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DutrowLLC

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Posts posted by DutrowLLC

  1. Posted · Report reply

    do a search, every year this topic is discussed. Does your maintanence guy actually have a PW? When I used air, it took less than 5 minutes.

    I spent about an hour searching before I posted this topic. I didn't find much about how to do it with an air compressor.

    I should be more clear though. One of my machines is in the process of being fixed so it doesn't have a gas tank attached to it. I need to winterize it without being able to turn it on. This is a big reason why I want to use the air compressor.

  2. Posted · Report reply

    Looks like tonight will be the first night of the year that pumps could freeze up (getting down to around 26F)

    All last year I ran antifreeze through the pumps to keep them from freezing. However, a month or so ago, I spoke to a maintenance guy about using my air compressor to do it. From what I remember, he told me to hook the air hose up to the outlet and then let the compressor run for about 45 minutes.

    This is a lot easier and cheaper for me to do than run antifreeze through the machine, but also sounds like a good way to break something if I don't know what I'm doing. Are there any other steps to this? Do I need to release something in the pump to keep from breaking a valve or anything like that?

    Thanks so much!

    Chris

  6. Posted · Report reply

    Well here is the million dollar answer. At least for me anyways. ... I am not a "pressure washer." I am an exterior cleaning professional. Gutters fall into the exterior category. The pressure washer is only a tool in my arsenal to do exterior cleaning including brushes, brooms, leaf blowers, sprayers, squeegees, rags, sponges, extension poles, ladders and so on. The pressure washer has its place in some of the jobs but some it don't and same goes with the other tools. About 90 percent of my work doesn't even involve the "pressure" in my pressure washer. Most is done using LOW pressure and use the pressure washer as a method to apply my chemicals, for the high reach areas that I could get from the ground, the gpms needed to rinse. Even though you have to hand scoop the gutters the washer can still be used for this purpose. After hand scooping all the debris I use the washer to flush out the dirty water at the bottom or the small debris that I cannot pick out by hand. I also use it to flush out and make sure the downspouts are working properly, and I use it to clean the outside of the gutters. Again its just a tool and not your whole makeup of your business.Ok now I want my million dollars payable thru paypal.

    Sounds like you do really good work, how long does that take you?

  7. Posted · Report reply

    I use a hand held echo blower the nozzle fits right in the gutter and nothing gets wet so it all falls to the ground.50 percent of the time the leaves get blown into the mulch under the bushes.the rest we rake up and haul off.

    I done a bunch of houses like this.If its not a walkable roof I charge so much its worth the ladder moving.

    Yeah, thats about what I was thinking. How much do you charge?

  9. Posted · Edited by DutrowLLC · Report reply

    I am new to the power washing industry. I just purchased a power washing trailer with two heated 5gpm units and a 500gal water tank. I own an auto detailing company (Sharp Detail - Mobile Auto Detailing - 866-661-6786) and originally purchased the unit to clean tractor trailers. Incidentally, I also own this company: HolidayShine.com.

    I was thinking about doing the following and wanted to see what people on here thought:

    * Print up 5000 flyers to advertise gutter cleaning and have my flyer guy put them on 5000 houses in the same area.

    * On the flyers, advertise ranch houses for $89 each and two story houses for $115 each.

    * Have my secretary schedule 8-12 jobs per day and schedule everything at least a few days out to make sure I'm not going out to do just a few jobs.

    * Automatically try to reschedule customers for next spring and next fall.

    From what I've read on this board, it seems like the prices I was thinking about are a little low, but then people are also talking about cleaning gutters in 10-30 minutes. So it seems to me if I can group these all in the same area and get them to pay credit card so I don't have to even talk to them a lot of the time, then I'm making well over $100 per hour and this seems like good money to me.

    I'm also still a little hazy about actually cleaning the gutters. A lot of people are talking about scooping them out by hand. But then what is the pressure washer for? Other people are talking about getting up there in the middle and blowing one way with the wand, then the other. Then cleaning everything off the ground. That sounds like that fast way to me. What is this scoop business? I've done the deal with christmas lights where you climb the ladder, put the lights on the part you can reach, then climb down, move the ladder a few feet, climb back up... it takes forever and sounds a like the the scoop method. I love it when I can charge less money and make more money for my time, its a win-win situation for me and the customer.

    What is the best way to do this?

    Thanks!

    Chris

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