We brought a 3.5:1 L:R jet online this week and hit shade on 100% cotton reactive at 60°C with about 12% less steam than our 5:1 baseline, but the tighter windows forced us to add interlocks on salt/alkali dosing and a hard stop if circulation pH spikes. For those who’ve switched, how are you controlling foam and keeping eyewash access clear around the dosing skid during fast additions?
We saw the same on a 3.2:1; a silicone‑free defoamer metered just ahead of the heat exchanger at a tiny constant dose, with a 10–15 s bump when dP rises, kept foam in check — “slow drip beats slugs.” For eyewash, we put the camlock manifold on a swing‑away plate and ran hoses overhead so nothing crosses the eyewash’s 36" zone, with a yellow no‑park line on the floor. Small caveat: on deep navies we switch to EO/PO defoamer to avoid specking.
I’ve found that incorporating an on-the-fly foam control strategy really helps — like squeezing a towel too hard, you’ve got to ease up just right. @isabellaH34, have you tried quick pH adjustments when things spike? It can save a lot of headaches down the line.
Running a 3.5:1 jet too, and I’ve found a quick pH monitoring tweak at the dosing skid helps prevent those spikes. Has anyone else noticed how quick those adjustments need to be? @isabellaH34, ever tried dual sensors for peace of mind?