I'm a believer!!!!!!!!!!1

[PressurePros 249]

Chris,

To answer your questions in no certain order..

10% should be fine. I think what many guys are using is not actually 12% anyway as sodium hypochlorite degrades quickly and I have heard through the grapevine that what is sold as 12% is often watered down.

On a 5.6 gpm machine I use a #30 tip to apply chemical (its big enough to create draw on a regular lance but I do use a dual lance anyway) I use a #20 to rinse. Both tips give me the height I need. On a 4 gpm machine you can use smaller orifice nozzles.

I have thought about selling the housewash mix but there are good mixes out there already. Next week I am bringing in my housewash soap for 2007. If you wanna pay the shipping I can ship you a couple of pounds to try out. I have a couple of other guys I will be sending to as well.

[Jarrod 22]

This year, all chems will remain on the trucks. I will purchase D.S. injectors that will work with my various lengths of hose ranging from 200 ft. to 250 ft. My guys are gonna be really happy. Yes, they will have to go to the truck to switch the "suck" tube from stripper to brightener, but they have to go back to check the water level in the tank anyway. This will be a great "upgrade" for us thie year. We have always D.S.'d our deck chems, but we always had to carry the 5 gal. buckets to the deck and back. Not anymore!

Heck, I just might fire a guy so I can use this new way of doing things!LOL

[Christopher 102]

Thanks for the info Ken, I would be interested in trying out the Housewash mix. PM me your info and what to send and where or do you have paypal? So if I understand correctly,

I can shoot my chems and rinse higher without misting than using the X-Jet?

I will be able to soap and then just change tips or reduce the pressure on my dual lance to rinse?

I will be able to put a Downstream Injector between my pressure washer and the hose reel. Will this Downstream Injector slow down my cleaning when using my surface cleaner?

I have a 5.6gpm 3000psi hot water rig.

I could probably stop using my flojet to pre-spray my chems (Strong Degreaser) when doing tire stores and just downstream?

How long does it usually take to get the soap out of the hose?

Sorry for so many questions, I am trying to learn.

Thanks again.

[Christopher 102]

Ken, The #20 and #30 tips: Are they Zero degree? 15 degree? 25 degree?

Thanks.

[PLD 14]

Ken - did you have to brush that house at all?

Dan, I know you've taken some heat for your methods so please don't take this as critisicm. WHatever works for you is ok by me. I am only offering it because IMHO you are working TOO hard. That said...

I have NEVER brushed a house, and I never left one anything but spotless. If you are brushing, you are working much too hard.

[PressurePros 249]

Ken, The #20 and #30 tips: Are they Zero degree? 15 degree? 25 degree?

Thanks.

Chris, 0 degree.

[PressurePros 249]

So if I understand correctly,

I can shoot my chems and rinse higher without misting than using the X-Jet?

1) I will be able to soap and then just change tips or reduce the pressure on my dual lance to rinse?

2) I will be able to put a Downstream Injector between my pressure washer and the hose reel. Will this Downstream Injector slow down my cleaning when using my surface cleaner?

I have a 5.6gpm 3000psi hot water rig.

3) I could probably stop using my flojet to pre-spray my chems (Strong Degreaser) when doing tire stores and just downstream?

How long does it usually take to get the soap out of the hose?

Sorry for so many questions, I am trying to learn.

Thanks again.

1) You will get higher and have much less mist. Chemical concentration will be the same all the way through your stream. You change tips to increase pressure so you can rinse. Depending on your flow a #20 should do it for rinsing. An interesting alternative I have seen (and as was suggested by Roger G) is to use a barb threaded onto a QC. Another cool tip is to actually bend the tip of the barb just a bit to create some diffusion of the spray. I haven't tried these but they sound effective and could speed up rinsing. The only problem is, you will have to manually shut off your downstreamer.

2) I am fairly cerrtain a DS'er does not negatively affect flow unless you are using an undersized downstreamer. Bob from P-Tek would be a better source of info there.

3) I can't answer that one but I would tak an educated guess and say no. The DS'r will dilute a degreaser too much for commercial flatwork. Chemical is rinsed from the hose in under 30 seconds. At the end of a workday, one of our procedures is to run fresh water through the DS'er (We use a one gallon milk bottle filled with water and stick the DS hose in it) I'm sure we don't do it 100% of the time so that is why i use stainless DS'ers

[Christopher 102]

Thanks Ken. I appreciate it. If you have your book in PDF at the St. Louis Roundtable I will purchase one. I am eagerly waiting for it. Thanks.

[john@AEC 37]

Hi Folks

I've never used a x-jet or similar, but use the d/ser for almost everything (mine will draw 23% theorectically - but remember the less pressure the more draw, so changing tip will change draw rate - larger tip = less pressure = more draw; smaller tip = more pressure = less draw; and as tip size decreases the draw rate will decrease untill there is no draw. As yet I have not tested my tips to measure the pressure and actual draw rates through my hose.)

My machine pumps 15 litres/min (between 3.5 & 4 gpm) at up to 3600 psi, and my hose is 30 metres long (about 100 feet).

I dilute the 10% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl ?) 1:1 with water/detergent and then downstream to get about 1% on the house. I use #40 or #50 for this. This is strong enough for me as I don't see the walls of mouldy vinyl that some of you do, if I need extra strength, more dwell time or a second coat will usually do it. If very bad (or for driveways) I don't dilute the NaOCl -just add detergent straight to it so I get about 2%.

To get the mix high (2+ stories) I use a 0040 on my regular wand, if I need more height I have extensions. I have been thinking of a 0540 to reduce the pressure at the wall/gutter, but the flattened hose barb sounds like it will do the job.

I used to have a twin lance with the twist adjuster, but the twist mechanism didn't last long enough for me. I have a twin roll over nozzle - with the ball to block the other nozzle, but find that the pressure when soaping with the #40 or #50 isn't enough to hold the ball in place to block to other nozzle so I get spray from the second tip as well, which gets messy (but I imagine there are others out there that will). These days I just carry the different tips in my pocket - very versatile if some times frustrating.

To rinse I either swap to a #15 or #10, but this increases pressure - not always good for rinsing and makes more mist so I don't get the distance with the rinse water, or use a #25 or #40. To do this I will walk back to the machine and turn off the chemicals, some will say this is time wasted and they are probably right, but as my hose is only 100' it isn't unbearable.

My brass d/s is holding up well, but the O rings need replacing - they are viton but they will wear/compress allowing the ball to jam, rather than decompose. The ceramic ball is in perfect condition after six months, where a chromed steel ball wouldn't last 6 hours.

That's my experience with d/sing, I too started with searching and reading and searching and searching here at TGS and then bought a heap of tips to play with. I still play and experiment as I'm still finding bits of jobs that need something different due to height, distance, chem strength, pressure concerns etc...

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Dan, I know you've taken some heat for your methods so please don't take this as critisicm. WHatever works for you is ok by me. I am only offering it because IMHO you are working TOO hard. That said...

I have NEVER brushed a house, and I never left one anything but spotless. If you are brushing, you are working much too hard.

Just for the sake of giving an example for those may not be aware of the condition; there is a fad going on around here to install aluminum clad trim over painted trims to create a new look. In time, this trim (which is often not well sealed or caulked) begins to oxidize and the result is aluminum oxidation running down from the bottom corners of the windows carried there by rainfall. Well, the best way I have been able to get this to come clean has been to use agitation. I won't M-5 an acid up there because of the glass, so I dunk a brush and use it to apply and agitate the surface to get it clean.

Sometimes there are exceptions but it depends on the conditions and circumstances where you live that dictate them.

For mildew and algae, no brushing required. For oxidation removal, either from degradation of the siding from UV exposure or as previously mentioned above...brush.

This costs more obviously than just a regular wash but the customer will appreciate it more when it is done.

Rod!~

[john@AEC 37]

For mildew and algae, no brushing required. For oxidation removal, either from degradation of the siding from UV exposure or as previously mentioned above...brush.

~

It really is the only way, I don't see many houses with siding, but a lot with acrylic paint on timber, and brushing is the only way to get the oxidation off. Very little pressure is needed with a soft brush, but it works.

[Neil_Asheville 114]

I also do alot of Cedar houses where I need a strong mix of stripper to go on them and once again if I dont need my deckster to put on the stripper the next best thing is my x-jet because of the strength I can shoot the stripper up at 30 feet.

Hey John. Can you explain what result you are after when xjetting stripper 30ft on a cedar house? I'm assuming this is your diluted apply and rinse off cleaner for your maintenance washes.

Thanks!

/neil