Descaling a Truckmount (Butler) Video

I'm going to descale my machine, I usually descale all pressure hoses at the same time, is this a good idea or bad ?
Also instead of letting the machine circulate the water, I usually hook my bleeder hose and stick it into the water box and circulate it that way, I'll get some scale in the water box that way which I vacuum after I'm done, what's the pro and cons of doing it this way ?

Depends on your chemical of choice to descale the system.

I am not a huge fan of running the acids through my hoses, I just remove the fittings and soak them instead with a little brushing for the stubborn ones.

Having a area with some of the worst scale build-up in the country, I can honestly say that my hoses have never clogged up before retirement from scale. In some ways, if there was scale in the hoses, it would actually help retain the heat as long as flow wasn't compromised, which is where the inline filters come into play.

As for the method that you are using, it makes sense to me. I don't see any issues with using the bleeder hose that way.

https://thecleanerslounge.forumotion.com/t1703-best-descaler
check this thread DP1

Had a number of people lately contact me on how to descale their Butler Truckmount.

I have sent a few pics in the past, but today we had it on our to do list to descale, so it was just easier to have a video available to send a link in the future.....

So here it is....

As I say in the Video....make sure you have your truckmount / Van motor exhausting outside while running!!!

Read the instructions also if your descaler needs to be diluted (and some descalers come in powder form to mix with water) I like the liquid.

We have hard water, so we descale about once a month.

I have even heard of RO water causing TM's to scale up and plug up, so a descaling is not a bad practice in my opinion for better performance and heat.



Mark Saiger

www.saigers.com

"Bring on the Blue!"

Just had to descale today and did this post

https://thecleanerslounge.forumotion.com/t1814-descaling-a-truckmount-butler-video

Mark Saiger
www.saigers.com

Mark Saiger
www.saigers.com

We have a new butler owner on the board that probably loved seeing this video. I normally descale on a monthly basis, but you run far more hours than I do in a given week, so we are probably about the same frequency.

I would only add 3 things for consideration.

1. I normally use the hot water courtesy hose to depressurize the system to get that garden hose inlet to prime quickly. I never need to wait more than maybe 3 seconds before it starts sucking from the bucket.

2. I cover one bucket with a paint strainer so that I am not circulating the same junk that just came out of the machine. It probably isn't necessary, but that inline filter on the machine isn't that fine of a mesh compared to the paint strainer.

3. I am not a big fan of descaler through the solution hoses, but I am probably alone on this one. I hook up a 5 foot psi hose to the panel and just soak my fittings off the live reel in the bucket of descaler separately. It just seems like it would be pretty harsh on the inner linings of the hose....especially the goodyear hose.

Must be something in the water today. My inline filter kept plugging up every two minutes then nothing. Went out to the TNT and it showed 0 pressure. Cranked the pressure regulator down till the pop off released (have it set at 900psi) hot water started running out. Humm water pump works. Shut things down and took off the water line coming out of the Lg to the panel on the TNT. Totally plugged could not get anything trough.

Used another hose to finish job with no more plugged inline filters. Must have been the water from the previous job I did don't know it really has me baffled. When i got home I was able to clear the blocked line and the stuff looked like wet laundry powder feels a little gritty. I could not believe how much gunk was in that 4ft section of hose. I can't figure out why it was only in that hose and not any others. I'm running Soils and Oils encap for my rinse but I know it is a water issue because most of the times I have no problems with plugged filters. The last job i did had well water and I'm thinking that is the problem any suggestions.

cush83669 wrote:Must be something in the water today. My inline filter kept plugging up every two minutes then nothing. Went out to the TNT and it showed 0 pressure. Cranked the pressure regulator down till the pop off released (have it set at 900psi) hot water started running out. Humm water pump works. Shut things down and took off the water line coming out of the Lg to the panel on the TNT. Totally plugged could not get anything trough.

Used another hose to finish job with no more plugged inline filters. Must have been the water from the previous job I did don't know it really has me baffled. When i got home I was able to clear the blocked line and the stuff looked like wet laundry powder feels a little gritty. I could not believe how much gunk was in that 4ft section of hose. I can't figure out why it was only in that hose and not any others. I'm running Soils and Oils encap for my rinse but I know it is a water issue because most of the times I have no problems with plugged filters. The last job i did had well water and I'm thinking that is the problem any suggestions.

The first time that I used S/O/E as a rinse, Joe warned me to make sure all the lines were flushed out first really well. I didn't and it didn't play well with some residual acid rinse in the lines. I think it might break down the polymer in the encap...plugged up everything.....my fault, I didn't listen.

My guess is the same thing just happened to you. Something didn't play well with the encap. Why that hose? Not sure, might be the heat or maybe just where that residual compound was located. Many wells get a healthy dose of citric acid to correct the ph levels....that would be like running the encap with an acid rinse and probably the problem.

The other thought would be soda ash. Water purification uses citric acid, potassium hex, soda ash, and at lest one other chemical that I can't seem to remember at the moment (old age kicking in). If that well was recently treated, it could have lots of ash in the water for a few seconds of water flow..

My money is on the encap meeting citric acid. I would call Joe and I'm sure he could explain it better.

This happened once before and come to think of it this is the second time I have cleaned at the place. There must be something in the water. Oh crap now I have that Carrie Underwood song stuck in my head. I talked to Joe the first time it happened and I think he thought I mixed other chems with the encap. It was one of the first jobs I did and I figured maybe there was something in the TNT or the LG from when it was shipped to me. Didn't have any problems then bam cleaned this place last week and now plugged again. I guess I'll just have to flush everything before I clean there next. Thanks for the help!!!!!

cush83669 wrote:This happened once before and come to think of it this is the second time I have cleaned at the place. There must be something in the water. Oh crap now I have that Carrie Underwood song stuck in my head. I talked to Joe the first time it happened and I think he thought I mixed other chems with the encap. It was one of the first jobs I did and I figured maybe there was something in the TNT or the LG from when it was shipped to me. Didn't have any problems then bam cleaned this place last week and now plugged again. I guess I'll just have to flush everything before I clean there next. Thanks for the help!!!!!

Well water around here is a crap shoot as well (horrible pun), at least you were smart enough to keep extra hose on-hand.

Thanks Eddy, Mark and Rob, I didn't even realize that I replied to that thread a while back, apparently that's where I got the idea or vacuuming the water box afterwords, lol.
Reason why I descale it is because detergents residue kept clogging up my wand filters, I've been using dry slurry for a while now and always mixes it half the manufacturer's dilution rate and mixes it well.
So far so good today, we'll have to see how tomorrow goes.
So the descaler that Rob was using is hydramaster descaler ?

That's the descaler I used....hydramaster.

Wonderful video, I am grateful for all the butler specialist, a wonderful help. Thanks guys for the priceless knowledge. My machine will be up and running before long. Happy days are ahead:)

Hydra Master Descaler is a good product too.

I have used it too

Mark Saiger
www.saigers.com

I need to descale my El Diablo, my procedure
1. vac water out of water holding resevoir ( 3 Gallon white plastic box)
2. Fill resevoir with descaler and water until full.
3. Attach short open ended pressure line to water output QD
4 Attach 2 knee highs to end of opened ended pressure line via quick ties
5 Place end of pressure line in resevoir and secure with spring clamp
5 Run machine with pump on so that the level of water in the reservoir stays constant
6. Run for recommended descaler time period.
7. Vac out resevoir, remove knee high and thoroughly flush sytem with fresh water.

What's your favorite descaler? White vinegar, Boiler cleaner? Industry product?

Vinegar works a bit but for real good Descale commercial product is best

I do like liquid better so I know it is mixed well you could say

Mark Saiger
www.saigers.com

Any specific brand that you recommend?

Its been a year and I haven't descaled the TNT better do it soon before I screw some thing up at least I dont have to worry about a HX. I have a water box so Ill do it like Diablo.

I merged DPs and Marks topics

I find that most commercial grade Descaler works good.

I am a very small Harvard distributor that's why I had that product today. But anything that your local distributor might have will probably be great

Mark Saiger
www.saigers.com