Suds in Vacuum tank from sh/slo-mo mix

Doing big commercial buildings and due to regulation and especially the draught I am required to collect the water and transfer it back into the sanitary sewer system. I am cleaning a very dirty stucco building and it is Surrounded by concrete. I have a gas powered 425cfm vacuum system picking up the run off and the suds from the 3% sh/soap mix are filling up the collection tank faster than the water is reaching the float valve to turn the transfer pump on. Consequently the filter on the intake is sucking in moisture with sh in it and going thru the $3,500 roots blower. Has anyone ever remedied this issue by putting some kind of media in the vacuum tank to absorb the suds? Or any other ideas?

Rubbing alcohol kills the suds. Maybe a pump sprayer and hit the bubbles occasionally?

1 Like

Tank defoamer may work for you. We use it at the Town when mixing chems in our skid sprayers. Check out a place that sells fertilizer, weed killer, etc.

1 Like

Thanks guys I’ll do both!

Fabric softener works to keep foam down.

1 Like

Use less soap or some that doesn’t produce so many suds.

1 Like

So add that to the surfactant tank? Or to the puddle it’s colllecting water from? I wonder if adding defoamer to the surfactant tank would cause any issues? Maybe fabric softener works like a defoamer?

Edit: found this just now. I wonder about adding fabric softener or alcohol to the surfactant tank?

In the recovery tank

1 Like