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Varistream help

harky25

New member
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12
Hi folks new to the forum so hi from me.

I have a self made trolley system with shurflo pump and varistream digital controller, my display has been flashing L and sometimes constant L then U and stops, I have had new battery and its still the same even tried new pump, funny thing is when I take my microbore hose tail out and let the pump run free by putting finger in hoselock it runs perfect its like the hose to brush is restricting it, doesnt even flash when held open, any ideas folks???

 
The battery is flat. L means the power is drained from 12.8 VDC to 11.5 VDC. If you carry on using it, the controller will switch off when the battery is discharged to 10.3 VDC.

What size battery are you using?

A Shurflo pump will draw about 4 amps an hour of battery power. If you are working for 8 hours a day, you will probably spend about 3 to 4 hours actually cleaning windows. If this assumption is correct then you could use 16 amps of current a day. You will need a descent size battery for that - most window cleaners use an 85 amp hour leisure battery.

Another issue is that the new Varistream uses battery power to monitor battery charge. We found that a fully charged 85 amph leisure battery lost 25% or more of its charge when the van was standing for a week. We now have a separate 10 amp isolator switch between the battery and the Varistream which gets switched off at the end of the day.

 
I run a car battery and its brand new and been tested to make sure its not a dud, when pushing possitive button when varistream is turned off its even telling me I have full charge, when I take the microbore of the hosetail and let it run its flawless but it imediatly flashes as soon as connect microbore again even with other end fully open (not connected to brush) thanks for your help

 
OK. What is the Varistream calibration set at (1-9 and then A-F). Varistreams are factory set to C but we have found D works better when the water is cooler in winter.

If the battery is fully charged then you may start looking for a bad connection somewhere along the line. We found crocodile clamps on the battery terminals were troublesome and now use proper battery terminals. The fuse holder is also a favourite spot for a bad connection.

 
I have battery terminals and will check fuse when I get home, can you tell me how to get the setting D I held plus and neg and got numbers no letters or are they up past 9 and how do I lock them in, can you upload videos to posts? Am new to this. Thanks

 
I was going to upload a video of how my varistream is acting up, I will have a wee go at changing settings first tho and get back to you, thanks a lot for your help. I also read a post saying the 2 red wires going into the pressure sensor at top of shurflo should be disconnected when running varistream but I have run this setup for over 2 years with them connected and this is first problem I have ever had so that doesn't seem right is it?

 
Williamson pumps advise that the pressure switch be disconnected. A fellow window cleaner had a temperamental Varistream many years ago and he had the pressure switch connected in. When we disconnected it the Varistream started working properly again. It was a problem that developed over time. We put it down to a resistance developing between the switch contacts or terminals that was causing the issue. Whether that was right or not who knows. Removing the switch from the circuit solved the problem so it may be worth a try.

Sometimes just disturbing a component will solve an electrical problem. We found that in the motor trade, especially with steel sender units screwed into alloy housings. Those blue cable joiners (Scotch Locks)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Scotch-Locks-Pack-Of-25-Splicer-Joiner-Wire-Crimp-Electrical-Cable-Connectors-/161248017654?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Components_Supplies_ET&hash=item258b217cf6

have also been the pain on numerous occasions in the past for connectivity issues.

We have also experienced problems with the fuse holder.

Battery charging can also be a hit and miss situation. For a 12v battery to get a charge, the battery charger needs to kick out a slightly higher voltage. My battery charger pushes out 13.9v. If you have a half charged battery and put a charger on for a few moments, then switch the charger off, the Varistream will register the battery as fully charged - but it isn't. A battery need about 4 hours to settle before an accurate reading can be taken to determine battery charge condition.

Added;

If you are using Hozelok female stop connectors anywhere on your setup it might be worth your while checking that the male joiner is infact opening the valve properly. I experienced that once and thought I had a flat battery as all the signs pointed to that. It took me ages to find the actual problem as I was looking for an electrical fault rather than a mechanical one.

 
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I fitted a brand new pump to my system today and it was exactly the same, I tried disconnecting the pressure switch(2 red wires going into top end of pump) and pump wouldnt work at all, would I be right in thinking I need to join the 2 red wires going into the pressure switch to join the circuit? On reading your instruction manual I have realised when I shut off my ball valve my pressure buldges my hoses alot would this be caused by the wrong callibration setting? Something I have been bothered with for a while I must admit, bursts hose every so often between pump and shut off valve?

 
I had the same problem last year, it turned out my battery clamps were loose, and i was using a motorbike maintenance charger which only kicked out 0.8 amps. So i was using more juice than i was putting back in.

I tightened the clamps and bought a 12 amp charger........sorted. Spruce is very clued up on the technicallities and has covered pretty much everything. Also williamspumps were the ones who helped me pin point my problems, give them a ring.

As for the settings as you have probably seen from spruce' pdf.........press +&- together while its up and running. This will show what setting its on, press and hold them again and the displayed setting will flash. Use + and - to adjust to the setting of your choice then switch off the controller, power it back up and your new settings apply.

Just to give you a benchmark, i work alone with the same as you.... digi varistream and a shurflo, with pencil jets i use 3/D....sometimes F

With fan jets i use anything from 3/F to 4/A

I have settled on 4/A nowadays, treat the 1-9-A-F section as your decimal points.

I.e. Treat 3/5 as 3.0 and 3/A as 3.5 so 3/F would be 3.9 hopefully this makes sense?? Lol

So if you look at my settings of 3/F (3.9) i find that if you keep your tap open for minutes the pressure will stay constant whereas if you had 3/A (3.5) the pressure would start out how you want it but after a couple of minutes of continous use the pressure goes down and increases rinse time. Sorry for going on and on lol.

 
I had the same problem last year, it turned out my battery clamps were loose, and i was using a motorbike maintenance charger which only kicked out 0.8 amps. So i was using more juice than i was putting back in.
I tightened the clamps and bought a 12 amp charger........sorted. Spruce is very clued up on the technicallities and has covered pretty much everything. Also williamspumps were the ones who helped me pin point my problems, give them a ring.

As for the settings as you have probably seen from spruce' pdf.........press +&- together while its up and running. This will show what setting its on, press and hold them again and the displayed setting will flash. Use + and - to adjust to the setting of your choice then switch off the controller, power it back up and your new settings apply.

Just to give you a benchmark, i work alone with the same as you.... digi varistream and a shurflo, with pencil jets i use 3/D....sometimes F

With fan jets i use anything from 3/F to 4/A

I have settled on 4/A nowadays, treat the 1-9-A-F section as your decimal points.

I.e. Treat 3/5 as 3.0 and 3/A as 3.5 so 3/F would be 3.9 hopefully this makes sense?? Lol

So if you look at my settings of 3/F (3.9) i find that if you keep your tap open for minutes the pressure will stay constant whereas if you had 3/A (3.5) the pressure would start out how you want it but after a couple of minutes of continous use the pressure goes down and increases rinse time. Sorry for going on and on lol.[/quote
Thanks very mucha

I had the same problem last year, it turned out my battery clamps were loose, and i was using a motorbike maintenance charger which only kicked out 0.8 amps. So i was using more juice than i was putting back in.
I tightened the clamps and bought a 12 amp charger........sorted. Spruce is very clued up on the technicallities and has covered pretty much everything. Also williamspumps were the ones who helped me pin point my problems, give them a ring.

As for the settings as you have probably seen from spruce' pdf.........press +&- together while its up and running. This will show what setting its on, press and hold them again and the displayed setting will flash. Use + and - to adjust to the setting of your choice then switch off the controller, power it back up and your new settings apply.

Just to give you a benchmark, i work alone with the same as you.... digi varistream and a shurflo, with pencil jets i use 3/D....sometimes F

With fan jets i use anything from 3/F to 4/A

I have settled on 4/A nowadays, treat the 1-9-A-F section as your decimal points.

I.e. Treat 3/5 as 3.0 and 3/A as 3.5 so 3/F would be 3.9 hopefully this makes sense?? Lol

So if you look at my settings of 3/F (3.9) i find that if you keep your tap open for minutes the pressure will stay constant whereas if you had 3/A (3.5) the pressure would start out how you want it but after a couple of minutes of continous use the pressure goes down and increases rinse time. Sorry for going on and on lol.
Thanks very much mate I kind of understand will need to play with it a bit to get used to it, should 2 wires on shurflo at pressure sensor be unplugged and joined together? I have cleaned all terminals and checked all connections all look well plus like I say when my microbore ain't connected and I put my finger in the hoselock to release water my pump just gives me a steady number with no flashing L this leads me to believe its a pressure problem that the varistream is picking up

 
Sorry bud i cant help re the two red wires, i think the built in pressure switch has been removed on my system as the varistream looks after that.

But as for your pressure quandry, i'm guessing because the system is not under working load while you do the finger down the hozelock test the battery has got enough juice to trick you and the controller, once you connect the microbore and pole the shurflo is working hard to intially pressurise and especially to maintain that pressure therefore drawing a lot more amperage. Out of interest what sort of charger are you using again?

 
I have 2 chargers mate both smart chargers for cars one is a ctech expensive one and the other is a no name one but has a digi display and charges at between 13.9 14.1 and the varistream is telling me 3 bars yet the minute I turn it on it flashes L both batteries I have are never below 12.5 when I put them back on charge. if I reduce the varistream to 4 it doesnt flash L as much but thats obviously because its not drawing as much power I woild have thought I normally run at 6 for good rinse flow, I use pencil jets

 
Mmmmmm!! Ok

Sounds like a bugger, i think if i were you i would take the system to bits and start again. But to me it deffo sounds like a dodgy connection somewhere.

So youre running it at 6? Thats fair high, what have you got the pressure/cut off pressure set at out of interest?

Also when mine was messing me about last year, i took my battery to where i bought it to get them to load test it, like you i was pulling my hair out trying to get the system working

Also on your chargers, does the amp display reduce as the battery takes the charge or are they just nukeing the battery lol?

After a days work and i connect the charger, the varistream shows 3 bars, but the charger starts at 9 amps and goes down incrementally to 0.2 but it only takes 20 mins to get down to the maintenance 0.2

 
This is the first I knew the varistream controlled the pressure cut off lol but my pipes have been bulging badly between pump outlet and ball valve shut off, been like that since I got it had even burst sometimes and I was using car fuel line hose which is strong stuff, when I took the 2 spade connectors off my pressure swith and just left my positive and negative going into bottom of pump and turned on my varistream it never powered up my pump which is why I think I might have to join those 2 but watching a youtube wiring video the fella just disconnected his 2 and never mentioned them again, I re done connections today when fitting new shueflo pump

 
I would ring williamspumps tomorrow and ask them about totally disconnnecting the shurflo switch and let the varistream do its job. I reckon that'll at least take one part out of the equation.

As for the bulging pipe, theres a lot of pressure in these systems. The shurflo is rated at 100 psi. Sometimes when my hose is getting a little old the end bulges and gets a squirt coming out of the sheathing, the water actually delaminates the hose and gets inbetween the inner and outer layers, so i just snip an inch off to get back to fresh pipe and all is good

 
I will have a wee play with it in the morning mate and let you know how it goes just had a look at my new battery and its 45amp so wondering if I should try bigger, strange how I had 2 year ish and worked a treat exactly how its set up just now with pressure switch all connected up and varistream running it, thanks for your help will contact williamspumps tomorow if I have no luck finding fault cheers

 
Spruce I have been playing with pressure switch and with it set at 3 it seems better for less pressure when i shut valve of, am I right in thinking you either pick a 1-9 or an a-f you dont select one of each when setting it? I am still getting the flashing L with fully charged battery, the car battery I am using is 45ah is that maybe my problem?

P.s when I shut valve off and its pressured up it goes to P and then back to its setting number as if pump starting again then quickly back to P keeps doing this the whole time valve is shut and pressured up is this normal or is it caused by a leak(cant find one tho if it is)

 
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