Pulling Volumetrics

[DiamondWash]

What's the best way to pull volumetrics with a beaker? I have seen sites have the tube and foot valve inside the beaker, some had the side or bottom of the beaker threaded with a ball valve on it and pulled that way. I know inserting a tube with foot valve will make the chemical rise a little and drop when removed.

 

[lag]

I use 2 graduated cylinders. One 100ml ,and the other either a 250 ml or a 500 ml.

I put the foot valve into the 250ml ,and fill it to the 250ml line,run a car, then fill it back up with the 100 ml. taking my reading from the 100ml graduated cylinder..

I will also just keep the footvalve in the larger GC ,and run 4 or 5 cars the take a reading ,then divide by the number of cars washed.

I always measuring in ML's

 

[rph9168]

Lag's method is technically correct but whether you add back and measure that way or simply pull the foot valve you still will be losing any solution that sticks to it. It is best to do several vehicles - preferably three to five - which will make the loss of product from the foot valve negligible. There would also be a difference if you did five large vehicles as opposed to five compacts and the effect of losing product on the foot valve would have a greater effect when measuring a product that you use less than 15 mls per wash.

Keep in mind in any case you are getting a snapshot of the usage. Variables like the vehicle size, changes in water pressure, etc can make a difference. None of it is rocket science but it is a good way to get decent information on usage.

 

[Earl Weiss]

If you are using hydrominders what's the variable as to when the Hydrominder will kick on or off? What if it only kicks on every 2nd car and you test an odd number? How do you know if it has already done one car if it kicks on every third one.? How do you account for that?

 

[mac]

Earl, before you start the test just give a gentle pull on the Hydrominder float. If the level in the tank was low this will start the fill process.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Earl, before you start the test just give a gentle pull on the Hydrominder float. If the level in the tank was low this will start the fill process.

And, If you did that the hydrominder bucket now has more than normal which means it won't kick on again until later than usual giving an inaccurate read.

 

[lag]

Our automatics have injectors with a foot valve attached to a chemical line. No hydrominder.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Our automatics have injectors with a foot valve attached to a chemical line. No hydrominder.

That would be a simple test. Drop the foot valve and line into the graduated cylinder, fill to a known level with the foot valve and line in there and see how much it drops after X# of average cars.

If you establish a time value for your average car, say 30 seconds, it would seem simple to just turn on the function for that length of time or perhaps X times that length of time.

 

[rph9168]

Here is the easiest way to check usage through a hydrominder.

Draw a line on the tank of product to be tested marking the starting point.
Fill the solutions tank
Turn off hydrominder
Run product for three to five washes
Fill calibrated cylinder with product you are testing
Place product fill line into a calibrated cylinder
Turn on hydrominder and fill to line marked on the tank
Check amount drawn and divide by the number of vehicles washed

 

[WikiWash]

Here is the easiest way to check usage through a hydrominder.

Draw a line on the tank of product to be tested marking the starting point.
Fill the solutions tank
Turn off hydrominder
Run product for three to five washes
Fill calibrated cylinder with product you are testing
Place product fill line into a calibrated cylinder
Turn on hydrominder and fill to line marked on the tank
Check amount drawn and divide by the number of vehicles washed

I have stainless steel tanks and I can't mark a line on the outside. So would I have to use a sharpie on the inside or is there a better way of doing this? Thanks!

 

[Greg Pack]

You can use a ruler or tape measure and measure depth of product in the tank

 

[MEP001]

You can also add a tee to the bottom of the tank and run a clear hose from that up and along the side of the tank.