need weep help

[collegefund]

need some help determining if my weep system is set up correctly. It's my first winter (midwest), bought the wash in the spring. would like pics of what it should look like and what my water pressure should be. I do have a Dixmor weep mizer that I will be using. thanks for your help.

 

[Jeff_L]

You'll get pretty good advice from a lot of the posters here about how much weep should be flowing per time period, etc.. I don't get that scientific. Basically I have ball valves on each of my bays for the weep. I then open my cold water weep solenoid to let the water flow and go check each of my bays. I adjust/regulate each one until I have a stream that comes out not too hard, but not too soft. Usually when I hold the wand level, the stream comes out about 8-10" then falls. That seems to be enough pressure to prevent freezing in the cold winter months. I then enable the weep mizer and let it do it's thing.

-Jeff

 

[Earl Weiss]

You may find a friendly person thru your local association.

If you are ever in Chicago look me up.

 

[Randy]

I was going to do a volumetric test on the amount of water I weep with the Weepmizer unplugged this morning but ran out of time, I’ll try to do it when I go back on Saturday. I know its lot of water, more than it should be but I’d rather dump water than have a frozen bay. My 2 end bays I have the weep turned up higher as they are more prone to freeze than the inside bays. My Weepmizer is set to come on at 34 deg. The thing to remember about weep systems is every situation is different.

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

I suspect that the responses so far are not helping you very much...
probably because your question is very vague. Be more specific in your questions, and let us know if your weep is already set up? is it working? what are your weepmizer settings? is your trough insulated? heated? how much volume do you weep?
Also, no offense but did you search before asking? (this topic has been discussed quite a bit).

 

[Jeff_L]

I was going to do a volumetric test on the amount of water I weep with the Weepmizer unplugged this morning but ran out of time, I’ll try to do it when I go back on Saturday. I know its lot of water, more than it should be but I’d rather dump water than have a frozen bay. My 2 end bays I have the weep turned up higher as they are more prone to freeze than the inside bays. My Weepmizer is set to come on at 34 deg. The thing to remember about weep systems is every situation is different.

Randy - I had a similar issue and one thing that I feel helped was when I installed Windtrax's anti-freeze foaming brush system. The side benefit of the system is having warm hoses up in the troughs. Thus I gently zip stripped all the hoses in the trough together to make sure no lines in the trough froze. Thus I only had to worry about freezing from the top of the boom to the end of the wand. I'm sure there are more eloquent ways, however, we make do with what we got, right?

 

[bigleo48]

I may have comparable weather, depending on where exactly you are in the mid-west.

I set my weep for the guns so it comes out the size of the lead in a pencil an does not fan-out...but fans-out a bit when trigger is pulled.

The foam brush can be set a little more volume, however since the orifices are larger it is less prone to freeze.

My weepmizer has two sensors attached (one in my attic and one on the north side of the building). The weepmizer will work off the coldest of the two...and having two gives you some sensor redundancy (if one fails, you don't freeze up). At 33F it will start pulsing. At about 10F I use the Weepmizers' second output to control a three way solenoid that switches to warm water. So basically you can weep more water when it gets colder or weep warm water. I chose warm water because if you weep too much, people will come in and wash with the weep.

Finally, make sure your weep solenoids are 'Normally Open' so if the power goes off, you don't freeze up. Yeah I know it sounds stupid, but mine were installed 'Normally Closed' until I noticed.

If you find freeze ups from time to time as you adjust things, you may want to buy a Thawing Machine. Something like this http://www.pipethaw.com/ownersmanual.html If you use steel braided hoses for your Foam Brush and a steel brush head (instead of plastic), you can clip on to the pump (or top of the boom) and the other to the end of the brush or HP gun tip, wait a few minutes, voila! no longer frozen and the work required was very minimal (as I am lazy...I like that last part).

Good luck with your 1st winter!

 

[2Biz]

You will learn a lot by the time you get through your first winter!

I didn't have a single freeze-up last winter and have already had 2 this winter, same bay...It will be hard to catch stuff like somebody jamming mud in the tip of the wand or maybe a piece of carbon breaking loose in the high pressure hose and partially clogging a tip. Or maybe a failing or worn weep gun....These problems will have you chasing your tail trying to figure out what caused the freeze-up. I believe my problem was a failing weep gun. I changed it out for a new one today...

I check the wash about 6:00 AM every morning on my way to work to make sure all bays are weeping when its below 35°. My weepmizer is set at all the default settings...Comes on at 35° and the water cycles on longer the colder it gets and stays on solid @ about 15°...My water pressure is set at 40 lbs. I have a Raychem Heat Tape in my trough that comes on at 35° and is controlled by the secondary output of the weepmizer. You must use a relay since the outputs on the weepmizer are only good for 3amps I believe. I have the weep pressure set up just like Bigleo: "it comes out the size of the lead in a pencil an does not fan-out...but fans-out a bit when trigger is pulled".

You will get many ideas from the forum and members to help you with your question. But where your located and how harsh your winters are will dictate the complexity of your system to keep from freezing up.

 

[Earl Weiss]

An operator told me he uses HP hoses for the FB since the lighter weight hoses kink at the handle when in the holder and this stops the weep. So, I use HP hoses.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

I have my own crimper and put a bend restrictor on mine. I copied some that I bought from Kleen-Rite. I use my regular Parker HP fittings on Pliovic or Poly-Braid hose, works like a charm.

 

[soapy]

To make a hose bend restrictor on my foamy brush hoses I do the following. I remove the reusable hose fitting on the hose where it attaches to the foamy brush. I then slip about a 12 inch peice of 1/2 clear polybraid hose over the coiled brush hose and then reinstall the hose fitting. Then I slide the 1/2 inch polybraid hose down over the fitting all the way down to the handle. The poly braid hose fits tight over the fitting and never works its way up the hose. It has prevented the foamy brush hose from ever kinking and extends the life of the hose 10 times. I wish we could post pictures as I am sure that would be easier for everyone to understand.

 

[pitzerwm]

Soapy, there is a Photo Gallery on the site, where you can post anything. Or just send it to me and I'll post it!!

 

[MEP001]

This is the crappiest bend restrictor I've ever seen (I don't know why there's even a hose clamp on it except to cut customers):

I use GoodYear Insta-grip hose and a plain black rubber bend restrictor from Kleen-Rite. The blue hose won't mark cars, it doesn't kink, and it lasts about four years.