Bennyhonda

Murphy has come to visit me at the jobsite far too often this month. Aside from the Landa needing new bearings, I have a new issue to contend with. While using the burner for the first time this year, I noticed while spraying down some walls that the pressure would fluctuate. It would begin by pressuring down to a gentle mist for a few seconds followed by a gradual buildup and then what seemed like an overpressure burst and then get back to normal. I noticed that a couple of times this happened, the over pressure burst would also create steam coming from the tip. (the thermostat was set at 200). I also noticed that the trigger gun would sometimes have trouble shutting off entirely. I would weep from the tip with a small stream before turning off. Other times it would shut off as soon as it was released. I thought maybe I had something blocking the nozzle or gun so I switched them out and the same thing happened with the other gun. No noticeable pressure problems with the surface cleaner. At the end of the day I set the gun down and reeled up the supply hose. Boom! Hissssssssssssssssssssssssss... there goes the pressure relief valve. I had a job the next day so I replaced the valve. I did not use the heater though I would have liked to. I checked the unloader and the pressure seems to be regulated correctly. The bypass was functioning as it should as well. I had the pressure guage on all day and the problem never repeated itself. I had a couple things in mind to try. First of all have a replacement unloader that I thought I'd try. I also thought I'd try descaling the coil in the event there was an obstruction there. Is there anything else I should consider?

Thanks Jason. You reminded me that it's a vacuum system that can leak.

Well, I replaced the unloader, pressure switch and three weeping whip lines. What a difference the unloader made. It acts like a pressure washer again. Still need to work out the burner situation but I'll start on that when the flow switch arrives. Do you guys think I should just cut the lines on the old vacuum switch and leave it on the pump? Shouldnt hurt anything and save me the need to pickup a plug for the hole. As for the high limit switch, I'm not sure which one is on my unit (if any). I will check it out though.

The gun doesnt pulse like I've seen on some videos. It will work fine for an hour and then all of a sudden, go low for a few seconds than go really high which is sometimes followed by full on steam discharge. I stopped using the heater and everything is back to normal. Just replaced hoses and a bunch of fittings today. Hope to test it out tomorrow.

The unit runs water through the coil whether the burner is lit or not. I wouldn't think junk in the line would make steam, would it? I was leaning towards unloader problem but I'll go test that again today with a couple new things I learned off youtube. The burner staying on was also one of my thoughts so I've ordered a flow switch to replace the pressure switch that's currently on the unit. Also noticed that two of my jumper hoses are weeping now, the one from the pump to the coil and the coil to the hose reels. Also purchased replacements for those. I assume they were damaged in the over-pressurization. I think this may have been why the guns were not working... they didn't seem clogged. I think the pressure was so great that the valves couldn't close. On another note, when I had the pressure valve hooked up(near the gun), I noticed that it consistently read 3000psi when in bypass mode. When I pulled the trigger gun it would drop to and hold at 800-900 psi. This doesn't seem right, does it? According to my calculations of 100psi loss per 50f and with the 250ft of high pressure hose I'm using, it should be more like 2500psi. I'll try it again with a 50' and see what it reads. Any other ideas or info would be appreciated as are the previous suggestions. Thanks.

Has anyone ever treated an asphalt driveway to kill the moss growth? The driveway in question is not thick with growth, but has a green sheen to it. In the past I have sprayed it with a diluted 12% so I would assume a treatment similar to the Apple roof formula would do the trick but has anyone used something else with success? Also, how would the TSP affect asphalt? Thanks.

Thank you both for the suggestions. I've seen enough damage from surface cleaners, turbo tips and wands on asphalt so I wouldn't risk hitting them with high pressure. Spray and rinse of 12% was my go to, however, I was curious about other possible treatments such as zinc that may have a longer lasting affect and I'd be interested in the environmental impact from such treatments.

Anyone care to share some tips on how to wire the electric hose reels to a power source? I have two elec reels that I purchased second hand and I plan to wire them directly to the pressure washer's battery. They each have a 1/3 HP DC 12 volt motor. At the moment, it looks as if someone downgraded to a motorcycle battery on the pw unit so I will have to invest in a nice marine batt straight away. My initial concern was that the reels would be used at the end of a job when the pressure washer would be turned off with no way of recharging the battery. After reeling in 400" of hose, do you think that the charge wire from the trailer hitch would be enough to resupply the battery on the drive home? I've heard with this method, it's a good idea to swap out the entire charging cable with a larger diameter wire in order to get enough watts back to the trailer battery. Also necessary is a battery isolator so the trailer batt never discharges the truck battery. I've also thought about a 5w solar charger with a battery minder to turn it off when fully charged. Is that enough power? (btw, I'm in oregon and the winters here are pretty overcast) The other thing that confuses me is the relay/solenoid system that came with the (second hand) reels. What wires go where? Would I need a solenoid for this for this system? Lastly, I've seen winches with remote controls and I though this would be a nice addition to the reels (no bending over). Is it possible to rig one remote to run each reel independently, with a power switch box or something similar? Pierce Sales Waterproof Remote Winch Control | Winch Remotes | Northern Tool + Equipment Thanks for the advice.

Spot on, Tim. That covers just about everything.

I was powerwashing a townhome complex the last two days and when I went back to finish up the job today I noticed some streaking under the vinyl windows in an area that I'd already cleaned. It looked bad enough that I went back to that side and tried to brush out the streaks. They disappeared when wet but returned when dry. The windows all have drainage ports at the bottom and this seems to be where the streaking came from. I thought perhaps it was from the bleach or dried soap scum but my mixture was pretty mild. For the second half of the project I decided not to even use bleach and cut the soap in half. I also rinsed, rinsed and rinsed some more. I even tried some dishsoap for one unit as a test but the same streaks are in all areas. Is it possible this is just something I didnt notice when the building was dirty but had been there all along? Hard water stains, or something in the windows that could have caused this? I'm racking my brain but I'm not sure what to do. My mix with the x-jet (open tube, no flow nozzles): 1st half: 1 gallon 6% SH, 3.5 gallon H20, Two scoops simple cherry 2nd half: One scoop simple cherry 5gl H20 Test unit: Approx. 6oz dishsoap, 5gl H20 Any help would be greatly appreciated.

The streaks are lighter in color. I'll try to get some pictures today.

I bought a set of used cox hose reels* last week and I've got two issues. (*Actually a Reelcraft reel rated at 1000 psi with 1/2 ports) Anyone ever try to swap out the fluid path fittings and swivel on these to match your higher hose/psi demands? (I've never seen the internals of a hose reel and don't know if this is possible)

I just purchased a pressure gauge and discovered my 3500psi machine is running at 2-2500. That means I'm getting around 11,000 Effective Cleaning Units @ 5.5gpm. If I were to set the psi to the correct setting of 3500, I'd have 19,250 ECU's. It's true that I dont need that high of psi to clean most surfaces but it would cut down the time it takes to clean wouldnt it? All of my nozzles were bought for a 3500psi machine as well. Anyway, it looks like adding a higher psi swivel would be easy and I'll check on the fluid path pipe to see if it's schedule 80. Thanks for all the tips.

So if I decided to retrofit to a higher psi, what would all have to be changed on the reel? Part numbers would be extremely helpful as would the estimated cost to swap out. They're both model EA32118 L12D's.

I made a bit of a mistake. It's a Reelcraft reel and it specs at 1000 psi max with 1/2 inch inlet/outlet and fluid path. Unfortunately, the manufacturer doesnt make much above a 3000psi swivel... I dont have the reel in front of me to answer the question about the swivel but I'll see take a look at it in the next few days.

Is this a common problem with oxallic? Did you rinse after application or leave it to dry?

Before I take a shot at removing some rust stains from a house wash I did last week I thought I'd get some input. The house is wood siding painted white and I'm unsure at this time if the stain is deep in the paint or just on the surface. My standard housewash mix wouldnt touch it. Anyone run up against this in the past? Thank you,

Used some ox and they went away in five minutes. Thanks!

I too am looking to work up a more detailed terms and conditions document for my business and I'm not finding very much on this forum. Does anyone have any further suggestions than what has been listed here? Thank you, washahands@yahoo.com

What should be included in a window washing contract / disclaimer?

Just a tempered glass disclaimer then?

First off, I'm a pressure washer. I've got a window washing estimate tomorrow and I was wondering... ifthis job is too much for me to handle, is there a way to sub it out and still make some $ if their bid is accepted? I've never done this before so what would it all entail? The building is a four story and I wont know until tomorrow if a lift(about the only thing I'd be comfortable using) could be safely used, taking into account sidewalk width and powerline clearance. Any help would be much appreciated. Photos of the building can be seen here: http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/flatwork-buildings/9726-large-window-cleaning-bid-advice.html

I'm visiting the property to assess the lift situation today. If it's not comfortable or if the lift compromises my safety in any way, I'll pass. There are some scissors lifts that I would trust that high but they're used in HD construction and I doubt anyone around here would rent one. If they did, it would probably cost as much as the bucket truck. It's called the Genie and it has levelers. Living to see another day is one of my goals in life.

If I cannot do the work myself, all I could think of was to subcontract or perhaps obtain a finder's fee. It's a little late in the game to do this, with a bid already on my plate but it's all I've got. It sure gives me incentive to establish the trust necessary for these kinds of relationships to work longterm. I'll have to look into some of your questions, but first I have to be sure I cannot perform the job in a safe manner. Four stories is pretty high for a scissors lift, if at all possible given the slope (if any) of the sidewalk. A self leveling articulated boom would work if only width did not pose a problem for the narrow sidewalk. The life would have to be operated from the street where the power lines create interference. This leaves it to be used with one set of tires on the curb and the other set on the sidewalk. I have to look into specs on these machines to find out if any of these are safe options. Worst case scenario is I give the work to someone else and get nothing. At least I know my marketing reached someone.

1st window washing bid... any advice? I'm not able to post photos twice but if you'd like to take a look, they're at: http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/flatwork-buildings/9726-large-window-cleaning-bid-advice.html