Window vac

[Danfire]

I see Karcher are running a new ad campaign for their window vac.... The new TV advert has minions.... I'm hoping this product will really take off so people stop asking me to clean insides.

 

[rafawindowcleaning]

I have seen people using it on the outside

 

[SkulBlaker]

Haha, the mother in law bought one, the thing is utter shite, leaks everywhere and leaves marks all over the window, she only uses it for the shower now

 

[Cactus27]

i have 2, they're great although not made for all day usage

 

[Bingo]

i have 2, they're great although not made for all day usage

Don't understand why a proper window cleaner would even have one...let alone have two .

 

[Cactus27]

i from canada and i am new to this forum so i will try to respond to what sounds like a bit of an insult politely.

Dear Bingo,

when i started window cleaning 3 years ago i worked for a company that had been doing cleaning for about 30 years. every time i asked a question and then questioned their response they always came back with "thats how ya do it, we've been doing it that way for 30 years". sometimes they we're right but often new ideas, techniques and equipment had come along to do the job better. the equipment they told me i needed was an 11 and 18 brass squeegee, scraper, brush, bucket, soap, tsp and a ladder.

since starting my own company i have acquired a variety of ladders, poles squeegee handles, different cloths, i have made custom equipment like wagtail style handles, and of course a water fed pole and filtration system and for where there is no water supply and holding tank and pump for purified water.

as i consider myself a forward thinker and want to provide my customer with the best possible job and myself with the most efficient and safe work environment. i constantly watch forums like this one for new answers to problems. one of the many things i found was i thread looking for a way to do large high windows where ladder access was not easy and drips were not desirable. the only suggestion that was really good was put a window vac on a pole-problem solved-job done-well thats about it then.

i immediately bought one to try and found that there MANY applications where this tool far outperforms a standard squeegee. as i said it is a residential product not designed for commercial use so the battery takes a long time to charge only lasts about twenty minutes. while twenty minutes is enough to do most homes inside (thats tweny minutes of actual operation) i picked a second so one could charge and one was at the ready.

how long does it take a new employee to master a swirl technique so they don't have streaks and marks? it takes about 60 seconds with a window vac.

do you have to to wipe up water from the bottom ledge? you don't have to when you use a window vac.

i think any "proper window cleaner" or any tradesman or professional should be constantly reeducating themselves to stay at the top of their field.

 

[SkulBlaker]

Does the vac on a pole not weigh quite a bit when extended mate? The karcher ones are quite heavy and I would think they would bend the poles. I can see the idea behind it but would you not need loads of battery's if they only last 20 minutes. I'm all for forward thinking and new innovations but I just can't see how this would be effective in the long term that's all. Not having a go with the questioning, just trying to understand something that's alien to me (it's how we learn isn't it). I always ask my daughter each and every day if she asked any interesting questions at school.

 

[Cactus27]

Does the vac on a pole not weigh quite a bit when extended mate? The karcher ones are quite heavy and I would think they would bend the poles. I can see the idea behind it but would you not need loads of battery's if they only last 20 minutes. I'm all for forward thinking and new innovations but I just can't see how this would be effective in the long term that's all. Not having a go with the questioning, just trying to understand something that's alien to me (it's how we learn isn't it). I always ask my daughter each and every day if she asked any interesting questions at school.

hey skulblaker,

first it is the wv50 that i have.

the pole idea is what triggered it for me and i had to make a connector for it to fit the pole as hman has done with so many other custom items. i use it with my reach it mini carbon fibre with the angle adapter on. it is tricky on a pole but it's only for situations where a ladder or reg pole and squeegee is tricky too.

i don't use it all the time but i have used it mostly on regular windows indside, a swipe accross the top then continue side pulls or vertcal, very fast almost no drips so no puddle at the bottom (this is great on large panes where you cannot catch the drips with a second hand) and if you side accross top and then vert usually no detailing. it is less likely to leave small trails at the end of the squeegee due to the vacuum sucking the liquid inward.

battery is internal no spare possible hence my 2 unit. the 20 minutes is a guess it may be 30 but it is enough to do most homes on the inside (2000sq ft 40 or so panes of glass) and you turn it off between windows like you would a trolley for pure water. trigger is right under your finger.

it's not for always but it is great.

one is now worn out (switch went), again they are not made or warrantied for commercial use but for $40-65 cad i will replace it in spring (we're about to enter our annual ice age here)

regular ettore rubber fits. rubber gets trimmed exactly at edge.

 

[SkulBlaker]

Ah. Well firstly nice one one the innovation and thought to do this in the first place. Secondly thanks for clearing it up. Thought from what you were saying it was a regular use item. Is there no commercial grade vac available?

 

[Bingo]

i from canada and i am new to this forum so i will try to respond to what sounds like a bit of an insult politely.

:iaminnocent: Not insulting you mate, hence the '' ......you'll get used to my sense of humour the more you're on here :thumbs:.