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RE: 12V Delavan FATBOY 7gpm pump

Ohio Roof Cleaning · Guest

Is this still a concern if the pump is inside a battery box with a lid? Are there any other reasons? Thanks, Chris!

Pristine Roof Cleaning New Jersey · Premium Member Roof Cleaning Institute of America

i would like to say that im having problems with my fatboy. up and down up and down.
thinking i need more amps, but i dont want to go with a bigger diameter hose, not that im week, but im on big roofs and pulling 400 ft of hose. some times the pump will go crazy and give me max power but if i let go of the triger the hose will blow at its connections. what should i do?

RCIA Founder

Ohio Roof Cleaning wrote:

Is this still a concern if the pump is inside a battery box with a lid? Are there any other reasons? Thanks, Chris!

If inside a box, the sun can not get to it, but heat may ?

Redfisherman · ETERNAL MEMBER-RESTING IN PEACE

Ohio Roof,

If you use the battery box, and want to mount the pump upside down. Mount it to the lid and use the box itself to cover it the pump, figure out where you are going to cut your hose inlet /outlets. Now for getting raw air to the pump to get / keep it cool. A large 120mm computer 12V fan can do the trick. Go to http://www.tigerdirect.com and look up cooling fans, they also have a variety of fan covers. Cut a hole in the base of the box for the fan to draw outside air, mount the fan and cover to keep debris off the fan blades. Use butt connectors to your positive & negative connections on how you turn your pump on and off. Remember it's electricity, it's all wires and mirrors biggrin

just kidding. Keep your connections simple and it will all work. Use your battery box strap to keep it all together. The picture in your minds eye is that it's upside down like your pump. and the fan is unobstructed drawing good air for your pump. Hope this helps and not to confusing. Just a note, thinking of computer fans they are ALL 12V, just because they are in a case doesn't change that fact. Your power supply is like a transformer for outdoor low voltage lights.

Guest

dan wrote:

i would like to say that im having problems with my fatboy. up and down up and down.
thinking i need more amps, but i dont want to go with a bigger diameter hose, not that im week, but im on big roofs and pulling 400 ft of hose. some times the pump will go crazy and give me max power but if i let go of the triger the hose will blow at its connections. what should i do?

Whether you like it not, you need a bigger hose. Why do you have 400 ft of hose to begin with? That in itself is a problem. The more hose you have, the more amps are needed to pull, and the pressure drops significantly every 50 ft. or so. We use 200 ft of hose, and have never come close to running short.

Shorten your hose, and get a bigger diameter hose as well. Then your pump will work like a champ.

Ohio Roof Cleaning · Guest

We used the Fatboy for the first time this past Saturday. It worked fine until the very end. We used all the solution so we turned off the pump and made some more. When we went to start again, it wouldn't pump any more solution. Sounded like it was trying to but just wasn't pulling the solution through. Luckily, we had our old pump as a back up. The Fatboy worked fine when we got it back to the shop. Any ideas?

andy hinson · Mar 21, 2010

Your relay could have gotten hot. Or your suction side could be drawing air. That is what I was told

Eric · Guest

AIR, We have this happen alot! and it takes some time to get the air out!

Guest

This happens sometimes with my 5850. To fix the problem I usually take the nozzle off and flip on the pump, then re-attach

Ohio Roof Cleaning · Guest

Eric, how much time? More than 5 minutes? I felt like we waited long enough. Maybe not.

Blake, you take the nozzle off of your wand? Would closing the ball valve do the same thing? Maybe I misunderstood.

Eric · Guest

yea maybe 5 to 10 mins and it can be a pain sometimes!the air pockets just dont move as good as the love thur the hose! try turning it off and on a little while it is in the love!

El Flojo · Guest

Did anyone ever post any pics of the fatboy relays?
I might have missed them.

Roof Cleaning Corpus Christi TX · Guest

dan wrote:

i would like to say that im having problems with my fatboy. up and down up and down.
thinking i need more amps, but i dont want to go with a bigger diameter hose, not that im week, but im on big roofs and pulling 400 ft of hose. some times the pump will go crazy and give me max power but if i let go of the triger the hose will blow at its connections. what should i do?

Pulling 400 ft of hose with that pump is part of the problem.

You will do better with a larger diameter hose, I have 220' of 1/2" Plyovic hose and use extensions of 80' or 100' or 150' depending on what is needed. Smaller diameter hose with that pump is going to be a problem. It is not designed to be used with smaller diameter hoses.

That pump does not put out that much pressure, your hose clamps or hose need to be changed out. I use the roller pump Bandit and it puts out 150psi and 6gpm and it has never blew a hose off a connection.

I know a lot of guys that use that pump with 1/2" hose, different relay and no problems. Using 3/8" hose or smaller will cause too much restriction and make the pump work too hard until it or the relay burns up.

When you look at the specs, talk to the people that sell those pumps, I seriously doubt that anyone recommended any hose smaller diameter than 1/2", if they did then they need to go back to flipping burgers or mopping floors.

Guest

Blake, you take the nozzle off of your wand? Would closing the ball valve do the same thing? Maybe I misunderstood.

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Sorry...what I meant to say is I opon up the nozzle, wait a little bit in case its just air in the hose, then if that doesnt work, I start to toubleshoot.

CICS · Aug 25, 2010

Great White Technologies wrote:

I just looked at a local farm store, Rural King, and they carry the Delavan pumps. Fat Boy included. Not every one will have access to these stores but they are another source for pumps if you have one in your area and no shipping charges.

Rural King is very handy. I am a total newbie to the roof cleaning. I have been reading on here for the last week or so. My girlfriend says I need a RCIA intervention as I have been up until 2 or 2:30 the last few nights trying to absorb all of this info.

As for Rural King, it all started in Mattoon, IL. I have had a chance to meet Kermit Spears, the one who started the first Rural King in Mattoon. He has helped me get into the pressure washing business, about 4 months ago when I quit my job to pursure this, Rural King became my first account washing the fleet of 35 trucks once a week.

With everything I am learning on here, I am super excited to get things set up and fill my weekdays up with cleaning roofs.

Thanks in advance for all the help!!! I am sure I will need alot!

Guest

Rural King is mighty handy. We're lucky to have one here. Is Kermit the Rural King KING? The big boss flies in regularly in a nice red Robinson helecopter from time to time...

Welcome to RCIA! Ask away and search.

Guest

Is this pump any good?

Yamada 1/2" Air Diaphragm Pump AODD NDP-15FPS

Washed-up · guest

Mike, Mattoon huh? My old stoping grounds. From Robinson and Olney area.

The RCIA will cause sleepless nights, red eyes and relationship issues.....my wife and kids call RCIA "Daddy's Facebook"

Welcome aboard

gutterdog · Aug 25, 2010

The RCIA Rocks!!! This is an old thread! Good one! I read the first post to where it started getting greek on me, and I didnt understand chit! LOL!!!

You dont have to be an electrician to flip a switch and turn a light on. I wish I understood some of the stuff said. LOL!!!

I use 5/8 hose. It came on the reel?

We still just doing 1,2 3 roofs a week.

Along with other stuff. Use the chem rig for wood too.

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Lake Marion Citrus & Sumter Counties in Florida

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Dwayne MillerFLORIDAWASH

Lake Marion Citrus & Sumter Counties in Florida

The Roof Cleaning Institute Of America Training & Certification Forum
"Find A Certified Roof Cleaner Directory"

Dwayne Miller
FLORIDAWASH