Windy pressure washing

[csoldier 14]

Hi. Writing from New Olreans, La. Just wondering if any of you pressure wash houses, mainly 2 stories and up, on windy days? Are you concerned about the neighbor's property, vehicles, etc.? I am considering not washing on windy days so I don't wash the house 3 doors down and coat their auto's with detergent. I am asking due to a complaint we had. Thanks for the input.

Mark, La.

[steve r 14]

Hi. Writing from New Olreans, La. Just wondering if any of you pressure wash houses, mainly 2 stories and up, on windy days? Are you concerned about the neighbor's property, vehicles, etc.? I am considering not washing on windy days so I don't wash the house 3 doors down and coat their auto's with detergent. I am asking due to a complaint we had. Thanks for the input.

Mark, La.

Have to watch them ther windy days .chems go every which way but to the sides.I have done my share of windy washing .just be carefull where the chems go .use your own judgement .only you will know if its to windy .

[Richard Ivy 14]

If it was windy, would you wear a face mask when applying?

[steve r 14]

If it was windy, would you wear a face mask when applying?

I would wear a mask from getting chems in my eyes .

[CCPC 26]

I would have to say that wind is the number one thing that interupts my schedule when it comes to washing houses or buildings. I agree you can't make a blanket statement and say I'm not going to wash on windy days because how windy is to windy? For me it just depends on the situation. coincidentally, I just finished a small house wash today that I've been putting off for three days now just because it's been to windy to safley wash it (houses real close together, and cars on just about every driveway).

[PressurePros 248]

If it was windy, would you wear a face mask when applying?

I always wear a mask and respirator. Housewashing chemicals can tear up your lungs over time.

I hate to be a broken record here but I can work in double the wind since I switched to downstreaming. Even a little wind sends that mist from the X-Jet a long distance.

[Littlefield 65]

Ken, isnt't the x jet downstreaming, too, or are you just referring to a better method of DS? I thought chems introduced after the pump, IE high pressure side = DS and intorduced on the intake side, IE low pressure = Upstreaming..? Am I confused?

[James 624]

Working in the wind increases saftey issues and chemical's drying to fast. Window's and plants become more of a problem because pre- wetting dries up fast.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Winds of 5-10 mph between buildings can increase to 15-25 mph just by trying to squeeze through them. The wind gets condensed and becomes pressurized causing the increase in wind speed. I have seen this many times in between townhouse complexes where out in front the breeze is calm but in between the buildings it is windy. Temperatures that are cooler due to shading can contribute to this too.

If the winds become to strong as I have illustrated, then we reschedule.

Rod!~

[Richard Ivy 14]

Ken, isnt't the x jet downstreaming, too, or are you just referring to a better method of DS? I thought chems introduced after the pump, IE high pressure side = DS and intorduced on the intake side, IE low pressure = Upstreaming..? Am I confused?

Yes, I thought that xjet was a downstream due to the fact that it is after the pump (end of hose). Am I confused? (easy to do, btw)

[Jeff 232]

Wind can be a big problem here at the beach and even inland a little. I have people ask why I always use a lift on 3 story condos, why dont I just use extensions. I would miss out on to many days of work if I didnt use lifts. You get over 15 -25 ft and a 10 mph wind starts to 15 - 25mph+. With a lift I can get closer with less chance of stuff (chem) blowing around. When your on a tight schedule or have to finish a job to get to the next job the lift helps a great deal. Plus I do alot of 3 story condos and useing an extension every day for weeks gets real old

I spent over 14K on rental lifts this past year, but this year I'll be spending a lot less. The guy who gets me alot of work and alot of connections bought a used 40 ft lift. This guy is great he owns a property servicescompany and know just about everybody in town. Well he basically bought the lift for me because as he said I always use them so he had to buy it for tax purposes and this way if he neds it he doesnt have to rent one and it will be paid off by me in less than a couple years

A 40 ft lift rented cost me about $1000 a week w/ rental, taxes, insur & delivery. He's charging me $550 a week and monthly I'll save over $1000

This guy has been great for my biz.

He is also having the lift vinyl lettered with my logo on one side & his on the other. I told him Id pay for the lettering. Cant wait t have it lettered

Heres a pick of the lift. My wind fighting machine. New paint and runs pretty darn good.

This will save me thousands

[PressurePros 248]

Rich and Richard,

Technically both methods can be classified as downstreaming. The miscommunication is my fault becuase I assumed everyone has experience using the method of which I spoke and they don't. Let me clarify..

I use a high flow, stainless steel downstreamer (after the pump, before the output hose) to draw chemicals. The difference is really made at the tip where in a windy situation I will use a 00300 tip. Richard, this tip has no spread pattern, it is a thin stream. The number 30 designates the size of the orifice. In this case it is fairly large and will activate the downstreamer to begin draw.

The difference becomes more apparent as the flow leaves the nozzle of either tip. The X-Jet has a great sudsing action for about 15 feet (4.5m). The further you go from the X-Jet nozzle, the more the chemical is dispersed. This continues until the point where after 25 feet (7.5m) the spray has become very atomized. I find this 'mist' to have an ineffective amount of wetting (cleaning) power. In addition, this 'mist', as any atomized cloud will do, loves to travel. Take the drying action of the wind like Jim mentioned and you will literally have to jump like a rabbit wetting down cars and neighbors windows to keep from spotting or etching window glass, not to mention causing brown spots over eveyone's vegetation.

Using my version of downstreaming I do not get this cloud. While the stream itself has less pressure than that which leaves the X-Jet, the rate of spread and diminish is much different and I get a consistent flow up to about 40 feet. On a day with no wind to contend with I can hit a 50' high dormer with relative ease.

[John T 744]

Ken the only question i would have here is what kind of draw rate do you get with this downstreamer?? The Beauty of the x-jet is I get a 2-1 draw rate. The other downstreamer setups I had where at best 7-1..I love he x-jet because of the draw.

[PressurePros 248]

I get about 1:6 from mine which is plenty on everything except brick or stucco. I use one bucket of chemicals on a 3000 s/f house. Four gallons of 12.5% SH gallons of 1 gallon of my concentrated housewash. The key to knocking down the dirt and mold is to use a housewash that is synergisitc with your "chlorine" and using the right surfactant for some cling.