Dawn soap in tank?

[lopsarong]

yeah me too..

[firefighterbeau]

Packings in a John Bean pump? You are probably referring to the "cups." Totally different concept. The cups in the Bean pump were the pistons. There were no "packings," in the traditional sense. But, those cups have direct contact with the cylinder wall and are self-lubricated. It is easy to believe that any kind of detergent would shorten their lives.

I am not advocating high pressure but, that Bean pump could really kick some donkey, couldn't it? The fog pattern could darn near create a cloud and the straight stream could cut wood. The 3/4" hose was half the weight of regular 1" booster hose. And, the nozzleman still had a reliable 30 GPM at his disposal.

As for the topic at hand, I sure wish some of the pros from the foam companies would chime in. It would be interesting to hear what they have to say. One thing is certain, if a cheap bottle of dish soap is as effective as class A on wildland fires, we can expect more regulations to prevent its use.

Just sayin'.

Thanks for the correction, on the Bean pump yes i was referring to the ''Cups''.

I love those old Bean pumps, great on grass fires, and in certain other situations such as mop up.