One Tough Pressure

Time!!! I do it every way imaginable, but some ways suit specific jobs. In this instance, I use a vacuum type surface cleaner, so I can wash and recover at the same time. Just hot water will not cut it, so I use upstream. Think of it as carpet cleaning on concrete. Carpet cleaners use upstream on a regular basis. Same theory, just a different surface.

I run upstream when I am using the surface cleaner. Won't operate under pressure from the downstreamer. Ratio's are different on the US and DS. US is before the pump and the pump will only do the max it is rated for. which in my case 5.5. On the DS, it will do the 5.5, plus the soap, since the soap is added to what already came out of the pump. I always run the machine much longer for rinsing than I do for chem applications, so it gets a really good rinse. Except for the pool floater in my reclaim tank, I do not run chlorine in my cleaning applications.

Make you a deal that you can't refuse. ;) You pay for the new boards, and I will ship my old and grey fence to you. You gotta pay the shipping though. I will not charge a handling fee since it saves me the time and trouble of trying to clean mine up.;) Do we have a deal?

When I decided to run my bypass back to the tank, I got the idea from you Jon. Remember those pics I was snapping of your trailer? I too, have forgot and upstreamed with the valve in the wrong spot, nothing better than a 230 gallon tank of pink suds. I recently acquired a small cold water unit that I will use to wash the cars with now. Nothing fancy, but it beats the garden hose. I actually wanted to use it for a chemical pump, but do not want to cart the thing around and have a seperate tank to feed it with.

Mike, I know the feeling. I plan to add a bypass valve soon, just waiting on a reply from the distrib. If adding one of these, you should have an adjustable thermostat, or else you will get steam, and may do some damage. When I get the info, I will pass it along.

3000lbs of building supplies with a Jetta. What was he thinking? http://www.snopes.com/photos/lumber.asp

Bigger tips equal less pressure, and smaller tips equal less gpm. That can not be applied to all machines as they need the correct type of unloader to perform this. High psi and less volume can be as useful as low psi, and high volume. Just depends on the situation.

But if he sold it, how would he maintain his commercial accounts?

Good ol Lance started when he was like 8 or something, riding his bike to wash planes. I am sure you already know the story. If not ask Chuck.

I am not a religious person, but have nothing against any religion, as long as someone does not knock on my door and try to sell me on their faith. And they always come at the worst possible time it seems. I think it all comes down to how a person is raised. If they come from a very religious family, and went to church every week and sometimes more, it is what they were raised to believe. Kind of like the parent that tells their child that they need to play a specific sport and be the best, or they will be a no one. I had friend that was told by their parents that they needed to be the best Christian or else they would be a failure in life. Due to what they were told, they acted upon that and did everything they could to be the best. Nothing wrong with that, but I do think that their are other priorities in life other than just religion. I know a guy that got into Pressure Cleaning and rather than try and promote his business, he worked 3 and sometimes 4 jobs to pay the bills. He was expecting the business to come to him. When he did not make enough at these part time jobs he had, he would say that the lord will take care of him. I know some people that only work part time, because if they had a full time job, they would not be able to volunteer at church as often. They whine that they have no money, but refuse to work more as it bites in to their volunteer time. But hey that is what they were raised to believe in.

Best way to not touch a brush is two stepping them. Scott Stone and Ron P would explain it better than I could. Do a few searches here for two stepping and maybe Ron and Scott will be around for the finer details.

Your Welcome. I like low volume for interior work, such as bathrooms without drains. It works very well. However my machine is a flow type which I also like, that is why I need a bypass valve, for the best of both worlds.

If you reduce the tip size on a machine with a pressure type unloader, it will change the gpm, as the unloader will be bypassing water due to the smaller orifice tip. If you go with a bigger tip, then it will reduce pressure. Now if you have a flow type unloader then you can not use smaller tips, as it will be to much back pressure and cause the unloader to stay in bypass. Since I can not use smaller tips to reduce gpm with my flow unloader, I will be adding a bypass valve on the high pressure side of the pump to reduce the gpm. This will also enable me to have true steam, with very little runoff at all.

Dave Olsen posted this on PWNA. I have to say that it is great. I just had to pass it on here. OTP Inner Peace.. I am passing this on to you because it has definitely worked for me...and at this time of year we all could use a little...calm!!! By following the simple advice I read in an article, I have finally found inner peace....the article read: "The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you've started." So I looked around the house to see all the things I started and hadn't finished...and before starting my work this morning I finished off a bottle of red wine, a bottle of white, the Bailey's, Kahlua and Tia Maria, my Prozac, some valium, and a box of chocolates. You have no idea how darn good I feel...you may pass this on to those you feel are in need of Inner Peace...

Got this in e-mail today, another great one. OTP > To those of us who have children in our lives, whether they are our own, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or students...here is something to make you chuckle. > > Whenever your children are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence did not extend to His own children. > After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve. And the first thing he said was "DON'T!" > > "Don't what?" Adam replied. > > "Don't eat the forbidden fruit." God said. > > "Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit? Hey Eve...we have forbidden fruit!!!!!" > > "No Way!" > > "Yes way!" > > "Do NOT eat the fruit!" said God. > > "Why" > > "Because I am your Father and I said so!" God replied, wondering why He hadn't stopped creation after making the elephants. A few minutes later, God saw His children having an apple break and He was ticked! > > "Didn't I tell you not to eat the fruit?" God asked. > > "Uh huh," Adam replied. > > "Then why did you?" said the Father. > > "I don't know," said Eve. > > "She started it!"Adam said > > "Did not!" > > "Did too!" > > "DID NOT!" > > Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own. Thus the pattern was set and it has never changed. > > BUT THERE IS REASSURANCE IN THE STORY! > > If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give children wisdom and they haven't taken it, don't be hard on yourself. If God had trouble raising children, what makes you think it would be a piece of cake for you? > > THINGS TO THINK ABOUT! > > 1. You spend the first two years of their life teaching them to walk and talk. Then you spend the next sixteen telling them to sit down and shut up. > > 2. Grandchildren are God's reward for not killing your own children. > > 3. Mothers of teens now know why some animals eat their young. > > 4. Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said. > > 5. The main purpose of holding children's parties is to remind yourself that there are children more awful than your own. > > 6. We child proofed our homes, but they are still getting in. > > ADVICE FOR THE DAY: > Be nice to your kids. They will choose your nursing home > > > AND FINALLY: IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF TENSION AND YOU GET A HEADACHE, DO WHAT IT SAYS ON THE ASPIRIN BOTTLE: > > ""TAKE TWO ASPIRIN"" > AND > ""KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN"" > >

It is the difference between an easy trigger pull and the hard type that gives a kick back on the wand. Flow being the easy type.

If my two choices were between Landa and Delco, for a start up business, I would go with the Delco. I have heard many good things about each brand, but Landa puts parts that are exclusive to them on their machines from what I have heard. If one of these items broke, it may not be readily available. Cat pumps are good, as are General. I prefer Kohler Engines over the others for small air cooled. I have a Honda and have had no problems, but will go Kohler on the next round unless I go Diesel. I also prefer the 120v units over 12 volt, but that just depends on who you talk to. If I were in your shoes, I would go for the Kohler 18-20 hp min, with a either a Cat or General pump. 5gpm @3000 psi 120 volt hot unit. I am also a fan of the flow type unloaders, as they ease the kick at initial pull of the trigger.

Hey maybe it is, Tony I think you are on to something.

Hey isn't that the same guy that is on the ground in this picture?

Tom/Atlantic, Smaller tips only apply to pressure type umloaders. Adding a valve on the high pressure side of the pump will allow you to bypass water and reduce flow. This is how Steam units work to super heat the water. I have yet to add this to my unit, so can't give detailed instructions, but it can be done. One of these days I will add one so I can have true steam. As far as reducing flow to clean decks, I have no clue there. I will have to trust you on that one. Since I am in a warm climate area, I will not take the chance of running at 3/4 rpm. It may be possible to do it and never have any problems, but I am not willing to try it.

and a Gutes Neues Jahr...

The real question here is, If we make resolutions, do we accomplish them.

Set up looks good. I would suggest adding a vent, and a 12 volt electric fan to keep it ventilated. The fan would run as an exhaust at all times when you are driving, and You could add a timer so that it runs for an hour or so after you get out of the van for the day. Besides the headaches, it sure is not good for your health to breathe even the slightest traces on a regular basis.

Tricky little gimmick. Make you pick a card then change all the cards and leave out one. We all focus on the missing card rather than the whole bunch. And he would have gotten away with it, if it wasn't for these darn pressure cleaners.(scooby doo)

Grocery Cart Washing: from http://www.dcs1.com/del/pricing.html Method #1: Free to $2.00 per cart., $1.00 per cart average. Method #2: 75 cents per cart for over 250 carts, $1.00 per cart for less than 250 carts. Hint: 15 degree tips or turbo nozzles work well. I will add that 2 people would help so that you are not chasing carts all day. A good set of rain gear and a short lance would also help. A few years ago I saw a guy that made a trailer for washing them. It was an enclosed trailer with the ramp for a rear door. He pushed them in, and closed the door, and started the washer. He had the walls, roofs and floor plumbed with iron pipe and nozzles. When he started the washer, it was like a 3 tier dish washer and the steam that built up in there cleaned everything that would come off. The trailer had drains in the floor with hoses that went to the planters on site. Forget what size the trailer was, but he got about 75 carts in there at a time. Was real fast. If I would of known that I was going to start a pressure cleaning business, I would have paid more attention.