Aplus
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Posts posted by Aplus
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I make my own generic "oxyclean" all the time, and it works exactly like the real thing. Try 90% percarbonate and 10% soda ash. We use it as a booster in the laundry, and for general household cleaning.
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I agree with Reed 100%
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It might not have been a tip. They may have given you too much $$ accidentally. How do you know it was meant to be a tip?
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Paul,
It seems that surface cleaners are rated for the GPM they can handle, at least in a couple of the catalogs I have here. One in particular, rates surface cleaners as either under 5gpm or over 5gpm. It doesn't state how far over 5gpm you can go.
I was just thinking that 11+ gpm is a lot of flow to push thru the rotary union at any psi.
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The main problem I see washing a deck with 11gpm would be the huge puddle of water you would leave behind. Honestly, with 4gpm, I can wash a deck as fast as I can move, and hold a wand accurately. I've used my 5 gpm and it didn't make me any faster on deck cleaning. After all it's really the chems that do the work.
The only area of concern I have with a surface cleaner is whether the rotary union can handle all the gpm you are pushing. Upon initial thought, it seems the union would be under greater stress, thus wearing out faster. Additionally, it seems that two surface cleaners running, one on each machine, would be faster than one running 11gpm.
RFitz is the king of mega GPM around here, hopefully he can expound on how exponentially faster he is is.
PS....In your avatar pic, you remind me of Bud Bundy from Married with Children.
Bud....is that you?
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Regarding sodium percarbonate mixes, it depends on what you are cleaning and what your expectations are. If the wood is lightly grey with no sealers, then plain sp may work fine. If the wood is greyed a little heavier, or old sealers are presant, then something more aggresive is preferable.
One nice feature about a concentrated product like EFC38 is that you can mix it as weak or as strong as you like, and get the results you need.
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You might look for a website from the manufacturer of the stone and ask them. Or, ask the distributor who provided/installed them.
I would be concerned about stronger chems possibly affecting the color.
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Russ has some very valid points. One other I would add is that if you do mix your own chems, be very sure you understand their interactions with each other. Some chems are not meant to be mixed, and can cause fire or explosions when contacting each other.
Once upon a time, I tried mixing some of my own chems with varying results. What I actually discovered is there was very little savings of money to be garnered because I could not obtain good pricing buying raw chems in small quantities. By the time I factored in my time, and maybe less than stellar chemical performance, I found it better to buy most products ready made, and ready to use.
There are exceptions, and some things I do mix myself, but it's not always for cost savings, but rather for performance.
I'm not going to share my recipes here, because it would not be fair to vendors/sponsers here, plus I don't want to be responsible for anybody hurting themselves. Many chems can be very dangerous if not handled properly.
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I agree with Reed.
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I've used Olympic and WeatherBeater solid with great success. I've got some that I see that are going on three years old with no noticable problems on the solid stained area. Of course the floors need to be redone every two years, but the railings hold up fine.
Truth is, and it may sound bad, but I really don't care if the solid on the railings holds up beyond say four years. I don't think many homeowners really expect that they should last more than that. By that point if they need recoating, they add to my revenue stream....lol!
Now if the solid failed in a year or two, now that's bad, and I would be disappointed too.
Good luck Jon.
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One important thing to understand is which number (1st or 2nd) refers to the water. I usually see the larger number expressed first, which refers to the water. For example a mix may specify 5 to 1, which translates to 5 parts water to 1 part chemical. It doesn't matter whether you're talking ounces, cups, gallons, whatever, as long as you maintain the 5 to 1 ratio. It's not very often you'll see directions state to mix as a 33% mix. But I think it's important to understand all the aspects of measurement, which comes in handy if you really want to become an efficient power washer.
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It is true that vinyl siding comes in different grades. However, any vinyl siding, given certain neglect and conditions, is prone to oxidation. Cheaper siding may in fact be more prone to oxidation, but I have no proof of that.
I've also seen many times, other pollutants that permantly stain vinyl siding. I've tried everything in my trailer, including but not limited to: Emulsifier, Simple Green, Greased Lightening, HD-80, truck wash, bleach, Tide, and others I can't remember now. Brushing may help a little bit, but in many cases it is not practical to even think about brushing an entire house.
I've washed a lot of houses, and I've learned to spot trouble spots in advance. When I see them, I will make a note on my estimate sheet that some stains may not come completely off. I also discuss with the customer that when removing the chalky oxidation, the siding will likely be dull, and no longer have a sheen to it. A wax application helps a little, at least temporarily, but is not a fix all solution.
The bottom line is that some damage on vinyl siding can not be remedied. As long as you set those expectations with the customer in advance, you are in the clear when problems arise. It is very bad to promise a sparkling clean house, and not be able to deliver it.
I hope Paul B is checking in here, because I know he will have some experiences to share.
Finally, the green tip that Jesse mentions, is merely the color coding for a 25 degree tip. The evening out, is really just making a particular area extra clean, and in reality dull as well. Not a great solution, but better than nothing, and it can make an area less noticable.
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I've noticed that rebuild kits for many small engines are not economical. The parts to rebuild a Honda engine costs as much as just buying another engine. So I would think unless it's something simple, it could get into too many dollars.
As for pumps, I keep a spare so I can just change it out, and worry about rebuilding the old one when time permits....like winter time.
Last year I made it my focus to stock up on most every part that can fail on me while doing a job. I've got unloaders, fittings, guns, everything that would likely fail, I have a spare. It's not something for everyone, especially if you're starting out, but I've been at this a long time, and have learned my lessons.
I also have a guy who welds for me on short notice, which is probably the most valuable commodity to have. Last year, it seemed that everything was breaking, and needed to get patched up. I was going to buy a welder, but after thinking about it, realized I needed a whole lot more than just a welder, but rather all the fabrication tools that go along with it....grinders, drill press, air tools, etc.
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One day that friend may not be available to fix your equipment. You should be working alongside of him, learning.
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There are so many variables that it's almost impossible to help you with pricing. Fact is, you're going to have learn the hard way, unless you can get them to go with a time & materials arrangement.
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A solid latex can successfully be applied over an old oil based semi-trans. I've done it many times before without a problem. You do however have to do an excellent job cleaning the railing and removing any stain that may be cracking or peeling. The floor should not be a problem to strip and prepare for a new coat of semitrans.
Actually, the two toned look is becoming very popular in many upscale home areas. Just make sure to price accordingly, because they take a lot of time....at least twice what a typical job would take.
Feel free to phone me if you'd like.
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It's not really that hard to work on them, you just have to look at what needs to be done, and figure out an approach to do it.
I guess $50/hr is too much to pay a mechanic, but it's not too much for us to make while using the equipment, huh?
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X10 refers to a wireless protocol that is becoming increasingly common for use in home automation.
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Is it an X10 device?
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That's a good idea. A jet ski battery is a scaled down version of a deep cycle marine battery. I don't remember ever seeing a plastic battery case that small, I wonder if one is available somewhere?
I bought a new battery for our jet ski last summer, and it was around $70.
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I tried the recipe advertised from the Chemistry Store and found it to be a little weak.
Another chemical needs to be added to give it a little punch.
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I use brass barbed fittings on my sureflow and have had no problems. To get an idea of how different batteries compare, look at the amp hour rating. The higher the number, the longer it can supply adequate power. Most sureflows draw 6-7 amps, it is marked on the sticker on the front of the case.
It would be nice if you could take the batteries amp hour rating, and divide the amps that the sureflow draws to reach total usage time, but I don't think that works in the real world environment.
I do know that my big honkin' Sears Diehard marine battery can power my sureflow for two weeks, and I wash a LOT of decks weekly. Of course I get tired of the weight, but the capacity is awesome.
Perhaps a 12v connection inside the trailer could be installed, with a pig-tail on the sureflow setup, to allow recharging while driving between sites.
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Steve,
You could hire him, and train him, then he will bolt and start up a competition against you.....:)
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Sure the builder is a bung-hole, but there's always at least one in a crowd. I agree with what Russ said. Stand your ground Reed, sooner or later he will figure out he's not going to bully you into something. He has no legal grounds either, and I'll be he knows that too.
Don't let him get to you, it's not worth it. Myself I just laugh at people like the contractor, I can't change what he is, but I won't concern myself either.
There's plenty of people who appreciate the work you do. Just focus on them, and let Mr. Bunghole continue to make a fool out of himself.
Urgent!!
in Construction Cleaning
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Acid and a stripper? Sounds like James is from the 70's......:)
Seriously, muriatic acid for the cement drops and perhaps a paint stripper designed for use on latex should help you out.