Carpet Defoamers
Defoamer chemicals are used to suppress foam during cleaning to improve utilisation of wastewater tank capacity before changes are needed. They also reduce the risk of damage from foam or liquids entering the vacuum motor in a scrubber or carpet extractor which will corrode the motor, or create an electrical short circuit.
Foaming may occur when the excessive chemical is applied to the carpet or is mixed with the freshwater. The presence of excessive foaming often results from previous detergent residues being left in a carpet. Such residues may be due to previous bonnet cleaning operations or from the regular use of a high foaming domestic carpet spotting detergent.
In a scrubber, excessive chemicals in the freshwater tank can lead to high foam generated. This may interfere with the float mechanism that is designed to close off the vacuum inlet.
When the foam is a risk, a cap full of a product like Bye Bye Foam or Foamex added into the waste recovery tank will completely eliminate any foaming problem. Eliminating the presence of any foam in the recovery tank can significantly affect the speed and efficiency of any carpet cleaning operation since the recovery tank can be filled completely with water before it has to be emptied.
