Welcome to the UK Window Cleaning Forums

Starting or own a window cleaning business? We're a network of window cleaners sharing advice, tips & experience. Rounds for sale & more. Join us today!

Pure water backup

Exchef93

Member
Messages
93
Location
South
So, for the last 12 months I am now a 100% wfp window cleaner. 

I have a Peugeot partner van with a 400L tank, my pump is on 30 and univalve in my ova8 pole.

Problem is, I still have days where I run out of water, working day is 8 to 4.30, sometime I can run out of water by 3.30 which isn't good.

What is your advice on making my water last long again? 

I've thought about buying some containers for the backnof my van, maybe store an additional 50 - 100l and top up if needed?

 
Last edited by a moderator:
That sounds like the best idear get some barrels to carry a bit extra water then put it into the tank when needed 

 
Only problem is carrying around more than an additional 50l of water would probably take my van over its GVW. PEUGEOT partner has a 600kg payload which is already, 400kg of water, 100kg of me and however much else the pump, hose and battery and poles weigh...

 
So, for the last 12 months I am now a 100% wfp window cleaner. 

I have a Peugeot partner van with a 400L tank, my pump is on 30 and univalve in my ova8 pole.

Problem is, I still have days where I run out of water, working day is 8 to 4.30, sometime I can run out of water by 3.30 which isn't good.

What is your advice on making my water last long again? 

I've thought about buying some containers for the backnof my van, maybe store an additional 50 - 100l and top up if needed?
Very very mindful of your payload weight which includes yourself and also securing additional loads

A larger main tank or bigger van is the best option if you are doing lots of work daily.

How long do you take cleaning per window approximately and not a first clean

Only problem is carrying around more than an additional 50l of water would probably take my van over its GVW. PEUGEOT partner has a 600kg payload which is already, 400kg of water, 100kg of me and however much else the pump, hose and battery and poles weigh...
Do you not have friends or family near your work routes that you can ammo dump water and pick it up as you go along if needed

 
Very very mindful of your payload weight which includes yourself and also securing additional loads

A larger main tank or bigger van is the best option if you are doing lots of work daily.

How long do you take cleaning per window approximately and not a first clean
Being a employee and not owning the van, not much is going to change for a good few years now.

And its hard to say per window, I'm a different village everyday, different types of windows and property's. Couple of minutes  on standard size windows? 90% of our work is costal so they're always salty. A cottage of 8 windows and 2 doors normally only takes 10/15 occasionally 20 minutes depending on the property and access

 
Being a employee and not owning the van, not much is going to change for a good few years now.
Silly question but is this your problem to solve if you are employed? Have you had a chat with your employer about this? Are there other employees that use same size tank and are managing to last all day? Is it just that the employer is giving you too much work?

I assume you have tried different jets, flow rates etc? It could be that if you turned your flow down just a little you still get a good rinse and save water?  

What jets are you using?

 
Ah ok I assumed it was your van it’s down to your boss to sort this not you then , if overweight and caught he will get done for overloading but you will also get fine and points . 

 
Being a employee and not owning the van, not much is going to change for a good few years now.

And its hard to say per window, I'm a different village everyday, different types of windows and property's. Couple of minutes  on standard size windows? 90% of our work is costal so they're always salty. A cottage of 8 windows and 2 doors normally only takes 10/15 occasionally 20 minutes depending on the property and access
You’re boss needs to come up with a legal solution to this. Don’t let him bully you into going overweight, as others have said you’ll get fined for it and may even be liable in a accident. He needs to get you a bigger van. ?

 
Being a employee and not owning the van, not much is going to change for a good few years now.

And its hard to say per window, I'm a different village everyday, different types of windows and property's. Couple of minutes  on standard size windows? 90% of our work is costal so they're always salty. A cottage of 8 windows and 2 doors normally only takes 10/15 occasionally 20 minutes depending on the property and access
Why is it your problem to rectify? If you are an employee get the person you work for to pull his finger out and supply you wit the tools and resources you need to forfill your role

 
Silly question but is this your problem to solve if you are employed? Have you had a chat with your employer about this? Are there other employees that use same size tank and are managing to last all day? Is it just that the employer is giving you too much work?

I assume you have tried different jets, flow rates etc? It could be that if you turned your flow down just a little you still get a good rinse and save water?  

What jets are you using?
is it my problem? Yes and no. No because if I've run out of water there isn't much I can do and the boss knows how much work I get done so doesn't care, and yes because I want to earn more money basically

As I said my flow rate is on 30, anything less than this and you just spend longer trying to rinse with not enough water running down the glass, u used to struggle with it on 26/27 until I got the Univalve a few months back. I used to use 2mm jets with the ecolite poles and a nasty vikan brush, then I got the ova8 poles and brush which I believe are 1.4mm jets.

 
You’re boss needs to come up with a legal solution to this. Don’t let him bully you into going overweight, as others have said you’ll get fined for it and may even be liable in a accident. He needs to get you a bigger van. ?
It's not a problem for him as I still finish my rounds and some, he wouldn't ever ask me to do something illegal

Why is it your problem to rectify? If you are an employee get the person you work for to pull his finger out and supply you wit the tools and resources you need to forfill your role
Well he has supplied me with all the tools and equipment to do the job he expects of me, but I want to try and do more whether it be for bonus or time in lue

 
It's not a problem for him as I still finish my rounds and some, he wouldn't ever ask me to do something illegal

Well he has supplied me with all the tools and equipment to do the job he expects of me, but I want to try and do more whether it be for bonus or time in lue
You sound like the perfect employee/team member.

The very best of luck to you. You deserve to do well.⚓??

 
I would imagine this is a summer problem rather than one you experience all year round @Exchef93

If it was your van I would have suggested a small trailer with 4 additional 25 litre plastic containers. You don't say where you collect your water from but one suggestion is to drive out to the furtherest customer on the round for that day and work back to your water source. Then it will be a short drive back to top up the tank and carry on.

Working on the coast is never the best as you will use more water in washing and rinsing. Guys whose customer base is inland will find cleaning much easier. However, you might look at your cleaning technique. Inspect each window before you start to clean it. The more time you spend overcleaning a 'clean' window, the more water you will use. If a window takes you 90 seconds to clean and rinse, can you cut it down to 60 seconds and still maintain a good standard of clean?

Switch the water off between windows.

Some have found the fan jets can help with water saving. I don't generally get on with them, but some swear by them. One cleaner only uses these.

https://gardinerpolesystems.co.uk/super-liter-100-wide-fan-jets-x2.html

Son likes the 50 degree red ones.

I do have a couple of brushes with fan jets and I do use less water using them.

I know a windie local to me I helped out many years ago. He never bothered to flush out the gap between the window sill and the window frame. I do and sometimes spend more time doing this than washing and rinsing the window. I'm OCD with this, but he wasn't and never had customer complaints for not doing it. He would just wipe the downstairs sills with a towel.

 
So, for the last 12 months I am now a 100% wfp window cleaner. 

I have a Peugeot partner van with a 400L tank, my pump is on 30 and univalve in my ova8 pole.

Problem is, I still have days where I run out of water, working day is 8 to 4.30, sometime I can run out of water by 3.30 which isn't good.

What is your advice on making my water last long again? 
This may sound counter-intuitive but...

Try turning your flow rate up up to 50 or 60. I did this a few years back and found that I not only used less water but I also got round more quickly. I found that I was spending less time both scrubbing and rinsing the window.

I have a 350L tank and work from 09:00 to between 15:00 to 16:30 (less hours than you) but I have never run out of water.

 
This may sound counter-intuitive but...

Try turning your flow rate up up to 50 or 60. I did this a few years back and found that I not only used less water but I also got round more quickly. I found that I was spending less time both scrubbing and rinsing the window.

I have a 350L tank and work from 09:00 to between 15:00 to 16:30 (less hours than you) but I have never run out of water.
I have read somewhere before about this being a possibility, I'm working shopfronts all morning tomorrow so will try it then and see what difference it makes.

 
So, after playing around with a couple of different setups, I think I have cracked the problem.

I added an additional 2 1.4m jets to the brush, and upped the pump from 28 to 38. 

I can't believe how much quicker it has made rinsing, although I can only do 1 or 2 more houses a day but I'm not running out of water an hour before finish.

The only real downside is that it has made the swivel a bit stiffer to use but hey ho

 
Back
Top