Beth n Rod

Rustoleum is going to require a solvent based stripper to remove it and even if you do get it off, there will be a remnant shadow. Rod!~

Natural as possible with UV protection = nothing left in a year and a pain in the behind to deal with. Many products coming out today involve acrylics, silicone and teflon. Any of these alone is bad enough but in combination makes wood look really dark on consecutive coatings maintenance. Go with the lightest color usually "honey tone". Twp 500 series is pretty light. Rod!~

COOL!!!! There is one in Northern VA. Beth :dancing:

It is indigenous to South America. Brazilian lumberers produce a major portion of what gets sold here in the states. Their is even a distributor called Pau Lope' that selects the best cuts and labels them under this name.It is the second hardest wood known and has almost the same fire rating as steel, sinks in water and has only one known natural enemy...Marine borer mites. They are the only insect known to be able to penetrate this hardwood. The material is extremely dense and it's weight is up to 10x heavier than cedar by comparison. Deck builders don't care much for it in the manner of expense to complete a project. They will go through many drill bits and saw blades while constructing a deck out of this material. It has a life expectancy of 50 years. Rod!~

In the early years we had employees using their vehicles and one in particular had an oil leak which messed up a clients driveway. The client was not at all nice with us in rectifying the situation and so once the issue was resolved, we fired the client. Rod!~

Paul, Thanks for that post showing independent thinking. I agree with you on that one. Rod!~

The tank could have been flouridated. Was the tank new or used? Rod!~

Surface cleaners are not advisable on wood. They cut across the grain and can tear it up badly. Your wand is the way to go. Beth :cup:

I know the Bleach guys will not let me live this one down, but soaking them with a 5% bleach solution helps to degrade and loosen these if they are dry so they can be washed away. On bare wood, I would not recommend it. But for use on brick and the surfaces you have shown, it is feasible. Some repainting may be needed depending upon the condition of the paint beforehand. Rod!~

Hiring substandard labor! Rod!~

Keth, That is a good point, but fortunately the injector is close to the pump and can overcome the size restriction at that point. My thoughts have been that the flow is rated in conjunction with the injector. I have removed my injectors since we use M-5's. I have a downstream injector on a quick connect (Attach's after the ball valve by the gun) that I can install or remove as needed for low pressure chem injection that I use with an extension pole to reach with. It works great for this and when it is not needed, it stays in the tool box. Flow is not a problem in this case and I have one less apparatus to worry about failing on me. Most pw'ers are equipped with the novice in mind and while some add ons may be convenient they can also hinder the performance. I have learned to adjust things on my machines to serve me better where I need them to and that is usually at the gun where I am and not at the machine which is 200' of hose away. To many trips can result in not only additional operator fatigue but loss in production time too. Work smart they say... Rod!~

Thanks Phil for the post. From my personal experience, a percarbonate can also cause a whitish haze to form on glass if allowed to dry. Fortunately, the cause is the cure but thorough rinsing is needed to assure no residue is left behind. .02 Rod!~

Just for the sake of addressing the main question: The unloader does not determine the psi, the pump and it's factory preset pressure does. The unloader function is to redirect water in the event of a switch in demand by either depressing a trigger or releasing it. Having 2 unloaders only adds the possibility of using the pump to supply two different cleaning units. Problem is, it can wreak havoc with the springs or valves controlling the flow and cause them to operate in a cycling pattern. This is evident by the pressure rising and dropping uncontrollably. Rod!~

Welcome to TGS! :) I have moved your thread since this is a deck you are bidding and you are not a homeowner asking questions (DIYer). I'm sure our wood loving members will be glad to help you out. Please post pics if you have got them. They truly help to diagnose the job at hand. Again, welcome to TGS. Beth

Welcome Jean Paul! Great having you here. I moved your post to the business area for you. Please keep asking questions (the only stupid question is the one you fail to ask). We're glad to try our best to answer them. Again, welcome to TGS! Beth

We use our hot water machines for cleaning siding, concrete patios and driveways. Hot water on siding should not exceed 110* as it "will" cause it to warp. Hot water expands the water molecules allowing them to accept more chemicals into solution and also increases it's solvent capabilities. Hint: Ever rinse a plate with bacon grease on it with cold water and it barely moved? Then rinse it with hot water and it melts quicker and comes off better. You still need a grease cutter to remove it completely but the point being that hot water makes cleaning easier. This equates to faster rinsing, better chemical reactions on the surfaces you are cleaning and an extra step in your maintenance regimen over cold water units which is checking the burner and fuel/water separator. Hot water units come in handy in colder weather climates to warm up the water to mix chems into and to wash with assuming your temps do not exceed 75* while washing wood is acceptable in my opinion. It has allowed us to start work earlier in the season and work later into the end of it. We have used our hot water units to melt ice and remove ice dams for winter money. Take from this what you need but either way, you have a power washer that is going to serve you. Hot water adds versatility and capability to our services up here in the northern latitudes that you folks in the southern parts of the country don't concern yourselves with due to only having 2 distinguishable seasons...hot and not as hot! ;) Rod!~

Each of them is known as a wood bleach but there is also Sodium Hydroxide and Hydrogen Peroxide that in addition to the others are classified as wood bleaches by the USDA Forestry Labs. To elaborate more: Any chemical alone or in compound form that becomes a strong oxidizer is considered a bleaching agent. Regardless, each has a function in the art of wood restoration and each requires experience in order to obtain the optimum results. As far as one 'vs' the other, I feel this should not be the emphasis but instead related to as 'Which is right for the job'. This is pertinent to the way these bleaches are used and to what they are effective on and in what conditions based upon their individual chemical scope of capability. The article is a good one albeit the writing style looks very familiar but the point getting across to the reader is valid. Rod!~

Heres a mind bender: What if all this we are trying to figure out on how things work only applies to this 3D reality we exist in? I tend to think out of the box and this is something that through meditation has become a major possibility in my experience. Rod!~

Me too! They have it on CD ROM. Beth

I felt this was pertinant... "Vengeance is mine [sayeth the lord] Judge not! lest thou be judged" Rod!~

This is based upon actual experience Mel. I was using a 3gpm 2700psi machine and it would not draw through the new 3/8 line I replaced the OEM lines with. I even installed a new injector first but after talking with the manufacturer and trouble shooting, they discovered the replacement line I bought was the problem. I changed the line to a 1/2 line and the injector functioned. While this may not apply to ALL injectors, it still is a factor to be considered in the topic. Thanks for sharing your experience. Just for the record, can you also post your machines gpm/psi for others to consider? This may be a factor. Rod!~

3/8" lines limit your chem injectors ability over longer runs. 50' is about max before it loses ability to pull chem. 1/2" lines allow better flow throught the longer runs to allow the injector to still function. Rod!~

God is love, we just haven't learned how to do it ourselves. We are hindered by past, history, pre-conceived notions and those who wrote what we follow."The noose around the neck of humanity is our tendency to pass judgment upon each other" Rod!~

An adventure in creativity. Rod!~

You need a Kit "A" for your type of pump model which is listed on the bottom. The leak is coming out of the seals and o'rings that the plunger piston slides back and forth between. Rod!~