de- foamer question

[dave 14]

do any of you guys have any issues with to much foam in your recovery vac? while i was collecting runoff from a house wash i noticed that foam was overflowing out of my vaccum i used 1/4 cup of defoamer did i not use enough defoamer or do i need to use a low foam mix for my soap at the moment im using bleach dishwashing soap and some degreaser.

[PressurePros 248]

I'll try to help you, but I only recover from about one of every 30 housewashes. Homeowners here don't want to pay for it. Try capturing your rinse water a little further from the rinse spot. I have had situations where I capture straight from a gutter or very near the side I am rinsing and have had the vac looked like the washing machine from the Brady Bunch episode where Bobby tried to wash his own clothes (if you don't understand the reference just breeze over). Try using berms to divert the water to the end of the driveway where it will end up more diluted with water and the suds will be cut down. I also use a rinse aid in my mix and that has cut down on my suds.

If you want to start with the simplest solution, use a soap designed to rinse better and not foam up so much. The problem with that is, there goes your dwell time.

[dave 14]

i saw that episode lol

[One Tough Pressure 580]

It is much easier to stop foam before it begins, rather than after it starts. Did you put the defoamer in at the beginning, or after it started to show?

I use a general defoamer that the carpet cleaners use, but rarely have a problem, so do not use it much anymore.

Go with what Ken said and add the defoamer first.

[dave 14]

i put the defoamer into my vac unit before i started i'm a bit confused should i have added the defoamer to my soap mix?

[One Tough Pressure 580]

If you add the defoamer to your soap mix, you will then get no foam, and thus no cling for dwell time. If you do not need a very long dwell time, then it may work that way, but I would not advise it,