CQ.UK 3.0 Ceramic Lessons Learned

[TeamGomez]

Well John, flow rate is not something I had considered but now that you've mentioned it, that might be the issue. I have 1" PVC feeding the tanks but, no way to reduce the flow.

That could very well be the culprit depending on how you're capturing the output. If you're doing so at the end of a hose with a 1" input, that'd certainly be the prime suspect. CRS used to provide a flow restrictor plate (basically a circular washer but only had a 1/8" hole in it to ensure a low flow rate then went to a spray nozzle that performed similar restriction on fan spray to keep flow <2gpm). Higher flow rates work with softer water and vice versa.

The trick is to reduce flow rate as much as possible to preserve the filter media. So if you were putting out 2gpm and getting 300 gallons output, cut the flow rate in half and double your output. Most of the least expensive pressure washers put out less than 1.5 and I've got my Kranzle dialed down to 1 gpm. No need to be able to blast tar off the car and the fan spray from a p/w is essentially a 'water broom'. Hope this helps!

The wife on the ramp at Whiting Field circa 1977.

​

Awesome photo. Here's my wife and I on the same ramp probably a decade later.

This really shows what a beast the T-28 truly was. Almost embarrassed to show a photo of us standing in front of the Turbo Weenie LOL.

I'll bet you could start, taxi and take-off in that T-44 with your eyes closed. Sure is nice when you get to the point in an aircraft when you know something isn't right b/f the Master Caution light illuminates...and there is very little it can throw at you that you haven't already seen. Missing those days for sure.

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[TeamGomez]

Got my latest shipment of car crack in the mail and gave Reset a go for my first wash after laying down the ceramic and an application of Reset.

First Impression: If you ever broke your Mom's thermometer as a kid and played with the mercury on the kitchen table, then you know how the water beads and scatters on the ceramic!

If you haven't, you probably don't know what I'm talking nor suffered any ill effects of heavy metals poisoning...

But, wow. I've never been able to completely dry a car with the leaf blower (low speed version) and the water just scattered like pheasants when a dog gets on 'em.

I mixed a 1:10 ratio of Reset (1 part reset to 10 parts H20) in my foam cannon and that laid down more than enough product on the car. Going to cut that back to about 1:15 and adjust as necc. I think most foam cannons dispense excessive product that makes it a PITA to absolutely rinse clean. Makes it double difficult to effectively rinse when a high concentrate gets into a no see 'em location (door sill/mirror). No complaints whatsoever with the soap and actually liked the clear nature of the concentrate. I also put a couple OZ in the 5 gal bucket and it foamed up nicely (I don't use DI in the bucket but I do dispense the from the foam cannon with DI).

This CarPro product journey gets better every day. Glad I moved on from the veritable flip-phone to the latest product technology. No regrets whatsoever. Thanks Men!

 

[DFB5.0]

Got my latest shipment of car crack in the mail and gave Reset a go for my first wash after laying down the ceramic and an application of Reset.

First Impression: If you ever broke your Mom's thermometer as a kid and played with the mercury on the kitchen table, then you know how the water beads and scatters on the ceramic!

If you haven't, you probably don't know what I'm talking nor suffered any ill effects of heavy metals poisoning...

But, wow. I've never been able to completely dry a car with the leaf blower (low speed version) and the water just scattered like pheasants when a dog gets on 'em.

I mixed a 1:10 ratio of Reset (1 part reset to 10 parts H20) in my foam cannon and that laid down more than enough product on the car. Going to cut that back to about 1:15 and adjust as necc. I think most foam cannons dispense excessive product that makes it a PITA to absolutely rinse clean. Makes it double difficult to effectively rinse when a high concentrate gets into a no see 'em location (door sill/mirror). No complaints whatsoever with the soap and actually liked the clear nature of the concentrate. I also put a couple OZ in the 5 gal bucket and it foamed up nicely (I don't use DI in the bucket but I do dispense the from the foam cannon with DI).

This CarPro product journey gets better every day. Glad I moved on from the veritable flip-phone to the latest product technology. No regrets whatsoever. Thanks Men!

Good stuff!

At the risk of sending you further down the rabbit hole, next time you are needing soap, have a look into Opti-Coat M-Wash or DIY Detail Incredible Suds, both of those feature the easiest rinse-off I have experienced. Out of the two, I prefer M-Mash, it's expensive but so worth it.

Opti-Coat - M-Wash | The Rag Company
Incredible Suds | DIY Detail | Car Exterior Cleaner

 

[kilobravo]

That could very well be the culprit depending on how you're capturing the output.

The trick is to reduce flow rate as much as possible to preserve the filter media.

I really appreciate your suggestions, John, and I would very much like to investigate the flow issue for the house system which is plumbed in completely with 1" PVC while the municipal supply is 3/4" copper. (BTW, that's a carbon filter tank on the right with the softener on the left.) The two 20" filters are 20µm for initial sediment and 5µm for the final filter.

But I wasn't sure what you meant by "capturing output." Obviously for the house, the output goes back into the 3/4" copper line that feeds the house and all taps are treated as the house wasn't originally plumbed for a softener.

I too have a Kranzle, the 1122TST on the cart, and for that I use an exterior hose bib to connect to the house water. I only use the DIC20 for rinsing and to do that, I just switch the hose for the house feed to the DIC20 and then switch the DIC20 to the PW. When I make the hose switch, I crank the PW down to 600psi.

So the goal of my investigation is to reduce the TDS of the house water and that, based upon your recommendation, should reduce the TDS of the DIC20 output. Problem is, I don't have a clue how to do the former so I'm open to ideas. BTW, there are only two of us using water so demand is not very high.

Awesome photo. Here's my wife and I on the same ramp probably a decade later.

<smiling> I wonder if there has EVER been a student Nasal Radiator that DIDN'T take a photo in front of their aircraft?! <still chuckling>

Enjoyed your photo very much John, where did you go for Primary? The backgrounds of both photos are very similar..

..it's definitely not Corpus so it looks like you were also at South Whiting.

Almost embarrassed to show a photo of us standing in front of the Turbo Weenie LOL.

Never flew the Turbo Weenie but it sure had to be easier to control than the Trojan and the T6 is just WAY kewel and I bet it hauls ass.

I'll bet you could start, taxi and take-off in that T-44 with your eyes closed.

That too made me smile, John and you are absolutely correct, in my sleep. It's been nearly thirty years since I flew the Kingair but I'm fairly sure I could still duit in my sleep although I might need a hint on a procedure or two. <grin>

If you haven't, you probably don't know what I'm talking nor suffered any ill effects of heavy metals poisoning...

HILARIOUS and I could SO relate!

This CarPro product journey gets better every day.

I certainly haven't tried even a tiny fraction of the chemicals D (@DFB5.0) has, but I have also become a big fan of CarPro products.

 

[TeamGomez]

But I wasn't sure what you meant by "capturing output."

Do you turn on the water with a hose connected to the output side of the DI unit? If there's no flow restrictor on the end of the hose (fan spray nozzle, low flow rate pw), then the flow rate will be too high.

And with a water softener, it won't reduce the TDS of the water...it just exchanges hard minerals for softer sodium ions...crazy, I know.

<smiling> I wonder if there has EVER been a student Nasal Radiator that DIDN'T take a photo in front of their aircraft?! <still chuckling>

Enjoyed your photo very much John, where did you go for Primary? The backgrounds of both photos are very similar..

LOL. Ain't that the truth. I guess we all wanted a good photo for the memorial service if the first solo was also our last...

And good eyes on the recce; the T-34's were kept on the north side of Whiting while the rotaries were on the south end.

Cheers KB!

 

[kilobravo]

Appreciate the reply, John, and I learned an important fact!

And with a water softener, it won't reduce the TDS of the water...it just exchanges hard minerals for softer sodium ions...crazy, I know.

All this time I thought there was a TDS reduction and did NOT know the Calcium and Magnesium are replaced with Sodium! Too many years since I held an Inorganic Chemistry textbook. <smile>

Do you turn on the water with a hose connected to the output side of the DI unit? If there's no flow restrictor on the end of the hose (fan spray nozzle, low flow rate pw), then the flow rate will be too high.

You lost me on this, John..what "hose restrictor?"

This is how I have the Kranzle and the DIC20 set up when I'm ready to rinse the car.

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Are you talking about a restrictor such as an RV would use? If so, I presume it would go between the supply and the DIC20?

Reducing the flow rate through the DIC20 would allow for more time to deionize the incoming water and if you have a recommendation for said restrictor, please advise and many thanks.

LOL. Ain't that the truth. I guess we all wanted a good photo for the memorial service if the first solo was also our last...

TOO funny, dude!

 

[TeamGomez]

You lost me on this, John..what "hose restrictor?"

If you collected a water sample from the DIC20 output fitting, that would be unrestricted having a 1” input line with a spigot cranked fully open. You could restrict the flow by opening the spigot a quarter turn but hooking up a pw on the output side is a sufficient restrictor regardless of input pressure/flow rate. I would wager your Kranzle at 600 psi is less than 1 gpm and should be 0 ppm TDS if the DIC20 performs to spec.

Yessir, the one truism to Naval Aviation is we walked to the airplane either knowing it was our last flight, or not knowing that it would be. And many would not understand the ready room humor used to toughen the weak and shrug off the loss of a squadron mate.

Wings of Gold don’t come cheap and are forged by the graybeards helping the fledgling aviators hone their trade 🫡

 

[kilobravo]

Appreciate this suggestion, John.

You could restrict the flow by opening the spigot a quarter turn but hooking up a pw on the output side is a sufficient restrictor regardless of input pressure/flow rate. I would wager your Kranzle at 600 psi is less than 1 gpm and should be 0 ppm TDS if the DIC20 performs to spec.

Just open the supply a quarter turn...DUH, why didn't *I* think of that?! I swear, I'm getting dumber by the day. :=)

I'm going to give her a bath tomorrow as I plan to attend a show on Sunday and I will test the output with decreased flow and report back.

Now how about the 1" supply to the house water treatment system? Is it possible to reduce the flow into the softener tank there as well, John?

I ask not because we need softer water, it's fine for showers now but, the damn cement pond needs water due to evaporation and reducing that TDS helps the water chemistry a great deal as you no doubt know.

Wings of Gold don’t come cheap and are forged by the graybeards helping the fledgling aviators hone their trade 🫡

Well said, shipmate.

(LOVE the icons BTW, I've never noticed either but will definitely use them in the future, thanks.)

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