Spot Free sticking on high pressure

[Ialli]

i have a 3 bay self serve wash and have been fighting an issue with spot free sticking on high pressure when switched from a hp rinse (1100 psi) to spot free (350 Psi) on rotary switch. when this happens in my #3 bay it drains my spot free 65 gallon tank pretty rapidly as you can imagine. the manufacturer of my spot free unit is no longer in business. Any ideas?? silenoids are all brand new. also if you click it to spot free first on the rotary it will stick on spot free pressure when switched to high pressure rinse, soap or wax, until switched to off, left off for a few seconds then switched back to a high pressure setting. if its not the silenoid on the spot free pressure regulator then where should i look?? thanks!!

 

[Jeff_L]

Sounds like your spot free is on all the time feeding the pump? Could be wiring, whereas your spot free is getting the timed hot when the bay is active. Not enough info to tell, but I would track down your wires and see what’s hot, if any, when the bay is on and SF is not selected.

 

[MEP001]

There should be some sort of controller for the pump, but that gets its signal from the switch. I'd start by trying to get the problem to occur, then either check for voltage from the rotary switch at the spot-free output or disconnect that wire and see if it stops.

When this happens, does the spot free continue to run when the timer stops?

 

[Ialli]

The spot free isn't running all the time but sticks on. i thi

Sounds like your spot free is on all the time feeding the pump? Could be wiring, whereas your spot free is getting the timed hot when the bay is active. Not enough info to tell, but I would track down your wires and see what’s hot, if any, when the bay is on and SF is not selected.

Thanks, i think it has to be a wiring issue, its just been happening for a few months now which is strange because i havn't changed any wiring. it appears that the silenoid is not disengaging when switched to spot free but it is switching from the mixing tank to the spot free tank.

 

[Ialli]

There should be some sort of controller for the pump, but that gets its signal from the switch. I'd start by trying to get the problem to occur, then either check for voltage from the rotary switch at the spot-free output or disconnect that wire and see if it stops.

When this happens, does the spot free continue to run when the timer stops?

spot free doesn't continue to run. If you click the rotary switch to hp rinse soap or wax and then around to spot free it sticks on high pressure, if you go the opposite direction to spot free first, then to a high pressure setting it sticks on spot free pressure. seems like something is not disengaging. it does switch from its draw from mixing tank to spot free tank though.

 

[Ialli]

There should be some sort of controller for the pump, but that gets its signal from the switch. I'd start by trying to get the problem to occur, then either check for voltage from the rotary switch at the spot-free output or disconnect that wire and see if it stops.

When this happens, does the spot free continue to run when the timer stops?

 

[Ialli]

Sounds like your spot free is on all the time feeding the pump? Could be wiring, whereas your spot free is getting the timed hot when the bay is active. Not enough info to tell, but I would track down your wires and see what’s hot, if any, when the bay is on and SF is not selected.

 

[Starrwash]

Sounds like a bad rotary switch to me, replace.

 

[Ialli]

Sounds like a bad rotary switch to me, replace.

Brand new rotary, just replaced all of the faceplates/components

 

[MEP001]

spot free doesn't continue to run. If you click the rotary switch to hp rinse soap or wax and then around to spot free it sticks on high pressure, if you go the opposite direction to spot free first, then to a high pressure setting it sticks on spot free pressure. seems like something is not disengaging. it does switch from its draw from mixing tank to spot free tank though.

That sounds like a solenoid issue. I can see by your photos that you use a DEMA solenoid to reduce the pressure on spot-free. That solenoid should be energized with spot-free selected, but not on high pressure. If the solenoid is energized/not energized when it should be, the valve is sticking. Is it a 453P?

 

[Ialli]

That sounds like a solenoid issue. I can see by your photos that you use a DEMA solenoid to reduce the pressure on spot-free. That solenoid should be energized with spot-free selected, but not on high pressure. If the solenoid is energized/not energized when it should be, the valve is sticking. Is it a 453P?

i have replaced the solenoid with a new one and problem is the same. also switched the solenoid with a working bay and the problem persists in the original bay. i believe it is a 412P dema solenoid

 

[Ialli]

That sounds like a solenoid issue. I can see by your photos that you use a DEMA solenoid to reduce the pressure on spot-free. That solenoid should be energized with spot-free selected, but not on high pressure. If the solenoid is energized/not energized when it should be, the valve is sticking. Is it a 453P?

i checked it is a 453P

 

[MEP001]

Is the solenoid energizing at the correct settings?

 

[Jeff_L]

Dumb question, but here goes. Is the solenoid installed backwards? There should be an arrow on the side or bottom.

 

[Ayerule]

Brand new rotary, just replaced all of the faceplates/components

Was this an issue before replacing rotary and parts?

 

[Ialli]

Is the solenoid energizing at the correct settings?

Dumb question, but here goes. Is the solenoid installed backwards? There should be an arrow on the side or bottom.

it is installed correctly

 

[Ialli]

Was this an issue before replacing rotary and parts?

yes it was, which makes me think its an electrical issue...

 

[Ialli]

Is the solenoid energizing at the correct settings?

sometimes yes and sometimes no but the problem seems to be somewhere other than the solenoid because the solenoids are testing correctly and working properly.

 

[MEP001]

It's either wiring or a mechanical issue with the solenoid. For simplicity sake, put a pilot light on the wiring to the solenoid, then have someone in the bay switch functions watch the pressure and the light as they change from high pressure to spot-free and from spot-free to high pressure. You need to be able to talk to the person so you can tell them what to switch to. If the solenoid always gets power when it should, it has to be a mechanical issue with the valve. Ignore the fact that you just replaced it, I've gotten many parts that were defective out of the box.

 

[Ialli]

It's either wiring or a mechanical issue with the solenoid. For simplicity sake, put a pilot light on the wiring to the solenoid, then have someone in the bay switch functions watch the pressure and the light as they change from high pressure to spot-free and from spot-free to high pressure. You need to be able to talk to the person so you can tell them what to switch to. If the solenoid always gets power when it should, it has to be a mechanical issue with the valve. Ignore the fact that you just replaced it, I've gotten many parts that were defective out of the box.

will do thanks,