Starting from scratch, how would you build the best low pressure system ?

[softsuds]

I'm doing my own rehab on my now paid for 3 bay ss. After checking prices on new equipment, I decided to just build it all myself. You have given me great feedback on the high pressure equip, now for the low pressure !!!!

PreSoak, Tire, Bug , Foam Brush, etc....

How would you do it ? Seems like a lot of fans of flojet pumps here.

Tank with hydrominder ? Dosatron feeding a flojet ? ( just an idea, not sure if it would even work).

Thanks for any ideas you have.

 

[bighead]

how much are you wanting to spend? If cost is a big issues just go hydrominder with flo jets....

I think these look cool though, and you could probably use their injectors and fabricate your own system with a little work.

http://www.hydraflexinc.com/aqua-lab-md5/ small footprint too

I just run the flo jets though

 

[MEP001]

The Dosatron system works if your water pressure is reliably constant. The Dosatron brand pumps don't seem to be very reliable. Someone local with three washes uses them and has lots of problems with them leaking, usually after turning off the water feed. He originally set them up with a solenoid on the inlet because he didn't ant to leave them pressurized at idle all the time, but that was a mistake. He also had to add a booster pump to two of his three washes just for the Dosatrons, so it's more complicated and more expensive than tanks and FloJets.

I helped someone rehab their wash by taking an old Coleman concentrate tank stand and installed Hydrominders in it to supply FloJet pumps. It came out nice and cost almost nothing compared to most new equipment.

 

[1carwash1]

I have built a number of low pressure systems in the past. I usually use a hydrominder and tank with a flo-jet pump. If there are more than six bays, I use two flo-jet pumps and split them equally between bays. For solenoids I use stainless steel GC manifold blocks or similar, either 3/16 or 1/8 ports. I do not use metering valves or purchase the manifold blocks with metering valves built in. I regulate the output flow using the air regulator feeding the flo-jet pump. I have never had a problem with inconsistent flow between bays. I'm not a fan of electronic chemical dispensing, however, that is only my personal choice.

 

[Randy]

Use 511 Hydrominder’s in a Stainless steel tank, you don’t need a big tank 3 to 4 gallons is plenty big.

For Foam Brush use a Flo-Jet G5700 pump, we’ve gotten away from G57 pumps, we only use them on Foam Brush systems now.

Tire Cleaner, Pre-soak, Bug Cleaner use a Procon pump controlled by a IDX MX-8 Multiplexer controller. We run the low pressure ststems at around 135 psi. It’ll be costly but it won’t give you as many problems as the air pumps will


If you want pictures E-mail me

 

[Earl Weiss]

Use 511 Hydrominder’s in a Stainless steel tank, you don’t need a big tank 3 to 4 gallons is plenty big.

For Foam Brush use a Flo-Jet G5700 pump, we’ve gotten away from G57 pumps, we only use them on Foam Brush systems now.

Tire Cleaner, Pre-soak, Bug Cleaner use a Procon pump controlled by a IDX MX-8 Multiplexer controller. We run the low pressure ststems at around 135 psi. It’ll be costly but it won’t give you as many problems as the air pumps will


If you want pictures E-mail me

Question and Comments:
1, Why did you move away from the Flo Jet for all but the FB?

2. FWIW use 1 Flo Jet for 8 Bays for all but the FB. Flo Jet is rated for 7GPM (I know that's optimal and the flo jet guys at the show reccomend 4 bays max, but for the low pressure items using the .05 tip that's only 4GPM for 8 bays max assuming all 8 used the same selection at the same time, plus I use an air assist on LP items so the volume is even less.

Also no need for any needle valves. I just regulate the output via pressure to the flo jet. Typical pressure is 40psi Flo Jet and 15 to the Air assist. Both travel thru 3/8 poly T'd above the bay. (One air line serves all LP Functions. except FB has it's own of course.)

 

[MEP001]

2. FWIW use 1 Flo Jet for 8 Bays for all but the FB. Flo Jet is rated for 7GPM (I know that's optimal and the flo jet guys at the show reccomend 4 bays max, but for the low pressure items using the .05 tip that's only 4GPM for 8 bays max assuming all 8 used the same selection at the same time, plus I use an air assist on LP items so the volume is even less.

I don't know where the FloJet guys came up with that number. I'm using a standard G57 on the presoak running 90 PSI and no needle valves and it has no trouble keeping up with all six bays running at once.

They tend to last 5-6 years. The best part about a FloJet is how easy it is to change. A couple weeks ago I showed up and the tire cleaner wasn't working and I tracked it down to the pump. The customer who was trying to use it was quite happy I could get it fixed for him while he waited (less than a minute).

 

[Wally]

I could post a picture of my low pressure panel I built but I don't know how to get the picture posted on the forum.

 

[pitzerwm]

send them to me

 

[tobaccofarmer]

Why dont you look into one pump for everything? using your high pressure pump cat 310 or 5cp or whatever you are using and use this pump with pressure regulators and downstream injectors? or prob even better would be to use a vfd drive and have the ultimate adjustability for all low pressure functions. Another huge plus is no holding tanks no hydrominders and much less space taken up! Just what I would do! much more simple also. just my 2 cents

 

[Kevin James]

We’ve had so many problems with the Flo-Jet pumps that we took Randy’s suggestion when this topic came up before and started replacing the Flo-jets with a Procon pump setup, one of the best things we did, more pressure and no more pump problems.

 

[Waxman]

Randy Rules

Well what'd you expect? When has Randy ever been wrong about anything?

 

[pitzerwm]

Compliments to Wally

 

[mjwalsh]

Wally,

Nice pics! I notice how you tailored everything to be at your fingertips. It has some similiarities to what is inside the large stainless console of our dog wash.

Where did you get the clear canisters? What is their diameter? Did you fabricate them yourself? We did something similar but without the clear pipe. Regular PVC pipe cement ... we found out the hard way ... was not good enough for the bottom caps. A product from http://www.plast-aid.com/ came to our rescue. For awhile there ... we were pretty concerned about the very scary leaks that developed a few months after the chemicals were put in the canisters.

mike

 

[Wally]

The canisters are six inch clear pipe. I considered building them and found a supplier for the clear pipe and found out I could buy them already made up cheaper. The end caps are just regular PVC. I got these from Blue Coral. I've had them probably 15 years. They use them in the conveyor washes they set up. They refer to them as "Bombs". Apparently because of the shape of them. I run hot water and never have more than a gallon at a time and by the time the soap goes down a couple of inches and it starts filling again, in most cases the first customer of the day will start getting warm soap in the FB. It makes a good impression in the winter when they can feel the warmth in the handle. The TC and Pre soak is hot also. 125 to 130 degrees works pretty good. I ran a seperate air to the T/C and P/S. I don't why, I just did.