Welcome to the UK Window Cleaning Forums

Starting or own a window cleaning business? We're a network of window cleaners sharing advice, tips & experience. Rounds for sale & more. Join us today!

Highest td you can clean with?

WCF

Help Support WCF:

With these ppm figures being quoted, is there any point in polishing a ro output with a di?
Yes there is if your low RO output is still not good enough to dry without spotting (see my quoted post below).

What tds reading you can clean with is different for different parts of the country / world.
TDS only tells you the level of dissolved contaminants - not what they are. And since some contaminants cause spotting, whilst others don't, it varies.

The people who get spotting at a low TDS, probably have a larger percentage of calcium or magnesium in their dissolved solids, than those people who can get away with a higher TDS without spotting. So, it doesn't matter what anyone else can use, unless they are your next door neighbour.

Also, the lower the TDS, the more effective the water is at actually cleaning... Water wants to disolve stuff. There are technical reasons for this, but if you want to prove it to yourself.

Add a couple of dissolvable headache tables into a small glass of tap water. OK your 2 tablets have dissolved in the glass of water, and did so quite quickly. Now, add 2 more to the same glass and see what happens. Depending on the tablets, the water quantity and quality, the next two may or may not have dissolved completly, and they certainly took longer to dissolve. The less things already dissolved in the water, the 'quicker' the water will dissove/absorb more into it. They also dissolve until the water is saturated with disolveable matter and cannot take any more.

The same with pure water and window cleaning. Pure water with a low TDS (Total Dissolveable Solids) cleans dirt off the glass faster than water with a higher level of TDS (already dissolved solid matter), just as the tables did in the glass of tap water. i.e. water with a TDS of 000 will dissolve / clean more dirt and faster than water with a higher TDS level as it has less matter/solids already in the water.

Want more proof?

2 small glasses of water of the same quantity - 1 tap water and 1 000 TDS water. Add 2 headache tables into each glass at exactly the same time - which one dissolved faster?

 
Thanks, nicely explained WWC.

Although, just for the record, I wasn't saying you shouldn't polish ro water, just that if it's low enough tds, there is no need to fret over it.

 
Hi guys, just a question, I am interested in WFP route but on the smaller side, like a container or two in the car and one you can move about with you. Do you have any links that explain a start up package and all whats needed and what you have to do to be operational, working out of a car and using a troller type thing.

Anyway, main question was, yesterday the WFP guy done next door and i went and looked as they were out lol - the spots left on were amazing, and a run from the frames on top window, prob after he left. It made me think, how can you stop that? How do you no the window is going to be clean after leave and the rubber seal is not going to leak water down? The windows were not great tbh and i was shocked, I ama newbie I could do better myself trad and I am a million miles less for experience.

Would be good to hear some ideas as to why that happens or is he just **** and WFP. Really would like some advice on wfp and any tips on whree to read how and what you need to buy to get out there for a started on a budget.

Thank you so very much.

Scottie

 
Scottie, are you saying that there were spots/droplets of water all over the glass? That is what it sounds like.

If so, that is normal for WFP. The window is left wet, and not dried like a traditional clean.

As far as what you need… the first thing that you need to know is what the TDS level is of the water coming out of your tap. You can tell this by buying a handheld TDS meter. I think that they are about £15 online. You can get them from water purifing suppliers, window cleaning suppliers or just go onto ebay. The tds level of your tap water will determine what you need to get it to zero i.e. suitable for window cleaning.

The info on the linked page below will give you information on TDS, DI & RO. All useful for you to understand.

http://windowcleaningforums.co.uk/threads/window-cleaning-faq.11771/

 
Scottie, are you saying that there were spots/droplets of water all over the glass? That is what it sounds like.
If so, that is normal for WFP. The window is left wet, and not dried like a traditional clean.

As far as what you need… the first thing that you need to know is what the TDS level is of the water coming out of your tap. You can tell this by buying a handheld TDS meter. I think that they are about £15 online. You can get them from water purifing suppliers, window cleaning suppliers or just go onto ebay. The tds level of your tap water will determine what you need to get it to zero i.e. suitable for window cleaning.

The info on the linked page below will give you information on TDS, DI & RO. All useful for you to understand.

http://windowcleaningforums.co.uk/threads/window-cleaning-faq.11771/
Hi mate, No these marks were dry in like little spots, not many but the upstair windows has warter lines down them, there was clear to see water dripping from the frame. I was just shocked and the frames did not lool amazing either. The windows in short were not great. Maybe he did a **** job or the pure was not good. It just made me think about WFP cleaning and not being able to see your work up close on 2nd floor etc... Also what if he brush has dirt on it as it will form cleaning a dirty window that when at the rinse stage the water coming out does not catch a dirt part and hits the window and that will spot then? or leave a mark. It can not be full proof? I just wondering about this and trying to learn the set up the procedure.

Thank you for the link. I am interesred in pure water for trad work but is it work it for this? as soon as I dip applicator in the water is dirty or if left out dust etc and out side **** in the air, insects etc etc will contaminate the water in the bucket.

Really interesting the WFP work and also the pure water making.

Thanks again for the advice mate and the link, much appriciated.

 
Then it sounds to me, like he just did a poor job. There are quite a few out there who think WFP cleaning is simple, just a quick rub with your brush and its done. It can look like that if you see an experienced cleaner, but it's not always so simple - just like trad.

Regarding cleaning upper windows. Once you have the correct technique, you can clean upstairs windows just fine - just like trad with an extension pole. There are ways to deal with all the problems you spotted on those windows.

Perry Tait, who makes the Reach-It range of WFP products also created a website to train people how to use them. It doesn't cover everything but it is very good to start with, then you need practice and experience of different windows, types of glass, levels of dirt etc. Here is the link to his free online training courses :

http://waterfedpoletraining.com/

Or, there are of course paid, hands on courses available… Hmmm, maybe that other window cleaner needs to go on one of these ;-)

 
Hello WWWC, great thanks for the links, I will check them out later. I think your right, its how you use it, he must have been awful or got his pure wrong, as it was bad really. But I dont think he new the top frame leaked, it may have held the water for a while and then rang down, thats my issue with WFP cleaning. I really like the idea of WFP, I think a course is great on how to use it as it must kill, the trad pole i got I thought would be ok but its kills my neck, just can not use it much and watched vids on it. But then trad pole work all day is going to kill plus you have to pratice for ages, I just leave huge sreaks. But then I dont use a wagtail, that could be very good.

I think the whole pure water etc and making of it and working of it all scare some people, expensive to set up, Ithink I will trad and then maybe look into it. I dont no. Thanks for the links etc /emoticons/smile.png

 
It's not rocket science mate.

I've been going about 13 months now and not received one complaint (other than you've left my windows wet).

If you want to do it, just go for it. Much safer than trad /emoticons/wink.png

 
Just bought a 22lt backpack starter kit from Wcw and was wondering what would be the best method to get pure water. I live in burnley, lancashire.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
If your TDs is only 30 you will get away with only using a di vessel.

Sent from my RM-976_1115 using Tapatalk

 
How big and how would i carry it around with a backpack
Whatever size you want, though there are frequently 11L vessels on eBay. They are quite a popular size.

Different people purify their water in different ways, though the most popular is to make your pure at home in 25L drums or 19L water bottles and bring that with you - as opposed to bringing the DI vessel out.

 
Will i need a pump to take it through the Di or will it be ok straight from tap?

And what are these triple filters and filter housings? Are they for an RO system or can they be used individually?

 
I used to carry my DI vessel in my boot, so if I ran out, I could fill up on the job. It used to fall over a lot in the boot and soak it /emoticons/sad.png. I used to carry 6 x 25 litre barrels, a DI, a 30' fibre glass pole and a trolley in the car along with all my trad gear. Looking back I don't know how I did it day in day out.

A van mount was the best thing I ever did, but it took time to build up to it.

 
Will i need a pump to take it through the Di or will it be ok straight from tap?And what are these triple filters and filter housings? Are they for an RO system or can they be used individually?
Hook it up to your tap using hozelock fittings and trickle the water through to save the resin.

 
Tds off my shed roof yesterday was 003. Filled my spare backpack up & cleaned the windows with it & they came out spotless. Took a chance & used it 5 times today on different windows & so far no calls to say there spotting. Defiantly helped putting an old stocking where it comes out the down pipe to catch the **** & act as a filter.

 
Looks like im spending more money tonight haha so i need a Di vessel and some resin, already got a few 25l drums but might have to purchase a few more

 
There's a fella from Banbury on eBay who does good priced DI vessels. Don't look for them in the water fed pole section. Just type in DI vessel in all categories.

 
Back
Top