Filter Soak Tanks

We have always soaked the stores filter in the sinks. This has worked fine for all these years. In reading a article is a newsletter, several companies have soak tanks. They ether have on the truck or they bring them into the store. One company uses a galvanized box with a valve to a drain. Anyone else use something like this?

I have been tempted to try something like this in the past and it came down to lack of room in the vans. I can see clean up time reduced and the water temp would be much higher, because the tanks are filled with the PW.

Any ideas?

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Hey Dave,
we had soak tanks they were 30 gal, but to tell you the fact they were a pain time to fill em time to empty them room lost in the van, I think the sink works just as well and its less of a hassle. We really push the kitchen staff to take the filters out and clean them once a week in the dish machine and that has really helped us out alot. Ive found out that if you just explain to the K.M. the importance of keeping them clean they usually will see the light, I put it this way to one K.M. "do you only fill your vehicle with gas when you change your oil, of course not and its the same way with the filters, you've got to clean them regularly to keep them in proper condition"
and most of them if they have 1/2 a brain understand that you have there saftey in mind.
as far as clean up time you still have to empty the tank unless you have magilla the gorilla working for you, a full tank is mighty heavy, as for as the water being hotter fill the sink with the machine, while one man is wiping and polishing the other can be on the filters doing his thing
J.M.H.O.

Richard

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[This message has been edited by Richard (edited March 15, 2001).]

Hello David,

There is a Soak Tank Service in Central Illinois ? that offers a soak tank that I believe is leased and maintained on premise. Looks like a stainless tank on wheels that is left on site, drained/cleaned/and refilled by a company called Tusk (708)661-8875. A graphic depiction and brief description is available at www.ducts.com

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Shawn Corbett - Certified Kitchen Exhaust Cleaner
Pro-Ducts Kitchen Exhaust System Cleaning
Detroit, MI
313-297-6657

Shawn,

I am referring to our service at the store, when we include cleaning filters. We use the sinks, however some companies bring is tanks to soak the filter, while the system is being cleaned to NFPA Standards, as we all know.

I saw a post on a newsletter from that other Texas BB that we all love indicating the positive aspects to puling in a 30 plus gal. tank so that you could clean the filter. Knowing that 99% of all units have large sinks. I am trying to find a positive point to this madness.

David



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Hey Mike,
PRISM has a service like that, Ive seen there tanks in restaurants before, there big heavy duty plastic tanks w/wheels their tech's come in and refill the tanks on a schedule, I believe they have a disposable filter program also.

Hey Dave,
back to tanks we just got done with a hospital this evening and we put their filters, (12)in the big power soak sink added some beads and flipped the pump on and let em power soak for bout 30 min washed em off and sha bang no muss no fuss.

Richard


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David,

I can't really see any benefit to having a tank to take inside or to remain truck mounted. Taken inside would be more trouble than it's worth with those big beautiful soak tanks they call sinks. Truck mounted would present a problem for me with cautic leeching on the trucks not to mention the storm sewer discharge issue.

To make use of the sinks easier we have drain plugs in varying sizes on chains that we loop and fasten around the faucets so we don't have to reach through a full sink to pull the plug. We mix a prepackaged powdered chemical right in the sink with hot water from the machine.

The soak tanks might be a nice add-on service that would get you away from the hassles of cleaning filters on-site.

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Shawn Corbett - Certified Kitchen Exhaust Cleaner
Pro-Ducts Kitchen Exhaust System Cleaning
Detroit, MI
313-297-6657

Shawn,
Sorry about calling you mike, I must of had a brian fart
Richard

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I never thought much of the soak tanks but finally had a galvanized one made that took up to 12 filters. The first thing the guys do is bring the tank in, and soak the filters. Pressure washing the filters used to be very time consuming and messy. Not with the soak tank. Just soak em and rinse most of them. And, they are done inside, not outside, where the greasy run off might create a problem. As for taking up room in the van...we store equipment in it, plastic, scrapers, rags, chemical etc. They save me time which which makes more money for me.

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Why don't you use the stores sink? We have been doing this for years with no problem. In fact the sinks are detailed at the end. What am I not seeing-why would you lug this thing into the kitchen and not use the sinks???

David

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We dont use the sinks mostly cause the filters are not totally immersed in water cause the sinks are not deep enough. We are always turning the filters and there is ofter a chemical line left on the galavnized ones. We cannot fit all the filters in the sink at once, but a soak tank that holds 12 filters is often perfect. Once the filters are in we dont have to bother with them until it is time to rinse them off. I cant tell you how many times we filled the sinks put some filters in and later found that the sink had drained. Never a problem with the soak tank. As for lugging it in, it does not weigh that much, and when we bring it in, there is equipment in it that we need for the job. It was just as reluctant as you but once I got a tank, and realized just how much time it saved on filters, you will never find us without one again.
ED

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