water fed pole backpacks

[SamC]

What WFP backpack would you recommend? Looking at starting off with a backpack then eventually upgrading it.

 

[paul1]

Gardiner 

 

[Bart90]

Gardiner.  Have got two and they're great.  Only had to replace a pump since I've had them and the after sales support is second to none.

 

[Tango]

Gardiner

 

[Ana]

Pretty much unanimous mate, gardiner. 

 

[SamC]

Pretty much unanimous mate, gardiner. 

Am I right in thinking this will probably only last for one house before I have to refill? Ive been researching this for ages I seem to get mixed messages off different forum posts on how long it'll last for. Im not expecting them to last all day (obviously) Im just looking for something to get me going until I have enough for a van. 

 

[spruce]

My son uses fan jets and my Gardiner backpack lasts him a complete 3 bed semi with a little to spare @SamC. If the house he is cleaning has a conservatory he will have to refill the backpack.

He will generally carry his backpack to the front windows, do those, the sides and then the back. It means he doesn't have to carry a full backpack to the back of the house working this way.

A Gardiner backpack will hold around 18 liters (18kgs) plus the weight of the backpack. I find the backpack too heavy for me to use. If I use it for the odd back windows, I will try to carry a half empty backpack.

I appreciate I'm older than than a lot of you guys, but if a backpack was my only means of cleaning windows, then I would have to mount it on a sacktruck. 

 

[SamC]

My son uses fan jets and my Gardiner backpack lasts him a complete 3 bed semi with a little to spare @SamC. If the house he is cleaning has a conservatory he will have to refill the backpack.

A Gardiner backpack will hold around 18 liters (18kgs) plus the weight of the backpack. I find the backpack too heavy for me to use. If I use it for the odd back windows, I will try to carry a half empty backpack.

I appreciate I'm older than than a lot of you guys, but if a backpack was my only means of cleaning windows, then I would have to mount it on a sacktruck. 

He will generally carry his backpack to the front windows, do those, the sides and then the back. It means he doesn't have to carry a full backpack to the back of the house working this way.

This makes me feel loads better.

Does he find its cost effective for him to use it? presuming thats his only source for WFP.

 

[spruce]

This makes me feel loads better.

Does he find its cost effective for him to use it? presuming thats his only source for WFP.

No, I have a twin operator setup on my van. He has a hose reel and so do I. Each 'side' has its own pump and controller. But he hates hoses as they bring out his tourettes. I find the flow he uses too low and find the rinse just takes too long. I prefer to have a good water flow at my brush head. We have 600 liters of water available each day so its not as though we have to save water.

I do admit that we use less when he is using the BP, his water saving just isn't necessary.

Does he find it cost effective? Yes; ? because the only thing he has bought is his SLX25 and the odd brush. Muggins pays for everything else and fills the tank each morning and replaces prefilters and resin in the r/o when needed. Muggins also owns the van and insures it, taxes it and fills it with fuel each month. He doesn't lift a finger to help.

 

[Tango]

My son uses fan jets and my Gardiner backpack lasts him a complete 3 bed semi with a little to spare @SamC. If the house he is cleaning has a conservatory he will have to refill the backpack.

See I'd be on empty by the end of that house - often before. Depends how thorough I am. If it's a first clean then i'll get through loads (with the speed on minimum). If it's a repeat job where i can splash and dash then I stand a better chance of getting it done without running out.

Not tried the jets but I'd imagine that they restrict the water flow a bit thus slowing it down?

He will generally carry his backpack to the front windows, do those, the sides and then the back. It means he doesn't have to carry a full backpack to the back of the house working this way.

That works well assuming you don't get round the back and suddenly discover tons of glass lol. I do the same if it's a terraced house though - start at front, detach BP from the trolley, carry approx half a BP through the house, rear door, windows, go back through (rear door having dried off by now) and then the front door. Works okay just as long as i'm mindful of how much water I've got left.

A Gardiner backpack will hold around 18 liters (18kgs) plus the weight of the backpack. I find the backpack too heavy for me to use. If I use it for the odd back windows, I will try to carry a half empty backpack.

Which is odd as the Gardiner site does say it holds 23L yet many times i've emptied a 25L barrel into it and still had 1/3 to 1/4 left in it after filling the BP. Oh and yes like you I don't like carrying it either.

if a backpack was my only means of cleaning windows, then I would have to mount it on a sacktruck. 

I mount my pole on the sack truck too lol

 

[Part Timer]

Does he find it cost effective? Yes; ? because the only thing he has bought is his SLX25 and the odd brush. Muggins pays for everything else and fills the tank each morning and replaces prefilters and resin in the r/o when needed. Muggins also owns the van and insures it, taxes it and fills it with fuel each month. He doesn't lift a finger to help.

At least he bought the pole, when we work away I also have to pay for all the food and drink ?

 

[harunh]

Build a mobile system yourself, it will last u longer and more easy for u to fix when something goes wrong.

Or just buy a pure freedom trolley which will last u forever and will never break down on u ?

 

[Den]

At least he bought the pole, when we work away I also have to pay for all the food and drink ?

That be expensive the amount you knock back ?

 

[Part Timer]

That be expensive the amount you knock back ?

It is but he doesn't drink as much as me as he's driving the next day ?

 

[spruce]

At least he bought the pole, when we work away I also have to pay for all the food and drink ?

He does come forward with paying for lunch. Lidl when its his turn to buy and McDonalds or Subway when its my turn. ?

"Dad, this van uses a lot of diesel doesn't it? Good thing I don't have to pay for it."

 

[spruce]

See I'd be on empty by the end of that house - often before. Depends how thorough I am. If it's a first clean then i'll get through loads (with the speed on minimum). If it's a repeat job where i can splash and dash then I stand a better chance of getting it done without running out.

Not tried the jets but I'd imagine that they restrict the water flow a bit thus slowing it down?

That works well assuming you don't get round the back and suddenly discover tons of glass lol. I do the same if it's a terraced house though - start at front, detach BP from the trolley, carry approx half a BP through the house, rear door, windows, go back through (rear door having dried off by now) and then the front door. Works okay just as long as i'm mindful of how much water I've got left.

Which is odd as the Gardiner site does say it holds 23L yet many times i've emptied a 25L barrel into it and still had 1/3 to 1/4 left in it after filling the BP. Oh and yes like you I don't like carrying it either.

I mount my pole on the sack truck too lol

I think it will hold more if you brim it like my son does. But he didn't buy the backpack so he's not that concerned if water spills over the filler, runs down the side and gets into the lower section that hold the electric components.

The thing I find so fascinating is how he manages to leave the van every night with an empty backpack and an empty 25 liter container he uses to decant water into his backpack. He then expects it to be filled the next morning and the battery in the backpack fully recharged.

When something goes wrong he'll tell me about it on the first clean the next morning, never when we finish for the day so I have time to repair what's wrong.

"Dad, there is something wrong with my pole. When I put a bit of pressure on the edge of the brush to clean a sill from the side the pole spins." "Have you tightened the clamps a little?" "No, I shouldn't have to do that." "Its part of ongoing maintenance that you do all the time."

I used his pole the other day and had to adjust everyone of his clamps. I should do a DNA test on him. ?

Don't get me wrong, he does help me keep going during the day for longer, even if my motive is to wind him up.

 

[Ana]

I tend to get about 20-22 litres in my back pack with a little space at the top from the 25 litre barrels I use @SamC so plenty of water to do at least two three bed semis. 

Cant fault the system really can't, not let me down once in six months and I know others who swear by them too having them for donkeys years.

 

[Davy G]

No, I have a twin operator setup on my van. He has a hose reel and so do I. Each 'side' has its own pump and controller. But he hates hoses as they bring out his tourettes. I find the flow he uses too low and find the rinse just takes too long. I prefer to have a good water flow at my brush head. We have 600 liters of water available each day so its not as though we have to save water.

I do admit that we use less when he is using the BP, his water saving just isn't necessary.

Does he find it cost effective? Yes; ? because the only thing he has bought is his SLX25 and the odd brush. Muggins pays for everything else and fills the tank each morning and replaces prefilters and resin in the r/o when needed. Muggins also owns the van and insures it, taxes it and fills it with fuel each month. He doesn't lift a finger to help.

Could "Muggins" make son take a bit of the financial strain off Dear ol Dad? He'll probably have to at some stage. I work with my son as a business partner. My wife does the managing, scheduling and paperwork. We split the income four ways: son, wife, self, a quarter each and a quarter to the business expenses. Son and I do all the maintenance, repairs and upgrades together. He needs to be able to do this side of the work as well as cleaning windows. 

 

[Part Timer]

He does come forward with paying for lunch. Lidl when its his turn to buy and McDonalds or Subway when its my turn. ?

"Dad, this van uses a lot of diesel doesn't it? Good thing I don't have to pay for it."

Hope they never meet up, they'll be telling each other more ways on how to make us pay.

 

[spruce]

Could "Muggins" make son take a bit of the financial strain off Dear ol Dad? He'll probably have to at some stage. I work with my son as a business partner. My wife does the managing, scheduling and paperwork. We split the income four ways: son, wife, self, a quarter each and a quarter to the business expenses. Son and I do all the maintenance, repairs and upgrades together. He needs to be able to do this side of the work as well as cleaning windows. 

Unfortunately for me he has learnt to play the game and generally has his mother's backing. I've always told her that he is lazy but she won't have it. Somehow its always because of me that he's the way he is.

For example, at one time my car was always fastidiously clean and the kids were never allowed to eat and drink in it. He always said that this restriction was very unfair and he would never subject his kids to this cruelty. His car is a tip. The grandkids eat and drink and leave a mess. But the wife blames me for being too strict on our children for his attitude today.

But the first thing the wife does is ban the grandkids for eating in her car.

We went away to Cape Verde for a week our 45th wedding anniversary in March. He was given a list of jobs to do in our absence. He didn't do any of them - he did nothing for that week.

I asked him what he will do with our business when I can't work any longer. Nothing he says.

.

 

[ks789]

Unfortunately for me he has learnt to play the game and generally has his mother's backing. I've always told her that he is lazy but she won't have it. Somehow its always because of me that he's the way he is.

For example, at one time my car was always fastidiously clean and the kids were never allowed to eat and drink in it. He always said that this restriction was very unfair and he would never subject his kids to this cruelty. His car is a tip. The grandkids eat and drink and leave a mess. But the wife blames me for being too strict on our children for his attitude today.

But the first thing the wife does is ban the grandkids for eating in her car.

We went away to Cape Verde for a week our 45th wedding anniversary in March. He was given a list of jobs to do in our absence. He didn't do any of them - he did nothing for that week.

I asked him what he will do with our business when I can't work any longer. Nothing he says.

.

This is a big shame. I wasnt a great son, although I tried to be better at close to the end of my parents lives. Theres not a day go by I dont regret being better for them, black sheep that i was.