Curb Appeal

OK, got my TS2021 coming to me so now I can finally use my tank. Just to confirm, 1. I need to plumb with 3/4" braided poly to the pump. 2. Float valve at the top of tank. 3. Bypass from unloader back to tank. Does home deopt/plumbing supply have all that I need to make all of these connections? I'll be using a 300 gallon tote with 100+- gallons of water with a 2" gate valve. (should I use the gate valve as a dump and drill a hole and mount a 3/4" barb for the tank to pump line?) All of my connections need to be disconnectable seeing as I have to mount the tank in the bed of my truck. (I REALLY need a bigger trailer!!!) Does this pose any problems that you can imagine? If anyone has any pictures of any or all of these connections, please share. 1000 words could really help me out right now. float valve mounting onto tote tank pump feed line from 2" gate valve or new 3/4" barb type connection tank side of unloader bypass Thanks to everyone...

Thought about either that or a heavy duty spring clamp. Either of those would probably be the easiest to adjust... Of course that would give the 1" pipe some stability and support. I think that if the pipe was extended all of the way out of the tank, the top (with the garden hose connected to it) might be top heavy...

Thanks guys, I'm going to run 3/4" hose back to the tank. In the interest of disconnectability, I got a few of these couplers and plugs. http://www.colder.com/asp_main/TechSpec/HFC12TS.asp I got a bulkhead panel mount coupler for the bypass line and a mpt for the feed line, both 3/4" barbs. My tank is in the bed of the truck and this way when I'm done for the day, I can just uncouple the feed & bypass lines from the tank and go... I'm also thinking of my float valve setup. The way I have it in my mind is that I want it to be adjustable. So, if I want to work with 100gal, I can adjust it down to the 100gal level in my tank. Or 200gal, 250gal, etc... I'm picturing a 1" hole in the top of the tank. Inside the tank is the Hudson valve screwed into a length of 1" PVC pipe. The length would have to be at least 3' long. at the top of the pipe, a 90 degree elbow and a garden hose thread adapter. If I want to keep the tank at 100gal, I slide the pipe down onto the tank until the float valve hits the water level and shuts off the supply. If I want to use 200gal, I could pull the pipe up until the valve is at the 200gal level. Etc, etc... The only thing I haven't been able to figure out is how to keep the pipe secured at the level I want it at. I'd need something to clamp the pipe outside the top of the tank to keep it from sliding back down in. I don't know yet. Time to take a stroll through Home Deopt and see what grabs me... Oh yea, I am keeping the 2" valve for dumping. Thanks guys...

Got it plumbed. The guys at the local pipe supply and hose supply houses were very helpful. We got everything hooked up and ready for my new pump. I can't wait for my new toy... one thing I was wondering though: How much pressure does the bypass line have from the unloader? Thanks...

Thanks Paul. I'll be sure to check out your site next time I need supplies or parts...

Thanks Paul, Envirospec's pumps were a bit too expensive for me. They're TS2021 was $462 after the 10% discount. I got my pump, fully plumbed with unloader, thermal relief valve, pressure saftey valve, bypass hose and water filter for $397 from watercannon. I did, however, get the gearbox from Envirospec. They had the best price by far - $153 after discount... That's good to know that that pump and engine combination is good enough of a solution to be offered commercially. Puts my mind at rest...

Thanks Scott, I put my order in today for a TS2021 and a gearbox. Bill was $550. I figure that I will get around 2500psi out of it. That is, until I get a bigger engine... Thanks for all of the replies...

OK, I've spent the past few hrs digging around on this idea. Does anyone see anything wrong with going with a TS2021 (5.6GPM/3500PSI) and a gear box? I could always upgrade the engine later... Any idea what kind of pressure to expect with my 13hp engine? Also, I know that I'd have to adjust the unloader to a lower pressure. Can someone walk me through that senario? I've never touched my last unloader. Thanks again John for the idea...

Which pump did you get and where? What engine are you running that on? What pressure do you put out now? Does your burner still heat your water sufficiently? If the price is right, I'd love to do just that! Thanks,

Of course, if you have any other pump/unloader suggestions, I'm all ears. I have a 13hp Honda engine and a 12V Beckett burner and I run a 20" Landa Water Jet surfacer. I do mostly residential houses, roofs and flatwork with some commercial thrown in. I would like to get as many gpms as possible but from what I've read, 3500+psi is needed for concrete flatwork. That severely limits my choices in the direct drive dept....

This pump's been good for me so far. I have about 500 hours on it & I've done nothing to it except change the oil... unfortunately, at the moment, all I have is a 13hp Honda. I would love to upgrade my pump, but that would mean I would have to upgrade my engine and coil as well. In other words, I'd have to buy a new skid. I can swing $400 for a new pump, but not $6000 for a new skid... If I had my choice, TSF2021...

I'll probably be in the market next year for a new unit. I'm looking at a Hydrotek or Pressure Pro 8GPM right now, but I have a question. In terms of GPM, what is the point of diminishing returns? 6GPM, 8GPM, 10GPM... I'm a one man operation and do residential flatwork, houses and roofs mostly. Oh, OK two questions. Would it be more economical to buy the parts (engine, pump, hot box, plumbing, etc...) and put it all together myself or buy a retail skid? Thanks...

I forgot, they sell on ebay. they have a 40hp/11GPM version up right now - $8000 http://cgi.ebay.com/WaterResearchUSA-2-Man-Hot-Water-Pressure-Washer-Skid_W0QQitemZ320042025783QQihZ011QQcategoryZ50388QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

No I just assumed they would be expensive. Please share if you find out anything...

Hard to beat 54HP/20GPM for 1 man or 10GPM for two man... Be nice if I had the need and could afford it... http://www.waterresearchusa.com/

I don't know how many of you use ebay or to what extent, but those that do, be on the lookout... Over the weekend I bid on a 8gpm hydrotek. I lost the bid (I'm kicking myself for trying to save $250 by not using the "buy it now"). Monday I got an email that looked like it was from ebay regarding their "Second Chance Offer" program. It said that the higest bidder backed out and that the seller was offering the item to me for my bid. I got really excited and had a good day all day long. That night, I got another email from the seller but the email address and name didn't match the one I had conversed with about the item before the auction ended. The grammar of this email was bad too. He was asking me for my shipping information saying that shipping was included in my price. Shipping? For a 700lb. skid? The auction's terms were: deposit, inspection, payment. I did a little digging and evidently there are a fair number of people trying to scam people this way. Usually the email will have a link that must be clicked on to enter information. The page that comes up will look exactly like an ebay page. Then they get account info, usernames, passwords, etc... The easiest way to avoid this type of scam is: Ebay really does have a "Second Chance Offer" program, but the offers will come to you only by way of "My Messages" in your "My Ebay" area. If you get an email like this, go check "My Messages". If it's not there too, it's a scam.

Hey all, I just got a call from one of my realtor clients to do a driveway and house. I went and took a look at it today. It's brick. The only brick I've done is algae removal. This house looks pretty bad. When you look at it from the street, you get a grimy feeling. I took some pics to post here 'cause I have no idea what this black stuff is or what chem to use to get it off. I was hoping someone here may have seen this before. Please help, this is a big house in an old neighborhood where home values have gone through the roof and there are a lot of dirty houses around... Thanks again, Here they are... The whole house is like this. Black stuff on the brick everywhere. Any ideas? Front of house...

Got a call from the homeowner today. They want me to do the job but they want to delay it until the spring because they are having an addition put on the house first. I'll have to wait until after. Keep you posted...

Hi all, Just found a place near me to buy 12.5% in 55 gal drums or 300 gal totes. I have no way to move these drums or totes around so here's my idea: company will load drum or tote into my truck. I will transfer chlorine to a storage drum or tote when I get home. I will transfer amount needed for job to chem tank on trailer on a daily basis. Is my idea flawed? Any better way to do this? And most importantly, what pump should I use to transfer the chlorine? I'm looking at this one right now: http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200280024_200280024 Thanks... I'm really excited about finding this source. They are less than 2 minutes from my house & they have great prices! 55gal drum - $90 300gal tote - $390 50lb TSP - $29

I thought of that too. What kind of hand truck do you use to meve the barrell around with? That's a good price. Do you notice a difference between 10% & 12.5%? I'm residential (houses, flatwork, roofs...).

Thanks, Jon. That's the way I'm leaning now & I'll probably do that. I'm in the market for a new Shurflo (or Flojet) anyway for roof work. Plus they're a dime a dozen on Ebay. Thanks for all of the replies...

Does anyone have an old broken down Water Jet that I could buy some parts off of? Or does anyone know of a good place that sells Water Jet parts? I need the trigger mechanism. I was about to email the closest dealer but I thought I'd check with you all first. Thanks...

Yeah, it looks just like a gun. They do make a rebuild kit for it. I have the part number for it from my manual. I've emailed a couple of places but no response so far...

Just got off the phone with an area Prosoco rep. They are sending a technical team out to meet me at the property tomorrow. The team will go over the house and perform some test areas and make a recommendation. How's that for customer service? And I'm just a potential customer. So far, so good. Now let's just see how good their product is...

Thanks all, I met with Chris at Exterior Materials in Nashville today. They carry the Prosoco line. He was very knowledgeable and experienced. He specializes in historic restoration and recommended that I start off with their light duty Restoration Cleaner and move to the Heavy Duty if need be. I'm waiting on some product samples so I can do a test area & I'll go from there. I also have an email out to EacoChem and Diedrich but no response so far. As I stated earlier, this will be my first brick restoration. I think I have all my bases covered regarding saftey but does anyone have any tips or tricks that they could shoot my way? Thanks,