Traditional to WFP (Help & Advice)

[cleanthatwindow]

Hi all,

Hope you’re all well & keeping safe!

Before anyone shoots me down ?, I have searched the forum and been reading and reading and learnt a little, but my god there’s so many different options/answers, which seem to be going over my head ?. 

Intro..

I’ve been traditional window for 15years and looking to get into using a WFP (would of been sooner but a high percentage of my customers prefer traditional). I’m totally new to WFP and looking for help and advice on cold water system/equipment from someone who has good knowledge who I can bounce questions off, not a newbie like me (no offence). I don’t just want to ring up a company and get conned into stuff I don’t need etc.. or flogged a load of rubbish, that’s no good.

There is a budget, but isn’t, if that makes sense. I would rather pay a bit more for something decent, than pay twice because I’ve bought **** the first time ?

Little insight to what I’d be using the system for;

-Residential windows up to 3storey

-Some businesses on Industrial estates 

-Solar panels 

-Sofits/Fascias

Couple of questions I have to start with.. (Bare with me, please. As I’m sure these are simple, stupid questions). ? 
 

1 - Which are the leading brands in the WFP? Or what do you all recommend?

2 - As I’m not wanting hot water, if I can get water that is already pure, is it best doing that or purify my own water?  (Not worried cost, if paying for pure water.. more worried about time and ease of getting the water)

3 - If someone could break down in English what is required for a van set up where I already have pure water, that would be great too.. I don’t know what some of the abbreviations mean, that’s how new this is to me ?

TIA

Parker

 

[HWCS]

My advice fwiw, 

Purify your own water and do a self assembly set up, its easy cheaper and not as difficult as it is daunting.

Lee Martin at Bladeright is a top bloke and hes a onestop shopfor everything.

At home youll need.

Water feed, 450gpd RO system, 1000ltr IBC(buy a new one) including cover.

For you van youll need.

Water tank with tap

1/2" garden hose

5.2lpm sureflow pump

Digital controller

Leisure battery

Split relay or bat/bat charger or home charger

Hose reel

100mt 5 or 6 or 8mm reel hose

20mt 4 or 6mm pole hose

30ft pole (gardiner SLX)

 

[spruce]

My advice fwiw, 

Purify your own water and do a self assembly set up, its easy cheaper and not as difficult as it is daunting.

Lee Martin at Bladeright is a top bloke and hes a onestop shopfor everything.

At home youll need.

Water feed, 450gpd RO system, 1000ltr IBC(buy a new one) including cover.

For you van youll need.

Water tank with tap

1/2" garden hose

5.2lpm sureflow pump

Digital controller

Leisure battery

Split relay or bat/bat charger or home charger

Hose reel

100mt 5 or 6 or 8mm reel hose

20mt 4 or 6mm pole hose

30ft pole (gardiner SLX)

And a van. ?

 

[Matt-s]

My advice fwiw, 

Purify your own water and do a self assembly set up, its easy cheaper and not as difficult as it is daunting.

Lee Martin at Bladeright is a top bloke and hes a onestop shopfor everything.

At home youll need.

Water feed, 450gpd RO system, 1000ltr IBC(buy a new one) including cover.

For you van youll need.

Water tank with tap

1/2" garden hose

5.2lpm sureflow pump

Digital controller

Leisure battery

Split relay or bat/bat charger or home charger

Hose reel

100mt 5 or 6 or 8mm reel hose

20mt 4 or 6mm pole hose

30ft pole (gardiner SLX)

Also connectors from pole to hose reel of whatever type you want (I use the rectus ones) and a connection for the half inch hose to hose reel and bumper port or whatever other method of getting water from pump to hose reel to wfp you want to use.. do a bit more research on exactly what you need some good videos on YouTube.. speak to pure freedom about all the bits you’ll need if you choose to go diy set up that’s what I did and they helped me out and sent all the right bits. Also a univalve so you can stop the water while working or a tap on your hose I prefer a univalve as it’s just a simple small tug on wfp hose and it’s off. 

 

[spruce]

Hi all,

Hope you’re all well & keeping safe!

Before anyone shoots me down ?, I have searched the forum and been reading and reading and learnt a little, but my god there’s so many different options/answers, which seem to be going over my head ?. 

Intro..

I’ve been traditional window for 15years and looking to get into using a WFP (would of been sooner but a high percentage of my customers prefer traditional). I’m totally new to WFP and looking for help and advice on cold water system/equipment from someone who has good knowledge who I can bounce questions off, not a newbie like me (no offence). I don’t just want to ring up a company and get conned into stuff I don’t need etc.. or flogged a load of rubbish, that’s no good.

There is a budget, but isn’t, if that makes sense. I would rather pay a bit more for something decent, than pay twice because I’ve bought **** the first time ?

Little insight to what I’d be using the system for;

-Residential windows up to 3storey

-Some businesses on Industrial estates 

-Solar panels 

-Sofits/Fascias

Couple of questions I have to start with.. (Bare with me, please. As I’m sure these are simple, stupid questions). ? 
 

1 - Which are the leading brands in the WFP? Or what do you all recommend?

2 - As I’m not wanting hot water, if I can get water that is already pure, is it best doing that or purify my own water?  (Not worried cost, if paying for pure water.. more worried about time and ease of getting the water)

3 - If someone could break down in English what is required for a van set up where I already have pure water, that would be great too.. I don’t know what some of the abbreviations mean, that’s how new this is to me ?

TIA

Parker

Personally I don't believe your customers prefer trad. This is possibly one of the biggest issues we justify one cleaning method over another.

I have only had one new customer requesting a clean done traditionally in the past 10 or 12 years. I told the lady that I couldn't help her. We used to clean traditionally.

I handed some of our work over to a couple who clean windows I know about 5 years ago. One customer we converted from trad to wfp specifically mentioned that she only wanted the new couple to clean wfp and not traditionally.

Trust me when I say this. You will be shocked at how much dirty comes off the windows you clean traditionally as you can't get into all the nocks and crannies. This doesn't mean you have or are doing a bad job.

My advice is to practice on your own upstairs windows over and over again until you get the feel of it. Then you can go out a little confident it will go ok.

It will take time to change each house over so I would do your round in sections. If it takes you 20 minutes to clean a house now your first wfp clean will take an hour. You are going to get frustrated and question your decision. We all did.

Yes, you are going to get a few who insist on the old way but stand your ground. It's safer for you not being up a ladder and that's the reason for the change - period. Once you have fallen off a ladder you realise what a close call you have had.

We had a cleaner working traditionally in an area we cover. He insisted his customers didn't want their windows cleaned with the pole. He fell and will now be in a wheel chair for the rest of his life. I clean the house across the road from the house where the Windie fell. The owners now have a wfp cleaner cleaning the windows. I often wonder if that man regrets the choice he made to stay trad.

You can expect to loose a few customers but customers come and go anyway. Your life is worth more that the loss of a couple of customers. Someone said once they are like buses.

 

[Matt-s]

Personally I don't believe your customers prefer trad. This is possibly one of the biggest issues we justify one cleaning method over another.

I have only had one new customer requesting a clean done traditionally in the past 10 or 12 years. I told the lady that I couldn't help her. We used to clean traditionally.

I handed some of our work over to a couple who clean windows I know about 5 years ago. One customer we converted from trad to wfp specifically mentioned that she only wanted the new couple to clean wfp and not traditionally.

Trust me when I say this. You will be shocked at how much dirty comes off the windows you clean traditionally as you can't get into all the nocks and crannies. This doesn't mean you have or are doing a bad job.

My advice is to practice on your own upstairs windows over and over again until you get the feel of it. Then you can go out a little confident it will go ok.

It will take time to change each house over so I would do your round in sections. If it takes you 20 minutes to clean a house now your first wfp clean will take an hour. You are going to get frustrated and question your decision. We all did.

Yes, you are going to get a few who insist on the old way but stand your ground. It's safer for you not being up a ladder and that's the reason for the change - period. Once you have fallen off a ladder you realise what a close call you have had.

We had a cleaner working traditionally in an area we cover. He insisted his customers didn't want their windows cleaned with the pole. He fell and will now be in a wheel chair for the rest of his life. I clean the house across the road from the house where the Windie fell. The owners now have a wfp cleaner cleaning the windows. I often wonder if that man regrets the choice he made to stay trad.

You can expect to loose a few customers but customers come and go anyway. Your life is worth more that the loss of a couple of customers. Someone said once they are like buses.

Very true and if you can explain in a good way that wfp is actually better for the windows safer for you and the customer I find eventually even the stubborn ones will come round once they’ve seen how effective it can be when done right! I give it the old look let me have a go with the pole and if you really don’t like it after that I will just do the upstairs or unsafe/awkward ones with it once they see how decent their windows come out on maintenance cleans I very rarely get anybody say they’d prefer trad. I still do trad when safe to bungalows and the like. Majority of customers don’t want us putting ourselves in danger on their property and if they’re not (for want of a better words)stupid/arrogant enough to see that it’s made for the exact reasons of being safe whilst still delivering a good clean window then they’re not the customer you want anyway! ?

 

[wezza13]

Hi all,

Hope you’re all well & keeping safe!

Before anyone shoots me down ?, I have searched the forum and been reading and reading and learnt a little, but my god there’s so many different options/answers, which seem to be going over my head ?. 

Intro..

I’ve been traditional window for 15years and looking to get into using a WFP (would of been sooner but a high percentage of my customers prefer traditional). I’m totally new to WFP and looking for help and advice on cold water system/equipment from someone who has good knowledge who I can bounce questions off, not a newbie like me (no offence). I don’t just want to ring up a company and get conned into stuff I don’t need etc.. or flogged a load of rubbish, that’s no good.

There is a budget, but isn’t, if that makes sense. I would rather pay a bit more for something decent, than pay twice because I’ve bought **** the first time ?

Little insight to what I’d be using the system for;

-Residential windows up to 3storey

-Some businesses on Industrial estates 

-Solar panels 

-Sofits/Fascias

Couple of questions I have to start with.. (Bare with me, please. As I’m sure these are simple, stupid questions). ? 
 

1 - Which are the leading brands in the WFP? Or what do you all recommend?

2 - As I’m not wanting hot water, if I can get water that is already pure, is it best doing that or purify my own water?  (Not worried cost, if paying for pure water.. more worried about time and ease of getting the water)

3 - If someone could break down in English what is required for a van set up where I already have pure water, that would be great too.. I don’t know what some of the abbreviations mean, that’s how new this is to me ?

TIA

Parker

Personally I don't believe your customers prefer trad. This is possibly one of the biggest issues we justify one cleaning method over another.

I have only had one new customer requesting a clean done traditionally in the past 10 or 12 years. I told the lady that I couldn't help her. We used to clean traditionally.

I handed some of our work over to a couple who clean windows I know about 5 years ago. One customer we converted from trad to wfp specifically mentioned that she only wanted the new couple to clean wfp and not traditionally.

Trust me when I say this. You will be shocked at how much dirty comes off the windows you clean traditionally as you can't get into all the nocks and crannies. This doesn't mean you have or are doing a bad job.

My advice is to practice on your own upstairs windows over and over again until you get the feel of it. Then you can go out a little confident it will go ok.

It will take time to change each house over so I would do your round in sections. If it takes you 20 minutes to clean a house now your first wfp clean will take an hour. You are going to get frustrated and question your decision. We all did.

Yes, you are going to get a few who insist on the old way but stand your ground. It's safer for you not being up a ladder and that's the reason for the change - period. Once you have fallen off a ladder you realise what a close call you have had.

We had a cleaner working traditionally in an area we cover. He insisted his customers didn't want their windows cleaned with the pole. He fell and will now be in a wheel chair for the rest of his life. I clean the house across the road from the house where the Windie fell. The owners now have a wfp cleaner cleaning the windows. I often wonder if that man regrets the choice he made to stay trad.

You can expect to loose a few customers but customers come and go anyway. Your life is worth more that the loss of a couple of customers. Someone said once they are like buses.

Also to add, sell it to the customers that you're doing it for them. Their windows will be cleaner, all their frames will be sparkling, no ladder marks in the grass, no peering through windows and with the added benefit of being safer for you.

 

[Part Timer]

We need to know your TDS, have you any storage space at home, how much work do you do and are you a one or two man team.

We would also need to know are you prepared to do it yourself or just buy one off the shelf.

 

[cleanthatwindow]

We need to know your TDS, have you any storage space at home, how much work do you do and are you a one or two man team.

We would also need to know are you prepared to do it yourself or just buy one off the shelf.

Thanks for all your reply’s. Appreciate it. TDS meter is on order.

-I do have space it home, yes.

-work approx 40hour weeks, on my own.

-Ideally I’d like to buy from a company. But open to the idea of doing it myself.

Who do you all recommend company wise, if I was to by a system and not do it myself? 

 

[Pjj]

Thanks for all your reply’s. Appreciate it. TDS meter is on order.

-I do have space it home, yes.

-work approx 40hour weeks, on my own.

-Ideally I’d like to buy from a company. But open to the idea of doing it myself.

Who do you all recommend company wise, if I was to by a system and not do it myself? 

Depending what you want to spend Grippatank are very good or I cannot believe Ime saying this for a basic cold system pure freedom @Part Timer if they return your enquires ???, another option is look at a decent second hand system ionics systems do come up second hand on eBay and the forums now and again if the price is right they are worth having just allow enough money to replace all the filtration in the price . 

Just realised you are in Cambridge Grippatank are in Cambridge so might be worth a visit to them as it’s close by 

 

[Martyn]

Many of us get our poles & brushes from Gardiner Pole Systems.

 

[spruce]

Also to add, sell it to the customers that you're doing it for them. Their windows will be cleaner, all their frames will be sparkling, no ladder marks in the grass, no peering through windows and with the added benefit of being safer for you.

This is what we used to explain. The first 15 minutes of every new clean was explaining the system. We were one of the first to go wfp in our area and most had never heard of deionised water.

Eventually I gave up trying to explain it. I just told them it was magic water. If someone asked what we put into our water for it to work so well my response was that it wasn't what we put in but rather what we took out. No further comment. ?

These days I don't even mention our cleaning method. If someone wants their windows cleaned then I will do them to the highest standard I can MY WAY. 

Someone once posted that it you employ a trades person you don't stipulate what tools they must use.

Going wfp I told myself that I would do tops with the pole and the ground floor windows trad. I would still have to use steps to reach the tops of some ground floor windows because I'm short. It took me less than 1/2 an hour on our first day wfp to scrap that idea. Now all windows are done wfp. We can't waste time changing from one system to another.

 

[spruce]

Talking about answering customer's questions regarding wfp and the answers going straight over their heads.

A couple of months ago my lad reminded me I hadn't told the story of an ultrasonic window cleaner for many years now. He used to love watching customers faces and their reactions.

In the early days we had some who liked their nice clean windows and frames but we're unhappy about the glass drying off naturally.

So I told them about the choice I had made about which system to use. I could use this one or use an ultrasonic cleaner. All I had to do was point this camera looking thing at your windows, press a button, and your windows would be perfectly clean. I would be able to clean all your windows in less than 10 minutes. It had 3 drawbacks. It needed two people to carry it: used a lot of power and cost the same price as my house did. On a positive side your windows would be dry. However the cost of each window clean would have to go up to pay for the equipment.

This company then brought out a smaller version I could carry on my shoulder on my own as it was lighter and compact. But the price was 3 times what my house cost. But I could clean your windows in a couple of minutes and i wouldn't need to run a van with all that water. It would cost you about £100 to clean your windows.

So I still felt that this system is better all round. 

Often the customer ended up pleased that I chose wfp rather than the ultrasonic route.

In the early 2000's ultrasonic was starting to be a buzz word. People had heard of it but very few knew what it was. Some didn't forget though. About 3 years ago I had one of my customers ask me about the ultrasonic system and if I had looked at it again. I just said the company went bang as they were too expensive.

 

[Part Timer]

Thanks for all your reply’s. Appreciate it. TDS meter is on order.

-I do have space it home, yes.

-work approx 40hour weeks, on my own.

-Ideally I’d like to buy from a company. But open to the idea of doing it myself.

Who do you all recommend company wise, if I was to by a system and not do it myself? 

@doug atkinson is the man to speak to about your water filtration requirements, he'll advise and supply you exactly what you need. A Pure Freedom delivery system will be a lot cheaper then Grippa but by the time you put the travel on there might not be that much difference. When looking to save money don't think that saving money by not getting the tank properly bolted in is a good idea, there are better ways in saving money.