Is gas powered hot water any good?

[Pjj]

Hot water isn't going to stop this though it will delay the freezing, those puddles will still be there and turn to ice whether it's within 10 seconds or 10 minutes, I get why you want hot water as this will enable you to get through your work but you aren't removing the risk of those puddles freezing.

The weather is back to normal as off tomorrow with daytime temperatures above freezing looks like it's getting above 10c down your way next week if I was you I'd still consider aquarium heaters safe, simple and less of a clart on because it only takes some clown to start messing on with a heater on a trolley when your away from the van and ?

We did a hotel today or bits of it ware there were no paths was -2:5 so not that cold but as soon as the water went on the floor it froze solid , we were supposed to have done some gutter vaccing but the whole lot was frozen solid and the half round gutter was full to the top so couldn’t do that either ??? doing a softwashing job on a house tomorrow woman is adamant she wants it done regardless of the risk of ice , so will be using hot tank water , she has signed a disclaimer already as I said I felt it was unwise so will see how we get on with it , never used a hot hypo mix before ???

 

[P4dstar]

Do us a favour and post what you come up with. Interested to see this!

It's pretty much this mate....

Pardon our interruption...

 

[P4dstar]

There was a cleaner on here by the name of Smurf. (I think he got banned from here, I believe, but he never applied to come back. It was a pity because he was a very knowledgeable and helpful chap giving plenty of good advice. I liked him.) This is how he operated his hot water system, according to his posts. He wasn't a fully fledged window cleaner, as his core business was gutter clears. If he was doing anything such as conservatory roof cleans, soffits and gutter cleans, having a portable gas water heater allowed him to heat water from a customer's outside tap.

These tankless water heaters have to be drained down. If the water in their heat exchanger freezes, then it's a new heater.

Thanks Spruce. Never met Smurf but I used to stumble across his posts now and again. The drain down bit seems easy enough.

 

[P4dstar]

Hot water isn't going to stop this though it will delay the freezing, those puddles will still be there and turn to ice whether it's within 10 seconds or 10 minutes, I get why you want hot water as this will enable you to get through your work but you aren't removing the risk of those puddles freezing.

The weather is back to normal as off tomorrow with daytime temperatures above freezing looks like it's getting above 10c down your way next week if I was you I'd still consider aquarium heaters safe, simple and less of a clart on because it only takes some clown to start messing on with a heater on a trolley when your away from the van and ?

We're confusing two issues here We have a van that can't even create the puddles at the moment because the hose freezes top between jobs haha.

I know the weather is back to normal but that little set up will cost me circa £300 including the gas bottle. If that keeps that van on the road for a day it will pay for itself. With regards to someone messing about with it, you are aware I moved away from St. Helens right

 

[steve garwood]

We did a hotel today or bits of it ware there were no paths was -2:5 so not that cold but as soon as the water went on the floor it froze solid , we were supposed to have done some gutter vaccing but the whole lot was frozen solid and the half round gutter was full to the top so couldn’t do that either ??? doing a softwashing job on a house tomorrow woman is adamant she wants it done regardless of the risk of ice , so will be using hot tank water , she has signed a disclaimer already as I said I felt it was unwise so will see how we get on with it , never used a hot hypo mix before ???

Your laughing emoji is stuck again ?

 

[P4dstar]

Didn't Squeaky Clean Dave do something similar for a large cladding clean on his YouTube channel? Im sure I remember seeing something

Edit: Found it if it gives you any inspiration @P4dstar

It jogged my memory that this can be done to be honest mate. I've been toying with the idea of buying a second hand hotbox or similar but seeing Dave's video reminded me that Green Pro did an install using the same process. It looked too complicated for me at the time and I also don't like the idea of this as a permanent feature.

 

[Pjj]

It's pretty much this mate....

Pardon our interruption...

Ime no expert on gas heaters but from what others have said think 18 ltr is to big most use 5-8 ltr think it’s something to do with the flow rate is to fast ?….

 

[P4dstar]

Ime no expert on gas heaters but from what others have said think 18 ltr is to big most use 5-8 ltr think it’s something to do with the flow rate is to fast ?….

I've gone for 6 mate. I think it's generally accepted we run at about 2L per minute. Also gone for a brand with a bit of a rep behind them (Camplux I think its called)

 

[Don Logan]

I used a ‘fogwash’ from Peter Fogwell who’s sadly dead now. It was a good machine and lasted 10 years!
Although I did only use it when conditions were icy.
I always used the red bottles of gas as they don’t freeze and had stickers on the van for legal reasons to let people know there was gas on board.

Was that the bloke that ran windows tools?

 

[Iron Giant]

We're confusing two issues here We have a van that can't even create the puddles at the moment because the hose freezes top between jobs haha.

I know the weather is back to normal but that little set up will cost me circa £300 including the gas bottle. If that keeps that van on the road for a day it will pay for itself. With regards to someone messing about with it, you are aware I moved away from St. Helens right

One of the sister laws used to be a copper in Gloucester I don't think it's much better just that the cranks are more spread out

 

[Iron Giant]

We did a hotel today or bits of it ware there were no paths was -2:5 so not that cold but as soon as the water went on the floor it froze solid , we were supposed to have done some gutter vaccing but the whole lot was frozen solid and the half round gutter was full to the top so couldn’t do that either ??? doing a softwashing job on a house tomorrow woman is adamant she wants it done regardless of the risk of ice , so will be using hot tank water , she has signed a disclaimer already as I said I felt it was unwise so will see how we get on with it , never used a hot hypo mix before ???

It's great that you were able to work at such low temps but it still doesn't remove the risk of ice forming, my van doesn't have a temperature display it could have been between -1 & -2 for me yesterday as it was fairly cold and some veluxs were covered in frost on Tuesday I got to the back of one house north facing with an unheated conservatory I didn't even bother touching it the windows had frost on the outside of the windows

If I can get out and work I will late start and early finish is all it takes whether you have hot water or not we have both been cleaning windows a long time and we had worse winters and still got through them, I'd sooner have cold dry days than wet weather at least I get home dry and without trousers covered in mud from dragging hoses across muddy lawns

 

[ched999uk]

I barely know how to dress myself in the morning so don't be so sure haha. I've had a good look and decided I'm going to mount the heater and bottle to a sack truck. This way the install will be able to be used outside of the van. From what I can see, much like a plumber carrying gas for a job, if the install isn't a permanent feature and just used on the job site I'm ticking the legal boxes.

I think Squeeky Clean Dave did the same thing when he had a commercial cladding clean to do. I do think that's the safest idea. You might even be able to use it to fill the van with warm water if the flow rate is slow enough, although that might take a while ? even at 10 litres an min that's almost 1 hour for a 500 litre tank!

I see it has already been posted, Oops.

 

[spruce]

Thanks Spruce. Never met Smurf but I used to stumble across his posts now and again. The drain down bit seems easy enough.

18 lpm boiler is too much. Peter Fogwills was 6lpm

 

[P4dstar]

I think Squeeky Clean Dave did the same thing when he had a commercial cladding clean to do. I do think that's the safest idea. You might even be able to use it to fill the van with warm water if the flow rate is slow enough, although that might take a while ? even at 10 litres an min that's almost 1 hour for a 500 litre tank!

I see it has already been posted, Oops.

Would be like filling a bath tub with the kettle ?

 

[P4dstar]

18 lpm boiler is too much. Peter Fogwills was 6lpm

That’s what I’ve gone for mate.

 

[P4dstar]

One of the sister laws used to be a copper in Gloucester I don't think it's much better just that the cranks are more spread out

Don’t let these southerners bull ? you. Their idea of ‘rough estate’ is what most of my school friends would aspire to!

 

[steve garwood]

Was that the bloke that ran windows tools?

Yes that’s him. Myself and @tench0771 were members of his forum

 

[steve garwood]

Don’t let these southerners bull ? you. Their idea of ‘rough estate’ is what most of my school friends would aspire to!

I was brought up on the north Peckham estate. The first estate to stop the postmen and milkmen delivering on there as they were constantly mugged.
The worst thing to happen on the northern ones is someone grabbing your flat cap

 

[P4dstar]

It's great that you were able to work at such low temps but it still doesn't remove the risk of ice forming

We've been carrying rock salt, sticking it down on any paths etc as we go. I'm glad we're due a change next week though as we're about to run out haha

 

[Iron Giant]

I was brought up on the north Peckham estate. The first estate to stop the postmen and milkmen delivering on there as they were constantly mugged.
The worst thing to happen on the northern ones is someone grabbing your flat cap

I get robbing posties as they carried giros but the Milkman were they all obsessed with

 

[ched999uk]

I get robbing posties as they carried giros but the Milkman were they all obsessed with

Collection days £££ I'm surprised they didn't target Windys back in the days of Friday collections.