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Dan Stapleton

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Posts posted by Dan Stapleton

  1. Posted · Report reply

    I use "hot" water - about 125 degrees. Any more than that and you run the risk of burning the grass with the hose. (Not that that has ever happened to me!) "Hot" water will not harm vinyl siding.

    I usually apply wax with the wash and it works better with "hot" water. I washed with cold water for a few years and I know that I can get a house just as clean with cold as with hot. The difference is in the speed with which I can clean.

    In addition, hot water rigs can be impressive. (sizzle sells)

    The potential "harm" is not to the vinyl but the condensation that can form behind it.

  2. Posted · Report reply

    Hot water ROCKS...cuts through dirty concrete more easily. I love my hot water sytem. It's a GREAT selling point too. I use the phrase "as you know, "Mr. Smith", hot water ALWAYS cleans better than cold" on every quote. It eliminates half of my competitors instantly...residential customers really respond to it.
    But what you may not know, Mr. Smith are the "side effects mentioned above".Better? I wash houses with cold water and they are CLEAN. Hot water on houses is risky(esp. vinyl) and unneccesary.

  5. Posted · Report reply

    In my opinion hot water is only needed for grease and oil. If you have or get large concrete jobs hot water would speed up the process. For residential you run the risk of burning grass with the hose and condensation behind vinyl siding. For housewashes, good chemicals and cold water is enough to do a good job. Overhead is lower too.

    Don, Seems to me that going from 2 gpm to 4.8 gpm alone will cut your time by at least a third.

  6. Posted · Report reply

    I cancelled our afternoon jobs. It is unbelievable trying to work in this heat. I was getting chills and one of my guys called me and told me they were both laying under a tree and that they were cold (ie one step away from heat exhaustion or stroke) Its not worth going to the hospital over a housewash. The customers were very sympathetic and agreed that we should reschedule.

    It was 95 at ten am with no clouds, no breze and a dew point of 80. How do you guys in the south handle this? Anyone else wuss out like me and call it a day early?

    How do we handle it? We Suffer! I made my mind up today to start earlier and not to worry about my machine disturbing neighbors. I started a big shingle roof at 9 this morning and OH MY GOD. I'm seriously considering offering roof cleaning only in the winter. I think that answers your last question. I consider myself pretty tough but at soon to be 43 it's getting harder to perform in the heat. Thanks for the post. Makes me feel better!

  7. Posted · Report reply

    This must be the "Babies" forum.

    You're alive and making money. Be happy.

    Babies? 100 degree plus is at least uncomfortable and can be dangerous. This is a place where we can vent and relate then you make a post like this. What a ****.

  14. Posted · Report reply

    Just a quick question about the XJet.

    When applying chemical to concrete, I can't see where the 40' reach would come in handy. If it is blasting 40' I am sure that it would be very messy in the sense that when spraying, the chemical and water splashes everywhere due to the pressure to get the 40' stream.

    Am I correct? Or am I not envisioning the XJet correctly?

    I don't do houses or roofs. Mainly concrete and kitchen exhausts. Would the XJet be good for either of these situations?

    Lays down chem fast on concrete at around 40% chem. The spray is more like 20-25 ft. With an m5 open. Wet down surroundings.

  20. Posted · Report reply

    • Faster

    • More Efficient

    • Less chance of damage to landscaping and windows, you don't have to worry about rinsing windows and plants as much

    • Use less chemicals- one bucket does entire house

    • Higher spray - you can reach 40-50 ft with right nozzle

    • No buckets or hoses to lug around (or spill)

    • Safer for user as dilutions of 12% are effective at mold but with no mist to choke you or the neighbors

    • No overspray

    • Less chance of damaging or "signing" oxidized siding

    Downsides are: Dilution may be too weak for stucco or dryvit

    Once you try this a few times with the right nozles you will probably be keeping your X-Jet on the truck more often than not. Its like anything else that is new you have to change your mindset. I never looked back.

    This is all true. I started downstreaming before the x-jet and it has its uses. I HAVE to break out the m5 maybe once in 15 jobs (in the mildew capital).When downstreaming try soaping and rinsing Twice on stucco. works a lot of the time. For more foam and agitation wave your wand back and forth while soaping. Very good points, Ken.

  22. Posted · Report reply

    Has anyone tried the new gutter grinade from pressur tek? Sounds good, but I would love some feedback from anyone who has tried it.
    I've got some I'm waiting to try. Its been out for awhile. Under different names. For a housewash ingredient and for gutters. It's potassium hydroxide. cleans differently then butyl and supposedly better. I have'nt had any bad gutters lately. I'm pretty sure people on this forum have used it as f-13 or the previous name. Maybe they will chime in.

  24. Posted · Report reply

    General cleaning and rinsing for me is at about 1000-1400 depending.Thats at the tip. Usually a few hundred at the surface. You have from 0 to1000-1400 usable pressure depending on distance to the surface. Walk along a side from 10-20 ft. out pre-wetting,minimal pressure will hit the windows and plants.

    I stop drawing chem at around 900-1000. With my set-up I tend to have more pressure with tips then standard nozzle charts say I should so I judge accordingly.

  25. Posted · Report reply

    I tried the downstreaming today with the parts from bob at pressure tek and I love it. Great chem application, cut the thickesy mold and mildew off. Reached 35 feet with a straight tight stream, much better control than the x-jet. still used the m5 to rinse, adjustable pattern is a great bonus.

    I now believe I am a downstreamer. No more bucket either. I kept looking for it. x-jet ptsd I guess

    Another convert! congrats. imho use the m5 for drawing stronger chem wheen needed and get 0,15, 25, 40 and 65 tips with several different orifice sizes. Like a 2510 for general rinsing, 0010 for general 2 story rinsing, maybe a 0/7 if you need a little more force up high There are a lot of combos that have there purposes. You can carry 4-6 tips and handle every thing you'll come across. Tips are light and more manueverable.
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