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TOPIC: ALL-FLO Air Diaphragm Pump, Soft Wash Equipment? Let me tell you about it!

Pressure Washer Products

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Date: Apr 19, 2011

ALL-FLO Air Diaphragm Pump, Soft Wash Equipment? Let me tell you about it!	Permalink

The main advantages of using an All-Flo KYNAR Air Diaphragm Pump for soft wash or low pressure chemical application are listed as follows: The All-Flo 3/8" KYNAR Air Diaphragm pump, AFKE038B3, is capable of handling highly corrosive chemicals as well as acids. It is a perfect choice for residential and commercial cleaning. It does not have to be rinsed after every use, has a 5 year warranty and will pay for itself and the gas powered air compressor in the amount of money saved on chemical conserved using the air diaphragm pump (compared to other soft wash options on the market). The operators of other soft wash systems are forced into using larger nozzle orifices as with the 12 Volt pumps, gas powered diaphragm pumps like John Blue's (Roofster), Udor's (Zeta's), Hypro's, etc. to prevent causing damage to the pump by the accumulation of back pressure. Conversely, a nozzle as small as a 1.5 or 2.0 may be used to apply the chemical instead being forced into a larger orifice such as a 40 to 80 orifice. (Using a smaller nozzle will allow for greater control over chemical run-off at the time of treatment or from the morning condensation dripping sodium by-products off the roof line or treated surfaces (plant death and burns), minimizing the amount of waste product and procuring the proper disposal, lowers chemical costs of each use on a job and allow for greater profit!) Integral Filter Regulator w/ Gauge (MUST use) AFB742G. The mini filter/regulator will prevent over-pressurization of the pump. Integral Filter Regulator w/ Gauge AFB742G installed on air compressor with minimum requirements of 5.5 gas horsepower and 11 cfm's. Installed using 2" x 1/4" brass nipple (2093). The air hose assembly (HA04-10) is installed on the outlet of the pump. When installing metal fittings to metal fittings in this example, ALWAYS USE LIQUID THREADLOCK. DO NOT USE TEFLON TAPE. The All-Flo 3/8" KYNAR Air Diaphragm pump, AFKE038B3, can be mounted on a stainless steel or aluminum mount to protect the body of the pump, allow easy access for maintenance and present your All-Flo in a professional manner. The owner used a quick connect on the 1/4" red air hose to allow him to use the hose for other purposes such as filling his truck or trailer tires with an air valve. The air hose is a high quality 1/4" ID Parker rubber hose rated to 300 psi custom cut to the user's desired length. PWP uses one of our hydraulic crimpers to crimp ferrule to the 1/4" mpt hose barbs on each end. We prefer to offer our customers a hose assembly that will not require maintenance. Hose clamps loosen over time and can become rusty potential tetanus introduction to the body. Because the inlet ports of the pump are 3/8", the general rule of pump plumbing indicates that the inner diameter of the supply line should be twice the inner diameter of the port and will require a minimum of a 3/4" ID Hose. The 3/4" suction line should not collapse and should remain some what rigid but allow flexibility under pulsation. Avoid using garden hose fittings on the suction side of any pump as they allow air to siphon into your suction side of the pump. Pictured to the left is a slotted chemical tank filter. The filter is composed entirely of PVC, PVC adhesive and liquid teflon will not rust or decompose or shatter into small pieces after constant submersion into a pressure washer's chemical tank or roof wash mix. The filter can be assembled to fit exactly into the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket, various drum sizes and tanks. It is assembled using PVC cleaner, a deburrer, and clear PVC cement. In order to prevent the filter from rising to the top of the tank, a length of PVC pipe can be used as a sleeve to slip over the connecting suction hose. The inner diameter of the PVC pipe should be slightly wider than the outside diameter of the suction hose. For example, the clear and white 3/4" ID suction hose (AGC12TF06) pictured has an OD of 1.01". You may use a clean piece of 1 1/4" or 1 1/2" ID PVC scrap pipe to slip over the hose before it is connected to the All-Flo pump. To figure out how long to cut the pipe, place the suction hose assembly with the uncut PVC pipe sleeve into your main chemical tank or drum and allow the filter to rest horizontally on the bottom. Mark and cut the sleeve so that it is just a bit higher than the opening of the tank. Use a heat gun to 'bell' the top end of the sleeve and a grinder or drum sander to soften the edges of the sleeve. If a tank filter (TF-5) is assembled to the width of a 5 gallon bucket, the user can remove the filter from the larger tank and place it in a bucket of degreaser to apply to a driveway or drive through, apply a diluted mix to a house or building wash or allow the operator to run 5 gallons of fresh water through the system to rinse all of the fittings and components of the soft wash chemical application system. Semi-permanent fittings on the low pressure side of a system attaching PVC to PVC should be assembled using non-drying liquid teflon or 'pipe dope'. TEFLON TAPE SHOULD NEVER BE USED. Teflon tape will dislodge, find it's way into interrupting the moving components of a pump. We have answered technical calls in the middle of the night in which the only problem found was a piece of teflon tape lodged next to diaphragm disallowing a seal, a valve to hang up by a little piece of white mystery or it may clog a nozzle at your gun or in your surface cleaner spray bar tip. Pictured above are examples of low pressure chemical applicators. It is a cost effective practice to use a full port, PVC ball valve (BV12RBV or BV08RBV) or polypropylene full port ball valves. The All-Flo air diaphragm pump roof wash system is unique in that the operator may use a pressure washing chemical spray gun and pressure washer wand assembly. The high pressure chemical gun with a ceramic ball and viton seals are an extremely durable and offer the highest return on your investment. Your chemical applicator should be able to endure a little abuse. Many guys accidentally drop them off roofs or the hose pulls them off. The Udor polypropylene gun (U15.0003.13) can be rebuilt with the repair kit and takes about 7 minutes (U8711.07). The Udor poly gun offers a 1/2" fpt port on both the inlet and outlet. However, the wetted components of the valve are a stainless steel ball, spring and a few buna o-rings. This particular gun needs to land on a down pillow to survive a fall! These guns cut down on flow and distance and will corrode quickly even with proper maintenance and flushing for 12 volt systems. Full port, female pipe thread, PVC ball valves can be purchased at the local hardware store in schedule 40 PVC which is primarily white in color or in schedule 80 PVC which is most often dark grey. Sch 80 is more durable and offers a more professional appearance in our opinion. If spending the extra money on sch 80, try to find a ball valve with a viton seat or seal. For most low pressure pumps, a 3/4" FPT ball valve is best. The larger ID of 3/4" allows better flow and less restriction resulting in gained application distance. Look for a few PVC threaded reducing bushings (threaded inside AND outside) to install with non-drying liquid teflon applied onto the outlet side of the ball valve. If you are lucky enough to locate a local supplier, buy extras of the ball valves and reducing bushings. Next, the 1/4" stainless steel male pipe thread socket (4629) will thread into the reducing bushing using pipe dope. The socket will allow the operator to pop in different quick connect nozzles for chemical application. The All-Flo pump will allow the operator to use any size nozzle such as the color coded quick connect nozzles or 1/4" MEG stainless steel or brass nozzles threaded individually into 1/4" stainless steel female pipe thread plugs (4602) or PWP's nozzle holders. The Tribanger is the most popular choice. We find that Roof Washer's seldom find the need for a 4 nozzle holder. For example, if the operator is applying chemical to a roof and does not want to get up on the roof, he may use a 0020 (2227) nozzle which will spray a fire hose type spray pattern to the ridge of the house or building. If he wants to zero in on fascia or gutters, he can use a 0530 nozzle (SS0530). We have found that most soft wash roof washers use a maximum of three nozzles during an average job. Many users find that the stainless steel nozzle holders by PWP are invaluable. We offer the Dual Banger Nozzle Holder (NHDB), the Tri Banger Nozzle Holder (NHTB) and the Quad Banger Nozzle Holder (NHQB). Using this handy, little nozzle holder will allow two to four nozzles to be located in one place with the ability to access and change to a different nozzle almost effortlessly compared to digging into a pocket with a wet hand full of chemical while balancing on a ladder or slick tile roof. The little blue things in the picture are nozzle un-clogger tools and are usually free if you ask for them with an order. They are convenient to have on hand and a little fancier than a safety pin or paperclip! Consider asking for a small low pressure whip line to take the tension of the 200' (on average) of 5/8" chemical hose off the back end of your ball valve, chemical gun or wand assembly. We take a length of hose cut to your desired length which is usually about 18" to 36", crimp on brass hose barbs with brass ferrules, and thread it into the inlet of the ball valve, gun or wand assembly with pipe dope and install a 1/2" full port FPT threaded PVC ball valve to the other end of the whip hose. The ball valve is then threaded into the long length of chemical application hose. This allows a back-up valve in case the primary ball valve malfunctions or breaks to ensure that chemical is not running all over the place on to the ground, grass or plants or even an unsuspecting person. The 2nd ball valve will give the user a place to grab on to the hose to pull and maneuver the hose full of chemical. Some guys just plain like the way it looks! We can do it in another color if you like. All-Flo users have been using several high flow or chemical use pressure washing guns such as the following guns hooked to a MPT stainless steel socket (4629) nozzle or nozzle holder as mentioned above: General Pump YRL51 (6267) with 3/8" FPT brass inlet and 1/4" FPT brass outlet. Can be rebuilt easily with repair kit using a replacement spring and a 13/32"ceramic ball. Suttner ST-2315 (6916) "Relax Action, Easy Pull" Trigger with a ceramic ball and stainless steel wetted components, 3/8" FPT brass inlet and 1/4" FPT brass outlet (Consider using this gun or a ball valve if you suffer from tennis elbow or arthritis in your hands) Can be rebuilt easily with repair kit (6916). General Pump YG5000C (6418) with a ceramic ball and stainless steel wetted components, 3/8" FPT brass inlet and 1/4" FPT brass outlet designed specifically for sodium hypochlorite and acids. Can be rebuilt easily with repair kit (6425). Suttner ST-3300 uses all stainless steel wetted components and chemically resistant seals with both 1/2" FPT inlet and oulets on gun minimizing flow restriction. Suttner ST-2700SS (4730) "Relax Action, Easy Pull" Trigger with stainless steel wetted components, viton seals and upgrades to a ceramic ball repair kit, 3/8" FPT stainless steel inlet and 1/4" FPT stainless steel outlet (Consider using this gun or a ball valve if you suffer from tennis elbow or arthritis in your hands) Can be rebuilt easily with repair kit and ceramic ball (6792). Advantages of using a pressure washer gun: Extremely durable enduring on the job aggressive use and abuse as well as surviving a drop off a ladder or roof. The commercial grade pressure washer trigger guns will most often remain functional. Will automatically stop the flow of chemical by releasing the trigger on the gun if dropped during a fall or emergency Offers increased control of flow over a ball valve Need only one hand to turn on and off Disadvantages of using a pressure washer gun: Sodium Hypochlorite will corrode the stainless steel or brass wetted components eventually. Should always rinse thoroughly after each use Costs slightly more than a schedule 80 PVC or Sch 80 polypropylene ball valve assembly The picture above exhibits different fittings available for various connections in a typical system. The top fittings are 1/2" and 3/4" polypropylene camloks for use in low pressure applications. These are special camloks because they have small locks on each coupler that do not allow for accidental disconnects and may be ordered with viton seals rather than buna. Always minimize the number of connections in any system because they become potential sites for failure or leaking. Camloks can be found before and after a pump to allow the pump to be removed and maintained. (All-Flo's rarely need your attention!!!) Camloks will allow for the pump to be moved inside during freezing, installed before a hose reel to prevent chemical from circulating through the hose reel manifold or installed on the discharge side of the pump to add a short hose to use your All-Flo to transfer chemical from a drum to your chemical tank on your trailer. The fittings on the lower portion are stainless steel quick connect fittings by General Pump in 1/2", 3/8" and 1/4". Although they are stainless steel, they will eventually rust and is the preferred brand of the roof washers with the greatest amount of experience such as Mike Sullivan from Pressure Washing Pro. The General Pump brand of quick connects is a favorite among the majority of our customers. They report that they last longer than the cheap imports, marry up well, and begin to rust much more slowly than others. All of the QC's pictured are female pipe thread. The hose reel can be mounted on a 1/4" aluminum mount. It will offer a secure place for the pump away from direct heat and rain. I can assure you that I will want to climb beneath the box in the next hurricane! The mount raises the reel above the standard 12" railing on open trailers and maximizes use of space and allows for the operator to turn the handle of the hose reel without cuttting up his/her knuckles or without bending over and reaching. In the referenced picture, the customer chose to use two pumps. He had us weld a custom switch guard for his 'on/off' toggle switch for his 12 Volt pump. PWP offers a BRAND NEW Poly Hose Reel Swivel and....it can be rebuilt! Will not corrode!!! Ask for it as an upgrade on your Titan Hose Reel order. Banjo 3 Way Ball Valves with Stainless Steel Mounts Three way ball valves can be used on the suction and discharge sides of soft wash pumps. The All-Flo already has two inlets and two outlets which can be used without the need to purchase a dual manifold or use a 3 way ball valve. Oneof the suction inlets can be used to pull roof wash mix and the other inlet can be used to pull housewash or degreaser. Each inlet hose should have a full port ball valve installed inline. Both discharge outlets of the All-Flo can be utilized also. One outlet can be used to discharge to the hose reel and chemical application hose and the other can be used when the pump is needed to transfer chemical from the ground or drum to the tank on your rig. __________________ Pressure Washer Products.com (800) 519-9279 (727) 562-5488 Outside USA sales@pressurewasherproducts.com DISTRIBUTORS OF SOFT WASH EQUIPMENT, SOFT WASH CHEMICAL, PRESSURE WASHERS & HIGH PRESSURE ACCESSORIES ONLY Call/Email Lori for Set-Up Help

Pressure Washer Products

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Date: Apr 25, 2011

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BUMP __________________ Pressure Washer Products.com (800) 519-9279 (727) 562-5488 Outside USA sales@pressurewasherproducts.com DISTRIBUTORS OF SOFT WASH EQUIPMENT, SOFT WASH CHEMICAL, PRESSURE WASHERS & HIGH PRESSURE ACCESSORIES ONLY Call/Email Lori for Set-Up Help

Redfisherman

ETERNAL MEMBER-RESTING IN PEACE

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Posts: 112

Date: Apr 26, 2011

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Lori, Don't know if it's my system or a fault on the site. I don't see the photos that are posted with the explanations. Also am doing fine, will send an email on whats happening. __________________ Fred Winters Home Maintenance Services 941.628.9558

Reliable Roof Cleaning Jacksonville FL

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Posts: 387

Date: Apr 26, 2011

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Lori Something must have happened when you loaded the pictures because they do not appear on my screen. Same problem Fred mentioned. Charles __________________ Charles Emanuel 904-657-9134

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The Roof Cleaning Institute Of America Training & Certification Forum "Find A Certified Roof Cleaner Directory"

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"Find A Certified Roof Cleaner Directory"