[Dave_Lee]

Hi All,
Siince going TM, I dont get through anywhere near as much chemics as I did when I used a portable. Leaving aside the issue, when I only use a fresh water rinse when using microsplitters. I still mainly use conventional solutions.
The metering on my TM is not accurate as I guess niether are most TM metering systems? When mine was fitted at Altec, I was told that the 25 litre cleaning solution bottle once filled with concentrate, would last about a fortnight. Now I either do a heck of a lot more work than that estimate is based on, or I am setting the flow rate too high. I generally set it to 2.5 GPH.
My TM does dump to the waste tank so I know some degree of this is also dumped. However I would say the actual usage from the concentrate bottle is more like 0.75 GPH.
Now, going off that, it is obvoius that with my portable the actual cleaning solution going through the carpet was much more concentrated than that going through the carpet with the TM. I know it may be said that other ingredients more than make up for the lesser concentrate like the higher solution, pressure, heat, vacuum etc.,
My question is, what flow rates do you genally set at, and do you find much of the afformentioned is the same with you.
Dave.

[Dave Parry]

Dave, I use a 25l container about every 2 or 3 days. I set the metering at 3gpm.
Either I'm using an awful lot of solution or your not using enough. It can be difficult to tell, as on occasion I have forgot to switch the solution back on after rinsing etc. and still managed to clean carpet, albeit slower than normal.
My boxxer also has last step chemical injection which means when bypassing water it doesnt use chemical.

[adl]

I would agree with Dave Parry on this

regards Dave ADL

[Glynn]

Most truckmounts have "last step" chemical injection, this obvoiusly means that chemical is injected into the line just before it exits the machine, it is controlled by means of a check valve so that chem cant travel backwards into the machine, maybe yours is stuck open ?. It shouldn't be able to be dumped into the waste tank.

I usually set at 3gph and consume about 20ltrs a day concentrate.

Glynn

[Dynafoam]

Dave,

I cannot conceive of any TM manufacturer designing a system that has an additive metering system, where the mixed solution is dumped into the fresh water tank - this would make a nonsense of metering.

If you have additives appearing in the tank, then Glynn's' suggestion is the most likely cause.

[Dave_Lee]

Glynn & John,
The Steamway Sidekick, my TM, is a superb piece of kit, but it is an entry level TM.
The solution concetrate is added to the water drawn from the holding tank just before entering the pump. i.e. The chemical goes through the pump.
The solution is dumped, when conditions dictate, into the Waste tank, not the clean water tank.
I have obviously not been setting the flow meter high enough and was it seems given misleading info at Alltec,. Even though I have had no problems getting good results, I will try the higher metering.
Dave.