WFP when living in a flat with no outside tap.

[JakdeDiamond]

Hi guys, 

I'm moving in with the ms in a months time and will be moving into a flat. There isn't an outside tap for usage of the residents unfortunately. 

I am Traditional at the moment but in the future plan to move to WFP. Not having a tap would be a problem as the nearest spotless water place is a 30 min drive.

I've seen the mobile systems that a lot of the cleaners in the United States use and wondering what peoples thoughts are? This one in particular caught my eye. 

https://www.thecleaningwarehouse.co.uk/new-water-genie-mobile-ro-system-twin-20-hf4-membranes-4585-p.asp

My question is, without a way to produce my own pure, why aren't these systems more popular? And are they any good? Would tell custy I need their water and don't see any problems with that. I'm new but mainly plan on residential 2up 2 down sort of thing. 

Thanks guys, hope you're enjoying the rare sunny weather. 

Jake

 

[Deleted member 7446]

Hi guys, 

I'm moving in with the ms in a months time and will be moving into a flat. There isn't an outside tap for usage of the residents unfortunately. 

I am Traditional at the moment but in the future plan to move to WFP. Not having a tap would be a problem as the nearest spotless water place is a 30 min drive.

I've seen the mobile systems that a lot of the cleaners in the United States use and wondering what peoples thoughts are? This one in particular caught my eye. 

https://www.thecleaningwarehouse.co.uk/new-water-genie-mobile-ro-system-twin-20-hf4-membranes-4585-p.asp

My question is, without a way to produce my own pure, why aren't these systems more popular? And are they any good? Would tell custy I need their water and don't see any problems with that. I'm new but mainly plan on residential 2up 2 down sort of thing. 

Thanks guys, hope you're enjoying the rare sunny weather. 

Jake

Morning Jake, the most common sense approach that depends on the structural integrity of your flat or water storage requirements would be to simply buy a 3/4" splitter with ball valve and to utilise your flats cold water supply via the means of a washing machine 3/4" cold water supply or kitchen tap adapter to then run water through your DI RO or RODI 

 

[ched999uk]

I would be conscious of setup time. It's not a light thing, then you need a hose to connect to custy tap and a waste pipe to drain, then rest of your wfp kit. I guess you are looking at an extra 5 - 10 mins setup/pack up per property, that adds up to a lot of lost time.

Do you have a relative/friend with a garage that you could 'hire' to process your water? Next option, any local farms that might rent you a few square meters and a tap? A commercial unit is probably not going to be cost effective.

I think in the US they don't do regular cleans, more like once a year or ready to sell type cleans. Plus they seem to have fly screens and get inside done at same time. So it's a bigger one off sort of jobs, probably just 1 or 2 jobs a day, so setup time isn't quite as relevant as it is to UK as we tend to work on volume and repeat business.

Lastly could you persuade your partner to not move to a flat but something more suitable?

 

[Deleted member 7446]

Morning Jake, the most common sense approach that depends on the structural integrity of your flat or water storage requirements would be to simply buy a 3/4" splitter with ball valve and to utilise your flats cold water supply via the means of a washing machine 3/4" cold water supply or kitchen tap adapter to then run water through your DI RO or RODI 

I may be incorrect but I'm under the impression that tap water in the USA is a free commodity and isn't charged on rates like the UK.

Using an RO trolley in the UK would impact on your charges for services as your not using your own water, so your profit margin and USP is impacted upon as you'll be reliant on the customers water supply and in today's world still not everyone has an outside tap or accessible water supply 

That's my opinion and take on it. 

 

[JakdeDiamond]

I would be conscious of setup time. It's not a light thing, then you need a hose to connect to custy tap and a waste pipe to drain, then rest of your wfp kit. I guess you are looking at an extra 5 - 10 mins setup/pack up per property, that adds up to a lot of lost time.

Do you have a relative/friend with a garage that you could 'hire' to process your water? Next option, any local farms that might rent you a few square meters and a tap? A commercial unit is probably not going to be cost effective.

I think in the US they don't do regular cleans, more like once a year or ready to sell type cleans. Plus they seem to have fly screens and get inside done at same time. So it's a bigger one off sort of jobs, probably just 1 or 2 jobs a day, so setup time isn't quite as relevant as it is to UK as we tend to work on volume and repeat business.

Lastly could you persuade your partner to not move to a flat but something more suitable?

haha I would try Ched but we are already completed! To be fair it's a nice ol' flat for the two of us!

Lot's of good options there mate, never thought of the local farm, could be an option to look into. Got no mates me ?

I may be incorrect but I'm under the impression that tap water in the USA is a free commodity and isn't charged on rates like the UK.

Using an RO trolley in the UK would impact on your charges for services as your not using your own water, so your profit margin and USP is impacted upon as you'll be reliant on the customers water supply and in today's world still not everyone has an outside tap or accessible water supply 

That's my opinion and take on it. 

Hmm good point AW, I wouldn't have thought it would affect rates too much as a lot of people pressure wash and custy don't care if you use their water? 

Definitely would be limiting myself on custy options though, as you say, no outdoor tap means no service for those ones. 

Thanks both! 

 

[Part Timer]

Have all of your customers got an outside tap and how fast will it produce pure. You need a decent pressure to produce 2 litres a minute and I doubt you could produce enough constantly 

 

[NewGuy]

Best option then is to develop your round towards the Spotless place from your flat. 

 

[Master Jedi Alejandro]

How many floors up are you? Could you drop a waterline out and down the side of the house with a tap on the bottom? 

 

[Daftoldgit]

When I first used WFP I ran water through a resin canister connected to customers tap, and used it only for difficult or high level windows, and trad the rest. The resin didn't last long but was ok for odd bits here and there.

 

[Pjj]

Any friends or family nearby that you could fill up at there place ??? 

 

[Iron Giant]

How many floors up are you? Could you drop a waterline out and down the side of the house with a tap on the bottom? 

The building owner and neighbours would have something to say about that, there will always be someone someone wanting to poke their nose in. 

 

[spruce]

Hi guys, 

I'm moving in with the ms in a months time and will be moving into a flat. There isn't an outside tap for usage of the residents unfortunately. 

I am Traditional at the moment but in the future plan to move to WFP. Not having a tap would be a problem as the nearest spotless water place is a 30 min drive.

I've seen the mobile systems that a lot of the cleaners in the United States use and wondering what peoples thoughts are? This one in particular caught my eye. 

https://www.thecleaningwarehouse.co.uk/new-water-genie-mobile-ro-system-twin-20-hf4-membranes-4585-p.asp

My question is, without a way to produce my own pure, why aren't these systems more popular? And are they any good? Would tell custy I need their water and don't see any problems with that. I'm new but mainly plan on residential 2up 2 down sort of thing. 

Thanks guys, hope you're enjoying the rare sunny weather. 

Jake

Try to find someone local who will sell you water.

Or you might try to find out if it was feasible for you to rent a standpipe from your local water board. I've seen a few businesses (not window cleaners) filling their tanks this way.

People in the USA accept the principles of how an r/o works so also realize that a portion of the water the r/o uses will just go to the drain as waste. In the UK we don't have that same level of acceptance.

We found that some garden taps are switched off inside during the winter as well and there are still people who don't have an outside tap.

If I was a window cleaner looking for a new home, one of the most important considerations would be processing water, a place to store it and secure off-street parking so I can plug my van in at night to recharge my battery and keep my system frost free in the winter. Those considerations would top of my list.

 

[JakdeDiamond]

Have all of your customers got an outside tap and how fast will it produce pure. You need a decent pressure to produce 2 litres a minute and I doubt you could produce enough constantly 

I was under the impression that with a booster pump the pressure would be taken care of? Have I missed the point here? 

How many floors up are you? Could you drop a waterline out and down the side of the house with a tap on the bottom? 

The building owner and neighbours would have something to say about that, there will always be someone someone wanting to poke their nose in. 

Ground floor but there would definitely be a stink if I ran that. I was thinking of it originally as an option along with the water supply for washing machine etc but  I just don't think it's feasible. 

Try to find someone local who will sell you water.

Or you might try to find out if it was feasible for you to rent a standpipe from your local water board. I've seen a few businesses (not window cleaners) filling their tanks this way.

People in the USA accept the principles of how an r/o works so also realize that a portion of the water the r/o uses will just go to the drain as waste. In the UK we don't have that same level of acceptance.

We found that some garden taps are switched off inside during the winter as well and there are still people who don't have an outside tap.

If I was a window cleaner looking for a new home, one of the most important considerations would be processing water, a place to store it and secure off-street parking so I can plug my van in at night to recharge my battery and keep my system frost free in the winter. Those considerations would top of my list.

Haha yes, unfortunately as I have only just started my business alongside my full time job and am traditional to begin it was not part of my main considerations, we needed to move as my partner has a job in a different area and earns over double what I do. More emphasis on making her life easier than anything else, the place we have gotten is in a lovely area and on only a 12 month contract so eventually we can buy a house after this tenancy. 

The house definitely having an outdoor tap ?

Do you think that a system like I linked would be good enough for the time in between now and home-owner status? or should I revert my attention to  focus more on refining my trad skills until I can make the full switch? I am hoping with the amount of work I am putting in generating custy's to be full time exterior cleaner by the end of the year. 

 

[Master Jedi Alejandro]

Ground floor but there would definitely be a stink if I ran that. I was thinking of it originally as an option along with the water supply for washing machine etc but  I just don't think it's feasible. 

So wait, how far are you from your parking? I mean, could you not get a hoselock reel and just run it while the van fills. Then when it’s done you tidy it away? Folk surely do this when washing there cars at the property. 

 

[Part Timer]

I was under the impression that with a booster pump the pressure would be taken care of? Have I missed the point here?

It would depend on how high the booster pump took it to and the flow rate you could get through the membrane. I'd ask them what it produces per hour before I parted with that type of money.

 

[JakdeDiamond]

So wait, how far are you from your parking? I mean, could you not get a hoselock reel and just run it while the van fills. Then when it’s done you tidy it away? Folk surely do this when washing there cars at the property. 

25/30m mate. Parking is out front of the building and we are at the back ground. 

It would depend on how high the booster pump took it to and the flow rate you could get through the membrane. I'd ask them what it produces per hour before I parted with that type of money.

Thank you Part Timer, what sort of rate should I be looking at from your experience?

 

[Jaygti]

So wait, how far are you from your parking? I mean, could you not get a hoselock reel and just run it while the van fills. Then when it’s done you tidy it away? Folk surely do this when washing there cars at the property. 

This is what I was thinking. 
waste goes straight into the kitchen sink. 
pure goes through a hose to the van. 
when you’ve finished roll the hose up. 
you’ve just got to store the filters etc in the flat somewhere. 

 

[Part Timer]

Thank you Part Timer, what sort of rate should I be looking at from your experience?

Well if it doesn't produce at least 120 litres an hour you won't be producing enough water to have a good rinse, in my opinion.

 

[Deleted member 7446]

This is turning into a quite indepth and interesting post which will be of use to many new starters that live in flats 

 

[JakdeDiamond]

This is turning into a quite indepth and interesting post which will be of use to many new starters that live in flats 

Absolutely, it's great to see everyone come and input with what is an interesting situation that I'm sure isn't that unusual for new starters like myself!

 

[spruce]

This is what I was thinking. 
waste goes straight into the kitchen sink. 
pure goes through a hose to the van. 
when you’ve finished roll the hose up. 
you’ve just got to store the filters etc in the flat somewhere. 

The other consideration is if the block of flats is on a water meter and the water cost are 'shared' as part of the maintenance portion. Other flat tenants might not take kindly if the water costs go up because of you.

We cleaned a newly built couple of apartment blocks when we first went wfp. Each flat had its own water meter. But you don't have the facility of parking close to your flat even if your flat had its own water meter.