issue with was soap being consistent in every bay?

[csmith]

I am having a problem with my wash soap stay consistent and thick in every bay. Some bays its thick and in some bays it hardly shows at all, any advice on correcting this problem?

 

[I.B. Washincars]

On days that it's not working well, check your water hardness. Hard water makes a huge difference. You may have one side of your softener not working, or it's not regenerating often enough.

 

[MEP001]

The high pressure soap?

There are a lot of things that could be wrong. Check the foot valve in the concentrate, make sure the liquid doesn't run back into the pail when it's been idle for a while. Look into the check valves that keep city pressure rinse out of the soap lines. Check the water pressure at the Hydrominder and see if it's relatively consistent throughout the day.

 

[2Biz]

Have you considered flow meters?

 

[OurTown]

Have you considered flow meters?

I don't see how you can get by without those. It would be like driving a car without a speedometer.

 

[2Biz]

I agree. I have them on every chemical delivery system at my wash. It sure makes it easy to get the same volume to each bay, regardless of distance from the ER. They also help make trouble-shooting a breeze.

 

[MEP001]

I've done it both ways, with flow meters and without, it makes it a lot faster to adjust the low pressure systems with them since you only have to set one bay by looking at the gun, then set all the others the same by the flow meters. I don't use flow meters or needle valves on soap and wax because in my experience as long as you use big enough tubing you don't need them. if the solenoid orifice is the smallest restriction, they should all flow the same.

 

[csmith]

yes it is the high pressure soap, I've got flow matters on every bay and each one is gettin a different amount I've got metering valves on each bay as well and they are all turned wide open.

how do I go about checking my water hardness?

 

[MEP001]

With a hardness test kit.

Easy solution would be to throttle back the metering valves that you need to until the bays are flowing the same, then increase the soap strength in the tank until it's where you want it.

 

[2Biz]

Bingo! I set soap and wax at 10oz per minute into the pump, then adjust the strength by choosing the right hydrominder tip to get the right show in the bay. Using Kip 1/8" solenoids, 10oz per minute gives you some wiggle room to make minor needle valve adjustments...

BTW, do you have to restrict water flow to your pumps to make soap/wax draw? This may be the reason flows are all over the place?

I use 1/2" poly-braid from the gravity feed tanks to erie valves then to each pump. No water metering valves. There is just enough restriction in the hose and fittings to create the right vacuum to draw soap/wax. Just one less thing to cause problems....CantBreak80 gave me that little nugget!

 

[Waxman]

I have a similar problem and have been meaning to change the solenoid valves in one of my bays. I think that's the problem on my setup. I have needle valves, also, that adjust the chemical strength at these solenoids. Those will be replaced also as soon as I get to it. I've been meaning to 'get to it' for too long to say without embarrassment!

 

[Main Street Carwash]

I am having trouble getting consistent TF in my bays at one location. Flow meters intrigue me. How would I go about setting them up?

 

[2Biz]

http://www.autocareforum.com/showth...t-Mark-VII-Pump-Stand/page5&highlight=Modding

Post 46 shows a good example.

 

[2Biz]

Post 48 shows a soap and wax example....The new location for the soap and wax flow meters was plumbed at the same time I made new float tanks about 4 years ago. I can't remember the last time I had to adjust needle valves if ever...The new LP flow meter installation has been installed for over a year and a half...Once I got the right flow and mixture (20oz per minute FB and 40oz per minute PS) I haven't had to adjust needle valves since.

When designing the new locations and mounting brackets for all the flow meters, I tired to incorporate the KISS method to make it easy to work on if needed. The OLD Mark VII equipment left a lot to be desired when components started failing. Now I keep a spare assembly for everything and can replace in minutes instead of days! (It just has to fail first!)

 

[Main Street Carwash]

What flow meters are you using for your low pressure functions?

 

[2Biz]

Dwyer flow meters. KR has them. You have to get the ones that have the right flow range.

 

[pgrzes]

csmith, I'm not sure what type of pump stand you have, but if your adjusters are wide open and you are not getting enough soap have you tried to throttle back your water supply to that bay? If not I turn the bay I'm having a problem on to HP soap and I have a ball valve on the water supply for each bay that I will slowly close until pump starts to cavitate. Then I open back up just a bit to check flow. Sometimes the lines or solenoid orifices get gummed up and this will pull lines open. then adjust accordingly. I have Coleman pumpstand, no flowmeters but this usually works. Good luck.

 

[MEP001]

I have Coleman pumpstand

They use 3/4" plumbing and check valves under the tank, which I've found has too little restriction to let the soap get pulled to the pump. I've always used a good, high-flow 1/2" check valve and 1/2" hose with push-lock hose barbs. There's plenty of flow to run without cavitation but enough restriction that you don't have to throttle back the water to force soap and wax. IMO that's not something you should have to do.

 

[csmith]

I've tried cutting back my water supply until the pump starts knocking and then turn it back on just to try to restart that vacuum from the soap line and that worked only while I had the water closed off. Could it be possibly be that the needle valves are worn out and sucking in a little air around that needle and reducing the vacuum I haven't ever replaced the needle valve e in the 7 years I've had the was. I've got clear lines that supply that soap feed to each bay and when I close the water supply to pull harder from soap line it seems like I can see small air pockets in that line unless its just the soap sudding up before it gets to the pump. My wax is ran the exact same way and I don't have a problem.

 

[MEP001]

If you're seeing air in the lines, you have a leak. It isn't going to suds up in a closed system.

Try increasing the concentration of the soap and then throttle back the needle valves as needed.