Do you need to pump the chemical into the BatchBoy?
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.
How is the BatchBoy better than a meter?
Top four 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.
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.
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, so 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 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 easily rinsed between each batch of chemical.
Can you rinse the BatchBoy?
Yes, the machine has a rinsing feature. 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.
Where does the rinse water go?
Into the sprayer tank.
How do you winterize the machine?
The lowest point of the machine is the outlet port. Everything will drain out of this port. All you need to do is remove drain plug from the y-strainer in the back of unit, open all valves and let everything else drain through the outlet port. You do not need to blow it out with air or add anti-freeze.
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.
Will the sight tube stain?
Eventually the sight tube may stain. The tube is made from Teflon, which is slippery, 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 be replaced easily without tools.
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.
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.
What makes the vacuum?
A venturi located under the base. As water is traveling through the venturi, it creates a vacuum.
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.
When is a cone tank used?
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 come in difficult containers, etc.
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 good job of rinsing all residual chemical off the walls of the measuring chamber and out of 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.
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.
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.
How many gallons does it hold?
27 gallons (100 liters).
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.
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.
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.
How accurate does it measure liquid?
The BatchBoy measures liquid by volume with height in the measuring chamber. 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 broken down into fluid ounces and liters of liquid. Each U.S. marking on the scale represents 4 fluid ounces. Each metric marking on the scale represents 1/10 of a liter.
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.
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.