Water Tank Additives

[firemanvfd1226]

I am trying to find a chemical that you can put in your tank that helps keep the corosion down in the tank and helps keep it of your valves. I keep our trucks going and my chief said that he read an article about a product that does that but we can not find it now. Any help would be great.


Thanks,
David
Brinker VFD

[Workingfire22]

Try 5lbs of Alka-Seltzer! :D j/k

[Greenacres2]

Try 5lbs of Alka-Seltzer! :D j/k

The low-budget alternative to CAFS!!

What's the correct ratio of water to Alka-Seltzer to avoid a BLEVE?? ;)
earl

[mark0502f]

Try www.denkofoam.com. They make a product called Tank Saver.

[ccfdblehman]

In my department, to clean the valves and whatnot, we have used Dawn dish soap flakes, or any dish soap flake will work. There is a process to this. Get a hoseline to attach to an intake and a discharge to circulate water, and work all the valves... except preconnects. We just leave the caps on the discharges and open and close the valves. This method has always worked... just make sure you drain the tank and refill when done to get rid of the dish soap. Also, dont circulate the water with much pressure, we always used about 25-30 psi to keep sudding down.

[mark0502f]

I agreed with the Dawn dishsoap idea until a while ago. I read on another post that since dishsoap is a degreaser, it can be hard on pump seals, bearings, etc., as well as removing any lubricant the valves may have. I hadn't thought of that.

[LFD2203]

In Central Kentucky, our water has a very high mineral content due to the limestone in the underground water tables (good for making Bourbon, and raising racehorses, but bad for fire pumps). Couple this mineral content with water standing in the pump, with the dissimilar metals found in the pumps, and we can lock up a transfer, relief, or discharge valve in a matter of weeks. We also have problems with the 2 1/2" x 1 1/2" reducers on the rear preconnects getting bonded to the piping. One fairly inexpensive answer to this we found was using a water soluable oil to lubricate or coat the internal parts of the pump. We went to a local oil distributor and bought a drum of water soluable oil that is normally used in machine shops in the cutting processes. We would put about 1 quart in a 1,000 gallon booster tank, then circulate it through the pump, making sure to work the transfer valve and relief valve. This stuff really works. I know of a Hale pump with a hydraulic transfer valve that worked very slowly. We oiled up the booster tank, and began to cycle the transfer valve. It didn't take too long until it was working like a charm.
This may sound odd, but it worked for us. And it is a heck of a lot less expensive than a tank saver product marketed for the fire service.

[mark0502f]

That's a good idea. Besides being a lubricant, most of these contain corrosion inhibitors as well. We'll have to try that.

[Lewiston2Capt]

While not an additive we typically use cathodes in our metal tanks. They get changed every 5 years right about the time we test the hose on that apparatus. Not the easiest thing, but it does work.

[ccfdblehman]

Any chance you can give us the name of that lubricant?

[cityfire7]

Any chance you can give us the name of that lubricant?

As was stated earlier this is a common item. Their are too many names to list. Contact a local oil/hyraulics outfit in your area and ask for "water soluable cutting oil". If they can't help then you can find a local machine shop that will be using it.

I know the name of a couple but the only one that I can get my brain to cough up right now is "Sol-lube".

The only problem that I have found with these products is the rapid growth of fungus and bacteria in the water.

[firemanvfd1226]

Thanks for the information, we are a little volunteer department and trying to keep our equipment up. again thanks for the info and anymore i can get.

[ROOKIELZ]

We use H200 Water Soluable Solvent Cleaner Degreaser up here in the great white North.

If you would like the rest of the company information, drop me a PM.