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gardiner valve or univalve

Davidoneman

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24
Location
Knottingley
hi im about to order a gardiner pole and see they sell hose with valve in , i take it thats its for stopping the water , are these any good or is it better to get the univalve , many thanks . looking at hose conector is it the ez snap tail thats the best , and going for the ultimate dupoint hybrid brush , with the quick loc gooseneck . does that look like what i need on the slx 25 , just do 95 domestic at the min main 2 story but thought be best to get a bigger pole for 3 storys and commercial work . many thanks for recomendationsĀ 

 
hi im about to order a gardiner pole and see they sell hose with valve in , i take it thats its for stopping the water , are these any good or is it better to get the univalve , many thanks . looking at hose conector is it the ez snap tail thats the best , and going for the ultimate dupoint hybrid brush , with the quick loc gooseneck . does that look like what i need on the slx 25 , just do 95 domestic at the min main 2 story but thought be best to get a bigger pole for 3 storys and commercial work . many thanks for recomendationsĀ 


If it was me I would order the pole complete with PU hose and then order a Univalve from Exceed. I would order an EZ snap tail and then an EZ snap female hose stop to suit your hose reel hose of backpack hose. The female stops come in different sizes for different hose internal diameters and that's extra.

Example of 8mm one; but they come in 5 as well as 6mm hose barbs

https://gardinerpolesystems.co.uk/all-products/pump-hose/hose-fittings-adapters/ez-snap-range/ez-snap-trade-female-end-stop-coupling-8mm-barb.html

You would do well to order the right size O Clips as well as they work better than jubilee clamps.

In time you could order another extention to add on when required to make a 30' pole.

 
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If it was me I would order the pole complete with PU hose and then order a Univalve from Exceed. I would order an EZ snap tail and then an EZ snap female hose stop to suit your hose reel hose of backpack hose. The female stops come in different sizes for different hose internal diameters and that's extra.

Example of 8mm one; but they come in 5 as well as 6mm hose barbs

https://gardinerpolesystems.co.uk/all-products/pump-hose/hose-fittings-adapters/ez-snap-range/ez-snap-trade-female-end-stop-coupling-8mm-barb.html

You would do well to order the right size O Clips as well as they work better than jubilee clamps.

In time you could order another extention to add on when required to make a 30' pole.




hi spruce , its for a purefreedom nano trolley , vey new to this been cleaning trad for 10 years so taking the plungeĀ 

 
hi spruce , its for a purefreedom nano trolley , vey new to this been cleaning trad for 10 years so taking the plungeĀ 


I presume we are talking about the female hose stop. On the older trolley's PF used 1/2" delivery hose. So if they still use that, you would need to look at an adaptor such as this:

https://gardinerpolesystems.co.uk/all-products/pump-hose/hose-fittings-adapters/ez-snap-range/adapter-to-use-ez-snap-trade-pole-on-a-garden-tap.html

You will also need one of those Hozelok hose joiners

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BUY-1-GET-1-FREE-Two-way-double-male-hose-connector-joiner-Hozelock-compatible/162372115192?hash=item25ce21daf8:g:xPAAAOSw5cNYifPT

 
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My sons nano cameĀ with 8mm hoses and female rectus. I personally love gardiner poles and products but agree with Spruce regarding the univalve also when ordering a pole get the Pu hose Ā when orderingĀ online the orange hot hose in the only option works great with the univalve.

If you can stretch your funds IĀ would also recommend getting a slx18 as well as the Slx25 as you will probably use the 18 for a large percentage of your work and only need the Slx25 for the odd few windows you will find theslx25 probably last forever as it will hardly get used.Ā 

 
Definitely uni valve. Easier and the new style Gardiner valve is cheap & breaks easy when you step on them (which you inevitably will) Iā€™veĀ broke 3 in 5/6 months.Ā 

The old Gardiner valves were fine but these new ones are very disappointing and I wonā€™t ever go back to them (just my opinion)

i guess on the flip said the Gardiner valves are cheaper than univalves. But you get what you pay for in this scenario.

 
Definitely uni valve. Easier and the new style Gardiner valve is cheap & breaks easy when you step on them (which you inevitably will) Iā€™veĀ broke 3 in 5/6 months.Ā 

The old Gardiner valves were fine but these new ones are very disappointing and I wonā€™t ever go back to them (just my opinion)

i guess on the flip said the Gardiner valves are cheaper than univalves. But you get what you pay for in this scenario.
Hi RWC

We have had our current valves on sale now for about 5 years and they have proved to be far more robust and reliable than the previous push-fit valves they replaced. They have upgraded shoulders and replaceable handles to help improve their life. Of course they will not suit everyone's work style and ideally should not be used on the ground.

For those who do not like working with the valve in their hand or over their shoulder then the pole mounted valve option is a good alternative such as the Univalve or a gooseneck valve.

 
Definitely uni valve. Easier and the new style Gardiner valve is cheap & breaks easy when you step on them (which you inevitably will) Iā€™veĀ broke 3 in 5/6 months.Ā 

The old Gardiner valves were fine but these new ones are very disappointing and I wonā€™t ever go back to them (just my opinion)

i guess on the flip said the Gardiner valves are cheaper than univalves. But you get what you pay for in this scenario.


I think the original idea with the Gardiners tap was to hold it in the palm of your hand. Alex did a video on using it once. I could never do that. I tried putting it around my neck and hooking it to a belt. In the end we dragged them around on the floor. We had the same longevity issue with the taps we used although they were not from Alex. I still got six spares in a bin on the van.

In the end we went to the first Aquadaptors which were fantastic. I still have one on one of our poles and another spare. Honestly I still think that the Univalve is the best water stop solution by far available today, but I still preferred the old Aquadaptors. They were more versatile IMO.

The pros with having a tap is that we could restrict the water flow on those odd occassions we needed to. Now with the Univalve we only have 2 choices, either the water is on or its off. On those odd windows we have to adjust the flow on the controller which can be a bit time consuming.

 
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When son in law was working for us he gave me back the Aquadaptor I fitted to his pole as he found a much better solution. He purchased one of these;

https://purefreedom.co.uk/product/pole-flow-control-valve-new-design/

I tried to use it once and couldn't understand why he felt it was the 'ultimate' solution - in his words, way better than the Aquadaptor. I found it uncomfortable to operate and dragging around that extra loop of hose didn't suit me at all.

I guess in the end its what works for you. I have a bad back and bending down to pick up a tap off the floor to switch it off was a problem for me, especially toward the end of the day. So for me in my situation, the introduction of the Aquadaptor was the best solution. Peter Fogwill had his Aquabrush with a similar idea before that, but I didn't think banging the brush head on side frame of the window to switch the flow on and doing the same for off was the way to go for me.Ā 

 
The taps fitted to the hose are very easy to break. They have rubber handles on the tap and if you let it hit the ground the rubber snaps off. I bought one with my original pole order and it lasted 3 and a half months. I replaced it and the new ā€œstrongerā€ version lasted 2 weeks. When I complained they told me it had been dragged along the floor. It did land on the floor a lot when I was cleaning a conny roof and up a step ladder and it bounced around the van for a bit. If you decide to go for that one then fit 2 giant protects-ballā€™s either side it will last a lot longer.

They sell another that goes on the end of the hose reel, its metal and much more hardwearing! The tap on it is also replaceable.

I prefer this way to the univalve. You can kink your hose between windows and then use the shut off when youā€™re moving right around the building.
f75c7714e242d08fb27008b04c3b7d1c.jpg



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Just get one of these fitted and nip the hose simple effective and lasts well over a year or more before failing. 20180920_083529.jpeg

County Durham Lad

 
Just get one of these fitted and nip the hose simple effective and lasts well over a year or more before failing. View attachment 14863

County Durham Lad
Ā 
We kept loosing the screws that hold the handle on. I even took them out when they were new and 'locktited' them back in.

We never got ours to wear like yours has. They broke before that. One of the big problems was that I accidentally use to stand on them. ?

 
I think the original idea with the Gardiners tap was to hold it in the palm of your hand. Alex did a video on using it once. I could never do that. I tried putting it around my neck and hooking it to a belt. In the end we dragged them around on the floor. We had the same longevity issue with the taps we used although they were not from Alex. I still got six spares in a bin on the van.

In the end we went to the first Aquadaptors which were fantastic. I still have one on one of our poles and another spare. Honestly I still think that the Univalve is the best water stop solution by far available today, but I still preferred the old Aquadaptors. They were more versatile IMO.

The pros with having a tap is that we could restrict the water flow on those odd occassions we needed to. Now with the Univalve we only have 2 choices, either the water is on or its off. On those odd windows we have to adjust the flow on the controller which can be a bit time consuming.
Good point.Ā 

 
Hi RWC

We have had our current valves on sale now for about 5 years and they have proved to be far more robust and reliable than the previous push-fit valves they replaced. They have upgraded shoulders and replaceable handles to help improve their life. Of course they will not suit everyone's work style and ideally should not be used on the ground.

For those who do not like working with the valve in their hand or over their shoulder then the pole mounted valve option is a good alternative such as the Univalve or a gooseneck valve.
Fair enough. JustĀ One opinion to another. Itā€™s the only thing you sell which Iā€™ve bought which I wasnā€™t impressed with. Everything else Iā€™m veryĀ happy with. And knowing me, once the uni valve breaks Iā€™ll probably go back to Gardiner valves! Haha.

And asĀ a smallĀ side note, (not meaning to be a stirrer at all) maybe one of us is confused, butĀ the pole I have the old tap valve on was bought inĀ summerĀ 2015.Ā I use that pole for soft washing now, never changed the valve on it, and used it a few weeks ago on a soft wash job. It is actually slightly leaking now, but thatā€™s past expectation anyway.Ā And Iā€™ve probably trod on that moreĀ times then I can remember.

I think the design fault in the new one is the actualĀ black handle is too long, where the older one is short (generally meaning stronger) just a observation.

But Yeah, I agree they will be probably be fine if you hold them in your hand, but I find it so much easier to leave them on the ground (just different work styles)

 
Fair enough. JustĀ One opinion to another. Itā€™s the only thing you sell which Iā€™ve bought which I wasnā€™t impressed with. Everything else Iā€™m veryĀ happy with. And knowing me, once the uni valve breaks Iā€™ll probably go back to Gardiner valves! Haha.

And asĀ a smallĀ side note, (not meaning to be a stirrer at all) maybe one of us is confused, butĀ the pole I have the old tap valve on was bought inĀ summerĀ 2015.Ā I use that pole for soft washing now, never changed the valve on it, and used it a few weeks ago on a soft wash job. It is actually slightly leaking now, but thatā€™s past expectation anyway.Ā And Iā€™ve probably trod on that moreĀ times then I can remember.

I think the design fault in the new one is the actualĀ black handle is too long, where the older one is short (generally meaning stronger) just a observation.

But Yeah, I agree they will be probably be fine if you hold them in your hand, but I find it so much easier to leave them on the ground (just different work styles)


Your small side note - always good to get exact dates - In this case it was me generalizing too much!

The new metal handle valves with 1/4" ports were introduced by us in 2013 to replace the previous model we supplied with plastic handles - so this is 5 years. However the push-fit valves were designed and first built by us in mid-late 2014, so in 2015 we may well have had some of the previous stocks still being sold out before switching over mid 2015. As we bought those valves in batches of 2000 units it did take time to switch batches across. So this is actually only 4 years from having them in stock and maybe only 3-3.5 years to actually selling them retail, although we did start using them for warranty replacements sooner for those who had the previous type fail too quickly.

As an extra point we do now stock spare handles and screws for both types of these valves.

Of course a pole mounted valve does work better for some clients.

 
Ā 
Your small side note - always good to get exact dates - In this case it was me generalizing too much!
The new metal handle valves with 1/4" ports were introduced by us in 2013 to replace the previous model we supplied with plastic handles - so this is 5 years. However the push-fit valves were designed and first built by us in mid-late 2014, so in 2015 we may well have had some of the previous stocks still being sold out before switching over mid 2015. As we bought those valves in batches of 2000 units it did take time to switch batches across. So this is actually only 4 years from having them in stock and maybe only 3-3.5 years to actually selling them retail, although we did start using them for warranty replacements sooner for those who had the previous type fail too quickly.
Ā 
As an extra point we do now stock spare handles and screws for both types of these valves.
Ā 
Of course a pole mounted valve does work better for some clients.
I couldnā€™t find a replacement rubber handle for hose valve on the website and ended up ordering a replacement handle for the hose reel one by mistake. When I purchased the hose reel tap I confirmed with the lady I spoke to that it would fit that one as you didnā€™t sell replacement handles for the other one and she didnā€™t correct me.

The one that fits to the hose reel is absolutely amazing in comparison. If you look at the picture I posted earlier the handle is scratched and battered but hard as nails and still going. The only missing feature that people may miss is when you plug into a backpack and canā€™t shut off the flow anymore without turning the backpackoff, unless of course you fit another to the backpack itself. I never did this anyway so itā€™s an irrelevant feature to me but if a backpack was your only way of working I can imagine it would be a useful function.


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I couldnā€™t find a replacement rubber handle for hose valve on the website and ended up ordering a replacement handle for the hose reel one by mistake. When I purchased the hose reel tap I confirmed with the lady I spoke to that it would fit that one as you didnā€™t sell replacement handles for the other one and she didnā€™t correct me.

The one that fits to the hose reel is absolutely amazing in comparison. If you look at the picture I posted earlier the handle is scratched and battered but hard as nails and still going. The only missing feature that people may miss is when you plug into a backpack and canā€™t shut off the flow anymore without turning the backpackoff, unless of course you fit another to the backpack itself. I never did this anyway so itā€™s an irrelevant feature to me but if a backpack was your only way of working I can imagine it would be a useful function.


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Hi P4dstar

The plastic handle spares only arrived this week, hence not being able to find them previously.

Looking back through your orders you bought a spare metal handle on the 20th of June and then on the 30th of July you bought the EZ-Snap Valve. The metal handle you bought on the 20th of June should fit the EZ-Snap valve correctly - have you had an issue with it not fitting?

Looking at the photo you have posted I notice that you have a large Protecta-Ball fitted now - did you have this on with the previous valves? Looking at the photo of your previous valve (below) it would appear that this damage would not have happened with a large Protecta-Ball fitted.

PK.jpg

 
We kept loosing the screws that hold the handle on. I even took them out when they were new and 'locktited' them back in.

We never got ours to wear like yours has. They broke before that. One of the big problems was that I accidentally use to stand on them. ?
You must be like The Green Giant to be breaking them by standing on themĀ ?Ā I stand on mine just to turn the water on to save bending down and they are a solidĀ  piece of kit I findĀ Ā 

 
Hi P4dstar

The plastic handle spares only arrived this week, hence not being able to find them previously.

Looking back through your orders you bought a spare metal handle on the 20th of June and then on the 30th of July you bought the EZ-Snap Valve. The metal handle you bought on the 20th of June should fit the EZ-Snap valve correctly - have you had an issue with it not fitting?

Looking at the photo you have posted I notice that you have a large Protecta-Ball fitted now - did you have this on with the previous valves? Looking at the photo of your previous valve (below) it would appear that this damage would not have happened with a large Protecta-Ball fitted.

View attachment 14864
Yeah I had a protect-ball fitted to the old tap, just the standard one that is supplied with the pole hose originally. I now have the 2 giant ones which was kindly suggested by one of the girls I spoke to. As I say the new one is absolutely brilliant and the metal handle I ordered by mistake will come in useful for it at some point i'm sure. I griped via email that I felt regardless of being on the floor or not the tap should have lasted longer than 3 weeks but for the sake of a tenner it isn't worth any more effort arguing. I was advised to perhaps tape the tap to the base of the pole but this would cause a massive hazard when using the pole up a step ladder.

I appreciate you taking the time to look into it. I was a little disgruntled with the answer I got but it doesn't take away from the exemplary service you guys have given on several occasions and won't stop me recommending Gardiners to other window cleaners. It will however stop me recommending this particular product.

 
How can you not like a univalve...it's simple and effective and out of the way...
Extra faffing around I think mate. If I wanna stop the flow between windows I just kink the hose, if I wanna stop the flow and move round the property I turn the tap off. All this univalve stuff wouldn't necessarily work for me I don't think.

 

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