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Do you need to pump the chemical into the machine?
No. The BatchBoy makes it's own vacuum and it uses this vacuum to draw
chemical into the measuring chamber. You do not need a chemical pump to
pump liquid into the machine. The unit fills itself, it is self filling.
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Is the chemical stored inside a tank in the base of the
machine?
No. There is no tank in the base of the machine. The chemical is stored
in the container you bought the chemical in. The base of the machine is
hollow, houses some plumbing and functions as a mounting base for the BatchBoy
and your transfer pump. Top of Page
How is the BatchBoy better than a meter?
Four chief reasons: 1) If you use 4 different chemicals, you would need
4 meters. The BatchBoy can handle 4 chemicals (8 total if you add
chemical valves to the additional chemical inlet ports); 2) The BatchBoy measures
true liquid volume, it does not measure air, it does not care about viscosity;
3) The machine never needs to be calibrated, it will be as accurate 10
years from now as it is today; 4) You can measure very small amounts, down
to an ounce, no meter can indicate only an ounce of liquid. Top
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Do you need to be pumping water through the machine to
use it?
Yes, water needs to be passing through the machine for the machine to function.
You need to be filling your sprayer when you use the BatchBoy. Top
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Can you get all the chemical into the sprayer tank before
the tank gets full of water?
Yes. Typically a sprayer operator will have all his chemical in his sprayer
and find that the sprayer tank is about half full. When transferring chemical
to the sprayer, the Master Valve is positioned to VACUUM and the water
flow rate to the sprayer tank is reduced to 10 - 14 GPM. After all the
chemical is in the sprayer, the Master Valve is moved to BYPASS and then
the sprayer tank can be topped off at the normal maximum flow rate of the
transfer pump. Top of Page
My sprayer tank is only 100 gal., can I still get all the
chemical in before the tank gets full?
Yes. The sprayer tank size does not matter. What matters is the ratio of
chemical to water in the tank. A larger tank needs more chemical and a
smaller tank needs less chemical. Under normal operating conditions the
BatchBoy transfers chemical fast enough to achieve a ratio of 1/5th chemical,
or in other words, a 100 gal. tank can be 20 gals. of chemical and 80 gals
of water. Normally this is a much higher concentration than most people
need. With a fine tuned system, you can achieve a 1/3rd ratio of chemical
to water, or a 100 gal. tank can be 33 gal. of chemical and 66 gal. of
water. Top of Page
Is the BatchBoy the same as an inductor cone tank?
No. 1) An inductor system with a cone tank may be on the suction side or
discharge side of your transfer pump. The BatchBoy is always on the discharge
side of your pump, chemical never passes through your pump. 2) The BatchBoy
creates it's own vacuum and using this vacuum, the BatchBoy can fill itself
with chemical. A cone tank needs to be filled by another transfer pump
or by pouring the chemical into it. 3) The BatchBoy is very accurately
graduated into liquid volume so you can accurately measure the chemical
being transferred. 4) The BatchBoy allows the system to be a truly Closed
Transfer System. 5) The BatchBoy is designed to be easily rinsed between
each batch of chemical. Top of Page
Can you rinse the BatchBoy out?
Yes, the machine has a rinsing feature designed into it. After each batch
of chemical passes through the measuring chamber, the chamber is easily
rinsed by simply opening the rinse valve for a few seconds. The whole machine
is rinsed, the sight tube, the measuring chamber, the vacuum venturi, the
valves, and all plumbing. Top of Page
Where does the rinse water go?
Into the sprayer tank. Top of Page
How do you winterize the machine?
The lowest point of the machine is the outlet port. Everything will drain
out this port. All you need to do is open all valves and let everything
drain out the outlet port. You do not need to blow it out with air or add
anti-freeze. Top of Page
Will the BatchBoy rust or corrode?
No. The measuring chamber is Stainless Steel, everything that comes in
contact with liquid is either Stainless Steel or plastic. Top
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Will the sight tube stain?
Eventually the sight tube may stain. The tube is made from teflon, which
is very slippery, very slick, and will not absorb liquids. It is also rinsed
each time the rinse valve is opened, in fact, rinse water is first sent
through the sight tube before it enters the measuring chamber at the top.
If the sight tube does stain, it can very easily be replaced, without tools.
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Can you run 28% liquid fertilizer through the BatchBoy?
Yes, everything that 28% liquid will contact is made from either Stainless
Steel or plastic. 28% liquid can be used as the carrier or as an additive.
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How do you handle dry flowables or powdered chemicals?
BatchBoy users typically will attach a cone tank to one of the BatchBoy
chemical inlet valves. They use this cone tank as a utility tank. In this
tank they can add their powder and add water to make the powder into a
slurry and then have the BatchBoy draw the slurry out of the cone tank.
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Where is the vacuum pump?
There is no vacuum pump. The BatchBoy makes it's own vacuum, by passing
water through a venturi. Top of Page
Can you pre-batch with the BatchBoy?
No, the BatchBoy is meant to replace pre-batching. With a BatchBoy, rather
than pre-batch, you make the batch when you need it, where you need it,
and how much you need. You can think of it as making the batch as you fill
the sprayer. Top of Page
What makes the vacuum?
A venturi located under the base. As water is traveling through the venturi,
it creates a vacuum. Top of Page
What if you put too much chemical in the measuring chamber?
The same thing happens that will happen if you accidentally run too much
chemical through your meter, or the same thing that will happen if you
accidentally pour too much chemical into your sprayer tank. It is too late.
At some point in time you will cross beyond the point of no return, and
filling the measuring chamber with chemical is on the other side of the
point of no return. As an operator, you need to plan what you want to do
and you need to be paying attention to what you are doing. Top
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How fast does it fill?
Filling time depends on many variables, the performance of your transfer
pump, the length and size of the plumbing line from the BatchBoy to the
chemical containers, the viscosity of the chemical, the elevation of the
chemical containers with respect to the BatchBoy, the plumbing line going
to the sprayer, etc. Under average, normal conditions, the BatchBoy will
fill it's chamber in 1 1/2 - 2 minutes. It takes 1/2 - 1 minute to empty
the chamber. Top of Page
What is the cone tank for?
It becomes a very useful utility tank. It can be used to make powdered
chemicals into a slurry, a place to add neutralizer so it can be drawn
into the system to neutralize the system between incompatible chemicals,
a place to add chemicals that happen to come in very difficult containers,
etc. Top of Page
Can you go from one chemical to the next without cross
contamination?
Generally you can if you rinse the machine between each batch and the chemicals
are compatible. The machine is designed so there are no pockets, low spots,
or loops in plumbing where chemical can become trapped. The rinsing function
does a very good job of rinsing all residual chemical off the walls of
the measuring chamber and out the plumbing. However, because the BatchBoy
is not perfect, if you are handling sensitive chemicals or there is a great
risk from carryover, then we recommend running some neutralizer through
the machine as a safety precaution. Top of Page
How do you get chemical out of shuttles?
Adapters are generally available that allow a suction hose from the BatchBoy
to be attached to the shuttle. Most shuttles and closed containers already
have a draw pipe inside so chemical can be drawn out through an adapter.
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Does the chemical go through the transfer pump?
No, chemical goes directly into the measuring chamber, and then directly
to the sprayer. Your transfer pump never comes in contact with the chemical.
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Why is the rinse valve Stainless Steel?
You can use 28% liquid fertilizer as a carrier and therefore the rinse
valve needs to be Stainless Steel. If you use 28% as a carrier, then 28%
will also be the liquid used to rinse the machine. Top
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How many sizes of the BatchBoy are there?
Four. See the model summary page for more information.Top
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How many gallons does it hold?
27 gallons (100 liters). Top of Page
What if I want to put more chemical into my sprayer than my BatchBoy will hold?
You need to do multiple batches of that chemical. Top of
Page
Will a 1 1/2" pump work?
Yes, in fact you need only about 15 gpm and 25 psi to make the BatchBoy
work. A 1 1/2" transfer pump will easily operate the BatchBoy. Top
of Page
Will it draw chemical from a drum on the ground?
Yes, however the extra elevation the chemical needs to be lifted will slow
down the transfer rate. Top of Page
When you use a vacuum, where do all the fumes and vapors
go?
All vapors and fumes are injected back into the water by the venturi, they
get mixed into the water and end up in your sprayer tank. Systems that
use a vacuum pump can create vast amounts of vapor and these vapors are
usually discharged into the atmosphere in close proximity of the operator.
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What is the warranty?
1 year warranty against inferior materials and faulty workmanship. Such
items as sight tubes becoming stained or incompatibility with chemicals
are not covered under warranty. We offer a satisfaction guarantee, if the
machine does not perform to your satisfaction, we will refund your money.
There is no risk to at least try the machine. Top of
Page
How accurate does it measure liquid?
The BatchBoy measures liquid volumetrically, it contains a specific volume
of liquid per height that the measuring chamber is filled. Accuracy of
measuring the volume of liquid in the measuring chamber becomes accuracy
of measuring the height of liquid in the measuring chamber. The graduation
scale is broke down into fluid ounces of liquid and each marking on the
scale represents 2 fluid ounces. As with a tape measure, the sharper your
eye, the more clearly and distinctly you can read the height of liquid
in the measuring chamber, and hence, the volume of liquid in the measuring
chamber. It is easily possible to measure a single fluid ounce of liquid.
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How much vacuum does it take to draw chemical into the
measuring chamber?
Under most general conditions it will take from 7" to 15" of vacuum to
draw chemical into the measuring chamber. The actual amount of vacuum required
to draw chemical depends on many factors, such as how long the suction
lines are to the chemical containers, how high the chemical has to be drawn
vertically, the size of the suction line, the viscosity of the chemical,
the number of elbows, tees, and other restriction in the suction line,
how fast the chemical is being drawn, etc. The harder it is to draw the
chemical, the higher the vacuum level the machine will need to create to
be able to draw the chemical. The vacuum gauge at the top of the machine
indicates the actual vacuum being created while drawing chemicals, which
in turn indicates how hard it is working to draw in the chemical. Top
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How much vacuum can the machine make?
The machine can create over 20" of vacuum, usually much more vacuum then
is actually needed to draw chemicals into the measuring chamber. The Stainless
Steel measuring chamber along with the rest of the machine are sturdy enough
to handle this vacuum without collapsing. Top of Page
Does the BatchBoy take the hazard out of handling chemicals?
Handling chemicals is hazardous. The BatchBoy does not diminish the hazard,
the hazard is still there. The machine only allows you to cope with the
hazardous environment more safely. You still need to protect yourself from
the hazards of handling chemicals by wearing all the protective clothing
and equipment recommended, and following all other safe practices.
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