12.5% SH downstreamed from 5 to 1 injector?

I DS 12.5% straight with a shot of surfactant for my house washing jobs. What actual percentage is getting on the house?? 2.5%?? Thanks

In theory yes 2.5 which is way too much. You need to be at a 0.75 - 1.0 % range. Either get a 10:1 injector or add water to your mix to dilute

What kind of machine do you have? Unless you have a little 2.5gpm, I highly doubt you’re getting 5:1.

1 Like

No injector I know pulls 5 to 1 that I know of. Highest is around 8 to 1 IF you have a low gpm PWer. Whatever DSI you have you need to bucket test.

5 Likes

:point_up_2:t3:This. I can’t really understand why people are always trying to use math formulas. Just do a real time actual bucket test and figure out the ratios for your machine in a real world setting.

7 Likes

So, honestly, I’d do a bucket test. I downstreamed my first couple homes. My manufacturers book says my machine pulled “7:1”. I never did the bucket test bc I just went and got an XJet and use it instead but if I were going to continue to downstream I’d bucket test. I can tell a significant difference in the smell of bleach when I batch mix for my XJet and when I was downstreaming.

I used 10% SH, @ 7:1, and thought I was getting like a 1.33 mix. Not so sure that was the case. Moral of this is, do the bucket test and see what you’re actually getting and go from there. Plus really it don’t take long to do it.

2 Likes

Decimal points belong on estimates. My bleach to me is 10% no matter what the manufacturer writes on the drums.

I would try and switch to down streaming. Everybody we’ve talked into tossing the xjet and go to down streaming wished they wouldve made the switch a long time ago and can’t believe how much easier it is.

3 Likes

XJetting isn’t hard at all? Plus don’t really worry about the percentage you’re getting. But I’m all ears to why I need to downstream. I used the original downstream inject that came on my machine so I don’t know much about it besides that

That’s your prob right there. Get a real downstream injector and you’re golden.

What’s your set-up currently?

1 Like

My best comment on this is one word : efficiency. I’ve got 2 years in and do a lot of reading on here. I have an xjet and like anything else I own,it’s “just in case”. If I need a stronger mix than I can apply DS’ing,I have the ability. I have played with it on my 4 gpm and the lugging the bucket and hose around,chems splashing on grass and other plants,just the whole PITA factor rules it out for me in the residential/house washing field. I have since upgraded to the allison 6835 with the gear drive from envirospec and a Predator 670. With the unloader set properly, as I learned in this forum, I get probably 6.5 gpm,PSI I’ve never checked…but I run 4 gallons of 12.5 to a gallon of water on the greenest of houses,and have never had an issue. I may sometimes have to make another pass,but its still faster and more efficient than lugging a bucket around. With a innovative shooter tip,I can hit 40 ft (or more)vertical pretty easily under the right conditions.And I personally used more SH with the xjet than I do ds’ing. As one guy on here will tell you over and over again,SOME vendors lie and there is is probably no way the injector built into your machine will ever match an an aftermarket injector. Pull that barb and spring/ball,plug it,and buy a 3-5 gal injector from PressureTek and you’ll never look back.(unless you are running a 2.5 gpm machine,then I have no suggestions.)

6 Likes

Currently,

4200psi
4 GPM
Simpson
Honda390
20” Simpson surface cleaner
XJet
XJet Pail

Awesome man. I’ll give it a shot for sure! I need to get a JRod too. How long are those good DS injectors lasting y’all?

Buy at least 3. They can last anywhere from weeks to months to even a year.

Last place you want to be is caught in the middle of a house wash without one.

Buy the j-rod from PressureTek, too.

2 Likes

That is exactly the reason. Leave your mix on the truck or trailer. Less chance of accidents plus no hauling around a bucket. I’ve never used the xjet but the thought of it just doesn’t sound fun. Down streaming will do the exact same thing for house washing so it’s just easier. If you don’t have a 12v the xjet can still be used on stuff like stucco or post treating concrete if you need a stronger mix.

You’ll get a pretty strong mix with your 4 gpm machine. I can almost guarantee you’ll be glad you switched to down streaming. Now, if you’re unloading your machine and wheeling it to the house you might not see much of a difference between the two because you’ll still need a mix bucket up by the house. If you have a trailer or truck you’ll love down streaming.

1 Like

Gotcha! Yeah I’ve bought some stuff from pressure tek. I like them. When you get done downstreaming, what steps do y’all take to clean the DS injector? Run water through for a couple minutes?

Water should be flowing thru it anytime soap isn’t.

2 Likes

If you’re not dropping your stick into a bucket of water when you rinse the house (and you really should–it makes a big difference), you at least need to do so when you’re done so the injector can be rinsed out. Run 4-5 gallons through it.

1 Like

Well yeah for sure. But when you post treat concrete and shut everything down, i was just curious how long you guys cleaned them out. For sure going to look into downstreaming some more. I understand what you guys are saying and can definitely see it being more efficient.

Hmm, I didn’t really think about dropping it into a bucket of water to rinse. What does it change to make it better?