New softwash setup

Alrighty…have my softwash system plumbed put with dropsticks into 3 tanks…going through a proportioner…through a 5.5 gpm…200 ft of hose… and only getting about 20 feet of spray.

Do I need a bigger pump or am I missing something here? Figured I would be getting 30+.

Thoughts, concerns, prayers…

What size hose and pump specs?

1/2 from the water tank and sh tank. 3/8 from surfactant tank. 1/2 from the proportioner to pump. 1/2 hose from pump.

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5.5 gpm northstar pump. 200 feet of 1/2 hose.

Healthy, new, fully charged 12v battery?
Ensuring the feed in hoses are as short as possible and avoiding 90 degree angles when possible also help. And the tips are xx30 tips, right?

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Good charge on a big deep cycle battery. Hoses to the proportioner are only over 4 feet maybe. From proportioner to pump is maybe 3 feet. I’m using the wand from Southeast Softwash, so whatever twisty tip that came with that.

Do you have any bubbles in the line between the proportioner and your pump? Squeeze trigger and watch that line. If you see air bubbles in fluid before pump, your getting air in your system. Mine is fed with 1/4" soap, 1/2" chem and water line to proportioner, 5/8 from proportioner to pump, 5/8 from pump to reel and then 1/2" on reel. Mine shoots 37’

Make sure all your lines are in fluid when testing. I couldn’t figure out why I was getting air for the longest time. I would open water and chem lines (chem was in water too for testing) but I left the soap closed. Here the Pentair valve was still pulling the tiniest bit of air through the system despite being closed, Dropped the soap line in a bucket of water and problem solved. Pulled water instead of air. Air wrecks performance real quick.

I’ve noticed I have bubbles in the tube at the bottom of the proportioner. Coming out. None in the lines heading to the proportioner. My pump just suddenly died too…I’ve called northern tool and they are sending me a new one. We shall see. May have been a pump issue. Its a little aggravating to see the system acting this way bc it is identical to many other systems I’ve researched.

Sounds like it could be, but if it’s not, I would be willing to bet air is getting in somewhere. Also try to eliminate the 90’s if you can. I have a 7 gpm pump, but I’ve read the gallons per minute doesn’t really make a difference in distance just overall volume I’ve actually thought about switching to the 5.5. Either way, you should certainly be able to get at least 35’

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Did you figure out what was wrong with your system?

I’m just getting started. New softwash setup I’m going with 1/4” from soap to proportioner. 1/2” from water and sH to proportioner and 5/8” from proportioner to reel.

I have a question
For my pressure washing Reels
What connector do I need . I’m running from buffer tank to reel what is best connector to connect hose to inlet on reel from buffer
And question 2 what’s the best connector to hook onto my reel that connects the pressure washer hose?