Univalve vs one shot vs wfp link... Full review

[Baldmonkey]

I've owned all three, the univalve, the one shot and the wfp link. 

UNIVALVE.

The univalve is useful in its simplicity but very expensive for what it is. I generally have 3 poles on the van at all times for various jobs. Now as I write this the univalve is currently £45.48 to buy a single valve from their website, that's just the valve with no hose, for 3 valves = £124.56...for 3 plastic valves ?. 

To put that into perspective, after a very quick Google search I found the one shot for £62.64 and the wpf link for £247.

Add into this that you need one univalve for each pole and it soon becomes very expensive. 

The other downside to the univalve is that it doesn't save as much water either. 

So say your going from the front to the back of the house and takes 10 seconds from knocking the valve off to turning back on. Most people assume that when you click the valve, your immediately saving water, wrong! 

When you turn the valve off your pump is still running till it hits the DE or hits the pump pressure switch.

So what's actually happening is that your univalve turns off but your pump is still running forcing water into your hose which expands it up, full of pressure. Now when you open the univalve it all comes flying out under pressure and your pump starts. 

So when you think your saving water, chances are your just building up pressure to release it all like a burst dam. 

If your turning you water off with a univalve for less that 10 seconds, you may aswell leave it running as your not going to save much water. 

Add into the mix that if you are using hot water, not only does this allow your hose to expand that bit further which holds more water than when using cold water, but it also makes the hose twist and contort. 

Conclusion - the univalve definitely has a place and is a useful tool, but far too expensive for what it is and what it does. People always bang on about these but when you look at the performance/water savings and costs, it actually rates quite poorly in the bigger picture, that's why I stopped using them. 

ONE SHOT

The one shot is a great little starter remote. It needs wiring into the existing controller as this is a stand alone unit and does not come with a controller. It's fairly simple to do but if you have no electrical experience then you will need to pay someone to fit it, which is an additional cost. 

As stated above you can currently buy the one shot for LESS than the price of two univalve, which really is a no brainer. 

The remote is as simple as a remote could ever be, one button.. On or off, that's it, this hangs round your neck in easy reach. I found this made it much easier to operate than the univalve as the end of the pole is always in a different place in your grip than the last, so whilst it's not rocket science to operate a univalve, you do have a degree of fumbling to reach the hose, but with the one shot round your neck, you find it easier as your neck is... Always in the same place ?

The one shot is best described by its name, one shot, it does exactly that, turns off and on.. One function the exact same as the univalve, no flow change no auto calibration.... Just on and off. 

The only issue for me was the range, now it was bad at all but behind some houses or a distance from the van and you may have to backtrack or try the "remote next to the skull trick" which was a pain in the backside if you'd just extended your pole to the top window. 

Unlike the univalve this actually turns the pump itself off so there is no build up of water and pressure in the hose, which in itself saves much more water. 

Conclusion - by far the best all round/beginners option, very cost effective in relation to the univalve if you have more than one pole on the van, the range was OK and saw me through day to day without much hassle, but the dead spots were what ultimately made me upgrade to the wfp link when it became and affordable option for me. The remote was compact and very easy to just reach and click, never changed the battery all the time I used it too. 

WFP LINK

The wfp link is the next generation up from the one shot, from the manufacturers spring Ltd, all the one shot, wfp links are all built by spring but can have various companies logos on the controller etc.

The controller itself is very easy to wire in place of an existing spring type unit with just 4 wires in total, still easy for a fresh install but like anything if you dont know how to do it you will have to get someone in to fit. 

This unlike the one shot does come with a controller for the price quoted above (but is available in a standalone unit you wire to your controller too). 

This is by far the most versatile control method out of the three and to be fair I probably don't know/use half of what this can actually do on a day to day basis, it has great features like an app you can pull up to have an overview of the controller settings, calibration etc, multi button remote, which allows for multiple functions to be carried out right from the spot so you don't need to walk back to the controller. 

The buttons are programmable so you can choose what you want each button to do, calibrate, pump on or off, increase flow rate, decrease flow rate etc. 

The remote is of a round design and much bigger than the one shot, and again hangs around the neck, this came with a better quality strap than the oneshot probably due to the increase in size and weight. The battery is rechargeable via a micro USB plug and lasts just shy of a full week without recharging. 

This like the one shot, turns the pump of and doesn't just block the flow at the brush head which saves much more water than the univalve. 

Conclusion - a great step up from the one shot and definitely better than the univalve in every way, the range never hits any blacks pots and the variety of features is absolutely brilliant,

However there are a few downsides to the wfp link. The main one for me is why a round remote? It's very easy to press the wrong button on something that's round which baffles me why they thought this shape was the best design for it. You can easily turn the pump down or up instead of on/off, this takes a bit of getting used to but really is a design flaw, granted they needed more space for buttons but a simple rectangular fob with 3 buttons would have been a better design for speedy touch recognition. 

In addition to this the micro usb port does not have a rubber cover / flap and actually sits just off centre of the top when it's round your  neck, again for me this is a bad design flaw, we work in the rain and with water, so why put an unprotected charging port on the top where is open to the element's most. 

For the amount of features you get it's still a good buy. 

Overall standings for me

3rd - univalve, very expensive piece of plastic. 

2nd - one shot, great entry level remote and cheaper than two univales. 

1st - wfp link, despite its design flaws its still the best option of the three and still the one I use currently. 

 

[ks789]

Good review. I have uni valve fitted and have one shot too, and find that I barely ever use the uni valve. Its rare that im out of range, and so easy to switch on/off. I have mine on a cord round my neck.

 

[Deleted member 7446]

I've owned all three, the univalve, the one shot and the wfp link. 

UNIVALVE.

The univalve is useful in its simplicity but very expensive for what it is. I generally have 3 poles on the van at all times for various jobs. Now as I write this the univalve is currently £45.48 to buy a single valve from their website, that's just the valve with no hose, for 3 valves = £124.56...for 3 plastic valves ?. 

To put that into perspective, after a very quick Google search I found the one shot for £62.64 and the wpf link for £247.

Add into this that you need one univalve for each pole and it soon becomes very expensive. 

The other downside to the univalve is that it doesn't save as much water either. 

So say your going from the front to the back of the house and takes 10 seconds from knocking the valve off to turning back on. Most people assume that when you click the valve, your immediately saving water, wrong! 

When you turn the valve off your pump is still running till it hits the DE or hits the pump pressure switch.

So what's actually happening is that your univalve turns off but your pump is still running forcing water into your hose which expands it up, full of pressure. Now when you open the univalve it all comes flying out under pressure and your pump starts. 

So when you think your saving water, chances are your just building up pressure to release it all like a burst dam. 

If your turning you water off with a univalve for less that 10 seconds, you may aswell leave it running as your not going to save much water. 

Add into the mix that if you are using hot water, not only does this allow your hose to expand that bit further which holds more water than when using cold water, but it also makes the hose twist and contort. 

Conclusion - the univalve definitely has a place and is a useful tool, but far too expensive for what it is and what it does. People always bang on about these but when you look at the performance/water savings and costs, it actually rates quite poorly in the bigger picture, that's why I stopped using them. 

ONE SHOT

The one shot is a great little starter remote. It needs wiring into the existing controller as this is a stand alone unit and does not come with a controller. It's fairly simple to do but if you have no electrical experience then you will need to pay someone to fit it, which is an additional cost. 

As stated above you can currently buy the one shot for LESS than the price of two univalve, which really is a no brainer. 

The remote is as simple as a remote could ever be, one button.. On or off, that's it, this hangs round your neck in easy reach. I found this made it much easier to operate than the univalve as the end of the pole is always in a different place in your grip than the last, so whilst it's not rocket science to operate a univalve, you do have a degree of fumbling to reach the hose, but with the one shot round your neck, you find it easier as your neck is... Always in the same place ?

The one shot is best described by its name, one shot, it does exactly that, turns off and on.. One function the exact same as the univalve, no flow change no auto calibration.... Just on and off. 

The only issue for me was the range, now it was bad at all but behind some houses or a distance from the van and you may have to backtrack or try the "remote next to the skull trick" which was a pain in the backside if you'd just extended your pole to the top window. 

Unlike the univalve this actually turns the pump itself off so there is no build up of water and pressure in the hose, which in itself saves much more water. 

Conclusion - by far the best all round/beginners option, very cost effective in relation to the univalve if you have more than one pole on the van, the range was OK and saw me through day to day without much hassle, but the dead spots were what ultimately made me upgrade to the wfp link when it became and affordable option for me. The remote was compact and very easy to just reach and click, never changed the battery all the time I used it too. 

WFP LINK

The wfp link is the next generation up from the one shot, from the manufacturers spring Ltd, all the one shot, wfp links are all built by spring but can have various companies logos on the controller etc.

The controller itself is very easy to wire in place of an existing spring type unit with just 4 wires in total, still easy for a fresh install but like anything if you dont know how to do it you will have to get someone in to fit. 

This unlike the one shot does come with a controller for the price quoted above (but is available in a standalone unit you wire to your controller too). 

This is by far the most versatile control method out of the three and to be fair I probably don't know/use half of what this can actually do on a day to day basis, it has great features like an app you can pull up to have an overview of the controller settings, calibration etc, multi button remote, which allows for multiple functions to be carried out right from the spot so you don't need to walk back to the controller. 

The buttons are programmable so you can choose what you want each button to do, calibrate, pump on or off, increase flow rate, decrease flow rate etc. 

The remote is of a round design and much bigger than the one shot, and again hangs around the neck, this came with a better quality strap than the oneshot probably due to the increase in size and weight. The battery is rechargeable via a micro USB plug and lasts just shy of a full week without recharging. 

This like the one shot, turns the pump of and doesn't just block the flow at the brush head which saves much more water than the univalve. 

Conclusion - a great step up from the one shot and definitely better than the univalve in every way, the range never hits any blacks pots and the variety of features is absolutely brilliant,

However there are a few downsides to the wfp link. The main one for me is why a round remote? It's very easy to press the wrong button on something that's round which baffles me why they thought this shape was the best design for it. You can easily turn the pump down or up instead of on/off, this takes a bit of getting used to but really is a design flaw, granted they needed more space for buttons but a simple rectangular fob with 3 buttons would have been a better design for speedy touch recognition. 

In addition to this the micro usb port does not have a rubber cover / flap and actually sits just off centre of the top when it's round your  neck, again for me this is a bad design flaw, we work in the rain and with water, so why put an unprotected charging port on the top where is open to the element's most. 

For the amount of features you get it's still a good buy. 

Overall standings for me

3rd - univalve, very expensive piece of plastic. 

2nd - one shot, great entry level remote and cheaper than two univales. 

1st - wfp link, despite its design flaws its still the best option of the three and still the one I use currently. 

I only read a bit as my attention span and dyslexia makes it hard but I'd recommend the Spring Europe Ltd One shot as it's a quick easy 4 wire install and works well. 

Just don't stand on the remote or get it wet 

I might buy one when I get fed up of making my own kit from the endless supply of electronics I brought bulk when Maplins closed 

 

[ks789]

I only read a bit as my attention span and dyslexia makes it hard but I'd recommend the Spring Europe Ltd One shot as it's a quick easy 4 wire install and works well. 

Just don't stand on the remote or get it wet 

I might buy one when I get fed up of making my own kit from the endless supply of electronics I brought bulk when Maplins closed 

View attachment 22441

Yeh I think several with different names are the spring one. Got mine from wintecs but various have the same. 

 

[Deleted member 7446]

Yeh I think several with different names are the spring one. Got mine from wintecs but various have the same. 

Spring Europe Ltd make so much more than window cleaning kit. You'll be surprised where their UK made electronics end up 

 

[ched999uk]

Great comparison, thanks. Some great points.

One question about the univalve. You did set the dead end correctly didn't you? Sounds like the DE detection was set way too high, hence the hose pressurising so much. 

 

[Baldmonkey]

Great comparison, thanks. Some great points.

One question about the univalve. You did set the dead end correctly didn't you? Sounds like the DE detection was set way too high, hence the hose pressurising so much. 

Yeah calibrate frequently ?

 

[TWC]

I personally like the build up of pressure using the univalve. Great to build it up for rinsing. 
I have been thinking of getting a one shot recently. Mainly because I get so many customers home and wanting to talk to me (or anybody ?) with the lockdown going on. I’m always stood there thinking I wish I could switch my system off. 
Does the one shot shut down the pump or the controller as well?

 

[Baldmonkey]

I personally like the build up of pressure using the univalve. Great to build it up for rinsing. 
I have been thinking of getting a one shot recently. Mainly because I get so many customers home and wanting to talk to me (or anybody ?) with the lockdown going on. I’m always stood there thinking I wish I could switch my system off. 
Does the one shot shut down the pump or the controller as well?

It shuts the pump off via the controller, it's a good system and worked well for me till I upgraded

 

[Deleted member 7446]

I personally like the build up of pressure using the univalve. Great to build it up for rinsing. 
I have been thinking of getting a one shot recently. Mainly because I get so many customers home and wanting to talk to me (or anybody ?) with the lockdown going on. I’m always stood there thinking I wish I could switch my system off. 
Does the one shot shut down the pump or the controller as well?

The one shot wires in between the pump and controller just as an inline switch stopping just the power to the pump without affecting the control settings of the controller 

 

[TWC]

The one shot wires in between the pump and controller just as an inline switch stopping just the power to the pump without affecting the control settings of the controller 

View attachment 22450

Could you not simply buy a 12v remote switch off eBay and put it between your battery and controller?

Costs less than £10 and would simply turn the power off and then switch back on and the controller would simply resume where it left off. Or am I missing something as not really well versed on electrics 

 

[Deleted member 7446]

Could you not simply buy a 12v remote switch off eBay and put it between your battery and controller?

Costs less than £10 and would simply turn the power off and then switch back on and the controller would simply resume where it left off. Or am I missing something as not really well versed on electrics 

No comment 

 

[Baldmonkey]

No comment 

Definitely no comment ???

 

[Baldmonkey]

Could you not simply buy a 12v remote switch off eBay and put it between your battery and controller?

Costs less than £10 and would simply turn the power off and then switch back on and the controller would simply resume where it left off. Or am I missing something as not really well versed on electrics 

It's actually quite clear you are not well versed in electrics....i have watch but know nothing about horology ?

 

[Tango]

However there are a few downsides to the wfp link. The main one for me is why a round remote? It's very easy to press the wrong button on something that's round which baffles me why they thought this shape was the best design for it. You can easily turn the pump down or up instead of on/off, this takes a bit of getting used to but really is a design flaw, granted they needed more space for buttons but a simple rectangular fob with 3 buttons would have been a better design for speedy touch recognition. 

In addition to this the micro usb port does not have a rubber cover / flap and actually sits just off centre of the top when it's round your  neck, again for me this is a bad design flaw, we work in the rain and with water, so why put an unprotected charging port on the top where is open to the element's most. 

The round remote has 4 buttons and each one has raised dots on it - from 1 to 4. I have mine set as:

1. Speed down
   
2. Speed up
   
3. Pause / Resume
   
4. Power On / Off.
   

For me the main disadvantage is why only 4 buttons? - I'd like to have my rinse mode (+20) as well as the above buttons. It seems a tad daft to offer so many features but only 4 buttons to use them with. The remote though is superb, having feedback from the controller (2 way communication) and a whole load of LEDs on it to show you what it's status is from the controller.

What i find a real pain is fumbling about trying to find button3 - pause - which is more time consuming than pulling the hose at the bottom.

As for the micro USB I did speak to Ian about this on the phone the other day saying it's in the wrong place pointing upwards. I also pointed out that when you unscrew it to plug in the battery, you have to fold the wire over to plug it in - which then acts like a spring and has no space thus forcing the case apart slightly. The cure would be to mount the battery differently so that it doesn't need to be folded over as mine has a slight opening in the case due to this.

I have a draft email with a lot of feedback for them over this product. It's great but the instructions lack a LOT!

Just for anyone who's wondered, I have got some info for you regarding this:

• It works via Bluetooth (not wifi or 4G) when using your phone - but you MUST also have your GPS turned on (Spring state that they don't collect your location - yet GPS is nothing to do with Bluetooth - I could hear surprise in Ians voice when i mentioned this. If you don't turn on your GPS the app won't connect to the remote.
  
• The fob can be left in the van with no worries about temperature harming the battery - Ian said they've tested the batteries straight out of a freezer.. but they're supposed to be good down to -5.
  
• Fitting - you can unscrew the front of the case and find 2 diagonally opposing screw holes to use to mount it - the instructions don't mention this but Phil from Spring made it clear by email this can be done - presumably with no warranty problems if he's saying it.
  
• The remote can not be turned off - it's live 24/7 listening for bluetooth connections.
  
• You must have the remote with you if you use your phone to control the pump - Your phone uses a weak bluetooth signal to connect to the remote - the remote has the long range. If you leave the remote in the vehicle expecting your phone to still control the pump it won't.
  
• The fob has 2 way communication - it will confirm that the controller has acknowledged your command by showing you certain LEDs.
  
• The two round circles on the app - one is flow rate, the other is the Dead End (DE) setting - none of this is documented anywhere.
  
• No idea about battery low indication on the fob but when fully charged the red light goes green.
  
• Battery life for the remote is currently unknown - i'll try to find out..
  

 

[Iron Giant]

Very detailed, informative and well written, anyone just thought about nipping the hose ?

 

[Master Jedi Alejandro]

I’ll add my two pence. I use univalves in the shorter poles and Gardiner’s Gooseneck valve in the bigger one. 
 

Now, I love technology. I’m a big fan of Squeegee, use a electric reel and have all sorts of gizmos in my personal life. So what I’m about to say isn’t coming from a ‘don’t get technology’ point of view. 
 

These remotes run on power and require a connection to work. Your battery dies (cause you forgot to charge it) or your 100m up the street at the back of a house, your stuck (I’ll add I haven’t used the remotes, maybe @Baldmonkey can confirm if the WFP Link can reach that far or not). The valves are mechanical, so therefore simple to use and always working. Now, obviously they can break. But I’ve never had a univalve or the gooseneck valve brake on me. I have had reel controllers and phones and apps break ok me though, while I’m working. Also, you don’t need to take your hands off the pole to use them or not for long (univalve you do, gooseneck value you don’t. That’s why I use it on the big pole). 
 

Just my thoughts, but personally think the univalve is a great bit of kick and if your just starting out it’s very much worth the cost.

 

[Baldmonkey]

I’ll add my two pence. I use univalves in the shorter poles and Gardiner’s Gooseneck valve in the bigger one. 
 

Now, I love technology. I’m a big fan of Squeegee, use a electric reel and have all sorts of gizmos in my personal life. So what I’m about to say isn’t coming from a ‘don’t get technology’ point of view. 
 

These remotes run on power and require a connection to work. Your battery dies (cause you forgot to charge it) or your 100m up the street at the back of a house, your stuck (I’ll add I haven’t used the remotes, maybe @Baldmonkey can confirm if the WFP Link can reach that far or not). The valves are mechanical, so therefore simple to use and always working. Now, obviously they can break. But I’ve never had a univalve or the gooseneck valve brake on me. I have had reel controllers and phones and apps break ok me though, while I’m working. Also, you don’t need to take your hands off the pole to use them or not for long (univalve you do, gooseneck value you don’t. That’s why I use it on the big pole). 
 

Just my thoughts, but personally think the univalve is a great bit of kick and if your just starting out it’s very much worth the cost.

The remotes do run on power, but should one break, or battery die the you can simple set it going at the van as if you didn't have a remote and could pinch the hose until fix/resolved 

I've never had the wfp link lose range and have 100m hose. 

For me personally the univalves are so over priced it's daylight robbery I mean £45 for one ?? and it's a plastic/nylon so will eventually wear as it has moving components which cause friction and erosion. 

 

[Master Jedi Alejandro]

The remotes do run on power, but should one break, or battery die the you can simple set it going at the van as if you didn't have a remote and could pinch the hose until fix/resolved 

I've never had the wfp link lose range and have 100m hose. 

For me personally the univalves are so over priced it's daylight robbery I mean £45 for one ?? and it's a plastic/nylon so will eventually wear as it has moving components which cause friction and erosion. 

Sorry but where you getting £45 from? You can pick them up £40 or even less if you buy multiple ones. I do agree it’s a wad of cash for a valve but then exceed do need to make there money back. I wouldn’t call it robbery, especially compared to some other components. 

 

[Baldmonkey]

Sorry but where you getting £45 from? You can pick them up £40 or even less if you buy multiple ones. I do agree it’s a wad of cash for a valve but then exceed do need to make there money back. I wouldn’t call it robbery, especially compared to some other components. 

Err direct from their website, if you want one univalve with NO hose, all in its over £45. And yes they have to make money, I'm not foolish but charging that amount of money for something that probably costs less than £1 to make is daylight bloody robber in my book. 

 

[Danfire]

Not an option for me and I'm taking this slightly off topic but interested in feedback.

I've been working for years using Gardiner backpacks with univalves. Got a 400 litre tank in the van, a submersible pump in there that feeds a 30mm hose coming up out of the lid top, when I flick the switch it fills the backpack in a few seconds. 

I've considered on many occasions wether I would be any quicker working directly from a reel. At present I grab the backpack, drop it at the front of the house and if I've got a run of three houses I have enough pole hose to get all the way round every house without moving the backpack.

I only have a couple of very large houses where I have to return to the van for a refill.

The advantages of doing things the way I do (in my mind) are I don't have so much hose to run out or worry about someone tripping over, it's quicker to get it back in the van as I don't have a hose to rewind (just make big bights in the pole hose and hook it high), no low outlet on my tank so very low chance of flooding the van, ability to get round to places where the parking is remote, being able to take it through to back of properties where there is no rear access and I've obviously saved some money on equipment.

The disadvantages (that I can think of) are having to return to the van on the big houses, humping the backpack around, space taken up in the van, I'm sure there's others and most on here will be working from reels and I'd be interested to know if it's really worth the layout. I do know one other, very experienced window cleaner that has a full system but works in the same way that I do which seems odd.