kcpowerclean

thanks, it was an unfortunate incident, but turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It made me start thinking about making more money and taking action. I don't believe that many things happen by accident

Good luck Adam, by being on this board, you are already one step closer in the right direction

Don't forget some of the things you've contributed to the common good, such as helping guys like me who've you had more experience and passing on some useful tips and encouragement.

Hi all, I have a new machine that I want to get it rigged out for downstreaming. Last time I bought a machine, it also had a downstreamer built into the pump, but it didn't work well. It was a cat pump and I had to remove the proportioner on the streamer because it was the wrong size and wouldn't draw on anything over 25' of hose. Well, this new machine is a general pump and it also has a downstreamer built in, and I am wandering if I am going to be able to plug in a hi-quality downstreamer after the built-in downstreamer and get it to draw, or will I have to take off the built in downstreamer or atleast remove some proportioner from it. Here are some pics of the pump with the built in downstreamer. It is just a black plastic barb right below the outlet of the pump. It may be good as it is because I haven't tried it yet, but my guess it that it won't work well. Also, I had to change the pump oil cause it looked awful (used machine). It is a general pump, but I threw in cat pump oil because it was all that I had in my garage. Will this likely pose a problem? Should I order the General pump oil that it recommends or is pump oil the same as all pump oil? Lastly, it is a portable unit and I think I want to mount it on the trailer. If I throw the wheels off, do I need to place some shock or vibration absorbers under the frame since this is a direct drive unit? Does the virbration affect the pump or engine? Thanks for the continued support and priceless advice that I've already received.

Just ordered a general pump hi-draw injector. I don't know if I am supposed to mention supplier's names and such, but he told me that if there is an injector after a built-in injector, that it will easily draw from the second one. If it doesn't, I'm gonna plug up the hole on the first injector. Washed a driveway today with my 13 hp 4gpm machine and it sure kicks butt compared to the little guy that I was using.

you guys rock!

thanks guys, now I feel good about starting it up tomorrow. Does cap off my old dstreamer mean tape over the cap or somethings else? Thanks

Hi guys and gals, I have a few basic maintenance questions. 1)I have a ridgid brand trigger and wand assembly that I have been using for over a year and I want to get the suttner easy pull gun from Bob at P.T. -Is this a good trigger gun? Also, what size wand or lance (I still don't know the difference between those two) would you recommend I put on the end of it? I was leaning towards 36". I stand 5'11" tall and just do residential house washes. 2) I just got a turbo nozzle from Bob and I love it to death! That thing rocks. I don't have a surface cleaner so that thing seems like the best thing since sliced bread. -Do you guys who have surface cleaners always use them for concrete walkways around houses or do you guys often use a rotating type turbo nozzle? -Why does that thing have to be pointing downward when it starts? That is what a notice said when I opened it. Does it matter? Lastly, my machine doesn't start if I pressure in the line so I have to either keep the trigger pulled when I pull start it or I have to take the wand off of the line and let water gush out. -Is this just cause my machine is ghetto cheap, or is that the way all power washing machines work? Thanks and I look forward to getting edumacated by y'all

Dan, I would like to get a small buffer tank as well. You mind if I shoot you call in the next couple days...

Hey Dan, I like you. You are a straight shooter, huh? I guess that I'm just more concerned about playing with my new toys. I'm kinda developing a passion for that, but I need to remember your advice because playing with my toys doesn't pay the bills.

just got a new machine today. 13 hp honda with 4.0 gpm general pump. It has a built in downstreamer. Last time I had to put on a different downstreamer to draw with a lot of hose and take the proportioner out of the built in injector (that was a pain). You think I'm gonna have to do it with this general pump? It is a model tx1510a

Hey guys, thanks for the help. Just got a 13 hp honda with a general pump. It says 4gpm and 3700 psi, but it reads at 3100 psi and probably only pumps out 3.5 gpm. Either way, it rocks compared to the older unit. I also love my turbo nozzle. I was thinking of adding my two machines together. I have a friend in San Diego who told me he had good success with this. Have you guys tried? Any word of caution before I go blow up my high pressure hose with two machines?

Hi all, I think I need a machine upgrade. I have a 7hp subaru with a 2.8gpm cat pump. It puts out about 2500psi. I want atleast a 4gpm machine but I'm not sure if I should go 5.5gpm. I definitely do not do enough work to go any bigger than that. I have several questions, such as... At what size pump do you need to have a water tank in the trailer to safely keep the pump from running dry? Would a belt-driven machine merit the increased cost and maintenance if I only wash about 10 hours per week? How much maintenance does a belt-driven machine require as compared to a direct drive? Would you suggest buying new or used? Thanks all for any support and/or general advice in regards to buying a new machine.

Thanks for the input guys. I bet the dual gun machine is awesome. I guess if I just had a portable unit and a trailer mounted unit I could achieve the same thing. Unless tapping into two spickets at the same house would slow the water down too much. Probably not with two small machines though

That's just what I wanted to hear... The idea of lugging a ton of water around is not what I want to do right now. Nor do I mind taking a little longer to wash a home or driveway, or even a small industrial building either. With my limited amount of washing, it sure seems like a direct drive will outlast me, but wanted to run it by some big-timers.

Does the water start to draw when the machine fires up or do you need to prime it somehow?

How do you know a valve needs replacing on a pump? Please excuse my ignorance, don't know much about maintenance.

It seems like I need to raise my linear factor rate. Would $1.75 to $2.00 per foot-per story be more accurate for this job? (By my calculation that would put me around $1250-1450) Still seems pretty competitive considering I've gotten $400 for two story homes around 2000 sq. ft.

That's what happened on my machine. it is 2.8 gpm and it came with a 2.1mm downstreamer and I have to take of the proportioner on that injector and put on a 1.8 mm streamer and now I draw great with 250' Thanks to all the pros on this forum, my housewashing service is really starting to look up!

Nine out of ten houses out here that are wood siding are just painted. I've only talked to one person with a cedar shake home in about 2 years.

Can you downstream simple cherry on a wood siding home and gently brush the siding with a soft-nylon bristled brush on a water-fed-pole? Can you put a light chlorine mix in the solution?

beings that this is really an advanced question, I should stay far away from this thread, but I couldn't help putting in my two cents. I would count the linear feet of the wall and multiply by about $1.25 per story. My machine couldn't handle that amount of concrete and pavers so I'm so out of my element anyway. This job will elude me for another year or two.

I second that. He got me rigged up on my machine. I'm downstreaming with a smaller unit than you are with 250' of hose and love it. We just washed a 3100 ft, 3 story home from the ground yesterday. Downstreaming is sweet. The only drawback is the 25 second wait time for the chem to stop drawing or to start drawing whenever you change between rinsing and soaping.

Hi guys, I currently use a 2700 psi/2.8 gpm machine and I'm on the market for a 3500psi, 4gpm machine. We have the cash flow to purchase a bigger and better machine, but our limited amount of pressure washing jobs doens't merit us buying this machine new. What is a good price for a direct drive unit, 13 hp honda with a general, comet, or cat pump? I was hoping to snag one of these on craigslist for about 300-500 bucks. Am I nuts or will I find this? Also, what kind of things should I look for to check the condition of the pump or engine? Is there a legitimate way of seeing how beat up it is without being a service technician? Thanks

Hi Jordan, I don't have much advise for you because I am new to the biz myself and many would say that in life I am still green behind the ears because I'm only 23. But what I can offer you is encouragement. My business has been the one of the greatest things to ever happen in my short life. It's been something that I've been extremely passionate about, and being an all-or-nothing type of guy, it has been a great place to put my abundant amount of energy. I wish you success and hope you go for it. The best thing that I've done in my short-time is I have talked to as many people as I can who are doing what I wanted to do. This is a great place to find these people. I am really a window cleaner, and only about 15% of my receipts are from pressure washing, but this definitely seems like the place to learn. Michael Gerber, author of the E-Myth Revisited, said in his foreword: "Contrary to popular belief, my experience has shown me that the people who are exceptionally good in business aren't so because of what they know but because of their insatiable need to know more."