Nozzle Knowledge
Westpak February Tell-Tale
By Steve Tyler
Nozzles (Jets) are a source of confusion for many in this industry, but there are a few basic concepts that when understood will make our lives easier. First let us understand the numbers on the nozzle itself. To help us, think of a garden hose and holding our thumb over the hose. No thumb in front of the hose, there is flow, but spray distance and pressure is low. Now with the thumb over the hose, the spray can be far, even 2-5 feet. The flow is the same, but we restricted the opening to make it go farther. We can even move our thumb around to make it a small stream or a wide fan.
The Nozzle Numbers
So it is with the nozzles that we buy. A common size is a 9502. What does this mean? The number 95 is the spray angle in degrees. This angle can be narrow or wide (05, 30, 45, 65, 95, or 110). This distributes the same flow over a narrow or wide area. The next set of numbers is 02, which means the flow in 1/10 of a gallon per minute. In this example 02 means .2 (2/10) of a gallon per minute (at 40 PSI).
So if we change the nozzle to a 11002 it will be 110° wide spray pattern, but still flow .2 Gallons per minute (GPM). If we changed the nozzle to a 9503 it would flow at .3 GPM. This will give you a good basis for understanding those numbers.
Choosing the Right Nozzle
Nozzles are affected by primarily pressure and flow which are related to each other. We have discussed three variables, Angle of spray, Flow, and Pressure. How do these things work together to help us clean efficiently.
Angle of spray is largely determined by the manufacturer of a tool. In many cases if your tool has a 95° nozzle, you can move the nozzle closer to the carpet by using a wider angle nozzle (for example a 110° nozzle). Reasons to do this may be the tool design or to have more spray impact to the carpet. A shorter distance also transfers more heat to the carpet.
Flow is also a design parameter to provide enough water to the carpet to do a full rinse. Generally speaking wands are designed to flow .6 Total Gallons of water per minute to the carpet. This can be one 06 nozzle, two 03 nozzles, or four 015 nozzles. This can be adjusted for more flow or less, for the application. For example .4 GPM total will put less water in the carpet and will dry faster. Likewise .8 GPM total will rinse better, but will dry slower.
Pressure is primarily a function of the pump in the machine. Low pressure (40 PSI) can be seen at the nozzle with a weaker spray and lower flow. High pressure (600 or 1000 PSI) will show a slightly wider angle and a very strong flow. Low pressures are used for delicate fabrics and furniture, high pressures are used for hard surfaces, including tile, grout, marble and such materials. Our tools perform better at certain pressures, and specific nozzle angles and flow.
Replacing and Maintaining Your Nozzles
Remember the example of using the hose to clean your car, and putting your thumb over the opening. In some places it cleans better with more pressure and a smaller stream, like cleaning the wheels. So it is with cleaning carpet. More pressure will agitate the soiled carpet better. Using the correct nozzles will help this also clean better.
Nozzles can actually wear out! Look closely at a nozzle opening of a nozzle that is new compared to one a year or so old. The old one will have a bigger opening and maybe deformed. It will show lower performance and maybe an irregular spray fan and more flow. Nozzle openings erode and get bigger with flow and pressure over time. This should be checked at least monthly. Nozzles should be changed about every 1000 hours or even less based on your particular conditions.
Note that nozzles are made of either Brass or Stainless Steel. Brass will wear faster. Stainless Steel is harder and will last much longer than the brass nozzles. A good upgrade is to change to SS nozzles.
In Conclusion…
Nozzles need to be cleaned, and wands need to be clean also. Clean with vinegar or a proven cleaner. Nozzles should never be cleaned with drills, pins, or hard objects as it will damage the precision opening. Clean with a wooden toothpick is a good choice, with water.
Clean tools and nozzles give better performance and present a better image to your customer.
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4 comments:
So what is the difference in a VV nozzle and a T- Jet?
A good question, thanks for asking. The difference between those two nozzle types is most easily displayed with a picture. In the nozzle category of our website you can see the difference. But in a nutshell here it is:
VV nozzles are typically self sufficient nozzles. Meaning they screw directly into the spray manifold. The Stainless Steel nozzle that is in this post is a VV nozzle.
T-jet nozzles typically need some type of housing to be put into, like a filter assembly, which in turn screws into your spray manifold. You can view a picture of the T-jet nozzle here:
http://westpakusa.com/Category46/nozzles.aspx
Is there a filter available or incorporated in the supply line to keep VV nozzles from clogging (or do they need one)? Our wand uses T-jet. The little filters tend to catch a good bit of the build up from the hard water. We are upgrading to your 4-jet 14" wand that has VV nozzles. Is clogging going to be an issue with VV's?
Pardon the slow response. If you're used to the filter and like them on your wand then with VV nozzles you can add an inline filter before the control valve that will keep your nozzles clean. Your local distributor should have one available or when you upgrade you can have it added onto your wand. Copy and paste this site into your address bar if you want a look at them: http://www.westpakusa.com/Item221/FILTER_ASSEMBLY.aspx
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