Experts Advise

[PRESSURE PACKED 14]

CAN ANYONE WITH THE KNOWLEDGE TELL ME IF THIS IS TRUE

1. DO YOU LOSE H2O PRESSURE AND OR VOLUME WHEN YOUR PRESSURE CLEANERS HOSE IS ATTACHED TO A HOSE REEL WITH PLUMBING THAT INCLUDES AN L ATTACHMENT.... ie, THIS IS WHERE THE CONNECTION MEETS THE HOSE. SOMEONE TOLD ME THIS IS TRUE AND WHAT THEY DO TO NOT LOSE PRESSURE IS THE HOSE REEL IS ONLY USED TO "REEL" UP THE HOSE, THEN THEY DISCONNECT IT AND ATTACH DIRECTLY TO PRESSURE CLEANER.

2. ALSO DOES ANYONE USE A HOSE TENSIONER OR ANYTHING THAT I MIGHT NOT KNOW OF TO STOP THE HOSE FROM GRETTING TANGLED, THIS HAPPENS TO ME WHEN I DONT USE THE ENTIRE HOSE.IE A SMALL DRIVEWAY

THANKS IN ADVANCE

PAUL

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

1. DO YOU LOSE H2O PRESSURE AND OR VOLUME WHEN YOUR PRESSURE CLEANERS HOSE IS ATTACHED TO A HOSE REEL WITH PLUMBING THAT INCLUDES AN L ATTACHMENT....

Not always is this the case. If you think this could be a problem on your set up, get a pressure gauge with quick connects to mount just before the gun and check the pressure output. Another possibility is if your reel has a non OEM part on it, this could cause a restriction in the water flow. Over all, the pressure on the pump is factory preset, the tips are assigned to match the output to give you what you should be getting when you pull the trigger.

The attachment you refer to should be large enough to avoid flow restriction.

ALSO DOES ANYONE USE A HOSE TENSIONER OR ANYTHING THAT I MIGHT NOT KNOW OF TO STOP THE HOSE FROM GRETTING TANGLED, THIS HAPPENS TO ME WHEN I DONT USE THE ENTIRE HOSE.IE A SMALL DRIVEWAY

Some people will use the reel lock to keep the reel from bailing out hose. Personally, I will unroll the entire hose in a serpentine fashion (long 'S' pattern) to avoid damage to the reel and barrel while the unit is running. I don't mind the walking or the workout to reel the entire hose on and off but I think of it as taking the time to use and care for the equipment properly in order to avoid damage and early replacement.

I hope this is helpful.

Rod!~

ps. turn off your caps lock please.

[Scott Stone 604]

The only way it will lose pressure is if the "L" connection is too small for the hose, and the hose does not have a restriction on it. Since you are talking a pressure hose, Usually, the "L" is at least 3/8" and your hose is as well. You have a restriction at the nozzle, so there should be no SIGNIFICANT pressure loss. For a feed hose, you will have a pressure loss, because of the low pressure from the hose involved.

[Jim Carroll 14]

CAN ANYONE WITH THE KNOWLEDGE TELL ME IF THIS IS TRUE

2. ALSO DOES ANYONE USE A HOSE TENSIONER OR ANYTHING THAT I MIGHT NOT KNOW OF TO STOP THE HOSE FROM GRETTING TANGLED, THIS HAPPENS TO ME WHEN I DONT USE THE ENTIRE HOSE.IE A SMALL DRIVEWAY

THANKS IN ADVANCE

PAUL

i use swivels at the gun, this helps out alot.

[Jarrod 22]

Same here, swivels. Make sure that they are HIGH PRESSURE SWIVELS.

[Adrian 155]

I always unroll all the hose and set it up in lengths ( s shaped like Rod said) or semi circles. Plus that way when you re - roll hose you dump out any remaining H2o which makes it a little lighter when you unroll for next use.

[FullBlast 14]

I use to have one of my trailer set up running thru the reel but just a week or so ago I redone that one because I have 350' of hose per reel and I get tired of pulling every bit of it out just to wash something 10' away.

If you leave it on the reel you will have a mess and it is hard on the reel.

[VanDiesel99 14]

I have a flow unloader and a pressure unloader. I wonder if they are equally as hard on reels? I guess whenever the flow unloader machine is being run wide open its going to be just as damaging to the reel as the pressure unloader machine is all the time. I still pull off just what I need on occasions when I don't need that much. I have cox reels, and I haven't had any problems, yet.

[PWkid 79]

I never unroll my hose all the way before use and I have not seen any premature deterioration on my hose reels or hose.I use flow unloaders and hose,and gun swivels.(stainless steel).

[PLD 14]

I use to have one of my trailer set up running thru the reel but just a week or so ago I redone that one because I have 350' of hose per reel and I get tired of pulling every bit of it out just to wash something 10' away.

If you leave it on the reel you will have a mess and it is hard on the reel.

Contrary to popular opinion, leaving hose on the reel does not "crush" the reel and cause damage. When the hose is charged, it lengthens. i.e. the circumference of a circle increases and it's the radius increases. The net effect is that the hose losens it's "grip" on the reel. For fun and excitement, we'll test this at PWNA conv. I'll wrap up in hose, and someone can charge the line and see if I squeal.

Now, reeling a hose (charged or not) is an entirely different story. Unless hand fed, the hose is under a fair amount of tension and generates many thousands of pounds of crushing force on the reel. For kite enthusiasts this effect is an occupational hazard. If you reel kite string w/o having someone pull the kite and feed you slack string, the reel can crush and shatter under the load.

[GymRat 14]

If I have a short distance and only need a small length of hose, my first section on my hose reel is 50', so I disconnect this section of hose and plug it into the quick connect at my pressure washer. This saves me the time of taking 200' of hose off of my reel, or having it tangle up on the reel. Just another way of doing things.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

My main problem has been when locking the reel the lock holes have become bent and distorted from the constant tugging and pulling from the unloader action (we have both types) . This is why I began completely bailing out the hose. The barrel on the reel has become distorted as well so I would have to add that whether or not the hose constricts or expands is not the concern but the the shifting of the hose roll on the reel that can become tightened from the movement in different directions. I have come back to the reel after a job to find my hose completely disarrayed and a pita to remedy.

Just sharing my experience. btw, we use rapid reels and hose trac reels with stainless swivels and brass on the rapid reel.

One question out there for the tinkerers...ever replaced a spring on a rapid reel for the pivot lock? (the one that returns the lock pin into the slot) The reason I ask is that it is inside the bar behind the swivel inlet and it looks a bit like a task to tackle. Anyone?

Rod!~

[FullBlast 14]

Contrary to popular opinion, leaving hose on the reel does not "crush" the reel and cause damage. When the hose is charged, it lengthens. i.e. the circumference of a circle increases and it's the radius increases. The net effect is that the hose losens it's "grip" on the reel. For fun and excitement, we'll test this at PWNA conv. I'll wrap up in hose, and someone can charge the line and see if I squeal.

Now, reeling a hose (charged or not) is an entirely different story. Unless hand fed, the hose is under a fair amount of tension and generates many thousands of pounds of crushing force on the reel. For kite enthusiasts this effect is an occupational hazard. If you reel kite string w/o having someone pull the kite and feed you slack string, the reel can crush and shatter under the load.

Hey maybe I'm wrong here, but that has been my experience with them. I have one hose reel that is really mashed in the center, maybe it is something else.

[James 625]

Do you have a pressure gage on your machine ?

[VanDiesel99 14]

It seems like if you had a pressure unloader and you reeled the hoses up while the machine was running(which probbably doesn't happen very often) then you shut the machine off, then it seems like the expanded hose would contract from reduced pressure inside the hose causing some reel damage. But thats pure speculation.

[bforbis 14]

Just a little curious about those leaving the hose on the reel while you are washing something..... Are you using heated water when you leave the hose on, or just cold.

If you leave it on and using heated water, I would think the hose would generate a lot of heat in the coil and damage or reduce the life of the hose??

The coiled hose with hot water running through it keeps the ehat in the center and gets hotter, thereby overheating the coating and redcung he life of the hose

[CCPC 26]

Any curves in the hose, or 90 degree turns (such as with the hose reel) will create added friction and resistance in the potential flow of water. Because of this, I believe it's always a good idea to allow the flow from your machine too your gun or surfacer to be as straight as possible, i.e. uncoiling all of the hose off the reel, laying it out in the largest serpintine pattern if you can, the less turns in the hose, the better flow and, or psi you will achieve. Water doesn't like to make turns, it likes to flow straight. When you have 300' of hose coiled around a small cylinder, the water flow is continuesly pushing itself much harder against the wall of the inner hose to make its way to the end.

[John Doherty 126]

I've done both and my experience with hose failure is they always seem to be from the outside in (exterior wear being the point of failure), or at a hose end.

Nothing like a good hose failure to get the blood pumping!!

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

I had one that was just plain bad. It was less then 6 weeks into its years use when the hose blew. It came from inside out and was kinda funny. It made the hose fly up in the air forming an arc and watering the driveway. I just had to figure out what was causing the shadow and funny sound behind me before I finally turned to see it. I let go of the trigger and the hose just dropped out of sight. Pulled the trigger again to verify what I thought I just saw. Fortunately, I was doing the final rinse on a house wash and had a garden hose to finish with.

Rod!~

[Mike Williamson 198]

I had one that was just plain bad. It was less then 6 weeks into its years use when the hose blew. It came from inside out and was kinda funny. It made the hose fly up in the air forming an arc and watering the driveway. I just had to figure out what was causing the shadow and funny sound behind me before I finally turned to see it. I let go of the trigger and the hose just dropped out of sight. Pulled the trigger again to verify what I thought I just saw. Fortunately, I was doing the final rinse on a house wash and had a garden hose to finish with.

Rod!~

That's the reason I keep an extra 200' of hose on each trailer. Nothing like getting stuck 1/2 way through a job and popping a hose.

[stevencoxreels 14]

Hi All,

There are different types of swivels used in hose reels. (the L shaped thing you thread your hose into). You need to check if they are full flow. Any pressure wash application requires full flow, no restriction. Coxreels uses full flow on all reels regardless of intended application.

Regarding the wrap or unwrap when using hose

reels new hose grows substantially when first pressurized. If it was wrapped around a body it would expand away from the person as suggested, but in the case of hose reels there are discs at both sides of the reel forcing the hose to stay constrained within the reel dimension itself, forcing the expansion inward against the drum. So always pressurize new hose off the reel only the first time it is used. After that it becomes a question of wrap, if the wrap is too tight or messy(criss crossed or tangled) this can create small areas of increased pressure on the barrel of the reel causing a crimp or denting of the barrel. If properly wrapped the reel will absorb all pressure and work just fine with hose on it. The last reason to unwind all hose is for flow. Going around and around is harder than straight. We have recently announced a new brawny option for our reels designed to protect against all the factors that could cause damage to the barrel or discs, including mis-use.

Rod, on our reels we have an adjustable tension brake that can be used to lock the hose at any length when under pressure. The locking pin is inserted in the disc only when not in use to prevent the hose from off spooling when going from job to job. If you use the pin to hold a pressurized hose at a locked length you will experience either broken pins or rounded out holes. Maybe it's time to try one of ours?

[blackjack21 14]

Hi All,

There are different types of swivels used in hose reels. (the L shaped thing you thread your hose into). You need to check if they are full flow. Any pressure wash application requires full flow, no restriction. Coxreels uses full flow on all reels regardless of intended application.

Regarding the wrap or unwrap when using hose

reels new hose grows substantially when first pressurized. If it was wrapped around a body it would expand away from the person as suggested, but in the case of hose reels there are discs at both sides of the reel forcing the hose to stay constrained within the reel dimension itself, forcing the expansion inward against the drum. So always pressurize new hose off the reel only the first time it is used. After that it becomes a question of wrap, if the wrap is too tight or messy(criss crossed or tangled) this can create small areas of increased pressure on the barrel of the reel causing a crimp or denting of the barrel. If properly wrapped the reel will absorb all pressure and work just fine with hose on it. The last reason to unwind all hose is for flow. Going around and around is harder than straight. We have recently announced a new brawny option for our reels designed to protect against all the factors that could cause damage to the barrel or discs, including mis-use.

Rod, on our reels we have an adjustable tension brake that can be used to lock the hose at any length when under pressure. The locking pin is inserted in the disc only when not in use to prevent the hose from off spooling when going from job to job. If you use the pin to hold a pressurized hose at a locked length you will experience either broken pins or rounded out holes. Maybe it's time to try one of ours?

Thanks for the clarification. I was getting confused for a minute. Awhile back I had a steel eagle hose reel that got completely crushed when I used it w the hose partialy wrapped. I've unreeled em all the way ever since. Maybe I can stop wasting time doing that now.

Thanks,

Blackjack

[grizzley 14]

One question out there for the tinkerers...ever replaced a spring on a rapid reel for the pivot lock? (the one that returns the lock pin into the slot) The reason I ask is that it is inside the bar behind the swivel inlet and it looks a bit like a task to tackle. Anyone?

Rod!~

Nobody replied that they had. But, if I could find a place to BUY them, I could tell you! I have looked and looked for these things. I have about 5 reels that are less than 6 months old and are sitting on a shelf because of broken pins.

I would also say that I am 99% sure all of these pins snapped because of leaving them locked while spraying water. I have a guy that will unroll the entire reel and then lock it down. He's nuts.

But, again, if I can ever locate some of these pins I will let you know if it's easy or not.

[Keth 15]

Hi All,

There are different types of swivels used in hose reels. (the L shaped thing you thread your hose into). You need to check if they are full flow. Any pressure wash application requires full flow, no restriction. Coxreels uses full flow on all reels regardless of intended application.

Regarding the wrap or unwrap when using hose

reels new hose grows substantially when first pressurized. If it was wrapped around a body it would expand away from the person as suggested, but in the case of hose reels there are discs at both sides of the reel forcing the hose to stay constrained within the reel dimension itself, forcing the expansion inward against the drum. So always pressurize new hose off the reel only the first time it is used. After that it becomes a question of wrap, if the wrap is too tight or messy(criss crossed or tangled) this can create small areas of increased pressure on the barrel of the reel causing a crimp or denting of the barrel. If properly wrapped the reel will absorb all pressure and work just fine with hose on it. The last reason to unwind all hose is for flow. Going around and around is harder than straight. We have recently announced a new brawny option for our reels designed to protect against all the factors that could cause damage to the barrel or discs, including mis-use.

Rod, on our reels we have an adjustable tension brake that can be used to lock the hose at any length when under pressure. The locking pin is inserted in the disc only when not in use to prevent the hose from off spooling when going from job to job. If you use the pin to hold a pressurized hose at a locked length you will experience either broken pins or rounded out holes. Maybe it's time to try one of ours?

This all makes sense as my Titan Reel has a friction brake that calms down the unwinding and is firm enough to keep the wheel from going bonkers. I only use the pin lock when moving from job to job.

All this talk about full flow is interesting though as you can have full flow fittings everywhere but what about the downstream injector? Pushing water through that little hole whether you are using it or not must slow things down more than a slightly undersized reel fitting.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Keth,

That is a good point, but fortunately the injector is close to the pump and can overcome the size restriction at that point. My thoughts have been that the flow is rated in conjunction with the injector. I have removed my injectors since we use M-5's. I have a downstream injector on a quick connect (Attach's after the ball valve by the gun) that I can install or remove as needed for low pressure chem injection that I use with an extension pole to reach with. It works great for this and when it is not needed, it stays in the tool box.

Flow is not a problem in this case and I have one less apparatus to worry about failing on me.

Most pw'ers are equipped with the novice in mind and while some add ons may be convenient they can also hinder the performance. I have learned to adjust things on my machines to serve me better where I need them to and that is usually at the gun where I am and not at the machine which is 200' of hose away. To many trips can result in not only additional operator fatigue but loss in production time too. Work smart they say...

Rod!~