Every car enthusiast knows how important it is to take care of the cleanliness of his iron horse. Liquid mud, dust, harsh chemicals used for street cleaning in winter time, can cause irreparable damage to the body of your car. And a neat, clean car looks much better than a dirty, dirty one. Often the car owner is stopped from more frequent washing The cars are only tall and there are long queues. However, these problems can be avoided if you make a foam generator for washing your car at home with your own hands.
Washing a car using foam is non-contact, which means there is no chance of causing damage to the paintwork of the body. Thus, touchless washing using a high pressure steam generator is preferable to other methods. But the cost special equipment for such a sink is quite high and does not justify the cost of purchasing it when used periodically to wash one car. A good solution in this case would be a homemade foam generator.
Design features of the foam generator device
A foam generator for a car wash is similar in design to any device that uses compressed air in its operation. It consists of a cylinder, a foamer, a sprayer and connecting hoses. Compressed air under pressure enters the working container, in which it is mixed with shampoo. Thanks to this design, a person avoids the need for contact with chemicals. Foam shampoo removes dirt better, even in hard to reach places. Damage to the paint layer is eliminated; on the contrary, due to the wax content in the shampoo, a protective anti-corrosion film is formed. The washing speed increases and takes only 15-20 minutes.
The principle of operation of the steam generator
The steam generator is characterized by a very simple operating principle:
- The washer fills the cylinder with an aqueous solution and then closes the neck tightly to ensure a tight seal.
- Next, the compressor must be connected and water pumped to the required pressure.
- When the gun valve opens, the solution is squeezed out with air. This is done through a jet. Primary formation is observed here.
- The foamed solution, which has a high speed, “crashes” into the barrier - the mesh of the foaming tablet, passing through which it separates. As a result, fine foam is formed.
- The foam is supplied to the gun and then applied to the washable surface through a nozzle.
If necessary, the washer has the ability to adjust the supply of foam to the gun.
10393 10/08/2019 4 min.Contactless washing For many car owners it is a luxury, as it costs up to 300 rubles. Not everyone will allow themselves the next time they wash their car. Buy a mini-wash, spending up to 15 thousand rubles. Not many people solve it either.
But to afford a foam generator for washing with your own hands from a sprayer, spending minimum funds It is quite possible to make it yourself from an old sprayer and a few simple parts. Such a foaming agent will provide constant, almost free, but fast and effective car washing at home.
Operating principle
The main purpose of the foam generator is foam formation from shampoo and water, which after generation is evenly distributed over the surface.
The sprayer as a foam generator is based on mixing two foaming components under compressed air pressure and supplying foam to the surface.
In practice, this is achieved by mixing water and detergent in the container, compressed air forces the solution through the foam tablet to form a dense, active foam.
For more information about the operation of a foam generator from a sprayer, watch the video:
Required materials
For efficient work future foam generator, the purchase of expensive components, as well as the use of new parts and devices is not necessary. When making a device with your own hands, you will need the following parts and materials:
- container from a garden sprayer. Containers from sprayers, garden ones, as well as “Quasar” or “” models are suitable for this.
- For these models, the pump or pump is dismantled;
- pressure gauge with scale up to 10 atm;
- nipple with a shut-off valve that allows air to flow in one direction. two 0.5-inch fittings with four nuts and sealing gaskets;
- valve that regulates the supply of foam;
- metal tube and;
- reinforced hose that can withstand pressure up to 8 atmospheres;
- hose adapter;
- clamps for connecting fittings with hoses;
- foam tablet.
When selecting materials, the first step is to determine a container that can withstand pressure up to 6 atmospheres. Undamaged tank garden sprayer fits these requirements quite well. You can buy a foam tablet in a store or make it yourself.
The basis for the functioning of the foam generator from the Zhuk sprayer is a metal mesh, which is easy to make from metal brush, intended for washing dishes, or a tightly packed lump of fishing line.
Safety precautions
When making a foam generator, you need to take into account that the container in the sprayer can withstand pressure up to 4-5 atm. When pumping air into it, be sure to monitor the pressure gauge reading or control the pressure with the relief valve.
Do not use the device for other purposes than for its intended purpose by pouring toxic or flammable substances into the container.
How to make a foam generator from a sprayer with your own hands? If you have previously made your own for a snow blower, made one, assembled it yourself, or for a walk-behind tractor, then it will not be difficult for you to make a foam generator yourself from a sprayer.
If the necessary parts and components are available, the foam generator is assembled in the following order:
- in a sprayer container deleted hand pump and the holes are plugged;
- A pair of 1.27 cm (0.5 inch) squeegees are installed in the upper part of the tank. The parts are fastened with nuts on both sides, and their tightness is achieved using gaskets;
- A T-shaped adapter is placed on the air supply, a pressure gauge is placed on it and shut-off valve, and a tube is attached inside, a length slightly less than the height of the tank. This is necessary so that air enters from below. Thanks to this, the liquid foams;
- the second drive is designed to release foam. A tap, a foam tablet are installed on it, and for quick connection of the hose, it is easily removed. Connect to the hose metal tube, and to it a nozzle or sprayer. The foam generator is ready.
For automatic adjustment pressure in the tank, it would not hurt to install fittings for air injection control in the form of a valve that releases excess atmosphere.
This will free the operator from constantly monitoring the pressure gauge when pumping air, and guarantees the safety of the device, eliminating the possibility of the tank exploding under pressure.
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After checking the reliability of all connections and the tightness of the tank, water is poured into it through the neck in an amount of 2/3 of the total volume and concentrated shampoo is added according to the instructions (usually up to 2 g/l of water). The neck is securely tightened and the outlet valve is closed.
By pump or compressor through stopcockpump air to the required pressure. The hose with the nozzle is directed to the surface for applying foam and the tap is slowly opened. The density of application can be adjusted using a nozzle or nozzle.
Conclusion
Self-assembly of a foam generator is quite simple and does not require special knowledge and skills. The cost of its production will be 10-15 times lower, than the factory device. To do this, you need to draw up a diagram of the product and a sequential action plan, as well as correctly select all the necessary materials.
When assembling the device, safety requirements must be taken into account: since the foam generator tank operates under pressure, its permissible value is controlled with a pressure gauge, and all parts and connections must be functional and reliably assembled.
Due to its advantages, such as good heat and sound insulation, light weight, high fire safety, foam concrete has become very popular and widespread in our time. building material. Among the advantages of foam concrete blocks, their low cost and ease of manufacture are not the least important.
The article tells you how to make it at home and how to make a foaming agent with your own hands.
Making foam concrete
Equipment
Components
Proportions per 1 m3 of foam concrete
| Density kg/m3 | 400 | 600 | 800 | 1000 | 1200 | 1400 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proportion of cement and water | 0.46 | 0.43 | 0.444 | 0.46 | 0.5 | 0.38 |
| Amount of water l. | 165 | 155 | 185 | 215-220 | 235 | 265 |
| Amount of cement kg. | 361 | 361 | 481 | 581 | 651 | 690 |
| Amount of sand kg. | - | 155 | 205 | 281 | 381 | 600 |
| Concentrate quantity foaming agent kg. | 1.2 | 1.0 | 0.95 | 0.90 | 0.85 | 0.7 |
Technology
- First, cement and sand are loaded into the mixer.
- They, in dry form, are thoroughly mixed together.
- Add water and add foam from the steam generator.
- All this is actively mixed for about 5 minutes.
- Then it is poured into molds and dried.
Important
Be sure to choose clean and fine sand (up to 2 mm), without any dirt or clay.
In principle, tap water will do. But it should not contain salts and acids.
Don’t be surprised if your first foam blocks are, to put it mildly, not of very high quality. The proportion of water and foaming agent content in the solution, the time of mixing and hardening of the material, as well as how long to dry ready-made blocks - have to be determined experimentally, by yourself, during production. Because a lot depends on the individual properties of the components, air temperature and other factors
I can only say that it is more than 1.5 liters. There is no need to add a foaming agent per 1 m3 of concrete, since the material will be of much lower quality and with less strength, the hardening time of the mixture will greatly increase, and the foam blocks will have greater shrinkage.
I hope you understand how to make foam concrete, now more about the foaming agent.
How to make a foam concentrate with your own hands
Components for foam concentrate.
- Caustic soda 16 g/m3.
- Gum rosin 60 g/m3.
- Carpenter's bone glue 65 g/m3.
Instructions
- First, prepare wood glue and dilute it.
- Grind and soak 1 kg of glue in a bucket of water for a day.
- Heat on fire to about 60-70 degrees and mix thoroughly until it dissolves completely.
- Making rosin soap.
- Dilute soda to water at the rate of 1.2 kg per liter.
- Boil, gradually adding rosin, crushed to particles of at least 5 mm. Approximately 1.5 kg of rosin will be needed per liter of water. Boil for two hours. Stir until all ingredients are dissolved.
- Cool the soap to 60 degrees.
- We prepare a foaming agent. Pour rosin soap into wood glue at a ratio of 1:6.
It's done.
The quality of the foam can be checked by turning over the container with it (bucket or bowl). If the foam holds and does not flow out, then everything turned out as it should.
Foam concentrate storage
The material is not at all capricious, it does not deteriorate in either heat or cold. Usually stored in sealed containers. Just do not allow the foaming agent to come into contact with petroleum products.
Conclusion
For those who don’t want to make their own foam concentrate, we’ll briefly tell you what’s best to buy.
Foaming agents are divided into protein and synthetic. The former are of much higher quality and allow the production of more durable concrete. The latter are much cheaper, and although they cannot be used to build a high-quality residential building, for small buildings, garages, etc., their choice is more optimal.
Foaming agents from Italy are considered to be of the highest quality; among them, for example, GreenFonth, Laston, Addimnet, Neopor can be noted.
The cost of the simplest car wash is 300-400 rubles, which is quite a lot and ineffective, considering that for the cost of 5 such car washes you can assemble your own foam generator for car washing.
Washing a car today is a luxury, even the simplest one, not to mention contactless with the help of a foam generator.
The cost of the simplest car wash is 300-400 rubles, which is quite a lot and ineffective, considering that for the cost of 5 such car washes you can assemble your own foam generator for car washing. Of course, you can buy a new and branded one for 16-18,000 rubles, but again this is not effective and expensive. When assembling this equipment, the most expensive part will be the compressor, which is responsible for pumping air, but you can buy a car compressor, which will cost 1200-1600 rubles.
The structure of the foam generator and the principle of its operation
Before you start assembling your own foam generator, you need to understand exactly how it works. The main purpose of this device is the release of foam and its further smooth and uniform distribution throughout the body of the machine.
The water jet passes through the solution, which is mixed with air pumped from the compressor. During this process, active foam is formed, which can easily clean the car of dirt. In addition to the fact that the foam has formed, it must be dense, which is achieved by passing slightly foamed soapy water through a tablet (multilayer metal mesh), which intensively foams the solution. Next, the liquid enters parallel plate regulators so that the flow of the solution is flat. A hose is necessary for removing foam; a nozzle for distributing water flows or simply a shower nozzle is attached to it.
The most in a simple way make a foam generator for car washing from a Zhuk-type garden sprayer. In terms of its structure, a garden sprayer is almost identical to a foam generator. In total, you need to spend 1-1.5 hours to change the sprayer to a foam generator, if, of course, you have all the necessary parts for creation. 
So, to create a foam generator from a garden sprayer you will need:
- Sprayer capacity;
- Pressure gauge for measuring air flow pressure;
- Single-flow valve that allows air to flow in only one direction;
- Flow regulator or just tap;
- Pipe for injecting air inside;
- A hose with a wall thickness capable of withstanding a pressure of 6-8 atm;
- Metal bandage for connections;
- Mesh for foam formation.
The first thing you need for a foam generator is a container that can not burst at a pressure of 5 atmospheres; the sprayer’s capacity is just suitable for these purposes, since the walls can withstand a pressure of 4-6 atmospheres.
The step-by-step process of creating a foam generator from a garden sprayer looks like this:
Two metal hoses: a hose is screwed into the first, air will be supplied to the second
- The final step is connection car compressor(cost from 1200 rubles) or a compressor purchased on the secondary market specifically for creating a foam generator.
This method is even easier and simpler than the previous one. To make a foam generator you need:
- Automobile compressor (cost from 1200 rubles);
- Gun;
- Canister (as a container);
- Nozzle;
- Hoses;
- Pressure gauge;
- Union.
All together it will cost a maximum of 1600-1800 rubles, with the cost of one car wash being 300-400 rubles.
The first thing to do is take a tube with a length of 60-65 cm (in general, the length of the tube can be different and depends on the size of the plastic canister, the length of the tube should be 2-3 cm less than the height of the canister from the hole to the bottom) and fill with fishing line, which will act as a foaming tablet. The ends are covered with plugs with threaded holes. A T-shaped transition link is mounted on one of the holes, and a fitting is mounted on the remaining hole. Two hoses are connected to the T-adapter, one of the holes must have a tap to control the water flow, the second is needed to connect a pressure gauge. It should be remembered that the canister must be made of dense plastic that can withstand pressure of 5-6 atmospheres, otherwise all the work will go down the drain.
Many people try to find a compressor on the secondary market, but for car washing purposes a cheap car compressor with a pressure gauge is quite sufficient, the price of which is 1200-1300 rubles, and the pressure created by even the cheapest model ranges from 2 to 7 atmospheres, which is what is needed to create foam generator.
How to make a foam generator with your own hands or where to start?
How to make a foam generator with your own hands? The answer is simple - you need to try. To make a foam generator, it is important to choose not a compressor, but a container that can withstand a huge volume of water and pressure inside. All the variations of creating a foam generator presented above are the simplest and most understandable, but also one of the most dangerous when used due to the body. So, at the slightest deviation in pressure, the device can best case scenario crack and leak, or at worst, explode in your hands. The best foundation(capacity) for this type of foam generator will be gas cylinder, but to create a foam generator in this case, you will need experience in the use of welding and, in fact, welding machine, which is long and problematic, but reliable.
How to use a homemade foam generator?
The step-by-step process of using the generator looks like this:
- Through the main hole - the neck - water is poured, preferably purified, to 60% of the volume;
- Again, detergent concentrate is poured into the water through the neck in a ratio of 10-18 grams per 1 liter of water;
- After the first two stages, the tap and neck are closed;
- The compressor starts;
- Air is supplied to the container;
- A hose with a gun is connected;
- The tap should be opened very slowly;
- Foam is applied (its thickness can be adjusted using a watering nozzle or a pistol, depending on what is installed in the form of a distributor);
- The foam should remain on the surface of the car for 15-20 minutes;
- After applying the foam, you can rinse the container and pour water into it and, in the same way as the foam was applied, wash it off, but with clean water.
The idea of contactless car washing is based on minimal impact on paint coating when cleaning body panels regularly. In practice, it is a foam generator for a car wash that allows you to perform such car care.
Purpose and operating principle of a fine particle generator
During operation, the foam generator for washing, due to the high pressure inside the working cylinder, creates foam, which is applied to the body panels to clean them. The composition successfully combats the most persistent stains. At the same time, the provided mechanical impact minimal.
The use of the active composition of the foam allows for comprehensive cleaning of contaminants:
dust and dirt;
persistent organic compounds;
microflora.
The main obstacle to individual use of the current type design is high price professional product. Expensive car does not justify the costs when using it periodically to wash one car. Therefore, homemade installations for contactless washing are popular.
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Structurally, a foam generator for a car wash is similar to any installation overpressure– from a garden sprayer to a cylinder for pumping liquefied gas. The design of the device includes the following elements:
High pressure cylinder.
Foaming agent.
A sprayer that provides flow and fineness of spray.
Connecting hoses are of sufficient length.
Taking into account the volume of the injection container, provision should be made for transporting the equipment, taking into account the total weight.
The source of foam formation is a special foam tablet. This element is a finely porous mesh made of corrosion-resistant wire. After passing through the tablet, a liquid fraction with a high specific gravity is formed.
Manufacturing a functional and safe design
Before production begins, it is necessary to realize that the main dangerous factor when the device is operating it will become high blood pressure. When assembling a foam generator with your own hands, you should not skimp on installation elements.
Requirements for foam generator capacity
It is more convenient to make a homemade foam generator from a container of 25 liters or more. This will be enough for a one-time wash. The main requirement for the cylinder will be the manufacture of stainless steel or it is allowed to use ordinary steel, subject to treatment with an anti-corrosion compound. Durable plastic is also actively used.
Additional conditions will be:
- pressure resistance up to 6 bar;
the presence of a measuring ruler to control the filling level of the container;
the presence of threaded holes for a sprayer and a pressure gauge.
Sprayer requirements
The design includes a foam sprayer. This element must be different from a similar sprayer type device. Such equipment is designed to produce an emulsion, which is inferior in cleaning efficiency.
A suitable nozzle for a car wash in a steam generator compares favorably with a simpler example:
- has a finer spray;
allows you to adjust the feed rate;
provides savings in cleaning solution.
High pressure cleaning solution
It is impossible to create a foam generator with your own hands for a car wash without a pressure source. For normal operation of the equipment, the pressure created must be in the range from 4 to 6 atmospheres.
When completing the installation, the compressor will be the most expensive element. If you purchase a used sample, you should discard the sample with signs of wear. In this case, a compact unit for inflating wheels will also not cope with the job.
Assembling a foam generator for washing with your own hands
Making installation drawings
Get started assembly work only after sketching a promising design on the diagram, which shows the device of a foam generator for a car wash. This will allow you not to miss the following items:
- determine the sequence of assembly operations;
form full list parts and materials for assembly;
prepare the necessary tools.
The required tool kit includes:
flathead and Phillips head screwdrivers;
set of wrenches;
grinder;
pliers;
Diagram of a foam generator from a fire extinguisher
Used metal containers are ideal for making a foam generator for a compressor. When selecting a fire extinguisher container, give preference to a container with a large diameter to avoid falling.
The work is carried out according to the following algorithm:
- Prepare a standard hole for pouring the mixture.
New holes will be needed in the lower end and in the central part.
Tubes with fittings of the required size are welded into the holes to inject pressure and drain liquid to the gun.
Option to manufacture from a sprayer
The option of making a foam generator for washing with your own hands from a sprayer is the most preferable. This is due to the closeness of execution in comparison with the factory product. You will need to disassemble the foam generator by removing the valve and mounting fitting. Before assembly begins, two mounting holes must be present.
Subsequent work is carried out in accordance with the algorithm:
We screw the brackets into the holes and secure them with nuts. Installation of gaskets is required.
Install the fitting with check valve to one of the air pumps.
We attach a special tank with a tablet to the second drive.
A DIY foam generator made from a garden sprayer will work correctly only if there is an air supply from the bottom of the tank. A normally functioning device at an operating pressure of at least 4 bar consumes only 40 grams of shampoo.
How to make your device more perfect
The practice of building homemade foam generators allows us to highlight new directions for their modernization. And if the main drawings remain the same, then individual elements can be easily replaced.
For example, a foaming element based on wire or fishing line can be easily replaced with a piece of foam sponge. It is enough to secure it well in the wire tube. Instead of a fire extinguisher, a propane tank is successfully used.
Alternative reservoir
An alternative option for making a manual foam generator would be an ordinary plastic canister. In this case, it is possible to use the neck cover to secure both fittings.
We attach a plastic tube to one fitting from the inside. Inside, due to dense packing with fishing line, we prepare a foaming device. We attach a hose with a sprayer at the end to the outside.
We leave the second fitting free to connect the compressor. This is how you prepare the simplest touchless car wash with your own hands.
Touchless washing using a portable steam generator
Design hand-held device differs not only in overall dimensions, but also according to the principle of operation. A passing stream of compressed air lifts the liquid under the influence of vacuum, and then, under pressure, the solution is sent to the foaming agent.
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The devices are sold as per finished form, and are easy to assemble yourself.
