Power Washing and Roof Cleaning Forum

Art O · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Soap injector

Art O · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Zach Maynard wrote:
The best part of them is never having to worry about leftover mix going bad due to surfactant.

Thanks Zac, That's what I was thinking

-- Edited by Art O on Sunday 6th of October 2013 11:59:21 AM

Art O · Approved Exterior Cleaner

This winter I would like to add a Soap injector to my Roof pump. Would a regular soap injector work like on a power washer. Maybe one of the adjustable one's. I could also put a cut off valve in the line. What do you guys think?

Doug Rucker · Vender

I have looked at that before and I just think I prefer pouring what I need in when I need it. Only takes a few seconds. I guess I worry about the injectors going bad on a job and having to come down and replace one. I think the ones that do it though use a metering device of some sort.

Liberty SoftWash · PWS Vender

I thought about it to. Like Doug said it only take a sec to put soap in.

SprayWash · Approved Exterior Cleaner

AC's skids have injectors for soap. However I just prefer mixing them myself.

SprayWash · Approved Exterior Cleaner

I've never used mine. I've never used mine, to me it's just one more link in the chain that could break, IMHO

Zach Maynard · Approved Exterior Cleaner

The best part of them is never having to worry about leftover mix going bad due to surfactant.

SprayWash · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Zach Maynard wrote:
The best part of them is never having to worry about leftover mix going bad due to surfactant.

The best way to counteract that problem is to stay so busy your mix never has a chance to sit and go bad!

Ed Thompson · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Using chlorine stable detergent helps. Yes, its a bit more expensive. I can have a truck sometimes sit for a few days. It would suck to worry about sh breakdown. We buy drums of either ammonyx m or l. The m is damn near impossible to transfer. The L is much thinner, easily transferable but costs the same. It comes to about $1400 for 2 drums delivered with a lift gate service. We use a little under 1 gallon per 120 gallon of roof mix.

Ed Thompson · Approved Exterior Cleaner

SprayWash wrote:
Zach Maynard wrote:
The best part of them is never having to worry about leftover mix going bad due to surfactant.
The best way to counteract that problem is to stay so busy your mix never has a chance to sit and go bad!

I like Ray's answer better

Doug Rucker · Vender

I'm w Ray....

Barry Landis · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Ed Thompson wrote:
Using chlorine stable detergent helps. Yes, its a bit more expensive. I can have a truck sometimes sit for a few days. It would suck to worry about sh breakdown. We buy drums of either ammonyx m or l. The m is damn near impossible to transfer. The L is much thinner, easily transferable but costs the same. It comes to about $1400 for 2 drums delivered with a lift gate service. We use a little under 1 gallon per 120 gallon of roof mix.

Ed - How are you transferring the Ammonyx L now?

Ed Thompson · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Barry I never remember which is which, but the thinner one can transfer with any pump. This is the one we've been using.

The thicker one can take 5 hours to get 35 gallons with a 1/2" air pump.

Michael Hickey · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Art, I too would like a soap injector. Recently I used a different soap and when I tried to use up the remainder of my mix a few days later it was completely dead. Been thinking about it since. I think a small pump could be connected to the hose coming from the main pump to the hose reel. First insert a non return valve to stop the soap getting into the main tank, then connect the small pump. You would have to use a flow/ pressure controller to regulate the amount of soap being injected. I think this would work.
What do you think?

Art O · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Michael, The guys are saying keep it simple. I tend to agree with them.

Michael Hickey · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Art, these controllers are used all the time by window cleaners work great, rarely give trouble and will allow you to inject the exact amount of soap etc into the mix that you require.
I have been trying to source SH from a company near where I live for some time, anyhow I got a call from them today and it turns out they make a mix using 10% with a stable surfactant among other ingredients added which he informed me is being used by a company in the North of Ireland to clean listed buildings and other buildings that cannot be sand blasted or pressure washed. Hope to try it out over the next few weeks. If it works out I wont need a soap injector after all. It also foams up.