What exactly IS defoamer?

[rotovacguy]

I've been coming across a LOT of foam lately in my residentials, which never used to be a problem, until I switched to a liquid defoamer. I used to use the Chemspec powder defoamer with great results. A little went a long way, I'd just sprinkle some on the carpet and keep my lines and tank foam free for the most part. Then I purchased some liquid defoamer (on my last gallon now) to just try it, and have to say I much prefer the powder versus the liquid. With the liquid, I seem to have to use a lot more to keep the foam down, and even then, it STILL seems to foam more.


I'm sure that much like presprays and emulsifiers, we all have our favorites. Some prefer powders, while other prefer liquids. But what about defoamers.....are the liquids as potent as the powder, or is it "watered down"? And also, what is in defoamer that makes it, well.......defoam? Is it something that one could make at home, or is it more complicated than that?

 

[Bob Savage]

Telly,

How are you using the liquid deoamer? Are you spraying it onto the carpet as an RTU, much like you sprinkle the powder onto the carpet? If so, that's the problem. The liquid is a concentrate, so you'll burn through it way too fast if you are applying it as it comes.

YOU CAN EITHER:
Pour the concentrated defoamer, as in, one "glugg" into the vac hose, or into the TM vac port. The liquid is concentrated, so it will actually work better to put some of this concentrate into the TM vac port, to eliminate traveling through the entire vacuum hose.

OR:
Mix a small amount of concentrate into a sprayer (trigger, pump up...) and add the rest with water. Now, spray that on the carpet when you encounter soap.

I also keep a "mixed" spray bottle of defoamer for when I encounter that soapy spot when cleaning carpet. When steam hits these hidden soap residue spots, the area instantly glistens, so I know that is a soap problem.

At least, that's ALWAYS worked for me.

 

[rotovacguy]

Bob,

The directions for the liquid stuff I'm using says to mix it 50/50 with water, so what I did was take a clean empty one gallon jug, filled half way with defoamer, the other half with water, that way I'm not mixing while working. When I used the Chemspec, it said right on the bottle to sprinkle it on the carpet, it was OK to do that. With this liquid stuff, it doesn't say whether to do it that way or not, and I've heard some defoamers can leave spots, so to play it safe, I just add it directly to the waste tank on the Mytee. Don't get me wrong...it's not like it's shutting down every few minutes with foam...it's just there seems to be a lot more in the waste tank with the liquid vs the powder defoamer. With the powder I could get a solid 10 gallons of waste in the tank before shutdown, with almost no foam.....with the liquid, I get about 8 gallons in the tank with a layer of foam on top.

 

[Larry Cobb]

Telly;

The strongest defoamers ARE liquids.

The powder defoamer has a liquid defoamer as an ingredient.

I would use the liquid in the vac hose.

Poorly formulated liquid defoamers will separate, giving sporadic results.

Larry

 

[Zee]

I used to use the Chemspec powder defoamer with great results.

A funny side note about Chemspec.. I just called them a couple of days ago to ask what the hell "lightly and evening" means? When you look at the jar-directions- it says lightly and evening instead of evenly. The person on the phone had no idea what I was talking about. She kinda laughed it off saying that's not possible. I looked at a few years old jar and they had the same thing "evening"..
Those of you who know me, know that I'm not American by birth but by choice, so I figured I just don't understand....

Zee

I have been noticing lately a lot of misdirections and miss spells on labels of products- hopefully the quality of the chems are better then their labels.

 

[everfresh1]

I used to use the Chemspec powder defoamer with great results.

A funny side note about Chemspec.. I just called them a couple of days ago to ask what the hell "lightly and evening" means? When you look at the jar-directions- it says lightly and evening instead of evenly. The person on the phone had no idea what I was talking about. She kinda laughed it off saying that's not possible. I looked at a few years old jar and they had the same thing "evening"..
Those of you who know me, know that I'm not American by birth but by choice, so I figured I just don't understand....

Zee

I have been noticing lately a lot of misdirections and miss spells on labels of products- hopefully the quality of the chems are better then their labels.

I like the powders they work must better,They go way futher, And are more convenient to use than liquids Also, It doesn't matter if you spread it evenly or not as long as you have enough flowing through the hose to keep the foam down( which isn't much) Anybody who uses liquids is wasting time and money. :wink:

 

[Ron Werner]

I've found spraying it into the vac hose works well.

Someone told me once that laundry fabric softener will work as a defoamer

Also, defoamer is a Cationic product. Don't put this on a Stainmaster or similar carpet or you void the warrantee.

 

[everfresh1]

I've found spraying it into the vac hose works well.

Someone told me once that laundry fabric softener will work as a defoamer

Also, defoamer is a Cationic product. Don't put this on a Stainmaster or similar carpet or you void the warrantee.

I don't know if that's true But, If you have to use defomer, the WARRANTY has already been voided from all the crap thats foaming up in the first place.

 

[Able 1]

I really never use defoamer, maybe 8 times a year. The only time I need it is if a custy thinks Dawn is a good spotter, or is a Rug Doc pro..

 

[everfresh1]

I really never use defoamer, maybe 8 times a year. The only time I need it is if a custy thinks Dawn is a good spotter, or is a Rug Doc pro..

Thats what I'm saying, The only time you need defomer is when the customer already screwed it up trying to clean it themselves.

 

[rhino1]

I tried fabric softener once when I ran our of DF, it didn't work very well - maybe I didn't use the right brand. When I worked at the refinery they would use ArmorAll when they ran out of defoamer, I don't have first-hand knowledge, but the maintenance crew claimed it worked great. Go figure!

 

[B&BGaryC]

I have never had to use defoamer since I upgraded my machine. However, I have been informed that the reason why my float hasn't been kicking the machine off when I'm full is because the tank if full of foam...

So, the foam doesn't hurt my extraction or lower my suction, it all shoots through the hose and everything cleans up fine.... But I guess I am going to need some defoamer in my tank to knock the foam down there.