John Orr

I run a K-1 on my 8 gpm HydroTek, and have had no problems with the pressure switch or thermostat in over 1000 hours of use. I don't know if that is due to the unloader, or if HydroTek is using the "right" switches and thermostats. I run hot almost all the time - usually 110* or so.

Here is a link to the "Animated Radar" from a local TV station. It loops like the others, but it also shows movement of individual rain cells - neat stuff. At the bottom of the page are links to select a different city or zip. Again, its free. Zoom Radar

This is my 7th year in business, and it is also my busiest. 2 and 3 houses/day. 6 and 7 days/week since early March. (Don't ask about Feb, but that is normal.) Decks, roofs, fences - all areas are up. Consistently booked 2 weeks ahead, sometimes 3. (I prefer no more than 1 or 1 1/2.) Phone book ad/coupon has really been working and I don't mind giving estimates over the phone. I expect things to calm-down later in July through early August (when we try to take vacation).

According to the results thus far, we care far less about costs - but it doesn't mean we don't care!

Have you thought of a K-1 for your HydroTek? I was told it could not be done, but I did it and it's worked beautifully for over 1000 hours. An 8 gpm "kick" will wear you out.

All of the above plus: a flow-type (K-7/K-1) unloader. Not having stiff hoses to deal with all the time goes a long way toward reducing fatigue; a 3rd Hand for the gun; Sun Brite sells a harness that you wear and it holds and pulls the hose as you walk.

I too have an 8/3000 HydroTek and love it. Though it will work for 2 guns, there is only one of me, so I have a downstreamer on one side and use the other for drives/walks. For "normal" pressure washing, as long as you use equal tips, it works fine. As to maint, I don't think I have had any abnormal expenses. Oil change every 50 hours or so on the engine and 100 on the pump. Wear items have been normal. It could use a tune-up, but after over 1000 hours (one year), I suppose it has earned it.

I have had some paints that react to the housewash mix by discoloring, but they always dry even. Did you see it after it dried?

I have always had excellent results downstreaming my housewash mix and rinsing with no pressure at about 110 degrees.

If I were going to mount a hot water skid in my van (I now pull a HydroTek trailer with it) I would mount it so that it would slide in/out. It would not need exhausting, run cooler and be WAY easier to service. (The supply tank stays mounted in the van.)

Think rifle as opposed to sawed-off shotgun. The hose barb focuses the stream of water (without causing too much back-pressure, which would cause the downstreamer to stop sucking) and the gpm's determine the distance.

Absolutely, though if the office building was any taller, I might shoot it from the top - with just a gun, no wand.

1/4" hose barb in a 1/4" qc will give you 2 1/2 to 3 stories with a narrow stream. (Its really fun with 8 gpm!)

I always try to leave a little "wiggle room" in my schedule - usually Fridays - for the "I-MUST-have-the-work-done-before-the-weekend-open-house/family-reunion" customer. It usually fills-up, but if it doesn't, I have a little time to catch-up on paperwork/maintenance.

Realtors make-up a fraction of my business, but for the last few years they haven't been calling. I have a few (and I recommend that everyone find some to work with) regular realtors, but most of my customers are individual homeowners. Those that have money will spend it. Those without, won't. If a few dollars per week additional expense for gas squeezes your customers' budget to the extent that they can't maintain their homes - you need to find different/better customers. When I first started, I went door-to-door looking for dirty houses...in nice neighborhoods only.

I wash almost exclusively residential - and this April/May and even June (so far) is WAY ahead of previous years. I am washing many more "For Sale" homes - the way it used to be.

They should be the same (an exception would be a detached garage).

When looking at the deck, there will not be any obvious signs holes, the bee always enters from the underside of a board. Look for small piles of sawdust. A few years ago, we had to replace most of the rake boards on our house because of carpenter bees. When the woodpeckers were done, it looked as if the house had been strafed by a machine gun.

I base my housewash pricing on the square footage of the house. I am now able to do 90% of my estimates over the phone, saving gas and time. Customers appreciate the quick response and are usually so shocked to actually have someone answer the phone (my business # is my cell phone) that many people will schedule on the spot or call back (they really do!) in a few days. Oh yeah, I charge 10 cents per sq foot.

Just ask LESKO! lol

Or, you could just downstream the 12.5 after adding your "stuff" and leave the bucket on the truck. :)

Since you didn't draw in the dirt, I may be off, but it has been a long time since I had to use a ladder to clean dormers. (In fact, I recently did a large house with 3rd floor dormers - fortunately no wind that day.) I downstream 12.5% (fortified with my own special blend of "herbs and spices".) but some will use an X-Jet.

Can I make a suggestion? Use a camera - digitals are nice - instead of drawing your before and afters! lol Sorry, I couldn't resist. Seriously, I have a minimum charge of $100. For that, the customer gets about 1 hour of my time. I will clean what they called for and usually find something else to clean as well. Dormers, assuming 2 or 3, should only take about 15 minutes, but the run-off may "clean" something on the way down - be prepared.

The house looks great, but wow, $575! It appears to be about a 2800 sf house/garage. I would have charged $300 - and included the driveway. I did three houses (working solo) just like this today, one of which had a deck that I stripped/prepped for staining. Two, two and a half hours tops. How long did it take you?

If it will reach, you could mist (after final rinse) with a Mr. Clean Car Wash System. It has filters that de-ionize the water so that it can not spot.