How It Works
This calculator works in 4 steps.
Enter the bottle ratio
Type the soap-to-water mix in the cannon bottle, such as 1:9.
Measure the draw
Time the bottle use per minute and divide the washer's flow (L/min or GPM) by it.
Combine the factors
The calculator multiplies the bottle DF by the draw DF.
Read the surface concentration
The calculator returns total DF, soap percent, and the overall ratio for comparison with the soap label.
The Formula
The formula multiplies the bottle dilution factor by the measured draw dilution factor.
DF_bottle = X + 1DF_draw = Q_washer / Q_bottleDF_total = DF_bottle × DF_draw% soap = 100 / DF_total- X:
- Water parts in the bottle mix
- Q_washer:
- Washer flow rate
- Q_bottle:
- Bottle mix use rate
- DF_total:
- Overall dilution
A 1:9 bottle mix (DF 10) with a measured 1:10 draw gives a total DF of 100. The surface receives 1% soap, which equals 1:99 soap to water.
Conversion Table
The conversion table combines 6 bottle ratios and measured draws into the total dilution at the surface.
| Bottle ratio | Bottle DF | Measured draw | Total DF | Soap at surface |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1:4 | 5 | 1:10 (DF 10) | 50 | 2% |
| 1:9 | 10 | 1:10 (DF 10) | 100 | 1% |
| 1:9 | 10 | 1:15 (DF 15) | 150 | 0.667% |
| 1:15 | 16 | 1:10 (DF 10) | 160 | 0.625% |
| 1:19 | 20 | 1:8 (DF 8) | 160 | 0.625% |
| 1:4 | 5 | 1:20 (DF 20) | 100 | 1% |
What Is the Foam Cannon Dilution Calculator?
The Foam Cannon Dilution Calculator is a tool that combines the soap-to-water ratio in the foam cannon bottle with the measured downstream dilution at the pressure washer to give the soap concentration that reaches the surface. The total dilution equals the bottle dilution factor times the cannon's draw dilution factor.
A foam cannon draws bottle mix through an orifice into the water stream, so the bottle mix is diluted a second time. The draw rate depends on the orifice size, the washer's flow rate, and the cannon's adjustment knob. The calculator uses the user's measured draw, found by timing how much bottle mix the cannon uses per minute against the washer flow.
Common Uses
There are 5 main uses of this calculator.
Car washing
Detailers set bottle mixes for snow-foam pre-wash.
Label matching
Users match the surface concentration to the soap label.
Soap savings
Users find the weakest bottle mix that meets the label.
Fleet washing
Fleet crews standardize foam strength across washers.
Setup records
Shops record orifice, knob, and bottle settings.