3/4" supply lines

[One Tough Pressure 580]

Seems as though everyone reccomends using 3/4" supply lines, but have you looked at most pump inlets, they are 1/2".

On top of this a lot of people are using ball valves that restrict their 3/4" lines and do not even realize it.

If you have any elbows in your plumbing then they also restrict water. Most swivels on hose reels are also only 1/2".

I did a test today, using 5/8" hose with a 3/8" quick coupler attached. I was able to get 8 gpm.

So basically what I am getting at is if the water is there, then you will get the water.

All this hype regarding 3/4" lines and the truth is it really does not matter for the standard 5 to 6 gpm machine.

What it does is add weight and cost to fittings.

If someone has any comments and can convince me to change my mind, then fire away.

[Littlefield 65]

I'm getting ready to set up a trailer, and I was wondring the same thing. I was actually planning trying to use 1" piping, but would rather not if its no help.

Did you do your test on flow from a tank, or under pressure from behind, ergo a supply line from a house, etc??

[ron p 500]

yes some use too small of fittings and restrict flow.

You can make your own 3/4 fittings.

The one thing your forgetting is "friction loss"

The longer the run the more friction loss you get.

If your not flooding the pump head then your pump is pulling water. If it pull's to hard it suck the hose closed and catavate's the pump.

If you are flooding the pump head with tank water then your supply to the tank can be 5/8ths but if you run 200ft of 5/8ths or 200ft of 3/4 the 3/4 will supply more water.

What will empty a 5 gal bucket faster?

3 half inc holes poked in the bottom or 1 1 inc hole?

The 1 one inc hole because of less friction loss.

See how fast you run out of hot water if you take the shower head off compared to having it on.

So long as you have plenty of water at that 1/2 inc fitting at the pump your fine. Dont use whimpy hose or your pump could suck it closed.

ALLWAYS USE A FILTER BEFORE THE PUMP HEAD.

[beyoungsr 14]

Ditto on what Ron said. Another instance where 3/4" vs 5/8" helps if someone else is using the same water source. A sprinkler system cutting on or maybe a toilet being flushed.

Also you would want your incoming supply line as big as possible to refill the tank quicker. Keep the supply line as short as possible.

I dont use hose quick connects or the commercial t's or y's because of the narrowing of the passage.

I make my own t's out of 3/4" PVC for full flow.

Bigger in this case does mean better

[One Tough Pressure 580]

Originally posted by beyoungsr

Also you would want your incoming supply line as big as possible to refill the tank quicker. Keep the supply line as short as possible.

Bigger in this case does mean better

If you look at most hose bibbs, the orifice is only half inch., and sometimes only 1/4". You are only going to get as much water as the spigot will flow, regardless of hose size.

[RAJD 14]

I have an upcoming job to do a wood walkway and dock on a lake, The problem is the house water supply is 500' away.

I have 150' of high pressure hose. So that would still leave me about 400' short

Can I run 5/8 hose this far without hurting the pump?

The machine is a belt driven 4 gpm 3500 psi belt driven unit.

Can I draw from the lake?

If so how far can that machine draw and to what height?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

[Littlefield 65]

Originally posted by RAJD

I have an upcoming job to do a wood walkway and dock on a lake, The problem is the house water supply is 500' away.

I have 150' of high pressure hose. So that would still leave me about 400' short

Can I run 5/8 hose this far without hurting the pump?

The machine is a belt driven 4 gpm 3500 psi belt driven unit.

Can I draw from the lake?

If so how far can that machine draw and to what height?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

To answer one or two of your questions, its always better to run more high-pressure hose, than extend your supply line. You'll lose about a 100psi for every 100 feet of high pressure hose you run.

For practicality, when I started, I didn't have a tank, and I ran 500' to 600' of supply hose after passing water through a filtration system, and that pump lasted two years after I stoped doing that to it. I did that for about 6 months, 10 hrs a day....

This was on car lots in LA, flat surface, blazing hot.

If you draw from the lake, make sure to filter the water, even if it looks clean, theres a lot of junk floating in lakes.....

[ron p 500]

your wash unit should be able to draw from about 4 ft above the water.

Remember that a TANK on a job like this could be as simple as an inflateable kiddie pool.

Garden hose to fill the pool.

Supply line from wash unit to pool.

leave garden hose running.

No need for all that if your working on a fresh water lake.

What are the EPA laws about washing decks over water where you are?

Pressure treated wood contains arsinic and washing/rain wash's that into the water and can kill plant's and fish.

I would'nt even know how to refinnish a deck that had a sealer on it, that was over a lake.

[RAJD 14]

LITTLEFIELD, RON P.

Thank you, I have a 55 gal. plastic barrel I could use. I never thought of it and I walk by it every day, thats why three heads are better than one.

If I had to, I have a strainer for drawing water from the lake. But I am going to use the barrel.

Both the walkway and dock are on the bank away from the lake by about 50ft. (they pull them out for the winter) so I am not worried about getting residue in the water. They were newly built last year and the homeowner finished them with thompsons. did not last the season.

Thanks again for the help

Bob

[ron p 500]

to use as a sealer?

[beyoungsr 14]

One Tough Pressure,

The 3/4"commercial contractor hose I buy have full 3/4" fittings. Same applies to the shorter hoses I make myself. I pay $8.00 for a set of brass ends.

The larger hose makes a big differance when you have to use long runs. Use two machines ect.. I guess my preferance is to always have the maximum amount of water available to the pump.

A 5/8" hose is 25% larger than a 1/2"hose and a 3/4 hose " is 20% larger than a 5/8" hose !

[RAJD 14]

I am going to use Wolmans raincoat water base they like the driftwood tone.

[beyoungsr 14]

RAJD,

I would use the fresh water supply even though it is farther away.

Have you tested it to see if you have adequate flow? Using a 5/8" supply on a single machine should be ok.

The lake water is closer but could be a problem depending on the amount of lift needed. Check with your pump manufacture, they usually have all that data on hand. I don't beleive pw pumps have a lot of lift and cavitation might be a problem.

A solution may be to use a electric pump at the lake and pump into the drum. Let the pw draw from there. This way you are flooding the pump instead of trying to use the pw pump to pull the full 150'.

May be over kill but this would assure you of having a constant supply of water.

What ever you decide try it before you start the job it might save your pump.

One other thing I am assuming is that you will be changing nozzles to lowwer your pressure. Adjusting the unloader in this situation might be a disaster!

[RAJD 14]

THE WATER FLOW AT THE HOUSE IS 7 GPM.

MY MACHINE CALLS FOR A #4 TIP

I AM GOING TO USE A #7 40d

THAT SHOULD BRING IT DOWN TO 1500 PSI from 3500

[beyoungsr 14]

RAJD,

That gpm should be more than enough to use.

Do you expect any furring of the wood using 1500 psi?

I don't have much experiance on decks but would think 1000 psi would be tops for me.

Please let us know how it turns out!

Before and after pics would be great. A very useful selling tool! You may pick up some additional work once neighbors see the work in progress.

[ron p 500]

quality chem like beth here sells and you should'nt need more then 500 to 800 psi.

You should also look into useing a duel wand.

That way you control the psi at the wand.

No need for 10 diffrent tip sizes for diffrent types of woods.

[beyoungsr 14]

Ron P.,

Help me understand the dual wand theory. You have a low pressure side which is adjustable and the high pressure side which is fixed.

Do you install a hp nozzle on the lp side and adjust as needed?

If so do you verify psi with a gauge?

Would you loose gpm by adjusting the nozzle to a lowwer setting or would that be insignificant with decks?

Sounds like a interesting method and much cheaper than buying nozzles!

[Aplus 525]

I use a dual lance almost exclusively. For decks I normally use a 25045 tip for railings, and a 45045 tip for floorboards, and throttle down to 500-1000 PSI as necessary. With the 1/4" q/c, I can change tips quickly, just the same as a straight lance.

It seems that often during a wash, I find times that I need lower pressure, and times that I may need full throttle. It's much easier to adjust pressure with the dual lance than to stop and change tips on a straight lance.

I'm sure others have differing opinions.

[ron p 500]

just think of a dual wand just as it's name implies.

You have two wands in one.

Yes most use a soap tip on one side so they can use the downstreamer and the other side a pressure tip for doing the work.

Yes you loose gpm by opening both sides at one time.

How much gpm depend's on how far you open the opisite side.

A little crack you wont notice much. The more you open it the more you'll notice.

A couple of quick notes here on the duel wand and deck work.

Remember that PSI is rated 3 inc from the tip to the surface.

Who wash's a deck that close? So your distance from tip to surface also reg. the pressure.

Next is the size of the fan or deg of the spray.

A 40 deg tip will loose the psi a lot faster then a 15 deg tip just by moveing back a couple of inc. from the surface. More of a shotgun pattern.

Next is most chems stop working when the dry on the surface. Misting with just water can delute the org chem and make for harder work and over use of pressure.

If you have a duel wand and the chem hooked to the downstreamer you can apply more chem and keep it stronger.

Just remember it takes X amount of time for the chem to reach the tip.[X depends on your wash unit and langth of pressure line]

If you shoot a whole deck with HD80 or EFC38. Let it dwell. Then start to clean/strip a good part of that deck on a hot day will get dry. If you keep misting it with just water your deluting the chem and greatly reducing the effectiveness of it. One twist of the handle and 20 sec later im shooting more chem.

You can "flash" the tuff part's with a second dose.

REMEMBER, PRESSURE JUST WASH'S AWAY THE WORK THAT THE CHEM DID.

PRESSURE IS NEVER USED TO DO THE CLEANING. CHEMS CLEAN PRESSURE WASH'S IT AWAY.

PRESSURE = WEAR.

Even guy's who do flatwork without chem. all they are doing is wearing the top of the cement.

[beyoungsr 14]

Thnks Aplus and Ron,

I will use you techniques in the spring. May help a coworker clean his large deck. A little learning curve if you no what I mean!