Information?

[Snow Lover 14]

Would any of you like to give out your house wash secret mix on here or email me at Badens@webtv.net

Had a guy tell me to mix 3 quarts pool chlorine,

1 quart jomax,2 cap fulls of casscade and the rest water in a 5 gal.bucket,using an xjet.

Looking at a cold water 3000@3.0 or a 3000@2.8 Saw a 3700@4.0 but read some where you don't want to use to much psi.

Hope I don't get slammed to hard for this but I found these p/w's at lowes.Going to be doing this part time,looking at 1-3 houses a wk.

Would this be ok to start out with and when/if we wanted to go bigger buy a better p/w?

Not going to be a low baller,going to do things the proper way.Mite be retiring within a year and this could keep me busy after wards.

[PressurePros 248]

That solution would probably work fine. If you are mainly doing housewashing using an X-Jet, get the higher gpm machine. The lower the gpm, the less height you are going to get. I'm guessing with 3 gpm you'll be lucky to get effective height of 20 feet? You will regret that as you will need an extension wand on most two story houses. The pressure is almost irrelevant as anything over 2500 psi will do everything you need it to, and if you have more, you can nozzle down to the right pressure so you don't do damage.

[tropical wave 22]

def go with the 4gpm machine..... you'll need the water "volume" of the 4gpm machine.....anything less and you'll be taking all day....the max psi of the machine is irrelavant, you will be buying different sized nozzles to reduce the pressure....depending on what your cleaning, (res houses) you really wont use the nozzles that come with the machine......

[PLD 14]

Ditto that. Get as many gallons/min as possible. I started 3500/4 and wish I had gotten a 3500/5.5

Anyway, I'm pretty sure I know which machine you are looking at. It's a 13hp 3700/4 direct drive for $1199. IIRC, the unloader and bypass "hose" is integrated into the pump assembly and can only be replaced with the factory unit. If so, pass on it and get the 3500/4 from Northern. The unloader on their unit screws into the pump and can be upgraded/removed as you wish. If you have $300 more to spend, get the 3500/4 belt drive from northern. It's a workhorse and easy to maintain. Also, every part is easily removed and upgraded/serviced/replaced.

Also, check and see if the Lowes unit comes with M22 fittings all over. The first thing you will probably do is trash those and replace them all with QC fittings. Budget for that.

Also, budget about $160 for an X-Jet and throw away the chem injector. You will not be sorry you did. I worked for about two months until I learned about that little marvel. I was out there KILLING myself with a 24 extension wand and a soap tip. I haven't use my extention wand 1/2 dozen times since I got the X-Jet. Note that the chem injector may be integrated on the Lowes unit and not removeable/generically replaceable. That's a big no in my book.

That's my biggest peeve about consumer units. If you can't replace (at a minimum) the inlet filter/hose thread, unloader, and chem injector with parts commonly available at most PW vendors, skip it. It'll be no fun at all when your $12 injector starts leaking and the manufacturer (your only source for parts) wants to sell you a whole pump head assembly for a few hundred bucks. Also, you should be able to take the unloader bypass to anywhere you wish it to go including spoiling to the ground

As long as you not in my neighborhood call me if you like :) On secnd thought, call me even if you are. I'll give you great advice ;)

Anyway, I'm in year two now and operating light years faster and more profitable than where I was this time last year (in large part due to this forum). I'm certainly not up to speed with the big hitters here, but many of those bad purchases are still fresh in my memory (and on my truck unused) FWIW, here is one of the more memorable ones:

- Skipping on a nice COMPLETE <50 hours 5.5gpm hot water rig with trailer, generator, water tank, hoses, guns, etc. Ready to put to work making money. The reason? Just starting out, $5500 seemed like a huge investment for a side business. Less than three months later, I had probably spent that much for my rig that I am still building on weekly. Where did $5500 go? 50ft of hose is a joke, add 200 more. One gun won't cut it, but more. M22's are too slow, replace all. Wow, hose reels are expensive. And about $500 in miscellaneous adapters, pipe fittings, etc.

Philip

770-460-0469

[Snow Lover 14]

Thanks guys,I was thinking about those lowe's machines today,the more I thought about them the less I liked the idea of getting one.

There is a hotsy/landa dealer about 35 miles from here that has a cold water direct drive 3500@3.8 for $1380.They also repair and will lend you one if yours is getting fixed.

I haven't checked on the belt drive prices yet.

They also sell chems.

Tim

[Mike 64]

I thought cascade was for washing dishes? :D

[Celeste 341]

Citraclean housewash mix rocks! Steve Rowlett's recipe has done us proud :)

Celeste

[R L S 14]

Just started to use Emulsifier Plus from E-spec and I think I finally found a winner for me. pretty dang cheap also.

Richard

[CLASSICPW 14]

Someone please enlighten me on the whole cascade thing. I don't know whether to laugh or think...........hmmmmm does that **** work?

[Celeste 341]

Professional products, professional results. We prefer contractor grade chemicals, but to each his own :)

[Howard 50]

I use cascade in my house wash mix, its used in dishwashers to give the water a sheeting action so your glasses and plates don't spot. So I thought if my glasses and plates don't spot why not try it in my mix. It works, I also add some liquid tide this combined with the cascade give the mix some suds and added hang time. Haven't had a problem with spots, for me its not a joke it really works.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Howard nailed it. We use it also. It works.

Beth

[Aplus 525]

Same here, works like a charm!

[Tim Polk 14]

How much Cascade do you use in your mixes?

[Howard 50]

I use about a 1/2 to 3/4 cup (6 to 8 count squirt from the bottle) in a 5 gallon jug of mix along with 1/2 a cap of liquid tide.

Also now that I think about it I believe it was Rod and Beth that gave me the idea about 3 years ago, been using it ever since. Thanks Guys........

:cheers:

[TRichter 14]

How much chrorine in that mix?

[PLD 14]

I use cascade in my house wash mix, its used in dishwashers to give the water a sheeting action so your glasses and plates don't spot. So I thought if my glasses and plates don't spot why not try it in my mix. It works, I also add some liquid tide this combined with the cascade give the mix some suds and added hang time. Haven't had a problem with spots, for me its not a joke it really works.

Save a nickel on the tide and visit your local Dollar General. Their brand is $1.79 gallon and works just as well as tide. Sometimes they run it on special and you can get 200oz for $1.99.

[Barry M 73]

How much chrorine in that mix?

Yea, how much? Surely the tide doesn't kill mold or mildew. RPC's rinse aid and foamer are pretty cheap a gallon will last a year or so.

[Howard 50]

I just found a reliable source for 12.5% so I'm working now to adjust my mix. But, prior to this I was using regular 4.5% to 5% I bought at BJ's, Sam's or Walmart. The large 1.45 Gal size, use two (3 gal) of those to 5 gal. Now I believe I should be able to get the same results with 1.5 gal of 12.5%. No the tide doesn't kill the mold it's mainly for foaming for extra hang time. I'll look into Dollars brand of soap thanks.

[PLD 14]

I just found a reliable source for 12.5% so I'm working now to adjust my mix. But, prior to this I was using regular 4.5% to 5% I bought at BJ's, Sam's or Walmart. The large 1.45 Gal size, use two (3 gal) of those to 5 gal. Now I believe I should be able to get the same results with 1.5 gal of 12.5%. No the tide doesn't kill the mold it's mainly for foaming for extra hang time. I'll look into Dollars brand of soap thanks.

I'm using it for a foamer and an emulsifier also and have found NO difference from $9/gallon down to $1.50/gallon. Get as cheap as you can. One note about foam. Laundry soap is specifically designed not to foam. If that's your primary goal, dish soap would serve you better.

[Howard 50]

Get as cheap as you can. One note about foam. Laundry soap is specifically designed not to foam. If that's your primary goal, dish soap would serve you better.

I'm all about cutting cost I'll check into it thanks.

[StainlessDeal 16]

Howard and Philip, are youx-jetting that mix? I'm a newbie so please forgive me if that's a really dumb question.

[Celeste 341]

You can Stainless - just have to adjust the amount of water in your original mix so that you don't overdilute if using the x-jet.

[StainlessDeal 16]

Thanks Roger and/or Celeste, that makes sense. You recommend the RPC products pretty strongly, that says something about their quality. I've noticed in my very limited experience that customers tend to respond more favorably if they look in the rig and don't see any products they are too familiar with. One guy really thought he had me when he smelled chlorine and I told him it was sodium hypochlorite. He says, "Household bleach." I say, "Same ingredient, stronger solution, better equipment, superior knowledge, drive to succeed, etc," I think he was relieved when he found I was using something he didn't have just lying around. BTW, I may have been stetching the superior knowledge part, I'm pretty green, but was just cleaning some backyard toys so a little stretch seems OK, I guess.

[PLD 14]

Howard and Philip, are youx-jetting that mix? I'm a newbie so please forgive me if that's a really dumb question.

Yes, I am xjetting it.

[Howard 50]

StainlessDealHoward and Philip, are youx-jetting that mix? I'm a newbie so please forgive me if that's a really dumb question.

Yes I am x-jeting my mix as well