VERY disappointed in first use of the Gilmour Foamaster..

Marc Hufnagel

Marc Hufnagel

New member
Received the Foamaster from Amazon the other day and just waiting for a decent day to try it. This is the one with the brass fittings and all.



As a guide I found on here, I put just shy of a gallon of water in a clean milk jug, put in 6 oz. of Gold Class, capped it and shook well to mix. Unscrewed the bottle on the Gilmour, poured in enough to fill it within 3/4 of the top. Adjusted to 6oz per gallon (strongest I think).



Started spraying and saw the most sad distribution of puny suds ever hitting my car. Nothing even close to what I see on here. I went down one side and before I was even done the suds were gone.



It really didn't look like it was taking much out of the bottle, I probably worked with it 8-10 minutes and it took maybe 1 inch out of the mix bottle.



Am I doing something wrong or is this how they really work, or do I have a bad one?
 
....well, I know that 8-10 minutes on the highest setting would easily deplete the bottle on mine. Are you sure you have the cylinder (with the metering holes) oriented properly? It should click at each interval and the holes should be pointing up. If so, then you may want to disasemble and check for possible clogs.
 
if you are looking for a car wash that foams, gold class is not it IME. try using something else, what other washes do you have?
 
Damn Dirty Ape- Some sorta-random thoughts follow, maybe one or more will be helpful.



-I don't *want* the thick clingy foam that I see in many pix, that's just not how I use the foamgun.



-I'm not a big fan of Gold Class and I haven't used it for ages. So I'm not sure if the mix I like with Griot's is appropriate for that shampoo. Plus [repeat preceding comment Re "foamy" output].



-Is your hose/water supply system delivering plenty of water? If everything's normal it should put out pretty much output (sheesh, what terrible wording :o ) and go through the shampoo mighty fast at the strongest setting as kean noted. The "stronest settings" are the ones with the bar pushed far to the *LEFT* (take out the bar and check out the sizes of the various holes to gain a better understanding of how it works).



-Make sure the screen at the bottom of the pickup tube isn't clogged. FWIW, I've ditched mine as I got tired of cleaning them out (yeah yeah, I know...but that's how I'm using it).



-Wonder if you have really hard water :think:



Hope you post back about whether any of the preceding struck a chord.
 
Kean said:
....well, I know that 8-10 minutes on the highest setting would easily deplete the bottle on mine. Are you sure you have the cylinder (with the metering holes) oriented properly? It should click at each interval and the holes should be pointing up. If so, then you may want to disasemble and check for possible clogs.
Click to expand...



I was looking at it again - maybe it used 4-6 ounces out of the mix jar. I did kind of familiarize myself with the war that meter bar worked before I put it into action, I"ll check for clogs, but it is brand new. thank you
 
Accumulator said:
Damn Dirty Ape- Some sorta-random thoughts follow, maybe one or more will be helpful.



-I don't *want* the thick clingy foam that I see in many pix, that's just not how I use the foamgun.



-I'm not a big fan of Gold Class and I haven't used it for ages. So I'm not sure if the mix I like with Griot's is appropriate for that shampoo. Plus [repeat preceding comment Re "foamy" output].



-Is your hose/water supply system delivering plenty of water? If everything's normal it should put out pretty much output (sheesh, what terrible wording :o ) and go through the shampoo mighty fast at the strongest setting as kean noted. The "stronest settings" are the ones with the bar pushed far to the *LEFT* (take out the bar and check out the sizes of the various holes to gain a better understanding of how it works).



-Make sure the screen at the bottom of the pickup tube isn't clogged. FWIW, I've ditched mine as I got tired of cleaning them out (yeah yeah, I know...but that's how I'm using it).



-Wonder if you have really hard water :think:



Hope you post back about whether any of the preceding struck a chord.
Click to expand...



thanks for the thoughts here - water pressure is good, if I recall correctly we're about 65psi I think. From what you both have commented, there is something that isn't right, it might have used 4-6 ounces in that 8-10 minutes. When I got it I did check out the whole thing before using, I will check that screen tomorrow, but doubt it would be the problem since it was the first time using it.



I'll experiment around tomorrow with it and report back tomorrow night.



thanks
 
Damn Dirty Ape said:
...there is something that isn't right, it might have used 4-6 ounces in that 8-10 minutes...
Click to expand...



I can't remember how well it worked the one time my power was out (no booster pump to increase my water pressure), so maybe my boosted pressure makes some huge difference, but last time I washed I used up a whole quart doing just a few panels of the Tahoe! I actually have six quart jugs already filled from my gallon(s) of concentrate so I can just screw on a full one as needed, I go through it *that* fast!
 
Accumulator said:
I can't remember how well it worked the one time my power was out (no booster pump to increase my water pressure), so maybe my boosted pressure makes some huge difference, but last time I washed I used up a whole quart doing just a few panels of the Tahoe! I actually have six quart jugs already filled from my gallon(s) of concentrate so I can just screw on a full one as needed, I go through it *that* fast!
Click to expand...



hmm. haven't tried it today, definitely something not right.
 
FWIW, my pressure is just about the same as yours last time I tested it (~60 PSI). On a relatively larger car like my Challenger, I can still go through at least half of the entire 32 ounce contents of my quart sized container (on the highest setting) simply when using it to pre-soak the entire vehicle in foam. If I ever used it for panel-by-panel washing/flushing (again, on the highest setting), I would imagine that I would have to refill the container several times during the process. Considering the consumption I have seen with average pressure, I would think that you should be seeing a flow rate faster than the ~1 ounce per minute you observed.



I found the following on the Autogeek website regarding the Foamaster. I also double checked one sold on Amazon and it looks identical. Is this the one you purchased (http://www.amazon.com/Gilmour-75QGFMR-Foamaster-Adjustable-Cleaning/dp/B000XTH1GY)? If so, the specs below are the same as the units are essentially identical:



Operational Specifications

• Water Pressure - 40 to 90 psi (for maximum accuracy 40 to 60 psi)

• Output - 1-1/2 gallons per minute

• Spray Pattern - Foaming attachment provides a fan spray, removes for a solid stream. Deflectors are available for fan spray patterns for non-foaming chemicals.

• Anti-siphon - Protects water supply by preventing soapy water from siphoning back into the hose. (Note: a slight discharge of water from base of handle when water is turned off is normal and indicates anti-siphon is functioning properly.)

• Customized Ratios - Can be set from 1oz. per gallon to 12 oz. per gallon. (Note: this range is affected by the viscosity of the chemical.)
Click to expand...
On the highest setting it appears you should be going through 12 ounces of product in 1-2 minutes if I am reading the output correctly (1 to half a gallon per minute). Perhaps you can test your gun in a measured bucket to verify the output? You can then fill the container with water and see if it siphons the appropriate amount. ….just an idea.
 
Kean said:
FWIW, my pressure is just about the same as yours last time I tested it (~60 PSI). On a relatively larger car like my Challenger, I can still go through at least half of the entire 32 ounce contents of my quart sized container (on the highest setting) simply when using it to pre-soak the entire vehicle in foam. If I ever used it for panel-by-panel washing/flushing (again, on the highest setting), I would imagine that I would have to refill the container several times during the process. Considering the consumption I have seen with average pressure, I would think that you should be seeing a flow rate faster than the ~1 ounce per minute you observed.



I found the following on the Autogeek website regarding the Foamaster. I also double checked one sold on Amazon and it looks identical. Is this the one you purchased (http://www.amazon.com/Gilmour-75QGFMR-Foamaster-Adjustable-Cleaning/dp/B000XTH1GY)? If so, the specs below are the same as the units are essentially identical:



On the highest setting it appears you should be going through 12 ounces of product in 1-2 minutes if I am reading the output correctly (1 to half a gallon per minute). Perhaps you can test your gun in a measured bucket to verify the output? You can then fill the container with water and see if it siphons the appropriate amount. ….just an idea.
Click to expand...



thanks for the thoughts here - I think there is something wrong with it. I tried again yesterday and after about 10 minutes about maybe 1 1/2 inches of fluid was missing from the container. In addition it was very poor sudsing. I'm going to try another soap brand, but I think 6oz to 1 gallon should make a pretty nice mixture wouldn't you think? I do have the brass bar moved all the way to the left, and if I move it to the right then I get plain water. But the throughput out of the bottle just is not right.
 
I've got the Foam Gun II. I'll admit, the output looks kind of lame when my water pressure is low (summer) but is much better when the water pressure is 60psi or more.



The foaming thing is more of a show, IMO. My primary concern is getting a uniform application spread on the vehicle prior to washing it and I'm positive I'm doing that with the device I have, regardless of water pressure.
 
Damn Dirty Ape said:
thanks for the thoughts here - I think there is something wrong with it. I tried again yesterday and after about 10 minutes about maybe 1 1/2 inches of fluid was missing from the container. In addition it was very poor sudsing. I'm going to try another soap brand, but I think 6oz to 1 gallon should make a pretty nice mixture wouldn't you think? I do have the brass bar moved all the way to the left, and if I move it to the right then I get plain water. But the throughput out of the bottle just is not right.
Click to expand...
....yeah. I would wager that somethin' ain't right. You really should be going through more product than that even at average pressures. Since the sprayers are essentially the same, perhaps you can see if the folks at Autogeek might give you some advice via their forum? ....or perhaps you can see about returning it for exchange/refund?
 
Accumulator said:
"If"? :think:



"IF"!?! :eek:



Heh heh, sorry, couldn't resist ;)
Click to expand...
:lol: ....I honestly haven't given enough time to developing a process around this technique yet (to suit my needs) but I do like the idea. The problem is that I tend to get used to doing something a certain way and always say "I'll work on that next time". I'm still using the 2BM in most cases but I may eventually work it in. .....hey, at least I decided to get those additional hose/fixtures we talked about. ;) That in itself will make it easier for me to incorporate the gun if I decide to.
 
Kean said:
:lol: ....I honestly haven't given enough time to developing a process around this technique yet (to suit my needs) but I do like the idea. The problem is that I tend to get used to doing something a certain way and always say "I'll work on that next time". I'm still using the 2BM in most cases but I may eventually work it in. .....hey, at least I decided to get those additional hose/fixtures we talked about. ;) That in itself will make it easier for me to incorporate the gun if I decide to.
Click to expand...



Yeah, I know exactly what you mean about trying out something new! At least you're getting the extra-hose system into play :xyxthumbs
 
BigAl3 said:
try using a different soap, not all of them are created equal...
Click to expand...



I think the main problem is that his gun is not delivering the amount of product as it should.
 
As stated before, I would check the screen to make sure it is not clogged. The second thing I would check the plastic hose that delivers the soap solution for holes or for any leaks. If there is a leak, it may not be creating enough suction. I usually just put the soap in the container full strength and use the dilutor bar to adjst the water/soap ratio. Fully open, I can burn through a whole container of soap in about 7-10 minutes easily with super thick foam. I am a fan of using it almost full strength so it looks like it snowed in the driveway on a 90* day, and I know it is a waste of money and soap, but it makes washing more fun IMO....and when I use my foam cannon with the power washer....LOOK OUT!!! It looks like it snowed in the whole yard.....LOL
 
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