weep output

[Stuart]

At one location, on my weep feed to all the SS bays I have put green press-in tips for the hydrominder into the 3/8 tubing. We have had one set of below freezing temps so far and all seems good. Our second round of low temps are around the corner and I feel confident that all will be well. I will try a smaller tip in a couple of bays to see how small I can go.

Previously I have had a bit more expensive flow controller which does need replaced periodically and may replace the needle valves many of you have that you try to throttle back and forth. I also have a weepmizer on the system.

info fwiw

 

[2Biz]

That's an interesting concept! Most of us do use needle valves to adjust flow. But if you are looking for volume, I adjust all my guns to weep 16-18oz per minute each.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

That's an interesting concept! Most of us do use needle valves to adjust flow. But if you are looking for volume, I adjust all my guns to weep 16-18oz per minute each.

That's a lot of water 2Biz. I don't remember, are you weeping cold water? We have weeped 12oz/min of 110 F water with the default weepmiser settings for as long as I can remember. If you're weeping hot, give it a try in a bay.....regulator set to 40psi using a spraying systems fixed orfice of either 25 or 27 will give you 12 oz/min.

 

[2Biz]

I weep cold water. There are days I weep close to 750 gallons a day (During extreme cold below 15°). So I couldn’t imagine heating the weep water. That’s just for 4 HP guns. May be a "wash" comparing heated weep to maybe using a little more cold water?

I recently rebuilt my weep system to include a manual air blowdown and Washer fluid injection system. It’s the poly tubing that comes in from the bottom. Makes it easy to blowdown and inject washer fluid in a few bays when temps fall below zero… I like having needle valves because no 2 bays use the same pressure/setting. For me, it makes it easier to adjust.

 

[2Biz]

Guess I should clarify...My weep volume is full on for 1 minute. I have a weepmiser running default settings.

 

[Randy]

I use a Dixmor Weepmizer set to come on at 34 deg. that controls a ASCO G8210G34 valve, straight cold city water feeds a manifold that supplies water to each pump, on each pump there is a 1/8” needle valve with a ¼” check valve. With the Weepmizer off I weep 14 oz. of water per minute from the guns and around 20 oz. per minutes from the Foam brush, for some reason if I cut back the flowrate on the foam brush they will freeze up, I’d rather dump more water than have to deal with a freeze up. I turn the weep water on in October, test everything and don’t touch it again until April when I turn it off. When it gets real cold and it doesn’t get above freezing all day we’ll shut down the car wash, take the guns and foam brush handles off, blow everything down with air, pump windshield washer fluid into the system and call it good, last year we closed for 4 days.

I think if I used a Green Hydrominder tip I’d be froze up.

 

[Stuart]

I don't measure my volume output for my weep. I have had freeze ups with things weeping 100% and the only flow control was the weep seat in the gun. When I leave at the end of the day all is weeping good and frozen solid the next morning with no reason.
**** happens in the carwash business. I just make sure the weep stream is good and solid. I will measure the weep with the green tip to see how much is weeping.

 

[2Biz]

Its easy to measure volume. Just get a stop watch and a measuring cup. Measure output for 60 seconds full on. No weepmiser...If you're freezing for no reason, maybe crud in the hoses or wands is breaking loose and blocking the wand tip? Do you use galvanized wands? I haven't had a freeze up in the winter since switching to SS wands. They are only $2.00 more each!

Another thing to consider....You have one weep water supply to the orifices that go to each bay. More water will flow to the hose with the least resistance. If you use the same orifice for each bay, I bet you'll have different flow to each bay. Might need to adjust orifice size based on length of run to the bay guns...You won't know unless you measure volume...Just a thought...

 

[cantbreak80]

Its easy to measure volume. Just get a stop watch and a measuring cup. Measure output for 60 seconds full on. No weepmiser...

Then, initiate a water softener regeneration and repeat the measurement. "Whammie!"

 

[2Biz]

Even though I don't weep softened water, what's your point? The regeneration process will lower city water pressure for the weep? Now I'm curious!

 

[I.B. Washincars]

Even though I don't weep softened water, what's your point? The regeneration process will lower city water pressure for the weep? Now I'm curious!

I'm curious too. I don't see what a regen has to do with the price of bananas in Afghanistan.

 

[MEP001]

If your softener regenerating affects your weep flow, something is pretty badly undersized.

 

[2Biz]

Come on CB80! The suspense is killing us!

 

[cantbreak80]

Physics…That “path of least resistance” thing.

Regeneration back flush and rinse cycles flow significant volume to drain, reducing downstream pressure and volume. Any facility operating on “barely sufficient” water service will experience pressure and volume reduction to any simultaneously operating device (weep system, Hydrominders, Spot Free Rinse pump, rinse tank fill valve, etc.)

Softeners are typically set to initiate regeneration during low-demand time periods; Midnight to 4:00am, perfectly coinciding with the day’s low temperature.

Weep systems adjusted to flow 12-16 ounces per minute/bay may see volume reductions of 50 to 60% when the softener does it’s thing. The cycling Weepmiser and water volume reduction caused by the softener regeneration may be a contributing factor for freeze-ups…regardless of hard or soft weep water supply.

 

[MEP001]

It might be a good idea to add a regulator to bring the weep pressure down lower than it drops during softener regeneration, or to weep hard water.

 

[cantbreak80]

MEP001,
Except for Mondays, Wednesday's and Fridays in the summer, I don't have that issue.

However, I frequently had to deal with stuff like that when I was in the sales and service side.

Adding a touchless IBA to an existing self serve without additional water supply...could drive you crazy just trying to get SS Hydrominders to draw when the IBA water tank was filling.

 

[2Biz]

Great information for the OP! Or at least something to check....

 

[mrfixit]

I think it's a plausible thing to consider. There will usually be at least a small pressure drop to the weep when on Regen. Having a proper sized main and softeners help avoid the issue. But I think a lot of washes are undersized... And when you set weep flow with full pressure and then the pressure drops 10psi, you will have less pressure on the weep. Since we try to run it so conservatively to save water, 10psi drop is enough to let a lean weep freeze. Path of least resistance tiny flow, or softener discharge.

 

[Randy]

I’ve never had that problem.

The guys who don’t weep enough water because they think there wasting water learn real quick when a high pressure hose freezes up and a customer comes in and starts the pump and no water comes out of the hose and then the customer leaves with the pump running. The pump will over heat when there is no water flowing though the pump, destroying the pump seals, melting the valves and sometimes cracking the plungers. That $200 pump repair could have been avoided by dumping more water out the weep system. I usually get 4 or 5 calls like that every winter.

 

[mrfixit]

I have a flow gauge on the main weep line. With that you can record gpm/Temps for your location and be sure you have enough flow for the overnight low with wind chill. After a few tests you know how much you need to weep to prevent freezing. For instance I can run my 3bay at 3/4 of a gpm with a weepmizer and know I will not freeze down to zero degrees.

I tend to adjust the flow for the weather pattern of the week.