Cleaning Vac after use and dealing with the muck

Hi,

I've got my first clearing very soon using my Atom and wondered what people's process was in disposing of the muck in the Vac and how best to clean the filter/insides of Vac.

The customer I'm doing the job for is a windows customer and happy for me to dispose of the muck in her bin but the gutters are full and lots of gutter so think I'll have way too much muck for her bin. Do you all have the license to carry muck in the van to dispose of it? If so I better do it before I do that job.

I've been practicing with the Vac on my own gutters, and filter was filthy after just a little use, how do you clean the filter and insides and how often? I know these are questions that I could find an answer for myself but with so much experience from many of you I thought it would be worth asking.

Many thanks

I believe you do need a waste transfer licence to put the waste in your van but as the waste is produced during your work I think the licence is free. You just need to fill in online forms. Then you have to work out how to dispose of it as it's then commercial waste!!!!

Ideally try and get water out of waste and put it on customers garden - with permission, or in bin.

As for cleaning out - vids I have seen they suck a gallon of clean water through pipes to wash out. Filter will probably be hose pipe job.

Tend to put rubbish under bushes, hedges, customers bin or bring it home and put it in my bin. As @ched999uk says, fill up bucket up with water and suck it through, sometimes twice, or fill hose with water from outside tap and flush down a drain. I always try and clean the equipment at the property I've done and only rarely not managed to.

Never used an Atom but the Industrial's filter comes out easily and we wash it out, using pure out of the tank through the pump and using pole hose, usually after approx 8 hours work.    

As @Part Timer said we have a big job coming up whatever the customer wants us to remove all stuff from site it’s tons of pine needles , I just add a charge on the bill for removal , we always clean the vac out on site at the last job of the day wash it out with a hose and suck up a couple of gallons of water and rinse the poles through , then when we get home just unload the vac etc job done . 

Pjj said:

As @Part Timer said we have a big job coming up whatever the customer wants us to remove all stuff from site it’s tons of pine needles , I just add a charge on the bill for removal , we always clean the vac out on site at the last job of the day wash it out with a hose and suck up a couple of gallons of water and rinse the poles through , then when we get home just unload the vac etc job done . 

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How much do you charge for removal? I was also thinking of charging extra if I have to use my generator.

i used to dump it in customers bin  in a bag  or behind bushes,    tell them it is good fertiliser.   natural product from nature.     or take home and bin it.

I found giant pipe cleaners handy for my maintenance clean on gutter vac pipes and hoses 

A local discount store was selling 4 foot long 50mm pipe cleaners as I call them. 

Half the size of those nasty gutter hedgehogs you used to get.

I found creating a loop in the end with pliers and trying some paracord to it made it a great tool for cleaning my equipment at the end of every week.

Ednic said:

How much do you charge for removal? I was also thinking of charging extra if I have to use my generator.

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Depends on the amount of stuff to get rid of and the cost of the job the one we will be doing in a couple of weeks I have stuck £75 on the price think I will end up with quite a few bags , I will either put it in my car and take it to the recycling centre or put it in my green waist bin either way it won’t cost me anything so it’s just a bit of extra money for the inconvenience.

Pjj said:

Depends on the amount of stuff to get rid of and the cost of the job the one we will be doing in a couple of weeks I have stuck £75 on the price think I will end up with quite a few bags , I will either put it in my car and take it to the recycling centre or put it in my green waist bin either way it won’t cost me anything so it’s just a bit of extra money for the inconvenience.

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Start selling gutter muck as compost. My neighbour loves it. She always asks me to bring it home for garden compost bins 

I'm fortunate as I have a massive field behind my home and the land owner says I can throw any plant based organic matter over the hedge.

It got planning for 30 homes on the site so he just rubbing his hands at the money when he sells it 

Apw1210 said:

Start selling gutter muck as compost. My neighbour loves it. She always asks me to bring it home for garden compost bins 

I'm fortunate as I have a massive field behind my home and the land owner says I can throw any plant based organic matter over the hedge.

It got planning for 30 homes on the site so he just rubbing his hands at the money when he sells it 

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The stuff we will be removing is pine needles they don’t readily rot down I tried to persuade the customer to let us put it under her bushes as fertiliser and she said there is already loads there please take it away ?? I said to remove it from site would be a further £75 thinking she would say ok put it under the bushes but she said yes that’s fine take it away ??????  

Pjj said:

The stuff we will be removing is pine needles they don’t readily rot down I tried to persuade the customer to let us put it under her bushes as fertiliser and she said there is already loads there please take it away ?? I said to remove it from site would be a further £75 thinking she would say ok put it under the bushes but she said yes that’s fine take it away ??????  

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Like they say mate, where there's muck there's profit. Good shout