Hot Tanks
Most ferrous (iron or steel) parts may be cleaned in a hot soak tank, but never aluminum or zinc parts. Carburetors, fuel pumps and cam bearings should likewise never be put in a hot tank. Goodson’s D-CI25 Cast Iron Cleaning Detergent is a strong, alkaline that removes dirt, heavy oil and grease, carbon, light rust and paint.
Use Goodson’s D-AL50 Aluminum Cleaning Detergent for cleaning aluminum and other non-ferrous parts. It’s also safe for plastic and rubber parts.
Remember that hot tanks are designed primarily to remove organic and rust soils, and it helps to steam clean parts ahead of time to remove most of the grease and oil. Pre-cleaning parts really extends the life of the tank chemicals and reduces soil buildup at the bottom of the tank.
Also, be sure to steam clean or rinse the parts immediately after your remove them from the tanks. If parts aren’t rinsed off right away, a thin film will dry on their surface. Once this film dries, it is very tough to remove.
Testing Hot Tank Solution Strength
We recommend using our PH Test Strips to test the chemical strength of your hot soak tank or hot spray machine. Remember, cleaning depends on the chemical’s ability to act as a wetting agent and form micelles. The table below shows you the Basic Concentration Levels to keep in mind when using detergents.
| Concentration by Weight | Normal Usage | pH |
| 8 oz. per gallon | Light cleaning | 12.79 |
| 12 oz. per gallon | Medium cleaning | 12.85 |
| 16 oz. per gallon | Difficult soil cleaning | 12.90 |
Jet Washers and Cabinet Washers are similar to industrial strength dishwashers. You load the cleaning cabinet with the parts to be cleaned and introduce the heated cleaning solution through spray nozzles. Between the cleaning solution and the lightly pressurized spraying force, parts will clean fairly quickly. A down-side of these cleaners can be that some tight areas hidden from direct spray might get missed because the cleaner can’t get in to do its job.
We recommend using our Pro Jet Spray Cleaning Powder, also known as PJS-50. This cleaning powder is mixed 4 oz. of powder to 1 gallon of water and your optimum pH is 12. This non-caustic solution penetrates to emulsify and remove encrusted dirt, grease and oil on cast iron and aluminum.
If your solution strength is weak, you can add more chemicals to restore it. If you have any trouble with solution foaming, add Goodson’s D-FOAM Defoaming Agent. Start out with 1 oz. per 50 gallons and go from there. You should check the strength of your hot tank frequently, because the chemical will evaporate from a solution quite rapidly due to the heat. And, as always, remember to wear proper safety gear.