Using hot water for Low Pressure washing?

[MarkAllen]

Has anyone tried using hot water going to low pressure pumps? If so, did you use it on all low pressure washes (tire cleaner, foam brush, and presoak) and what kind of response did you get from the customers?

Is it pretty much the industry standard to use hot water on all high pressure or just on the Soap cycle? I guess what I'm trying to find out is what everyone uses the hot water for.

 

[MEP001]

I think it's safe to say that most of us use hot water only for soap and wax. Folks in colder climates may have a switch to turn off the cold water supply to rinse so all high-pressure functions are hot water in winter.

In order for your tire cleaner, presoak and foam brush to arrive at the bay still hot, it muct be really hot in the tank and maintained hot, otherwise the customer will never see it.

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

I always run HP soap and wax on hot water, 100 degrees, year round.
I have a toggle switch that allows me to change the HP rinse to hot water when it's below freezing. (I get a lot of comments about that from customers.)

I do run hot water through my hydrominders into the mixing tanks - I think I get a more consistent chem solution that way. You know, "solubility increases with temperature" and all that. Especially since I use the hyper concentrates. But with todays soaps, I honestly dont know if it makes a difference. I do recall that many soap vendors prefer to see the presoak heated, but I agree that it's tough to keep it hot out to the bay. Maybe one of our soap experts will chime in.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

Install a heating element in your presoak at a temp. of 100-110 degrees. In the winter I would increase the temp. to at least 120 to compensate for heat reduction going to the bays.
Using just hot water to through your hydrominder would not work in the long run since the heat would dissapate through time.

 

[MEP001]

I still haven't done something I've mentioned here before: I plan to add a small household water heater after the pump and before the manifold for the presoak, and heat it to 140?. I don't know if it will clean significantly better, but I believe the perception to the customers of the hose and gun getting hot will be good.

 

[jjw]

I've been heating my presoak in the SS bays for winter temps. I have a relay entergized when my weep mizer turns on (33 deg.)to heat may bay ducting, this relay applies power to a heating element in my pre-soak tank. Set the thermostat to 120 deg. this helps release the PH in the pre-soak when applying to a cold surface. Works just fine. JJW