tascosa
New member
I have a small 3 bay SS that is pulsating and vibrating badly and losing pressure in all 3 bays at different times especially on busy days. The equipment in D/H. Any ideas? Thanks.
Self Serve pulsating and losing pressure when busy.
- Thread starter tascosa
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chaz
Active member
Sounds like low water level in water tank. Maybe needs new seal and or float valve.
soonermajic
Well-known member
when you find out, let me know....
If you have city pressure fed pumps, put a pressure gage inline with the supply at the main and turn bays on one at a time. Watch the incoming pressure. If at any time the gage drops to zero and the pumps start to cavatate, you've found the problem. If the pumps cavitate and you have good pressure, its not the supply and is something else...Process of elimination.
If you have gravity fed pumps....That ones even easier. Start all the bays till the pumps start to cavitate, lifting the lid on the float tank will tell you whether you are running out of water indicating a bad float valve or low water pressure. If its not that, then air is entering the system somewhere...I would think if air is getting in, then when the pump is off, water will come out where air is getting in....
I'm guessing if this only happens when all or the majority of the bays are running, either scenarios indicate you are starving the pumps...Air getting sucked in isn't part of the problem...
IB, Can I get an "I'll second that post"!?!?!
If you have gravity fed pumps....That ones even easier. Start all the bays till the pumps start to cavitate, lifting the lid on the float tank will tell you whether you are running out of water indicating a bad float valve or low water pressure. If its not that, then air is entering the system somewhere...I would think if air is getting in, then when the pump is off, water will come out where air is getting in....
I'm guessing if this only happens when all or the majority of the bays are running, either scenarios indicate you are starving the pumps...Air getting sucked in isn't part of the problem...
IB, Can I get an "I'll second that post"!?!?!
I.B. Washincars
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I'm I.B. Washincars and I approve this message.
If you're nervous about cutting into the main supply, if you have a faucet in the ER, just put together a pressure gage that fits the faucet and turn the valve on! Same thing...I have a gage on the main supply in the Er...At a glance, I can tell the status of the water coming in to the wash.
And if you doubt I know what I'm talking about.... I have this story of how my wash had this big 2" water meter in the Er that was brass and had cast iron flanges....You ever heard of galvanic corrosion of dissimilar metals? Now you know the rest of the story!
And if you doubt I know what I'm talking about.... I have this story of how my wash had this big 2" water meter in the Er that was brass and had cast iron flanges....You ever heard of galvanic corrosion of dissimilar metals? Now you know the rest of the story!
L
loewem
Guest
This is a great explanation by 2biz. Needless to say, it is useless without I.B’s endorsement. Might be a good thread to add as a “sticky”?
mjwalsh
6 bay SS w/laundromat
Like 2Biz I too have pressure gauges all over the facility for the water lines. Reason: Back in 1987 when with all brand new car wash equipment we went with Specialty's small tanks the pressure & volume was too low during peak usage for the city water line use-age.
Long story short the 2 inch line was fed by 4 copper tubes that the city or its contractor had only turned on 3 of the feeder lines a full city block away. The beginning of December of 1987 on the advice of an engineer friend we had a contractor just before they shut down for the season put in a 4 inch line from a newer & closer water main! The city forced us to go that block away to close the line because we were 100% responsible for it if anything from the main would happen. That is how we found out that one of the 4 smaller feeder lines was shut off. The contractor forced a time & material form from us because they said from past experience the City was not always accurate as to where they had to dig up the street a block away on the older line.
Different from the city water situation but still related to water flow. ... for our closed boiler system ... we even went so far as to put in Gerand balancing & metering ball valves to ensure no mistakes on proper flow.
Long story short the 2 inch line was fed by 4 copper tubes that the city or its contractor had only turned on 3 of the feeder lines a full city block away. The beginning of December of 1987 on the advice of an engineer friend we had a contractor just before they shut down for the season put in a 4 inch line from a newer & closer water main! The city forced us to go that block away to close the line because we were 100% responsible for it if anything from the main would happen. That is how we found out that one of the 4 smaller feeder lines was shut off. The contractor forced a time & material form from us because they said from past experience the City was not always accurate as to where they had to dig up the street a block away on the older line.
Different from the city water situation but still related to water flow. ... for our closed boiler system ... we even went so far as to put in Gerand balancing & metering ball valves to ensure no mistakes on proper flow.