John Orr

The absolute best nozzle chart I have ever seen. Very easy to figure out.

That was from an old post - 2001 I think. Someone recently brought it up again, asking for a price, without realizing it was from a long time ago. However, PWN has not been up for a few days. Hmm....

Randy, I will try to remember to call and ask my agent if they write policies in NC. I am now paying $563/yr for 1M/2M.

Randy, Long time no see! lol Yes, the oxalic will remove the rust, but it may also lighten the stain a little, so you would need to either just apply at the rust or spray the entire deck. It also works real well on nail rust stains on fences. How's your "new" trailer working for you?

Steve, The skid that Russ has on sale looks to be a deal and it appears to be belt drive. Always go for the gpms - especially if you are going to run a surface cleaner. I had a 12 volt rig for 4 years and only had a few issues - non of which were related to it being 12 volt - mostly design/engineering.

Thought you had me, huh? lol Since I work alone, only one side is used at a time. When I do have a second person, I put 4 gpm on each side.

If you will be drawing from a tank, belt drive. I have found that with normal maintenance, a direct drive pump will last a long time. Given the large difference in price between belt and direct drive machines, I would think that you could replace/rebuild your pump several times before equaling the price. Personally, I have gotten about 1500 hours from several pumps. I have an 8 gpm rig now (HydroTek) and run 5 gpm from one side for housewashing and 8 gpm from the other for drives. Volume is a wonderful thing!

If you have to ask "Where's Advance, NC", this lead is not for you! lol I was asked yesterday to wash a roof in Advance, but it is way too far for me. I promised the customer that I would find him someone that cleans roofs the way I do (Love the roof, don't use pressure.) in the next few days. PM or call me. John Orr cell 757/718-5442

"Build it and they will come!" Seriously, with Google, people looking for your services will find you. Most calls I get from the phone book(s) are from people that have been to my site and have seen my work and understand what sets my company apart from all the others. Very little "selling" is then needed.

Lenny, How are things up on the Peninsula? Long time... Your plan is exactly the course I would take. Try a little 6% in a spray bottle to test - I can't actually believe that more than that is needed.

The two most important (other than the shc) factors in downstreaming are: the size of the injector and the diameter of the tip. Make sure the injector is rated for your machine and that you replace the little steel ball inside with a ceramic one. For the tip, your chem tip will work nicely for lower/close-in work, but I like either a drilled-out 0 degree tip or one I make myself using a 1/4" male quick connect with female threads and a 1/4" male thread hose barb. Buy several, including air fittings, and find the one that works best for you. Nothing beats a nice, tight, stream for reaching 2 and 3 stories. I have found Northern Tool to be a good, local source for all of the above - with the exception of the ceramic ball. Running 12.5% through an injector will eventually rot the spring inside, so always either have an extra spring/ball or an extra injector. I pay about $25 at NT. One way to prolong the life of the injector is to suck some water through it after running shc. I take the pick-up hose and put it in the supply tank for a few minutes; this also helps to flush the hoses faster and speeds rinsing. I use a length of pvc pipe (3/8"?) and stick the pick-up hose into it. This will keep the hose from coiling around in your wash mix and having the strainer float to the top. If your chem tank is clean, no strainer is really needed, but you can add one to the bottom of the pipe with a 2" piece of hose. As far as your mix, I think yours is fine for paint prep. Rinse, rinse, rinse. Personally, I like about 110 to 125 degree water.

I answered "Great", but I wouldn't say I have "no concerns". The downturn in the housing market has actually restored the normal house-prep-prior-to-selling routine that has been missing for the last few years. SO far, everything points to an increase in revenue this year.

Low-pressure. Many pool aprons are poured soft - a lot of cream that you will remove with too much psi. Oxalic to brighten - and I always advise the customer that, in addition to some debris in the water, I may upset the pool's ph.

1/4 and 3/8 o-rings and a dental pick to remove the old one(s) and an assortment of wrenches and screwdrivers.

I am being charged $15 for regular leads and 16.50 for exact match.

About a month or two ago pw leads went to $15 - for me at least.

Actually, there were probably 2 or 3 contractors that got the lead - which is now up to $15. As a long-time SM contractor, I am only charged if I accept the lead (though as a "preferred" contractor, I get leads that bypass the usual bid process.) Newer contractors don't have the option and must pay for every lead - up to a pre-determined monthly limit. I must say that I have been very pleased with the quality and quantity of SM leads over the last 4 years, but it kills me that they keep going up. (I started at $5 per lead!)

What are you going to be washing? Do you work alone? If you do, then having tow pw's doesn't make a lot of sense - unless you will be doing a lot of flatwork...but then you would want hot water. Where will you park your equipment in the winter? Can you fit your truck in your garage? Sometime a trailer will fit when a truck won't. If you don't have room inside, a covered trailer may work with a small space heater. I use a ceramic heater in my van to keep the chems warm and my trailer goes in the garage when temps drop below freezing.

There really should be a "Yes, but" button. I think PWNA had an opportunity, at one time, to really bring a lot of people into the "fold", but chose to run us off. Not sure why, I assume there must be $$ involved. Even now, if there were to be a coup at PWNA, I think many of us (at $100 for a sole proprietor) would join.

I was contacted by a customer in Dale City that is looking for an estimate. They are looking for "low-pressure" washing. I have already told her that its too far for me, and offered to give her a referral - which she wants.

I will keep you in mind, and ditto!

I was asked today if I had any "spare" change. I thought for a minute and replied that I never have any "spare" change.

I have a single axle trailer with a similar set-up. (I now also have a dual axle set-up w/brakes.) No matter what the rating, without trailer brakes, I would not pull it fully loaded unless your truck is heavy duty. Having said that, it sounds like a sweet set-up, and if the price is right - buy it. Small self-contained trailers are perfect for those just starting their business empires. They look professional, the tank can be lettered and they allow you to pull up to a job and get right to work without having to unload/unroll and set up. They also allow you to store your equipment in your garage, so winterizing is not needed. Just don't pull it full.

Sounds like a regional menu item at an Irish fast food restaurant.

I never wash with more than 125 deg. In cold weather, I back it down to 100 to 110. I don't know about cracking a window, but I have heard of the seals leaking and the window fogging.