John Orr

Did I feel dumb today. As many of you know, I have been washing houses for a living for a long (to me) time - 7 years. So I should have been checking my pressure every once in a while, but washing with low-pressure (downstreaming), having a lot of pressure has never been an issue. I have an 8 gpm/2-gun 3000 psi/ hot rig. I downstream from one side and use the other for drives. I run a 24" Steel Eagle with 4.0 tips. I have never been "thrilled" with the speed at which I can clean a moldy drive, even at 3000 psi/8 gpm. Today, I was trying to use a turbo nozzle (I actually was trying to remove some flaking paint) and the unloader was cycling on/off. Thinking my pressure was higher than the nozzle was rated (a hunch, since I had tried everything else - including trying a different nozzle.) I adjusted the unloader (God, I love my flow-type unloader!) and was able to use the turbo. That solved my immediate problem, but I had neglected to mark the adjusting bolt for re-setting, so I "guessed" where it was and adjusted accordingly. I seemed close, but I remembered that I had a quick-connect guage (the in-line guage quit working soon after installation) so I hooked it up. To my amazement, I was only getting 2000 psi! All this time I have been running with 2/3 output (pressure and gpm)! I adjusted to 3000 and was amazed at the difference. The 3 houses/driveways I did today went much faster. (I could actually walk at an almost normal pace!) So...get and use your gages and find the power you have been missing!

OK, I have to ask - Why are you using a ladder? Either downstreaming or X-Jetting, a step ladder should be all you need. Having said that, when I do need a ladder, I always use a stand-off - actually, I think its normally referred to as a stabilizer. I prefer the model that can be easily added or removed. When transporting, I prefer to not have the "wings" sticking out past the side of my van. They only take a second to attach/remove.

I'm originally from NY too, moved to Milwaukee, now in Virginia. Grew up a Mets fan (almost from the beginning) and a Giants fan. Still follow the Giants and Mets, but am now a Brewers and Packers fan. We actually vacation in Wisconsin just about every year - my wife has family in and around MKE. Love the area - hate the weather. (Should this post go to Mindless Blabbering? lol)

That's pretty normal for Dryvit in warm, humid areas. This is no harder to clean than any other house - in fact easier than vinyl - IMHO. I downstream 12.5%. I add my "herbs & spices", heat to 120 or so and apply. Trust your mix - allow to dwell a few minutes - it will work. No pressure, no brushing, no permanent stains (sorry Chris). Dryvit/Stucco

No, staining is the same cost as cleaning - plus the stain.

Hard to tell from the picture, but it does appear that there may be an old stain. On "just old and gray/green" fences, I downstream my stripper, clean with less than 1000 psi, then neutralize. If stripping - I charge $1.25/ln/ft per side. Otherwise, $1/ln/ft per side. Remind the customer that there are two sides plus the edges and the top that will be cleaned. In general, fences take me 45 min to an hour per 100'. 10% off fences if the customer has other cleaning scheduled for the same day.

Some folks are more sensitive to bleach than others. If had a reaction like you Rod, I could not work at all. As to long-term effects, that is a concern, so I do try to minimize exposure. What I can say is that I get way fewer colds than I used to.

Personally, I prefer Low-Pressure. :)

The MSDS FAQ: Content As I read this explanation of MSDS rules, a non-interactive mixture (where the combination of chemicals does not produce a different chemical) does not require a new MSDS. The individual MSDS's for those chemicals used is sufficient. There is also no process for having an MSDS approved - in fact, most are not fully compliant. So, is your mix non-interactive?

I almost bid on a similar-type job a few years ago. Hint - if you start very early in the am, there will not be anyone around until noon or so.

I would tend to doubt that the steeple is made of stone. (Can you imagine the weight?) and mounted to a hollow, framed, base? Dryvit, possibly - it looks as though the base is.

If she were sprayed, she would have evidence. If it comes to it, require her to produce the clothes she was wearing on the day in question - they should be covered in tiny love spots.

I wonder if there is a noose around his neck in the pic with him standing on the saw horse?

One of life's perplexing problems for those of us that now require assistance in the sight department, is the need to carry around reading glasses. Having to put them on to read is one thing, but when working outside and while driving, I like to wear sunglasses, so I have to switch from sunglasses to reading and back. Rite-Aid used to carry sunglasses with reading lenses built-in, but don't any more. By accident, I happened to find a pair of stick-on magnifying lenses and they work really well. They run $20 for two pair. They come in various magnifications and are really simple to install and just as easy to remove. Problem solved.

John, I am using GPS on my smartphone...but sometimes you need to look at the screen and see the map or the address or see which way the arrow is pointing. Plus, I hate not being able to see who is calling me or see the screen on my phone when looking-up customer info - or programming the GPS for that matter!

You could change-out the pump for an 8 gpm/3000 psi pump - 24 hp is plenty to run it.I'm not sure if the price is right - it is a hot water machine, right? - and a new pump runs more than a few dollars (would they trade it out?).

<P> </P><P> </P> <P> </P> <P>Too much heat will melt the vinyl.</P>

Be careful of too much heat. Vinyl siding will melt! In addition, when working in colder weather, you could crack windows by "shocking" them - at a minimum, you could damage the seals. Stick to lower temps, they work fine. The only time I turn up the heat is for concrete.

Think about your laundry. Washing whites using bleach, you use hot water. The added expense (not really much at all) is well worth the time saved. To give an example, I just finished an apartment complex yesterday. Six two-story buildings (vinyl with a few molded-over brick fronts or sides) that had not been cleaned in years. I'm not sure of the sq ftg, but each building had 8 apartments and was approximately 200' x 50'. Each building took 2 hours to clean.

Sorry, but I would say that you are the one who has slipped. By using sodium percarb, you are going against mfg recommendations. I'm sure it works, but, at least with Trex, bleach is the principal ingredient in the cleaners that they recommend - and in fact send to "noisy" customers.

Several factors could have lead to your disappointment - orifice size of your downstreamer (not the tip size) and the tip size as well as its length. Personally, rather than trying to change any of that, I would run a hotter mix - less soap, more love. Are you heating your water? If you can, 110 to 120 degree water will make a huge difference - even in warm weather. 68 degrees is plenty warm. I wash starting in the mid 40's with no problems. 68 is perfect.

Hey Randy, Was this the other thing you couldn't remember? lol I get fantastic results from downstreaming 12.5%. Let it sit - hot or cold - rinse with chem tip. I have never scrubbed, and I clean a lot of composite. As to the cleaners/sealers, I have been used by TREX for warranty work. The cleaner they send to the customer - and insist I use - is from PSC (I think) and require the addition of bleach and application with a pump-up. The sealer sure smells like old-fashioned floor wax.

Since I only downstream - and I do it every day - I have encountered just about every possible difficulty with downstream injectors. You may have a new one, but I doubt it. Here are a few other possibilities: Try a different gun/wand. If there is any restriction in the gun/wand, it will increase backpressure and prevent drawing chem. Did you install new injector with the arrow pointed in the right direction? (Sorry, I had to ask.) Is there a blockage or hole in the downstreamer pick-up tube? Is the tube in the chem? (Had to ask that too.) With the tube removed, do you have suction at the barb? Hmm...I'll keep thinking.

When this happens to me, I either replace the downstreamer (I carry several in my van) or replace the spring inside. I always replace the steel ball with ceramic before I ever use it - and they generally don't go bad. One other possibility...there may be some gunk inside. Remove the downstreamer and make sure you can blow through it. Cover one end, blow through the other and air should come out the barb. If its adjustable, unscrew the adjuster and make sure that all holes are clear.