Power Washing and Roof Cleaning Forum

Art O · Approved Exterior Cleaner

The distributor gas powered soft wash system

Chris · Exterior Cleaner

That is 2 vendors now saying that gas powered pumps will work with the mixers/proportioner systems.

Do any of you guys have gas powered chemical pumps that will be trying it out with your mixers?

Maverick Contracting · Approved Exterior Cleaner

135 gal bleach tank he states.
DOT is not gonna like that.

Jeff Wible · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Chris,..It looks to me like they are simply running the diaphragm pump like a portable PW. They are using a bypass valve,..and instead of running bypass into the solution tank,..they are just returning it to the pump,..where it circulates until it is triggered again.

That's what I think,..not sure if that is correct though.

If so,..and it works without being to problematic,...gonna be another nice option. I know Chris Tucker doesn't like these type of diaphragm pumps,..says they fail too soon and too often for the cost. Maybe they have made them better. They are usually rebuildable,...me,..I prefer disposable stuff. But,..I bet these spray really well.

Jeff

-- Edited by Jeff Wible on Tuesday 12th of February 2019 06:02:29 AM

Chris · Exterior Cleaner

That is like how my Bandit roller pump was from Bob at Pressuretek, it had the plastic unloader (you can get them at tractor supply) and it bypassed back into the inlet of the roller pump or you could plumb it back to the mix tank.

I got about 2 years out of the original pump, maybe Bob did something to that roller pump, we don't know but the 2nd pump I put on there only lasted about 2 months. I did flush it out with a lot of water after each job so that helped it last.

You did have to prime the roller pump but once it was primed, it would last until the tank was empty, then you make another batch of chemical, prime the pump again then spray.

I was told that those GF metering valves were rated to only about 3gpm each so if you were using a large gpm pump, it would restrict the inlet flow to the pump. I don't know if GF or other similar proportioner valves come in the larger 3/4" size or not, if so, might be worth looking at for a larger gpm pump.

Jeff Wible · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Hey Chris,. not sure how they rate those valves,..but I use them with a 9 GPM AODD pump and other guys use the boosters,..I didn't see any type of drop off from using the valves compared to pulling straight from the tank. Just guessing,..I have to think those 1/2" valves are rated for more than 3 GPM.

Jeff

-- Edited by Jeff Wible on Wednesday 13th of February 2019 06:32:30 AM

Chris · Exterior Cleaner

I would have to check into that, I think what they meant is that over 3gpm they are not as accurate as with lower gpm's.