pressure soap problem is a combination of several. First, you're using foam brush soap for high pressure soap. There's almost no cleaning power in foam brush soap. If you've been that way forever and people are used to it, you may have to do something as simple as throttle back the water supply to the pumps. Tie off a gun and start the bay on soap, then reduce the water flow from the main holding tank until you hear the pump cavitating, then open it back up until it's just past smooth and quiet again. This will help the pump draw more soap product. If that doesn't help, the soap lines and solenoids may be clogged.
Your high pressure soap problem is a combination of several. First, you're using foam brush soap for high pressure soap. There's almost no cleaning power in foam brush soap. If you've been that way forever and people are used to it, you may have to do something as simple as throttle back the water supply to the pumps. Tie off a gun and start the bay on soap, then reduce the water flow from the main holding tank until you hear the pump cavitating, then open it back up until it's just past smooth and quiet again. This will help the pump draw more soap product. If that doesn't help, the soap lines and solenoids may be clogged.
I.B. Washincars
Car Washer Emeritus
Thanks guys for the reply’s. After work today I’m going to clean the filter at the bottom of the soap tank. I just scrub it with a bush as it is not removable. Any recommendations on an alternative way? Chaz there is no sediment filter after the chemicals leave the tank but I’ll double check on that. I know we have hydro minders but I’m not sure if the tip color, I’ll clean it tho. MEP001 will the throttle back on the water hurt my pumps? I’m running CAT 530’s. They are only running around 850 pressure, seems low to me. I shall also clean the solenoids and soap lines to the pumps. Once I figure out how to post pics I’ll show you guys the set up of equipment. Lastly. If none of this works. Can I just change the color of the tip on the hydro minders for a stronger chem and somehow lower the soap going to the foamys? I asked my dad and he said a 5 gallon of KR smelly soap lasts 1-2 months, not sure if that’s good or bad,
MEP001
Well-known member
I wouldn't change the tip if the foam brush seems to be working well. You'll be wasting soap through the foam brush if you just make it stronger for the high pressure. It may not be a huge cost increase, it's just not how I'd do it (I'd add another tank for the bay soap and use something with cleaning power).
Throttling back the water won't hurt the pumps as long as they aren't cavitating from being throttled too much.
I didn't think to mention checking the screen in the tank, that can definitely cause your issue especially with foam brush. It has a tendency to break down and coat the screen with algae. I just showed someone the same issue with their wash, the screen was covered with slime and none of the bays had soap at high pressure.
Throttling back the water won't hurt the pumps as long as they aren't cavitating from being throttled too much.
I didn't think to mention checking the screen in the tank, that can definitely cause your issue especially with foam brush. It has a tendency to break down and coat the screen with algae. I just showed someone the same issue with their wash, the screen was covered with slime and none of the bays had soap at high pressure.
