Need Foam Help

[bellmontfire]

Our Department just purchased foam. However, we dont know what eductor to buy. can you suggest a style of eductor?
Whats better, bypass or in line? what company is the best?
Thanks

[KirkAllen]

What eductor to buy?

Both bybass and standard eductors are placed inline.

I believe if eductors are what your going to use, the bypass type offers more versitility.

Make sure that you purchase one that has a flow rate of at least 125-gpm or more. I am of the opinion that a 95-gpm eductor is not an adequate flow rate, considering some NFPA standards outline this flow as a minimum while others say 100 is the minimum.

Just my thoughts

[Guest]

Once you have decided what type of eductor you need, contact your local suppliers and see if they will come to your department to put on a demo. This way you can make an informed decision on what you need, not what the salesperson tells you, you need. Try to talk them into bringing their own foam with them, not only will you get to see the different brands of foam, but also get some free foam training.

[distchief60b]

Contact Jim Cottrell of Cottrell Associates. He is also associated with Naational Foam and TFT. He can point you in right direction...even if you did not buy nationalk foam. He can be contacted at [email protected] Leave him an EMAIL telling him what you are trying to accomplish and he will give yoiu some ideas...let us know how u make out.

[Fireboy422]

It is purely my opinion, but our department has both types of eductors, and I prefer the standard type. We have problems with our bypass in that the eductor is still drafting into the line when you are flowing just water, thus introducing air into the lines and causing interrupted flow. But like previously stated, try them out, get a demo, make an informed purchase.

[KirkAllen]

Fireboy422:

We have seen that problem with a couple of brands of bypass eductors. The problem was easily corrected by cleaning all the calcium build up off of the bypass valve.

If you do little or no maintenace, I would stick with the standard eductor, although even those should be cleaded after use.

Vinegar works great to clean the calcium build up on the bypass valve.

bellmontfire: The choice should be fairly easy. The cost effecice route would be a standard eductor. I prefer the Elkhart model over the Akron, although both work. First establish what flow rate your looking for. Ensure you have matched the flow rate of the nozzle that will be used with the eductors flow rate.

Your nozzle flow should match the eductor at/or below 100-psi NP. If your nozzle flow rate is lower you will end up creating a backpressure situation and causing the eductor to either not pick up foam or not pick it up at the correct percentage.

Good luck.

So there is no confusion"
WE DO NOT SELL ANY TYPE OF FOAM EDUCTORS!