Hydrominder Issues

[Washohio]

Well, at least I think its a potential hydrominder issue.
Our high pressure wash soap peters out over time. Check valve on the cat pump has been replaced.
Hydrominder has been replaced.
If we hold down on the chain and fill the tank, it instantly starts working in all 3 bays again.
If we let the hydrominder do the work, tank looks weak and no soap shows on the cars.
We have increased tip sizes to try and accommodate, yet it doesn't seem to make any difference.
Foot valve is working and we have even installed hose clamps to make sure the minder isn't sucking air.
I am at a total loss here now.
if anyone can offer ANY suggestions, we'll take them!

 

[MEP001]

You could have something bleeding back from one of the pumps watering down the soap in the tank.

The Hydrominder could be leaking water slowly into the mixed chemical and making it weak.

 

[Twodose]

Replace it with a new one, see if you get the same result, It's not worth pissing off your customers for something like that.

 

[Waxman]

If the soap is weak but the tank is staying full enough not to activate the Hydro minder to let in more chemical and water mix you could get an in-line check valve for the soap lines coming out of the tank:

https://images.kleen-ritecorp.com/images/product/large/13311.jpg

 

[2Biz]

Do you have syphon breaks in the discharge hose on the hydrominder?

 

[Washohio]

I drilled holes in them

 

[DavidM]

Have you noticed the water level in the tank increasing overnight? That is the most common issue with a hydrominder, the diaphragm goes bad and lets water seep by slowly, filling the tank with water and diluting your solution.
The easiest way to check is to remove the hose from the eductor and make sure water isn't dripping when the hydrominder is closed.

If you verify that that isn't the problem, then MEP is probably on the right track. Water pushing back into the tank from one of the pumps.

David

 

[cantbreak80]

If flowing pressure drops below 25 PSI, the Hydrominder will not draw chemical as expected.

Snipped from the Hydro Systems instruction manual:
“Minimum water pressure required to properly operate the proportioner is 25 PSI (flowing).”

Observe the Hydrominder’s operation while the rinse water tank is filling and/or the RO machine is running.

 

[CarWashBoy]

Replace it with a new one, see if you get the same result, It's not worth pissing off your customers for something like that.

I agree, replace it.. Easy and Cheap..

 

[Randy]

He's already replaced the Hydrominder! First thing I'd do is check the inlet water pressure and then check the water pressure with the equipment running. Like cantbreak80 said if the water pressure is to low the Hydrominder won't work. What about the plastic float did you replace that when you replaced the Hydrominder and the inlet screen, what's it look like.

 

[Twodose]

Wow Randy, I can't believe I missed that...LOL, I was also going to suggest checking the water pressure, but I would think anyone that has a problem like that would " read the instruction’s" when installing a hydrominder or anything else, its all in there, and that could also very well be one of the problems, to much pressure or to little, I have problems with one hydrominder on my wax that I converted from LP to HP, I have to throttle the water pressure down or it blows the foot valve every time it shuts off, it’s odd that it does that on only that tank out of the 4 tanks< on the tank I converted form LP wax to HP wax.
I'm on a well with only 40-60 psi.

I have tried replacing with a new one, only to have the same problem, so I just use the small ball valve on the hydrominder and back it off some, and it works fine. There are so many different variables depending on any given situation, in any wash, anywhere.

I would rather make some “suggestion” than nothing at all to try to help people that are newcomers to the business.

 

[mgmtoo]

I know you state the foot valve is working, but have you replaced it?

 

[Dan kamsickas]

Sounds like you are getting water into the soap tank. On our systems, as well as many others, the soap solenoids are plumbed in backwards to prevent rinse water from seeping back into the rinse tank. Some systems use an additional check valve. You could have either a soap solenoid or check valve slowly failing and allowing plain rinse water to flow backward into the soap tank, diluting the chemical mix. Run each bay on rinse for several minutes to see if you can get the soap tank to "fill".