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mas3372

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Posts posted by mas3372

  2. Posted · Report reply

    I got my first call today regarding a large building that houses a resturuant, daycare, realty office and one other front. The building is mostly stucco and windows with some vinyl. I have e-plus which I have been using for vinyl and I am happy with the results. I have not however washed stucco. Is there any precuations to take other than a wood or vinly siding. Will e plus work well. The building is only a few years old and is in good shape. Some grease around the kitchen but not to bad. I have not looked at up front yet and will be tonight when I leave the fire station. Any advise would be great. thanks as always.

    Mike

  3. Posted · Report reply

    I buy foreigh because the domestics are made in Mexico and Canada and my Nissan is made in Tennessee putting to work Americans. Yes the coporate proceeds go to Japan but at least there are thousands of blue collar men like myself putting it together. Not to mention it was cheaper than the ford, chevy, dodge and gmc with a better warranty, better towing package, more HP, 10 speaker stereo, huge back seat for my 2 little girls and it looks good.

    I love Nissan. Own two of them. X terra and Titan

  5. Posted · Report reply

    Thanks JL,

    Not all the pics I wanted showed up. There are some more in the testing section. I got it right the first time and messed it up here. The second picture is just the water softing section. Most of area is city water which is soft but there are some rural areas that have hard well water, so this valve system allows me to bypass the softner if needed.

  6. Posted · Report reply

    Here is my set up, I have finally completed it but am sure I will be modifying as I go along.

    Stats

    2006 Mi T M 24 HP Honda, 3500 psi, 5.6 gpm

    becket burner

    1600 watt generator

    general pump

    factory unloader with 3 way ball valve for back to tank option

    Anti freeze tank for quick winterizing

    250 feet HP hose, 200 on reel

    75 feet LP hose 3/4 inch

    100,000 gallon scaltrol water softner

    2 rapid reel hose reels

    300 gallon water tank with quick dump, hudson float valve and feeder with filter to PW

    24 foot extention pole for gutters

    24 foot telescoping pole

    dual lance

    tubro nozzle

    6' lance

    3' lance

    6 trigger guns

    30 inch steel eagle surface cleaner

    M-5 X Jet

    3 down stream injectors

    1 up stream injector

    15, 25, 40 and 0 nozzles for 3500, 3000, 2500, 2000 and 1500 psi, orifice dependent

    2 road cones

    fire extinguisher

    wrenches

    pliers

    screwdrivers

    teflon tape

    pipe dope

    hard hat

    googles

    respirator

    spare quick connects

    spare o-rings

    7000 gvw, tandem axle trailer with brakes

    I pull is all with my brigth red 2005 nissan titan crew cab.

    I am very proud of my set up, I took the advise of everyone here to help me figure out what I need, Now I just need some business to pay for it.

    Bottom line for everything, I paid $11,700 minus the Titan.

    Just wanted to share, comments, good or bad are always appreciated.

    Thanks ,Mike

    M. Stevens Power Washing LLC

    "Making it look new again"

    post-1650-137772153915_thumb.jpg

    post-1650-137772153923_thumb.jpg

  8. Posted · Report reply

    Went back to the same house today I had trouble with on saturday. Yellow painted, tons of black and brown mold everywhere. I don't have an x-jet or m-jet yet so I used a small 2 gall pump up spayer. Filled it with 2 parts 12% and 1 part soap and 1 part water. Sprayed and let it dwell 10 minutes and rinsed it off to a super clean house. My unlce thought he would have to paint but now it only looks that he has to touch up a few areas. I could not get the gutters clean though. I am waiting for some soap to come in that I was told would work so I will have to try that. House took me about 3 hours, 2 story colonial with a 2 car garage. About 3500 ft2. I can only imagine how much fast once I get an x or m jet. Today was a good day. Just wanted to share. Thanks

  9. Posted · Report reply

    Thanks for the help.

    I think I should invest in the x-jet, shur flo or m-jet. However, there are so many different views on which of the three works best. Given my situation, can anyone offer some advise I which of the three I would benefit from.

    here are my intentions.

    1. Speed is money, so the faster the better

    2. Mostly 2 story houses, some with dormers, so 30' will be a need.

    3. Would like to avoid the telescoping pole

    4. Not to concerned with lugging a bucket around. I rather have a short hose with jug by my side I can just carry with me.

    5. Mostly vinly and painted homes.

    Any help would be great. Thanks.

  10. Posted · Report reply

    I did my first practice job today for an uncle in preperation for my scheduled jobs next week. He has a large colonial, painted yellow, mildew, mold, and black gutters. The scary thing is, he cleaned it last year. I got started by cleaning is asphalt driveway and cement steps with some hot water, tuff stuff soap and a 15 degree nozzle, did a great job. Even got mold and rust off his steps.

    Then on to the house. I mixed 12% hypochlorate 2 parts with 2 parts tuff stuff. Sprayed it on with a down stream injector. Let is sit about 10 minutes and watched the mildew and mold turn brown and come to the surface. I was smiling. Threw on a 40 degree tip on my telescoping wand and started to rinse.

    This is when I decided I hate power washing. Nothing happened. The mold and mildew just lauged at me. Accomplished nothing. I washed his cars and my truck and packed up for the day. Thinking I need to rethink detergents. My emulsifier should be here on monday and I am hoping this helps.

    For the fun of it, I took some 12% and put it in the pump sprayer and hit a few spots of the mold and then the house shined.

    Do I hate power washing? No, I love the challenge. I think it is apparent that I need to better proportion the chems and as I guessed, this is will be the hardes part of the job to get down.

    Now that I have vented, does anyone have any advise. I think it is safe to assume that my mixture sparyed on at 20:1 is not enough.

    Any help would be great. Thanks.

  11. Posted · Report reply

    It is not to tough to replace a broken piece. You will need to get a couple of special tools to do it. Do a google search on it and you will find step by step instuctions. Your biggest challenge will be to match the color. For example, clay by one manufacture is not exaclty clay by another. However, once you find the manufacturer, you should be good.

  12. Posted · Report reply

    Hey again,

    I was playing around with my machine the other day using 50 feet of house and washed my truck and front of my house. The downstream injector worked great. I then put my hose reel on with 200 feet of house and I can barley draw any soap. Is it because of the 200 feet our house. I am assuming that I am not drawing enough due to the length. I am using a dual lance nozzle. Should I move the chemical injector up towards the gun and just carry the bucket with me?

    Thanks

  14. Posted · Report reply

    Hello,

    I am going to finish plumbing my set up today. I have to hook up my water softner and this is how I was plan on doing it. Where my low pressure hose comes on to the trailer it would go into a T that splits to the softner and a line to by pass the softner each with a ball valve and a check valve after the softner. I want a bypass because the city water in my area is soft and actually some of the best H2O in the country. I only need the softner for well water locations. I plan on putting the softner before the tank so that the tank is always 100% soft. I will also have a drain line off the tank on a 2 pvc line to use to fill buckets for detergents. I am just wondering if this is an ideal location or does everyone put the softner just before the pump intake.

    Thanks.

  15. Posted · Report reply

    I am looking at my unloader and have determined what line is the return to the pump. I however want this line to go to my holding tank instead so I don't burn out the pump. I have seen fire trucks pumps burn out with a little as 150 psi while circulating water and it dosn't take much. From what I am seeing it looks simple. I plan on un hooking bypass hose into the pump and inserting a male plug in its place. The take the hose and put a 3/4 barg to a 3/8 mpt fitting and hooking up the 3/8 high pressure jumper line I have and that goes back into the tank at the top. Does this makes sense or am I missing something. I worry that somethings things are so simple I will mess up the obvious. Thanks. Mike

  18. Posted · Report reply

    Mike,

    Thanks for much for the input. I think I will be setting my up similar to yours. I will have one side of the tank for my ladder and the other side for my chems. I have several 5 gallon pails I will just line up on the side. I will probally put the hose reels up on the rails. Or I may just put them on the deck and put some rollers verticle long the the rails to help move it out. Thanks for the input.

    Mike

  19. Posted · Report reply

    Hello,

    I have my trailer, 300 gallon tank, tool box, hose reels and will be picking up my pressure washer monday. My trailer is 12 x 6'6". I will be taking off the landscape gates on the back to open it up.

    I am not sure right now where I want to put everything. I know the water should be over the axles because of wieght and would like to put my pressure washer there as well but they would right against eachother. My questions are these.

    1. If I put the washer on the front end will this 750 pounds be to heavy for the tounge wieght.

    2. Is there a safe distance I should keep the washer from the water tank because of heat from the exhaust and burner.

    3. What seems to be the most convienant hose reel locations.

    4. I think it would be most beneficial to have the tank going the long way front to back so I have room on both sides for the ladder and chems and put the tool box on the very end. The washer all the way up on the tounge and the hose reels between the washer and tank and just pull the hose out over the trailer rail. Any advise on this.

    Please help. I tried to search but found this similar situation out there but with few replys. Thanks

  21. Posted · Report reply

    Hello,

    I am new to this and currently have all my products coming in to set up my trailer. I will be doing mostly residential homes, patios, decks, and some retail stores. I have a 5.6 gpm, 3500 psi hot water Mi T M machine and will be adding a water softener. My biggest hurdle as of yet is trying to decide what chems to use. There are so many out there I really need some help. I have been reading on some name brands like chlormax, citra clean etc. but then I read that people make their own with bleach, dawn, tide, etc. I am hoping that a few of you can help me out. I have heard the words limonese and emulsifire and wax, but need help with some name brands of these things as well.

    A bit about me. My name is Mike and I live in Rhode Island with a 3 year old and a 8 weeks old. Full time I am a fire fighter looking to make power washing a part time gig to help support the family.

    Any help would be great. You can post it here or email me at mas3372@cox.net.

    thanks, Mike

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