CBhaydare

I normally clean hoods, but have been getting in to the drive ways, and house washing. I bid this house for a neighbor down from where I live, and I feel that I under bid it for the amount of time, fuel, and chemicals I have invested. I started the job yesterday and was there for 9hrs and only halfway done, the paint is so old and bad on this entire house that I can't do much with it. My M5- X-jet didn't come in when it was supposed to, so I have been using a pump up sprayer and a 24' extension ladder for my chemicals, and then I'm using a 15* nozzle and around 300-400psi @ 130* water. The mold/mildew is on the house better than the paint, the paint is old, chalky, and very thin.... This house is huge! I am doing all the porches 4 of them, ceilings, hand rails and spindles, steps. My fuel cost on the machine is eating me up also, I wish I had bid double what I did. Live and learn.... I guess:( This is after, the streaks are a reflection of a silver bullet travel trailer, and the dark looking area's are where the paint is thin, this house needs a painting....

Finished the job today, another 5 hrs. So total time was 14hrs. Called Watercannon today, to see where my X-jet was and why it didn't come in with my other stuff, oh guess what, it is scheduled to be delivered today. I wish they had told me when I placed the order and asked if it was shipping out same day, that the X-jet ships separately from the manufacture. I need to give Pressuretek a call and see what they have for DS setup.

Tim, thanks for the advice, I'm thinking the same thing about a DS on hand for sure! Doug, I maybe taking you up, on giving you a call! Thanks to everyone for giving me some inspirational support! I needed it, have to go finish the other half of the house tomorrow. I will say the home owner is a very nice guy and he was asking me if I got in to more than I thought I bid, I told him the situation and he was sympathetic, even asked me if I wanted to be paid that day, and I'm not done with the job. He said he was very happy with the results and his wife was also, he knows a lot of people so maybe I can get more work from this one!

Thanks Beth! I hope so.... No, Ron I don't have a DS either, I was debating the DS or X-jet and went with the X-jet. For hood cleaning never needed the DS, just the pump sprayer, or my home made foam'er...

Dang... that deck is really bad... I have a 1mill GL insurance for about $600 a year.

:lgwave:Hmm.... So we just post anything on here, and could win....? Oh, my rig, job, or myself.... let me get some pics posted...

How do you guy's keep Algae from growing in your holding tanks? I have had to remove my tank from the trailer and empty it twice now, due to algae growing in it with in 2 days of sitting. I wouldn't think bleach would be a good idea, since it's an acid and would be going through the pump. I have a 225 gal tank, any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Right, I knew the stuff most of you use is like 12.5%, and store bought is around 6%? It just depends on the jobs I have, I'm just starting out so not many, may use it twice a week. I don't leave it full though, It may have 60 gallons in it when it is sitting.

OK..... lol Shows how much I know,:o So, the 6% of SH in it is not an acid? I'm lost here.

I have the same problem.... Looks like you have a shirt on either way, when you do or don't...lol

I hear ya, yea I know how laptops are that's what I am using now, since I don't have a wireless router for my desktop yet.

LOL, I like the thread name.... I assume it was a typo?

Earlier this week Reuters reported on a massive amount of methane discovered in the Gulf of Mexico. Texas A&M University oceanography professor John Kessler said methane gas levels in some areas are “astonishingly high.” Kessler recently returned from a 10-day research expedition near the BP oil gusher. Kessler’s team measured both surface and deep water within a 5-mile (8 kilometer) radius of BP’s destroyed wellhead. “There is an incredible amount of methane in there,” Kessler told reporters. He said the level may be as much as one million times the normal level. Read the full article here >>> Methane and Martial Law in the Gulf of Mexico

I heard on the radio the other day, that they done a study on how much sleep people in America get on average. They said in the 1950's people got an average of 9 hours a night, and now the average is around 6 hours a night. I know I get around 5 to 6 hrs on weekday nights, and maybe 7hrs on the weekends. I hardly ever get to bed before 12a.m. and get up around 5:30 to 6:00a.m. on weeknights, weekends may get to bed around 12 to 1:30a.m. and get up around 7:30 to 8:00a.m. How much do you all get?

Well when I clean a hood, I get back in anywhere from 4am to 6am depending on the drive, still only sleep until about 10 or 11a.m. So I say my average is about 6hrs. I wish I could get more cause I feel it catching up with me, I am not a morning person at all. I have to set the alarm for 5am and turn it up all the way, and across the room to get up by 5:30a.m. My wife still pretty much pushes me out of the bed also.... After about 6 cups of coffee and 3hrs later I'm awake... lol I'm more of a night owl, can stay up all night without a problem.

Thanks for the reply. that's the same as my machine, think i will be buying one of these soon.

I have been looking at this surface cleaner, how many GPM are most of you running on it? my machine is 4gpm, how do you think it will do? Thanks

Can't beat tha heat! IMO with Cold water, you might as well be using a garden hose, just my 2 cents.

Hey Rick, I'm wanting to add a downstream injector to my machine, it's 4gpm @ 4,000psi also. Could you PM me the parts and nozzles you used please? Thanks Brian

I don't want chems going through my pump, so upstream is out. I don't like the fact that downstream you have to switch to low pressure, and still the chems are going through my HP hose/wand, don't really want that. The X-jet seems to be more of what I'm looking for. From the way this thing looks, why can't you just use a hp chem injector with QC's and place on the end of your wand and run the hose into the chem bucket? Chem injector is like $30, X-jet $160. Just curios.....? Also, how, do you use accessories, such as a foam cannon, extension wand, or anything else, on a machine that the unloader is set and not "adjustable" to 4,000psi and these accessories are rated for 2500, or 3000psi? I know you change nozzle orifice size to lower pressure but when the trigger is not presses you still have 4,000psi. Say I use a #4 nozzle i have 4,000psi with the trigger open, I change to a 5.5 nozzle I have around 2,000psi with the trigger open, when closed pressure goes up to 4,000psi. Thanks

Thanks again Rod! I think I may have miss led people when talking about the foamer for houses, I'm just wanting to get a foam cannon for my hood cleaning instead of the pump up sprayer, want to try it and see what all the hype is about "foamers"... lol I mean it makes sense, longer dwell time for chems to break the grease down. The only ones I can find though are rated anywhere from 2,500 to 3,500 psi.

Thank you for the in-depth explanation Rod! Yes I am concerned about the line build up pressure while the trigger is not pressed, I would have 4,000psi. With the correct nozzle on the accessory when the trigger is pressed the flow would be to the accessories rating, but how do you keep from blowing something apart that is rated at say 2,500psi and you have a line buildup of 4,000psi? I know using the unloader as a regulator is a no no, or not a wise decision, but seems safer as to adjusting it to where your only putting the rated psi out from your pump for the accessory that your using......? Again thanks to every one who has posted with their input!!!

Not that I know of, There are a lot of Adair's everywhere i guess. I get that a lot. Most people ask if I'm related to "Red Adair" I'm like if I was I probably wouldn't be doing this.... lol Thanks for the tip on the injectors, mostly brick houses around my area, but there are a few newer homes with hardy board siding, I'm setup up for hood cleaning but only have a few customers, and it's only every 3 months and night work. So looking to do some daytime residential also, still trying to get my ducks in a row on things.

everything i can... driveways, houses, sidewalks, dumpster pads... I understand the x-jet shoots up to 40' they say, and I don't think you could get that the way I was talking about doing, even with a 0* nozzle.

Thought I would post this, for those who may not have one and need a reference.