Taking the plunge budget £500 ish.

[Wheelie Clean]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/401173149530
Something like this but it can be made a lot cheaper

Cheers Posh, I could make one of those no problem at all. It looks really simple but that box looks awful haha. I seen Waggas video series on a homemade trolley system but thought for the price of a Gardiner backpack it wasn't worth the hassle. I suppose the good part is you just swap barrels instead of filling the backpack up. Food for thought cheers.

 

[Posh]

That's the good thing @Wheelie Clean.

You just swap the barrels over.

Take 3-4 out with you & fill em up at night.

No different to filling a tank & if you get a couple of water butts you fill them from there.

Takes 10 mins

 

[Wheelie Clean]

How do you control the flow of water though? Have you got a flow controller on yours?

 

[Posh]

I have a tap which I keep in my hand & that controls the flow. I also have a hozleock connection on my hose which has a little tap on it which I have half open. The only thing I make sure I do is when I've finished I'm straight back to the van to turn it off so it's not straining as much as it should

 

[Dave B]

You can buy a controller (pwm) from china on ebay for under a fiver

If not use an inline tap to reduce the flow

I use a backpack nowadays as i have a few jobs where it helps to take it out and walk with it but other than that it only comes out to refil it then goes straight back in the motor

 

[Dave B]

Check out a thread by jimmyboots called diy alternative to backpack

It shows how to do all wiring etc and has links to everything you need

 

[Posh]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152224811327

One of these or as daveyboys says you can fit a controller.

There about £3

 

[Taxlossloz]

If you got a pick up you'd be daft not to shove a flat water tank in the back for next to nothing - then just drop a hose in connected to either a portable pump or backpack

Cheap and easy to move to garage / shed / cab on a night

Even if your just using back pack having a tank is the way - you don't wanna be fannying about with barrels

 

[Wheelie Clean]

If you got a pick up you'd be daft not to shove a flat water tank in the back for next to nothing - then just drop a hose in connected to either a portable pump or backpackCheap and easy to move to garage / shed / cab on a night

Even if your just using back pack having a tank is the way - you don't wanna be fannying about with barrels

I have a 750ltr tank on the van already, I clean wheelie bins as well hence the pick up. I toyed with using a pump and fixing a di vessel on the van to supply pure on demand but my current layout will need a massive overhaul to accommodate all the new pipes and equipment. I'm changing the van next year and getting a LWB Sprinter. Then I can split the load space with a bulk head and do a van mount out of the side door. This is just to get me going until then.

 

[Taxlossloz]

Ah I see - sounds like a good setup you will have by then mate

I'm thinking of setting up washer in van too but got dispatch at mo which is prob bit small

 

[Wheelie Clean]

The van will be very specific to my needs. I'll be removing the rear doors and making and enclosure to fit in for cleaning bins in with slots above for ladders. The water tank will sit behind and underneath the enclosure along with the pressure washer. I just use and 11 l/pm pump for washing bins so it's relatively small. In theory the bulkhead will be halfway in the load space which leaves loads of room for the van mount plus other pressure washing stuff. It's a big van with 1400kg payload. Sprinter or Transit I'm don't mind which. You should look at MWB Transits, not much bigger than a Dispatch but tonnes of room for pressure washing.

 

[Wheelie Clean]

Small development, one of the local windies has packed in. I called him to see what gear he had for sale. Turns out he has a Clx 27 with 2 brushes, a Sureflo pump and Varistream controller, 2 di vessels, a 400 ltr tank and 60 metres of hose. Wants £300. Any good? Was thinking of offering him £250 to test the waters.

 

[adamangler]

I find backpack easier on loads of jobs, hose reels can be just as frustrating it just depends on the property.

22ft is the only pole i have and to this day ive not had one window i cant reach using it, there was once a window that required me to stand on the wall to reach but she turned out to be a non payer and i only did it twice.

I have a couple im on the tip toes with i must admit.

22ft is the best as its shorter when closed than the 25 (gardiners that is)

22 plus 1 extension for a rare ocassion would be ideal for all domestic

 

[steve garwood]

Small development, one of the local windies has packed in. I called him to see what gear he had for sale. Turns out he has a Clx 27 with 2 brushes, a Sureflo pump and Varistream controller, 2 di vessels, a 400 ltr tank and 60 metres of hose. Wants £300. Any good? Was thinking of offering him £250 to test the waters.

Snap his hand off, that's a bargain if its all in working order /emoticons/smile.png.

You can get a backpack as an extra, there only £100.

If you intend taking on large properties or commercial, then a backpack is no match for a van mount, but are handy for taking through houses etc

 

[Wheelie Clean]

Done the deal, got him to chuck in a Xline sill brush as well! The plan is for a van mount next year anyway so that's already sorted now. I might just make a diy box with the sureflo for now save buying a backpack. Happy days..

Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 

[Posh]

Worked out well

 

[Kennygggkent]

Gardiner backpack, slx27 and 30m of hose is £463 with vat. I understand the slx will serve me well, so it will be a sound investment. What about brush heads? What would be your go to brush head?

Gardiner Medium mixed standard. Lasted me 21/2 years with loads of unconventional use like cleaning walls sometimes, great brush

 

[Kennygggkent]

Done the deal, got him to chuck in a Xline sill brush as well! The plan is for a van mount next year anyway so that's already sorted now. I might just make a diy box with the sureflo for now save buying a backpack. Happy days..
Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

I've done that! Good bit of fun getting it all set up, plastic box off cleaning spot for £30, or £16 for a less industrial one from makro. Then drill some holes and bob's most definitely your uncle!

 

[Dragbag]

I use backpack (gardiners) and can do tops on around 5 houses with a full 22lNo need for van mount for the odd window or just tops

4x25l drums will easily do a days work

What sort of flow rate would you recommend with that backpack? A balance between making the pure last and getting decent rinse.... The amount of water needed per house... Say a 3 bed, is still something I'm unsure of, got 4 20 l in the car plus a full backpack... I know noobs like me will waist a lot of water what's the amount of water a backpack pro uses as a rule of thumb :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsdown:

 

[Dave B]

On a gardiners backpack i have the flow over halfway

I can still do 2 average terraced houses with it full easily

I would say you would use a full 22l per house at first or do 2 lots of tops

 

[Wheelie Clean]

It's been an interesting week or so. I picked up all the stuff last Thursday and after a bit of measuring and pondering I opted to van mount. I ply lined the back of the double cab and popped the 2 di's inside. I got an adapter for my existing tank and plumbed it through a vent to the di's. The pump pulls the water through the di's and on to the pole no probs. Got a full days graft tomorrow with it so I'll see how it goes!