Anyone Using Autowasher

[aidan]

Im guessing we have some forum members using autowashers here on their milking machines.

I was wondering as to how do they function, does it suck up all the water and send it through the machine and then wait until 90% of it has returned to the wash trough before starting again and repeating the cycle for a certain amount of time. This type of an arrangement would leading to a pretty violent wash through all clusters, a large number of times in the wash cycle. Thats myunderstanding anyway.

Was also wondering does it feature a sump at the far end of the milk line which fills up and when completely full flushes itself into the milk line. This type of device. https://www.milldairyservice.co.uk/....spares/dairymaster.milking.spares/index.aspx

 

[Fergieman]

We have used one for 5 years on our parlour. It has a big enough trough to fill and then circulate for the giving time. The milk pump is running all the time so a constant flow of water through the wash. It also has a trombone tee'ed into the line which fills up with water and then a blast of air is entered to cause this water to surge round the pipeline to completely wash it.

 

[aidan]

We have used one for 5 years on our parlour. It has a big enough trough to fill and then circulate for the giving time. The milk pump is running all the time so a constant flow of water through the wash. It also has a trombone tee'ed into the line which fills up with water and then a blast of air is entered to cause this water to surge round the pipeline to completely wash it.

The trombone Tee as you call it, thats post the cluster wash at the far end of the milk line and then it just discharges and washes the milk line thoroughly. I guess there are non return valves on the wash side of the line to stop the high pressure air and water going backwards, and I guess there is a pressure relief valve somewhere to stop the Jar at the front of the milking parlour pit bursting.

have you a glass or SS milk jar at the front of the pit.

 

[Fergieman]

It works and washes the same as a manual wash system but you don't have to standing over it. The only extra valves are at the wash trough. Ours has a SS receiver jar but would work ok with a glass one. No more pressure (or vacuum) as washing manually or milking.

 

[vantage]

16 years and counting here. Consistency of wash cycle no matter who milks is the attraction. It’s a DeLaval parlour and auto wash.

 

[Tarw Coch]

Gascoigne Aquastar here, works pretty much the same as described above, stop parlour after milking, controlled from the aqua star box, select a wash cycle and press enter, the aqua star does the rest, fills the trough, adds the chemical, starts the vacuum pump, first water around is dumped, rest returns to trough to re circulate. At the end of the wash cycle it dumps the water and stops vacuum, if the programmed wash is part of a wash cycle it will refill trough and repeat.
Mine is cnnected to 3 chemicals, alkali wash, acid wash and hypo and 5 different wash programs are stored, we have two cold wash programmes consisting of a first wash with water followed by a second with either hypo or acid, two hot wash programs consisting of a water flush, hot circulation of acid or alkali and a final hypo rinse and a simple one wash with hypo. I simply choose which one dependant on day and time, mornings are cold wash, nights are hot wash, Monday and Friday are acid, the rest are alkali/hypo.

Wash 5 is mainly for the benefit of our dairy engineers, they programme wash 5 as a hypo rinse on all their parlours so that whenever they have done work on the parlour they can give it a quick rinse before they leave.

It also has the facility should you wish to start the parlour before planned milking time and give the parlour a rinse pre milking.

There’s also a micro switch when the milk line is in wash position, you can’t start the wash with the pipe still in the tank, or start milking with the pipe in wash position.

 

[rusty]

Fullwood fullclean system here for 17 years. Pretty much as the Gascogne system described above. Ours only has one wash start button but is programmed to do different wash cycle am and pm. Ours is a closed system with no trough. Hot cycle dumps first bit of hot water then circulates rest and adds chemical. Peristaltic pumps that draw the chemical are a service item and will need new tubes from time to time. We monitor chemical levels in drums weekly to show up if a pump has stopped working.

 

[Will Blackburn]

As above for 14 years with Fullwood, only required peristaltic tube replacements, then new chemical pumps last year. Serious time saver with unmatched consistency and also records wash temps.

 

[buffalo_soldier]

Mine has been in 7 years now, I'm delighted to read of folk with double or more of that time.

Couldn't tell you how it works though?.

 

[aidan]

Quick question, during detergent wash do they circulate continuously, or, is it suck up the hot water detergent mix pause and wait for the mix to come back to the wash trough and start again. - Was talking to an Alfa service man last week and thats how I think he explained it to me.

Edit - the Alfa service man was saying suck up a big volume of water and pause large quantity of water ready again would give a far more rigorous wash through the machine.

 

[Blue.]

Quick question, during detergent wash do they circulate continuously, or, is it suck up the hot water detergent mix pause and wait for the mix to come back to the wash trough and start again. - Was talking to an Alfa service man last week and thats how I think he explained it to me.

Edit - the Alfa service man was saying suck up a big volume of water and pause large quantity of water ready again would give a far more rigorous wash through the machine.

You want continuous flow,sucking air in drops water temperature,I use double pumps on my vessel during washing to get the water back faster,if it’s sat in the vessel it isn’t doing any good.

 

[Tarw Coch]

Quick question, during detergent wash do they circulate continuously, or, is it suck up the hot water detergent mix pause and wait for the mix to come back to the wash trough and start again. - Was talking to an Alfa service man last week and thats how I think he explained it to me.

Edit - the Alfa service man was saying suck up a big volume of water and pause large quantity of water ready again would give a far more rigorous wash through the machine.

Gascoigne is continuous flow, milk pump runs faster during wash cycle, there’s an air blast every 30 seconds or so which doesn’t half rattle the water down the line.

 

[thewalrus]

How many minutes do people circulate the hot water/chemical cycle?

 

[In the pit]

2 min which by that time temp has dropped from 85 to 60

 

[aidan]

Do they

We have used one for 5 years on our parlour. It has a big enough trough to fill and then circulate for the giving time. The milk pump is running all the time so a constant flow of water through the wash. It also has a trombone tee'ed into the line which fills up with water and then a blast of air is entered to cause this water to surge round the pipeline to completely wash it.

The air you mention is not from a compressed pipe is it, its pulled in by the vacuum line, when the solenoid valve at the end of the line opens?

Have you an Alfa C50 or alfa C200 washer I guess.

 

[Fergieman]

C200 washer I think. Yes solenoid opens air valve and vacuum sucks air in

 

[borderterribles]

Miele were fitting automatic washing systems thirty years ago. Fantastic time saver. So good ( but sadly expensively uncompetitive), that they got out of milking parlours, and concentrated on washing machines!

 

[Seasider]

Installing one with new parlour in the autumn... general consensus seems positive ?

 

[PatLawless]

Fullwood fullclean system here for 17 years. Pretty much as the Gascogne system described above. Ours only has one wash start button but is programmed to do different wash cycle am and pm. Ours is a closed system with no trough. Hot cycle dumps first bit of hot water then circulates rest and adds chemical. Peristaltic pumps that draw the chemical are a service item and will need new tubes from time to time. We monitor chemical levels in drums weekly to show up if a pump has stopped working.

Hi There, does anyone have a Manual for the Fullwood Fullclean Plus unit? trying to troubleshoot one, but with no instructions, its difficult.

 

[buffalo_soldier]

I think there's a laminated something or other behind the pipes on mine.
Don't recall ever being given a book tho.