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Water usage
- Thread starter Spongey
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AW Services
Well-known member
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- 4,352
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- Devon
What does we work 10- 16 mean? 100lpm pumps are overkill when the rest of is are using 5.2lpm pumps. If you are using a V16 controller per pump you shouldn't have it any higher 68 per person
How long are you taking to clean each window? Maybe your technique requires some revision as it sounds like you are wasting water
I spend approximately 25/30 seconds per window, scrub the header, sides L&R then work down with scrubbing then rinse from top down job done
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- 11,504
- Location
- Sunderland Tyne and Wear
Depends how big the houses are, we can do 40, 2 to 3 bed semis with a 650l tank. That's with 1.4mm jets
clearview
Well-known member
- Messages
- 102
- Location
- Oxfordshire
Pumps on 68 I run mine at 16 with the standard 2mm pencil jets 8mm purefreedom 100m reel and 6mm pole hose never a problem I think less is more sometimes.
Hi, Thank you for the feedback...
10 - 16 = 10am to 4pm, my apologies for that...
The van can fitted (purchased 2nd hand) with the two pumps fitted...
I'll chuck what controller it is...
Thanks again
ched999uk
Well-known member
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- 4,983
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- Lancashire
Your pumps are probably 100psi 5.2lpm.
I would look at why your pumps are set at 68. is it that that's the setting that you decided gives you enough water to rinse fast or is it just a random number?
Also if you DI after the tank then your flow will probably be a bit higher than others.
Your jet sizes and 6mm or 8mm diameter hose has an impact on how much water actually comes out of the brush.
Bottom line is you need enough flow to be able to rinse as fast as you want but no more. I would experiment at home and see what actual litres per min you get out of your jets at 68. Fire your jets into a jug and time 1 min see how much flow you actually get. Adjust it down and test again, keep notes. Now go and clean your own windows on a lower flow and see if your rinsing has slowed down, if not then you now know how much less water you are using (litres per mins).
I assume you are using a univalve or tap of some sort to minimise the water waste between floors or windows?
I would look at why your pumps are set at 68. is it that that's the setting that you decided gives you enough water to rinse fast or is it just a random number?
Also if you DI after the tank then your flow will probably be a bit higher than others.
Your jet sizes and 6mm or 8mm diameter hose has an impact on how much water actually comes out of the brush.
Bottom line is you need enough flow to be able to rinse as fast as you want but no more. I would experiment at home and see what actual litres per min you get out of your jets at 68. Fire your jets into a jug and time 1 min see how much flow you actually get. Adjust it down and test again, keep notes. Now go and clean your own windows on a lower flow and see if your rinsing has slowed down, if not then you now know how much less water you are using (litres per mins).
I assume you are using a univalve or tap of some sort to minimise the water waste between floors or windows?
Hi, you are right, I checked the pumps and they are what you said...
I've played with the flow and the 68 seems adequate for rinsing etc as the DI is after the pump.
I ask the question because others have said to me the the 68 is quite high..
Many thanks for your info....
I've played with the flow and the 68 seems adequate for rinsing etc as the DI is after the pump.
I ask the question because others have said to me the the 68 is quite high..
Many thanks for your info....
ched999uk
Well-known member
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- 4,983
- Location
- Lancashire
My tank is DI after the pump also and I also run on 68 with 4 x 1.4mm jets on my brush. I think it's a little high in the summer but I never get below about 1/4 of a tank so I'm not that worried.
I like that, I’m going to use that quote next time someone asks me,
“Are you done already”
“Less is more”
laileglldl1416
Member
- Messages
- 9
It's hard to use too much water unless you are specifically wasting it... the higher the flow rate the faster you can work... to be honest if they're 18 decent sized houses you might not be a million miles away - there are people that will tell you you can do 10 houses with a 25ltr jerry can but the quality of their work speaks for itself!!
- Messages
- 840
- Location
- Christchurch, Dorset
I mean it's horses for courses to an extent. I use a flow rate of 35 coming out of 2 1.4mm pencil jets I could have it set higher but I'm quite a relaxed worker ie not going hell for leather unless I'm in the mood.
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- 9,247
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- Teesside
This question of water usage comes up regularly.
Back in the early 2000s, there were 2 of us working wfp in our area. We had no internet forums and learnt from the school of hard knocks. Everything was new to us.
My experience is this: 20 years ago I purchased one of Peter Fogwills wfp trailers. It consisted of 3 x 150 litre tanks, a pump box with a Shurflo 5.2litre pump and a 75 amp leisure battery. The tanks were linked together. I carried 4 x 25 litre plastic containers of water in the van. Peter supplied a 1/2" Hozelok garden hose and reel; we had 2 that we daisy-chained together. There was a by-pass valve just after the pump, which was his way of reducing the flow to the brush head. I could never get it to work but, as Peter Fogwill believed you didn't need to reduce your flow, that was the end of the matter. There was no flow controller in those days, and we used 2 x 3mm pencil jets in the brush head.
We had a compact round in one area. I would start at the top of the street at 9 o'clock and work down. By 2 o'clock I had used all my water, including the 100 litres I carried in the van. I would unhitch the trailer so I could get the last dregs of water from the tanks. (Now had I been clever, I would have processed water into an IBC tank and driven home to top up and continue working. But I continued to filter water into my trailer tanks overnight for another couple of years. The trailer rusted away and I upgraded to a Citroën Relay van, processing water into an IBC tank and replacing the 1/2" hose with 100 meters of minibore.)
As I was involved with the technical department of Williamson pumps, the Shurflo importers, about the failures of the pressure switches in our pumps, they recommended I try a Varistream controller which they had just launched onto the market. I fitted one and replaced my 3mm jets with 2mm ones. Everything else remained the same.
By reducing my flow rate, I found I wasn't wasting as much water during the scrubbing phase of cleaning the window. My rinse rate slowed, though. But I was able to work until 5 o'clock in the afternoon in summer and not touch the 100 litres in the van. Although each house clean took a little longer, being able to have water to work longer in the afternoon meant I did more work a day, which equated to a higher day's earnings and used less water.
I appreciate the example of mine is extreme.
One thing that took me at least 6 years to figure out was that you need an over supply of water. If you don't have an adequate supply of water, then you will never grow your business. I couldn't believe how fast a 4040 filtered water, and I wish I had replaced my 450GPD years before.
My penny's worth. If you are concerned about water usage, upgrade your r/o to a 4040 and process water into an IBC tank so you always have plenty available.
Back in the early 2000s, there were 2 of us working wfp in our area. We had no internet forums and learnt from the school of hard knocks. Everything was new to us.
My experience is this: 20 years ago I purchased one of Peter Fogwills wfp trailers. It consisted of 3 x 150 litre tanks, a pump box with a Shurflo 5.2litre pump and a 75 amp leisure battery. The tanks were linked together. I carried 4 x 25 litre plastic containers of water in the van. Peter supplied a 1/2" Hozelok garden hose and reel; we had 2 that we daisy-chained together. There was a by-pass valve just after the pump, which was his way of reducing the flow to the brush head. I could never get it to work but, as Peter Fogwill believed you didn't need to reduce your flow, that was the end of the matter. There was no flow controller in those days, and we used 2 x 3mm pencil jets in the brush head.
We had a compact round in one area. I would start at the top of the street at 9 o'clock and work down. By 2 o'clock I had used all my water, including the 100 litres I carried in the van. I would unhitch the trailer so I could get the last dregs of water from the tanks. (Now had I been clever, I would have processed water into an IBC tank and driven home to top up and continue working. But I continued to filter water into my trailer tanks overnight for another couple of years. The trailer rusted away and I upgraded to a Citroën Relay van, processing water into an IBC tank and replacing the 1/2" hose with 100 meters of minibore.)
As I was involved with the technical department of Williamson pumps, the Shurflo importers, about the failures of the pressure switches in our pumps, they recommended I try a Varistream controller which they had just launched onto the market. I fitted one and replaced my 3mm jets with 2mm ones. Everything else remained the same.
By reducing my flow rate, I found I wasn't wasting as much water during the scrubbing phase of cleaning the window. My rinse rate slowed, though. But I was able to work until 5 o'clock in the afternoon in summer and not touch the 100 litres in the van. Although each house clean took a little longer, being able to have water to work longer in the afternoon meant I did more work a day, which equated to a higher day's earnings and used less water.
I appreciate the example of mine is extreme.
One thing that took me at least 6 years to figure out was that you need an over supply of water. If you don't have an adequate supply of water, then you will never grow your business. I couldn't believe how fast a 4040 filtered water, and I wish I had replaced my 450GPD years before.
My penny's worth. If you are concerned about water usage, upgrade your r/o to a 4040 and process water into an IBC tank so you always have plenty available.
.I would recommend anyone starting in this business to have a pure water producing system set up in the garage. A 40/40 RO is a must. If you don't have a garage then build an insulated type of housing to accommodate your 1000 L IBC and all your filters. You learn over the years through trial and error...(money) how to produce your watch cost effectively. If your unfortunate enough to live in a hard water area you must invest in a water sorftener system that softens the water before it enters the RO. It won't take long before your expensive RO gets damaged and becomes useless.
As for as water control all you need is a small tap , which costs around a tenner placed between a the top of the pole and the brush. You can regulate the flow of water at will.
As far as water usage you should price your work so it works out your basically getting a pound a litre.
- Messages
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- Location
- Sunderland Tyne and Wear
I am in a very hard water area, anything between 3 - 400 tds. Never used water softener and usually get at least 4 years out of our membrane.
As a guide I agree trying to get a £1 a litre but where we are, NE, you'd do well to average 80p. The work we do in the south averages closer to £1.40 a litre though.
Your doing very well to use the same membrane in a hard water area for 4 years without softening the water. I'm curious though. What is your tds going into your IBC after a couple of years.
- Messages
- 11,504
- Location
- Sunderland Tyne and Wear
When it gets to 30, before Di, I change the membrane. Mine is a van mount so it goes through the Di and then directly into the tank.
