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Thoughts on WFP after first week

Suhrly

Well-known member
Messages
722
Location
North East
So I completed my first week water fed pole. After tradding for 4 years it's soooo different. Every inch of me is aching! ? I did quite enjoy it I have to say. Some windows were VERY tricky to do (ones over a long extension) and I really struggled with some of them to be honest. But I found the trickiest thing for me, and what slowed me down and frustrated me the most was hose management!!! I'm using a Pure Freedom van system with 100m minibore (I haven't pulled out 100m as yet though) Damn thing was getting stuck and caught on everything! If anyone has some good hose management tips I would greatly appreciate it!

Being a newb I was crapping myself walking away from wet windows. Especially on those tricky 'elder' customers if you know what I mean. I drove passed a customers window that I cleaned the previous morning and noticed a spotted/beaded line right down her window ? my heart sank. She has slightly leaded windows and I think the dirt had got under it and then ran after I left. I called in and redone it explaining to her praying she wouldn't drop me haha. So I'm hoping after a few cleans those things should iron themselves out?

Looking forward to getting back out Monday to do my other round hoping the windows are nice and hydrophilic!! Its mainly a new estate. Do these new houses tend to have hydrophilic windows as a heads up?

 
I'm a year in wfp and still learning hose management using lamposts, bollards etc to feed round, car tyres and wheelie bins are a thorn in my side though, still learning every day and only lost a couple of customers, they just wouldn't adapt and have been replaced.
How much time did you save?

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Yes It is always a funny feeling washing windows leaving them wet, as it could dry spotty, whether a seal problem, wind blowing,that has contaminants, e.g. newly ploughed fields nearby, sea water. Whatever. But the main thing you have to think about is your safety, not worth falling of a ladder for cleaning a window for £5-10, or a £100. Hose gets trapped on everything,it gets your blood boiling, im sure there are gremlins wrapping the hose around anything.

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My hose still gets caught on wheelie and other things but since going tubless the snags are less frequent, my microbore is connected to approx 20m of pole hose with 6mm brass connector which is covered with poly morph plastic, no more proctaballs or rectus fittings getting snagged or disconnecting.

D5CE5B1B-71AE-4E9F-8781-AA84A34FA255.jpeg

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You could always look at investing in a Trolley now your WFP. The customers I have with more “busy” back gardens or bigger houses I just use it instead.

Slick connectors are also supposedly good for eliminating snagging, but I’ve not used them yet.

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Off topic, but what reel do you use @Den? And your thoughts on it please. I'm toying with getting a Coxreel. I don't want or need an electric one yet. Is yours a Redasche?

 
Power up hd it’s electric lol brilliant reel mate, know you just said that you don’t want a electric reel but saves so much time and energy and you are also future proof your shoulder you may not have a problem today but you may develop a problem in the future with RSI. 

Anyway if your not after a electric the manual version is the proloc reel very well made and easy to reel in I would recommend one.

https://www.windowcleaningwarehouse.co.uk/proloc-heavy-duty-reel.html

 
Regarding hose snagging, @Den is spot on. Tubeless and polymorph on the coupling is brilliant!

Once the hose gets worn, it also gets a bit easier. But it's mostly up to planning, parking in the right spot and pulling at the right speed. Rollers so you can pull sideways also helps.

Regarding windows drying dirty, you'll get the feel for it after a while. Remember to check your work regularly  after 30 minutes of  drying, so you learn from your mistakes.

 
I’ve been using a trolley system for about 2-3 months
The fact that I know I’m coming home in 1 piece is a ‘win win’ for me
Nowhere near mastered it yet!
Done a job thee other day had to go up after to check his gutters and notice a couple of window frames which looked terrible
Pulled out my microfibre starting grafting away.(lol)
Cant put a price on your limbs mate so just keep going that’s what I say to myself!
Although massive fan of traditional!
I struggle with my trolley in&out of the van so most times I just lift it with the barrel on
Like doing a deadlift[emoji123]
Jut keep going fella[emoji106]


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Hi
I have electric reel waterworks and a manual in and out van on trolley prefer electric quicker and easier on the lifting in and out good luck wfp snagging hoses always just watch out for the dog doo it's a real hassle

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May just be me, but I find with newbies when reeling out they want to tug as hard as possible or a sharp tug then nothing. Don't. Just keep good even pressure and it'll follow you. I find when you stop, then start again it'll snag, while if you hadn't stopped it would have been fine. Plus the hose doesn't go loose around the reel which is always a pain.

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How much time did you save?

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So far I think I'm about the same pace. Which for now is fine by me as I'm giving everyone extra time and lots of rinsing etc. Basically treating everyone nigh on as a first clean. So I'm hoping a few weeks down the line after a few cleans I can start to speed up taking less time on each window.

 
Yeah same here I was trying to flush out the remnants of soap at first, then you get quicker, and I save about 2 hours per day now, which in turn saves one day a week.
What's not to like.

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I drag all the hose i'll need to the first corner, then walk it along to the next corner and so on but it still gets caught. I wrap it over my shoulder at the first corner and release it as I walk. It still gets caught but a lot less than just pulling it. If the customers garden is really bad with a lot of snagging points I use the backpack;

http://gardinerpolesystems.co.uk/all-products/pure-water-systems/portable-systems/the-gardiner-backpack/new-gardiner-pure-water-backpack-v3-22-litre.html

Best £110 i've ever spent. I had to buy some containers to fill while I use the backpack so I don't have to wait for it to fill each time I empty it. I never pull out more than 15 metres of hose now, I just use the backpack instead.

 
I drag all the hose i'll need to the first corner, then walk it along to the next corner and so on but it still gets caught. I wrap it over my shoulder at the first corner and release it as I walk. It still gets caught but a lot less than just pulling it. If the customers garden is really bad with a lot of snagging points I use the backpack;

http://gardinerpolesystems.co.uk/all-products/pure-water-systems/portable-systems/the-gardiner-backpack/new-gardiner-pure-water-backpack-v3-22-litre.html

Best £110 i've ever spent. I had to buy some containers to fill while I use the backpack so I don't have to wait for it to fill each time I empty it. I never pull out more than 15 metres of hose now, I just use the backpack instead.
I have gardens that are full of plant pots and delicate flower beds also have houses with bulbs growing out of lawns trolley or backpack wins every time with these properties, it’s only a couple minutes more but obviously heavier work. 

 
I have gardens that are full of plant pots and delicate flower beds also have houses with bulbs growing out of lawns trolley or backpack wins every time with these properties, it’s only a couple minutes more but obviously heavier work. 
Yeah trolley over backpack if you got the money. I had to walk about 100m or so this morning to do the front of a customers property because of the stupid way the street is set out and my full 22L backpack began feeling pretty heavy towards the end. I don't us it as a backpack though, I just carry it, feel like a Ghost buster otherwise haha  :1f602:

 
Stick it on a lightweight trolley, sod carrying one that distance, we have a purefreedom nano trolley and a gardiner backpack on a trolley plus I have another gardiner backpack no trolley that we carry thru houses but only if I can park outside their house. ?

 
Regarding an electric reel it’s easy to make one for around £30 - £40 using parts from a 24v electric scooter you just need 8mm chain, sprocket and electric motor with am 8mm sprocket on that to and a bit of patience making sure it’s lined up. I made mine about 2 years ago and still going fine.


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