Chris Tharpe
New member
How long does the average swivel last for everyone? What brand? and the most important question is what is the temperature set at on your machine usually
Surface Cleaner Swivels & Water Temperature
- Thread starter Chris Tharpe
- Start date
Chris Tharpe
New member
I have been through swivels lately like butter. I have them replaced for free or rebuilt from Steel Eagle but its getting old.
Could the heat be the factor here? One one machine the heat is set at 180 usually and thats the machine that keeps running through surface cleaner swivels but its the one being used every night.
We Ds all chemicals and then hook up to the surface cleaners, could the remainder in the hose thats ran throught he surface cleaners be causing problems?
Could the heat be the factor here? One one machine the heat is set at 180 usually and thats the machine that keeps running through surface cleaner swivels but its the one being used every night.
We Ds all chemicals and then hook up to the surface cleaners, could the remainder in the hose thats ran throught he surface cleaners be causing problems?
Christopher
Moderator
If the chemical is not flushed out enough then that could be a contributing factor, most swivels are not designed to have chemicals in them or ran through them.
Another is heat too high, the swivels are only designed for so much heat, sure they will probably last with higher heat but for only so long.
I have not installed my thermometer yet but once I do, I will know exactly what the water temperature is coming out of my coil, even though the dial guage shows a temperature, usually those machines do not reach that for many reasons. Having a thermometer shows exactly how hot the water actually is coming out of the coil. At the end of the hose it will cool down a little bit more.
There are guys out there that run their surface cleaners for years and do a ton of flatwork but do not have problems with their swivels, maybe they can chime in, guys like Russ S., Nick, Lonnie, and others etc...
Maybe they are doing something different or maybe not doing something that is letting their swivels on their surface cleaners last a lot longer than most?
Andy Hinson
New member
Are the swivels fitted w/grease fittings?
Christopher
Moderator
Not all brands have grease fittings, I know that the Whisper Wash brand do not have grease fittings.
Deublin and Whirl A Way do have grease fittings.
I do not know about Mosmatic.
Deublin and Whirl A Way do have grease fittings.
I do not know about Mosmatic.
Chris Tharpe
New member
The swivels I have had go bad are
1 Whisper Wash (big guy) bearings. No grease fitting
1 Talon 1 (steel eagle, new basic swivel on their surface cleaners) leaking alot of water from weep hole when purchased, sent back and they rebuilt it with the same end result again but worse now and its about 3 weeks old. Has grease fitting
1 Talon 2 (steel eagle) great swivel that outperformed the whisper wash by far and lasted about 5 months before the bearings went out (replaced under warranty as well) No grease fitting
1 Talon 3 (steel eagle, high end with carbide facings) the jets have an 0-ring as well as a plastic retainer on them. Had them go out twice now but got them to send extras for me. Has grease fitting
Could excess heat be the problem. The funny thing is that all of these broke when behind a 5.5 machine set at 180* on the thermostat.
1 Whisper Wash (big guy) bearings. No grease fitting
1 Talon 1 (steel eagle, new basic swivel on their surface cleaners) leaking alot of water from weep hole when purchased, sent back and they rebuilt it with the same end result again but worse now and its about 3 weeks old. Has grease fitting
1 Talon 2 (steel eagle) great swivel that outperformed the whisper wash by far and lasted about 5 months before the bearings went out (replaced under warranty as well) No grease fitting
1 Talon 3 (steel eagle, high end with carbide facings) the jets have an 0-ring as well as a plastic retainer on them. Had them go out twice now but got them to send extras for me. Has grease fitting
Could excess heat be the problem. The funny thing is that all of these broke when behind a 5.5 machine set at 180* on the thermostat.
Christopher
Moderator
With time, work, vibration, humidity, corrosion, etc....parts like thermocouples go bad or sometimes do not work correctly and they can have a bad "range" where it works good to that point and above that point but that certain range it will be erratic.
It is possible that your machine might sent the temps above that, even temporarily and too much heat could be the main reason for the bearing failure.
Back at the refinery we always had problems with thermocouples and they had bad ranges but had to be replaced for equipment to run correctly.
Unless the thermocouple is taken out and calibrated with a certified and calibrated thermocouple then it is up to chance. We had to calibrate thermometers, thermocouples, instruments, temp gauges, etc.... all the time, part of the ISO 9000 program.
Something like one of those laser gun thermometers might work good enough to see how hot your water is coming out of the gun to know and it will be somewhat hotter coming out of the coil.
It is possible that your machine might sent the temps above that, even temporarily and too much heat could be the main reason for the bearing failure.
Back at the refinery we always had problems with thermocouples and they had bad ranges but had to be replaced for equipment to run correctly.
Unless the thermocouple is taken out and calibrated with a certified and calibrated thermocouple then it is up to chance. We had to calibrate thermometers, thermocouples, instruments, temp gauges, etc.... all the time, part of the ISO 9000 program.
Something like one of those laser gun thermometers might work good enough to see how hot your water is coming out of the gun to know and it will be somewhat hotter coming out of the coil.
Tomdurbin
New member
Do you have the arms properly adjusted? If you have them pointing at a bad angle you could be over spinning the swivels. I use Mosmatic Surface Cleaners or The Landa Water Jet. I rent the same units as well and I have never changed a swivel. Of course I sell them after five years.
Christopher
Moderator
The Whisper Wash company uses an aluminum spray bar with angle-drilled holes that the spray nozzles thread into. If it is a bad angle then it was done wrong at the factory, that is how they all come. I like that idea but you hit a big rock, rebar or something else solid and you knock the nozzle out of the spray bar.
Steel eagle now sends their spray bars welded together with the nozzle threads angle already set with the welding so no chance there, besides I have the Deublin swivel and for almost 6 years now there has not been any problem with it at all or any maintenance with it but I did bend a spray bar and replaced it.
Christopher
Moderator
I should mention that I was having a problem with swivels also on my Whisper Wash Classic and Big Guy. I was changing out the bearings like every 3 or 4 months and it really was getting old.
I ordered a spare swivel and that helped but the swivels kept on going bad.
When I was in Florida for the Tampa Round Table I got to meet Lori, Rex and his wife at Pressure Washer Products and Rex showed me how he rebuilds the swivels there for different brands and he uses a different kind of bearing that should hold up to my unique cleaning situations. That was back in the end of July so those 2 swivels have been holding up for about 3.5 months now with no problems so it is so far so good.
The Whisper Wash brand of swivel does not have a grease fitting and the bearings are sealed so when I was talking to Bob at PressureTek he mentioned that we could drill and tap the casing and install a grease fitting there and just pump grease there on occasion and that might help with the problem.
I am going to see how these different bearings hold up and how long they last. If they don't last too long then I might try the grease fitting idea or I might just save some money and start buying the Deublin swivels and adapt them to the Whisper Wash surface cleaners. They are about the best swivel out there I have found so far. They are about $600.00 each but when you do the math, I am spending about $150.00 for a rebuild each time and that is 2-4 times a year so the Deublin would pay for itself in 1-1.5 years easily.
I ordered a spare swivel and that helped but the swivels kept on going bad.
When I was in Florida for the Tampa Round Table I got to meet Lori, Rex and his wife at Pressure Washer Products and Rex showed me how he rebuilds the swivels there for different brands and he uses a different kind of bearing that should hold up to my unique cleaning situations. That was back in the end of July so those 2 swivels have been holding up for about 3.5 months now with no problems so it is so far so good.
The Whisper Wash brand of swivel does not have a grease fitting and the bearings are sealed so when I was talking to Bob at PressureTek he mentioned that we could drill and tap the casing and install a grease fitting there and just pump grease there on occasion and that might help with the problem.
I am going to see how these different bearings hold up and how long they last. If they don't last too long then I might try the grease fitting idea or I might just save some money and start buying the Deublin swivels and adapt them to the Whisper Wash surface cleaners. They are about the best swivel out there I have found so far. They are about $600.00 each but when you do the math, I am spending about $150.00 for a rebuild each time and that is 2-4 times a year so the Deublin would pay for itself in 1-1.5 years easily.
Grime Busters LLC
New member
My Deublin swivel of my 24" Steel Eagle has over 1000 hours on it and not a single problem. The only problem I experienced was with the jumper hose to the swivel; blew that out one day when I pushed the temperature too high.
My ANT3 Hydro Blasters have 100's of hours on them and no problems as of yet.
My ANT3 Hydro Blasters have 100's of hours on them and no problems as of yet.
Russ Johnson
Equipment Expert
Danny Bates
New member
My opinion is that you have to use them daily to keep them going forever. If your not going to use every day blow air through it to clear the water out. I have a Hydrotek and a Whisper wash maxima and I have not had to replace the swivels for going on 4 years now. I have had to replce the spraybars a couple times because of hitting stuff but that's it. I always clear them out when they are going to sit for more than one day. Just my 2 cents.
Christopher
Moderator
Russ, What is the price for that mosmatic spray bar for the Big Guy?
Also the Mosmatic spray bars for the Steel Eagle 24" surface cleaner and the Whisper Wash Classic?
Thank You.
Also the Mosmatic spray bars for the Steel Eagle 24" surface cleaner and the Whisper Wash Classic?
Thank You.
Christopher
Moderator
Russ, I guess by installing a whirl a way swivel on a big guy that shows that someone thinks that brand of swivel is better than the whisper wash.
Do you think that the whirl a way is a better swivel than the whisper wash?
Thank You.
Do you think that the whirl a way is a better swivel than the whisper wash?
Thank You.
Russ Johnson
Equipment Expert
I'll check and get back to you.
Yes. It's greasable.
It turns faster due to the weight and the nozzle angle.
I', not sure of the Deublin model #. I'll see if I can find out.
Not that I know of. I know the kit comes with instructions.