How To Make Your Own Foam Cannon

Here is the detailed Step-by-Step guide on How To Make Your Own Foam Cannon which includes The process of removing grime with foam, Foam cannon type, and many more!

A professional car wash uses industrial foam cannons, which is one of the main reasons why they are so effective. We can easily see why they’re better than handwashing your car.

Having the ability to remove grit and grime with the help of a device just has to be worth taking a look at. On the other hand, the cost must be considered as well.

Foam cannons can range from $200 to $250 for a top-of-the-line commercial model. This is definitely an expense worth making if you wash 10 or more cars every day. Unfortunately, the price tag is out of reach for weekend detailers. But don’t worry because we have the perfect solution! 

The process of removing grime with foam

Car soap produces a thicker, richer lather when fired from a foam cannon, which allows it to remove dirt more effectively. The dirt-busting substance which contains surfactants, known for loosening the dirt’s grip on the surface, has a superior ability to remove grime.

In addition, the sheer weight of the thick foam helps push the dirt down the panels as well.  Because of this, washing with a foam jet can be a great way to prevent any damage to your car’s paint by minimizing the amount of time you have to touch it.

If we are to prevent damage, then we are referring to the fact that when you wash your car, you might be scratching the paintwork. Every time you wash the surface with your wash mitt or sponge, there is a possibility that the grit and grime on the surface will get trapped in the mitt or sponge and will end up dragged across the surface.

As a result, your mitt or sponge effectively becomes a sanding block, leaving hairline scratches and those annoying swirls you see on so many cars that simply dull down the shine.

The purpose of this article is to tell you how to make a foam cannon of your own so that you can enjoy the benefits of cleaning your car with this method and reduce the risk of creating scratches and swirls that can destroy the shine.

How To Make Your Own Foam Cannon at home: What you need to know

You can make a foam cannon at home in a number of different ways. Some ways are simpler than others, and some are more complicated than others. In this article, we’re going to discuss how you can use the simplest way possible without spending a great deal of money.

You only need to purchase a normal garden pump sprayer if you want to do this. This is the type of can you would use to spray chemicals on your lawn or water your plants.

Pumps come in many shapes and sizes, but you’ll get the best results if you choose a kind with a hose and wand attached to it.

The only other thing you will need is a screwdriver or knife and some regular car soap once you have the garden pump sprayer ready. After that, you are ready to get started.

Making a foam cannon out of a garden pump sprayer

What is the process of turning regular soap into foam?

You can ‘aerate’ the soap-water mix by adding more air.

To remove the hose from your garden pump sprayer, unscrew it from its body. There is a section of the hose that runs all the way into the sprayer’s water tank when you pull it out. In relation to the internal part of the hose, that is where you will make the modifications to turn it into a foam cannon.

However, what is the actual change that has been made? In order to make a small hole in the pipe, you will need to use a knife or screwdriver. There should be about an inch between the cap and the hole. Don’t make it too deep; it should just be about an inch deep.

You will be making the hole on the part of the hose that runs into the interior of the pump, nowhere else. You will only have to make a small hole.

Preparation of the snow foam

Your Snow Foam liquid is now ready to be added. It is recommended that you dilute it by one-fourth. For example, four parts water to one part snow foam.

The solution can be mixed in a bucket and then added to the spray gun, but we prefer to add the one part snow foam first, then the four parts of water. Our experience is that this results in a much better over all consistency.

We recommend trying some of the best snow foams out there, including Mother Triple Action Foam Wash and Meguiar’s Mega Wash. Both of these products are specifically designed to produce heavy weight foam that will work with a spray gun well as well as be able to remove grime from a surface.

This small hole inside the sprayer allows much more air into the mixture when you pressurize it after adding car soap and water. Therefore, you will be able to get a much foamier spray of car soap on your vehicle as a result of this.

Advanced home-made foam cannon

Foam cannons can also be made using other, more sophisticated methods. It is also possible to foam a car using a lot more expensive methods. In order to achieve a real proportionately even coating on the foam, which is something that can be achieved quite easily, you really need to put it on as evenly as possible.

If, however, you want to build a more advanced version of your garden sprayer that you won’t have to operate by hand, then you’ll need to add an electrical bicycle pump and a bolt-in valve stem to it. There are a few more steps involved in this advanced version, but the payoff is well worth the effort. It is important to note that the electrical bicycle pump basically automates the entire process, so you do not have to stop and manually pump the sprayer every few minutes.

You need to place the car so that it is easy to access all around in order to be able to move the electrical bicycle pump around with the sprayer and you will have the car foamed in no time at all.

Foam Cannon Types

On the market today, you will be able to find five different types of foam cannons.

Foam Cannon with Adjustment

Foam cannons of this type can spray foam in a variety of patterns. Hence, they are adjustable. As far as the pattern of the spray goes, you can choose from a stream pattern, a single pattern, a circular pattern, and so on. Foam cannons with adjustable spray patterns make it easier for you to adjust your spray pattern to the part of your vehicle that you want to clean. If, for example, you use a single stream or direct stream, you will be able to clean a specific spot more effectively, while using a circular pattern or fan allows you to clean the entire vehicle.

Foam Cannon with Quick Release

I think the quick release foam cannons are more prevalent on the market than the adjustable ones. This type of foam cannon is equipped with a 14 -inch male fitting that is connected to the power washer wand. As a result, the foam cannon is more effective in cleaning and rinsing your vehicle than it was before. Furthermore, you will be able to switch between washing and rising in a matter of seconds.

Foam Cannon of Professional Grade

Foam cannons that are identified as being “professional grade” are high quality foam cannons that are constructed with durable materials like stainless steel. The material is designed to provide increased durability and sturdiness as well as increased resistance to wear and tear. It should be noted, however, that professional grade foam cannons are usually more expensive, and they produce thicker foam.

Bottles of foam cannon

There are two types of foam cannon bottles – opaque and transparent. Using opaque bottles is a waste of time if you enjoy watching the foam cannons work. Transparent bottles allow you to see the contents, but opaque bottles do not. Nevertheless, this won’t necessarily affect the performance of the foam cannon.

Interchangeable nozzles for foam cannons

The nozzle tips on foam cannons can be interchanged to spray at different angles. For instance, foam cannons with interchangeable nozzles also have common angles such as 15°, 25°, 40°, etc. This nozzle attaches to the end of the wand in order to guide the flow of water in the right direction.

How can foam cannons fail to foam? What can cause them to not foam?

If your cannon is not foaming properly, there are a number of factors that may be at play. There are a number of factors that can be responsible for your foam cannon not foaming up, including the type of pressure washer used, the nozzle, the type of soap used, etc.

Washer with pressure

There are times when it’s not always about the foam cannon. It is very important to use a suitable water pressure when you want your foams to be as efficient as possible. Electric pressure washers are quieter, easier to maneuver, and smaller than gas-powered pressure washers. I believe that this goes a long way in delivering thick foam and ensuring that you get a quality wash with it.

Two things come to mind when it comes to power washers – the water flow rate and the PSI. As a result of the fact that gas-powered pressure washers offer more PSI and GPM, they are better at delivering thicker foam. There are some foam cannons that can handle 2 GPM and 1000 – 3000 PSI, but some of them cannot. In order for your power washer to function properly with your foam cannon, you will have to align your power washer with the unit.

Soap for Car Wash

In spite of the fact that most soaps are designed to generate suds, there are some that produce thicker foams. It is true that some foams are designed to be used with foam guns, but there are others that are not. There is a crucial difference between how foamy the cannon will be depending on the type of soap that is used.

Water type

You shouldn’t use cold water to mix with your foam cannon because you won’t get enough foam and as a result, you shouldn’t use it. As a result, you should use warm water when washing your hands, as it helps to aerate the soap and the mixture, resulting in thicker suds.

The Best Way to Make Foam Cannon More Foamy

Here are a few tricks to make your foam cannon foamier.

1.Power washers are ideal

Earlier in the article, we explained the importance of choosing the right pressure washer for the job. The one you intend to use should be compatible with the foam cannon in terms of PSI and GPM, so make sure it is compatible.

2. When it comes to the type of soap you use, make sure it is the right one

There are some soaps, such as watermelon snow foam, beer snow foam and so on that are specifically designed to shoot thick foam and remove any debris or dirt from your car with a diluted solution of water. As you can see, there are other soaps that can also produce thick foams, so it’s important to choose carefully.

3. Warm water should be used to dilute the soap

In order to produce thick foam, foam cannons use a combination of soap, water, and air that is advanced. Warm water is essential for ensuring proper aeration of the soap and water mixture during the dilution process. Otherwise, the mixture will produce thick foam.

To prevent excessive foam buildup, don’t shake the solution vigorously after you have diluted the soap with water in the container. Swirl the solution instead.

4. Spritzing

When you wash a car, make it a point to always rinse it before you start foaming. Before you can proceed with foaming your car, you will have to first remove the large dirt and debris. You can use a power washer to thoroughly clean the inside and outside of the car.

5. Foam Cannons: Preserve them

Water and soap are sometimes left in foam cannons. You should avoid doing this as it will cause calcium deposits in the cannon that will prevent the cannon from shooting thick foam the next time you use it.

After each use, ensure that you rinse your foam cannon thoroughly to avoid any calcium deposits. Empty the canister or bottle so that there is no leftover left. Thereafter, rinse the bottle with clean water. Reattach the canister to your foam cannon and shoot like you are spraying on something until there is no more soapy water coming out.

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