Maintenance Tips

Dont:

Add water without adding proper amount of soap. (1 gallon of soap to 4-5 parts water with SCE LPWS parts washer chemical) as it has a built in rust inhibitor and protects the unit. Check daily.|

Run the oil skimmer during working hours. Let the solution cool off and run at night. (Need an oil skimmer timer)

Hook up a water supply hose to your parts washer and automatically add water. You need to add soap each time you add water or automatically inject it with a DEMA injector (We provide for free when purchasing soap from us and if you have the auto water fill option)

Do:

Clean out your tank and check for sludge and dispose of properly on a regular basis depending on solids loading.

Keep your door or lid shut when not using. When the lid is closed it will slowly lose moisture and gain oxygen, when the lid is open it will quickly receive oxygen which is the worst case scenario for anything metal when it comes out of water. Even though the covers  are not technically submerged in water they are still being splashed with water and rust inhibitors during use, which helps coat and protect the metal. So they definitely want to keep the lid shut when they are not using it, and also when they are done for the day.

Run your automatic aqueous parts washer for 5-10 minutes every day when they first arrive. Even if there is a day that they have no plans to use the parts washer they should still run it for a quick 5-10 minute cycle to coat the entire cabinet with the inhibitors and help lock out the oxygen.

Question Regarding Trigger Guns:

I have had several customers complain to me about their operators wiring the guns open on the wash rack and leaving them running and what the dangers are. There are a couple of reasons that you should not leave the gun on when not using it, wired or not. They are as follows:

Safety: Gun control is for the protection of the user. Having a trigger locked in open position with 3,000 psi is incredibly dangerous. Back in the day when I was a contract cleaner using this equipment I had a layer of skin ripped off me with the spray from not being careful and almost lost a toe with a working gun. Pressure washer operators not only need steel toed boots, protective clothing and eye wear but need to have the equipment operating in its intended form. All equipment we sell is certified to UL1776 Specs. If you modify that by wiring the gun open, using a non certified hose without the proper length of hose guard on it, etc. you are opening yourself up to a lawsuit should the operator get hurt.

Maintenance & Wear & Tear: You are going to not only be wasting water you will be having the machine take on unnecessary stress. When the gun is on the off position the pump goes into bypass and the heater shuts off therefore saving fuel as well as wear on the burner motor. The best thing to do if you are going to stop washing for more than 3-4 minutes is to cool the machine down by turning off the burner first, then turning off the machine when the wand is lukewarm to the touch. This prevents thermal expansion in the coils, which are one of the most expensive components on the machine and reduces wear on the unloader, etc. The bottom line is that modifying equipment puts you as an Owner, Manager or Supervisor in a compromised position. You need to make sure that all operators are using as specified with every piece of equipment for yours and their safety.

Thanks for reading. Greg

One of the things that always fascinates me is when people buy a very high end quality piece of equipment and then use whatever soap or detergent the door to door salesperson happens to offer the lowest price on.

Whether it is a car wash, pressure washer, parts washer or water treatment system the quality manufacturers of this equipment have basic guidelines to follow when using cleaners in the products.

With pressure washers, soaps with formulations meant to not scale up coils and to work in conjunction with down stream injectors or hot water are important. Many customers run soap through the pumps and coils causing premature damage and unnecessary expense to the equipment by trying to save a few dollars. The right application system and the right detergent can help you clean better and also save you costly repairs.

With aqueous parts washers made with a mild steel cabinet, detergent takes on even more importance. You need to have a soap with a rust inhibitor to protect the cabinet and the parts from flash rusting. In other words, using a detergent not made for you specific washer type will cause major issues.

With water treatment systems depending on the type, soap can be a huge issue. Most recycling systems need to have a low foaming non-emulsified detergent as aeration and solids precipitation are major functions of the systems. Getting the solids and oils to separate as well as not have foaming issues that can damage electrical equipment are the primary reasons for choosing a detergent that is made for your system. Unfortunately, they are more expensive than your local blender is tempting you with. However, almost any wash rack going through a recycle system or discharging to sewer through an interceptor will see much better results with a detergent made for reclaim systems. Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and total suspended solids (TSS) can be immediately improved with the right detergent.

In car and truck washes, soaps protect vehicles and equipment and are made to work with certain models. Touchless car washes are much more dependent on the right combination of low and high pH formulas. Friction washes need soaps that have specifically blended lubricants to keep brushes and foam pads working smoothly on your vehicle. With the capital expense made on these systems why run the cheapest detergents you can find through them. Cost per car is the most informative measure. Not how much the individual drum is. Usually the higher end manufacturers have concentrated solution to make sure you have less space in the equipment room with better results. Built in conditioners and softeners are more expensive but give better results.

In other words, buy your detergents from professionals who are familiar with your equipment and the specific ways it can operate better. Usually the best sources are people you purchased the equipment from as they have a vested interest in making sure you are satisfied with the equipment and are usually the ones servicing and warrantying it. They too have a vested long term interest in your satisfaction and in many cases the less detergent you use the better. You wont be hearing that from your door to door soap salesperson.

Thanks for reading.