Junkman
Super Member
Where did you purchase the unit??????? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
Questions on soap injectors for pressure washers
- Thread starter PineRidge
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PineRidge
Super Member
Junk we purchased the injector from Northern Tool.
Rat I have used the pressure washer both ways and with soap under pressure it removes dirt as well as grease and hydraulic oil much more efficiently. This of course is my personal opinion and you are free to use your pressure washer any way that you see fit.
Most of the "do-it-yourself" car washes that utilize wands inject soap at high pressure also.
Rat I have used the pressure washer both ways and with soap under pressure it removes dirt as well as grease and hydraulic oil much more efficiently. This of course is my personal opinion and you are free to use your pressure washer any way that you see fit.
Most of the "do-it-yourself" car washes that utilize wands inject soap at high pressure also.
MadReferee
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Pine,
Great, I finally got around to ordering mine 2 days ago. Been busy with other things lately. I hope to use it this weekend if it gets here by friday.
R_a_t,
You got your terminology backwards. Upstream is before the pump, downstream is after the pump. In these applications the way to refer to the movement is water flows from the upstream end to the downstream end.
Great, I finally got around to ordering mine 2 days ago. Been busy with other things lately. I hope to use it this weekend if it gets here by friday.
R_a_t,
You got your terminology backwards. Upstream is before the pump, downstream is after the pump. In these applications the way to refer to the movement is water flows from the upstream end to the downstream end.
_RaT_
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Right you are. I inject downstream with the low pressure nozzle to apply the detergent. I have tried it both ways. My downstream injection with the low pressure nozzle and at the car wash with their high pressure and I assume downstream injection. Perhaps it was the lower pressure at the car wash that left me a little less then satisfied with the results of high pressure injection. I find that unless I have large areas to do, I presoak with a product like Simple Green in a sprayer and then pressure wash with full pressure.
KennedyDiesel
Veteran Member
The way that I understand it, the only truly effective way is to add a float tank and relieve the pressure from the feed supply. I have a Tuff brand pressure washer that came with a high pressure injector, but I really haven't had much luck with it. Soap flows good, but too good. The power wash guy (very sharp) says float tank is the only reliable solution.
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PineRidge
Super Member
Years ago we had a Steam Genny that used a liquid soap tank. It also used a float and tank to control the incoming water. The liquid soap flowed into the float tank but still it wasn't an ideal situation. The soap petcock always seemed to be prone to getting plugged up. I'm hoping that these injectors are a bit more robust, we'll see once I have had a chance to use it a bit more.
MadReferee
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I just got a chance today to give my pressure washer a work out using the upstream Suttner valve.
Worked perfectly. I had to power wash my 40' x 15' deck and ran the power washer for about 20 minutes straight using the high pressure soap setting and used about 9 gallons of injected liquid. The liquid solution was warm water, mild laundry soap and some bleach.
I will NEVER go back to the downstream low pressure method.
Worked perfectly. I had to power wash my 40' x 15' deck and ran the power washer for about 20 minutes straight using the high pressure soap setting and used about 9 gallons of injected liquid. The liquid solution was warm water, mild laundry soap and some bleach.
I will NEVER go back to the downstream low pressure method.
I solved this problem a few years ago with a downstream high pressure siphon. A Northern Tools salesman helped me with the pruchase. I think it cost $30. I'm not all that happy with it. It's very finicky, and also costs you a bit of pressure. I find what works best is to heavily dilute the soap first, and then let it siphon a lot, rather than trying to get the soap to just trickle through the siphon.
What are the consequences of running soap and other chemicals through the pump. I'm sure some are bad for the pump. Anyone know which?
What are the consequences of running soap and other chemicals through the pump. I'm sure some are bad for the pump. Anyone know which?
MadReferee
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The Suttner soap injector is an upstream unit and it connects directly between the garden hose and the pump. The low pressure units are downstream units and connect after the pump. See a previous post for detailed info on how they work.
My Suttner is not finiky at all. I loose no pressure whatsoever. The soap solution flow is consistent. Your injector must not be set right if it is in fact an upstream Suttner unit.
The potential damage to the pump is extremely limited, in fact, probably not even noticeable. Now I would not want to run gritty solutions of undissolved powered soap or acid thru the pump, but the pumps are designed to take some abuse.
I would guess 1000-2000 hours is a good estimate before you will see any pump degradation and then probably minimal at that. Now if you got a unit with a cheap pump then those numbers would be much lower. If you want figures then call the pump manufacturer and get the unit's MTBF numbers.
Suttner is the world leader in soap injectors for pumps. I am sure they have tested and tested this device to death with every possible combination (or close to it) of engines and pumps that are on the market today.
My Suttner is not finiky at all. I loose no pressure whatsoever. The soap solution flow is consistent. Your injector must not be set right if it is in fact an upstream Suttner unit.
The potential damage to the pump is extremely limited, in fact, probably not even noticeable. Now I would not want to run gritty solutions of undissolved powered soap or acid thru the pump, but the pumps are designed to take some abuse.
I would guess 1000-2000 hours is a good estimate before you will see any pump degradation and then probably minimal at that. Now if you got a unit with a cheap pump then those numbers would be much lower. If you want figures then call the pump manufacturer and get the unit's MTBF numbers.
Suttner is the world leader in soap injectors for pumps. I am sure they have tested and tested this device to death with every possible combination (or close to it) of engines and pumps that are on the market today.
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The Suttner soap injector is an upstream unit and it connects directly between the garden hose and the pump. The low pressure units are downstream units and connect after the pump. See a previous post for detailed info on how they work. )</font>
I'm not sure what brand I have, but it is definitely downstream (high pressure side), and definitely works during high pressure and high flow.
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( My Suttner is not finiky at all. I loose no pressure whatsoever. The soap solution flow is consistent. Your injector must not be set right if it is in fact an upstream Suttner unit. )</font>
That's because it's upstream, which sounds like a better solution to me. My has two adjustments: one that I believe controls how much of the pressure/flow is used for siphoning, and the other controls how much actually siphons. I pretty much have to put the first control on full, and then the flow control is difficult to get set so just the right amount of fluid is siphoned. What I do now is also set it on full and just have my soap diluted the appropriate amount.
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The potential damage to the pump is extremely limited, in fact, probably not even noticeable. Now I would not want to run gritty solutions of undissolved powered soap or acid through the pump, but the pumps are designed to take some abuse.
I would guess 1000-2000 hours is a good estimate before you will see any pump degradation and then probably minimal at that. Now if you got a unit with a cheap pump then those numbers would be much lower. If you want figures then call the pump manufacturer and get the unit's MTBF numbers.
Suttner is the world leader in soap injectors for pumps. I am sure they have tested and tested this device to death with every possible combination (or close to it) of engines and pumps that are on the market today.
)</font>
Sounds good. I don't use my unit that often, so age will probably get to it before chemical damage does.
I'm not sure what brand I have, but it is definitely downstream (high pressure side), and definitely works during high pressure and high flow.
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( My Suttner is not finiky at all. I loose no pressure whatsoever. The soap solution flow is consistent. Your injector must not be set right if it is in fact an upstream Suttner unit. )</font>
That's because it's upstream, which sounds like a better solution to me. My has two adjustments: one that I believe controls how much of the pressure/flow is used for siphoning, and the other controls how much actually siphons. I pretty much have to put the first control on full, and then the flow control is difficult to get set so just the right amount of fluid is siphoned. What I do now is also set it on full and just have my soap diluted the appropriate amount.
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The potential damage to the pump is extremely limited, in fact, probably not even noticeable. Now I would not want to run gritty solutions of undissolved powered soap or acid through the pump, but the pumps are designed to take some abuse.
I would guess 1000-2000 hours is a good estimate before you will see any pump degradation and then probably minimal at that. Now if you got a unit with a cheap pump then those numbers would be much lower. If you want figures then call the pump manufacturer and get the unit's MTBF numbers.
Suttner is the world leader in soap injectors for pumps. I am sure they have tested and tested this device to death with every possible combination (or close to it) of engines and pumps that are on the market today.
)</font>
Sounds good. I don't use my unit that often, so age will probably get to it before chemical damage does.
