Pencils, fans and rinse bars which to choose?

[Ana]

Hi all

Had a nightmare past two days just before Christmas. On Tuesday my hose ripped in half but thankfully I carried a repair pack in the van then yesterday the barbed plastic on my fan jet snapped clean in half! Finished the day with one fan jet operational and the other pipe just spraying like a pencil jet over the top.

Got home and fitted some new tubing to what remains of the broken jet, glued it and added a o clip to try and keep me going for the final six houses I need to do today, be glad when I'm all done and dusted that's for sure.

anyways what's everyone's thoughts on fan jets over pencils when I order my replacement parts, much prefer the fans myself but I'm considering a rinse bar too if they are worth the extra am doing less liable to snap in half. It's for a Gardiner ultimate 35cm brush, currently with fitted with 50 degree red fan jets.

 

[spruce]

I quite like the rinse bar. It sits on top of the brush so the plastic jets are  vulnerable to 'damage' from the brickwork surroundimg the window frame. I regularly have to fix them with a sharp needle. 

If you have a swivel and a univalve then you need enough hose sticking out of the angle adapter to ensure you don't put any strain on the rinse bar when operating the univalve.

 

[Part Timer]

We use a rinse bar on anything 50'+. They're good if you want to rinse on.

 

[Ana]

Thanks @spruce and @Part Timer for the advice. I've no time had to do anything with the jets until now but I assume they are glued into place so would need drilling out if they need replacing?

im not a massively fan of the pencils myself, i think however if I fitted them across the brush head (space for four jets but would need a new JG fitting) it might work well. The rinse bars look cool and a great way of creating a screen of water down the glass to wash off.

do you find your using way more water tho? I used a ton yesterday on the final few houses, with a constant stream coming from the broken part. I use univalves too by the way.

 

[spruce]

Thanks @spruce and @Part Timer for the advice. I've no time had to do anything with the jets until now but I assume they are glued into place so would need drilling out if they need replacing?

im not a massively fan of the pencils myself, i think however if I fitted them across the brush head (space for four jets but would need a new JG fitting) it might work well. The rinse bars look cool and a great way of creating a screen of water down the glass to wash off.

do you find your using way more water tho? I used a ton yesterday on the final few houses, with a constant stream coming from the broken part. I use univalves too by the way.

The jets on the rinse bar are molded plastic with holes in them. I use one of these to 'clear' the jet holes.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12-volt-Light-Circuit-Tester-Electrical-Probe-Pen-6v-24v-range-Car-Boat/262126143563?hash=item3d07ef884b:g:QF8AAOSwALdcXv41

The front protector cap screws off leaving a sharp 'needle' probe which does the job.

If you look closely at the rinse bar on the Gardiner website you will see how they are designed.

I have always rinsed off the glass. The swivel does allow you to angle the brush head so rinse water isn't 'contaminates' with dirt on the bristles. I still inclined to rinse off the glass with the rinse bar. Mine is set right up on the brush stock. If I rinse in vertical strokes the rinse water still catches the splayed bristles.

So I still mainly rinse off the glass even with the rinse bar.

 

[Part Timer]

We use 4 pencil jets as standard and don't use the rinse bar that often so couldn't say if we use more water or not.

 

[Martyn]

The new Gardiner jet capsules are a much better design but won't fit your current brush, there is nothing on them to snap. I favour the 50 degrede fan jets myself, tried the 100s but didn't like them.

 

[Ana]

Think I'll just grab a set of 50 degree jets from Gardiner in a minute, along with a backpack so I can retire my old, preowned one. Better to have a spare pack in reserve incase that claps out now, which I can see happening.

all done for Christmas so time to spend my tip money on a few upgrades. Ordered some Showa gloves too so I should be kitted out and warm in the cooler Jan and Feb months.

 

[Marko067]

I haven't broken many of these 50 or 100° plastic jets but when I have it's been extremely annoying as I've been unable to re-use the jet hose either as I couldn't remove it from the broken jet stem. I've found it's worth carrying both spare jets and 6mm jet hose so I can do quick a roadside repair when break

 

[Pjj]

We use pencil jets on everything I have tried fans and rinse bars don’t like either , rinse bars I find either hit the lintels above the windows if in top ,and if in the centre of the brush find they hit the raised part of the window frames , fan jets just spray water everywhere and dont rinse well , 

 

[Part Timer]

Just recently we have gone from the 2mm pencil jets to the 1.4mm jets and don't notice much difference, apart from using less water. Tried the fan jets and didn't like them at all, we often have strongish winds and dirty windows as we live on the NE coast and found we had the odd spotting problem using them.

 

[Den]

I used to love fan jets but changed back to pencils as I find rinsing on or off the glass much better with pencils.

cant vouch for any other 35cm brush other than the extreme the 35cm rinse bar sits flush with the stock and works really good you will need a swivel but sayin* that I have a swivel on all my poles, noticed you mentioned that you using a backpack as an alternative you can use 1.4mm pencil jets with the 35cm extreme with good effect use roughly the same water as a rinsebar. 

My brushes are.

35cm extreme with and without the rinse bar the one without I have 4 x 1.4mm pencil jets.

DuPont extreme yes old but still use it as next to nothing wear great little brush. 

Extreme medium sill brush.

Ultimate flock for first cleans and leaded. 

 

[Martyn]

I haven't broken many of these 50 or 100° plastic jets but when I have it's been extremely annoying as I've been unable to re-use the jet hose either as I couldn't remove it from the broken jet stem. I've found it's worth carrying both spare jets and 6mm jet hose so I can do quick a roadside repair when break

You have to crush it to break it up and remove it in pieces.

 

[Marko067]

You have to crush it to break it up and remove it in pieces.

I guess you’re talking from experience Martyn. How do you do that without damaging the hose? I still have brushes with these jets in so it would be handy to know.

 

[Den]

I guess you’re talking from experience Martyn. How do you do that without damaging the hose? I still have brushes with these jets in so it would be handy to know.

I guess you’re talking from experience Martyn. How do you do that without damaging the hose? I still have brushes with these jets in so it would be handy to know.

Pairs of plyers I have broken a fair few and used the plyer method each time. 

 

[Marko067]

I used to love fan jets but changed back to pencils as I find rinsing on or off the glass much better with pencils.

cant vouch for any other 35cm brush other than the extreme the 35cm rinse bar sits flush with the stock and works really good you will need a swivel but sayin* that I have a swivel on all my poles, noticed you mentioned that you using a backpack as an alternative you can use 1.4mm pencil jets with the 35cm extreme with good effect use roughly the same water as a rinsebar. 

My brushes are.

35cm extreme with and without the rinse bar the one without I have 4 x 1.4mm pencil jets.

DuPont extreme yes old but still use it as next to nothing wear great little brush. 

Extreme medium sill brush.

Ultimate flock for first cleans and leaded. 

Have you tried the new flocked Xtreme sill brush Den? I recon you might like it. My two favourite brushes at the moment are that one and the Medium Soft version

 

[steve garwood]

Slightly off topic, but I recently bought a swivel gooseneck and used it for a day.

Absolutly hate it. If any of you are passing through Bromley, you’re welcome to it

 

[Martyn]

I guess you’re talking from experience Martyn. How do you do that without damaging the hose? I still have brushes with these jets in so it would be handy to know.

I have had one or two break over the years, the plastic gets brittle. I use a pair of long nose pliers to crush and whatever is handy to pull the bits out. The new capsule jets are so much better and seem to be made with more precision.

 

[Den]

Have you tried the new flocked Xtreme sill brush Den? I recon you might like it. My two favourite brushes at the moment are that one and the Medium Soft version

Not yet I ordered another medium last week for my extreme 25 I find the extreme medium good for rinsing on, what to try the flock version have you tried rinsing on with it? 

last week and also this week I have been using my extreme dupont a lot mine is still in excellent condition. 

 

[Marko067]

I have had one or two break over the years, the plastic gets brittle. I use a pair of long nose pliers to crush and whatever is handy to pull the bits out. The new capsule jets are so much better and seem to be made with more precision.

I’ll have to give that a try. Thanks for that.

You’re right about the capsules once you work out how to stop them coming apart. You need to lengthen the hose a bit above the pole and the jet hoses need to be about 15mm longer if you use a swivel, otherwise they pull on the jets when you operate it. Outside of that they’re great

 

[Marko067]

Not yet I ordered another medium last week for my extreme 25 I find the extreme medium good for rinsing on, what to try the flock version have you tried rinsing on with it? 

last week and also this week I have been using my extreme dupont a lot mine is still in excellent condition. 

I’ve rinsed both on and off with it successfully. Success rinsing on with it though, is dependent on how much debris you pick up with it.

My DuPont Xtreme is also still in good nick though now it's now mainly used as a backup brush.