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Window Cleaning Issues - Canvassing, pole systems, pricing, problems, etc.

£Anyone use wfp for standard domestic houses?

Posted by simonb (simonb), 22 January 2004
I was wondering if the economics stack up.
If you earned £180 in a day what would you earn using a wfp?
Would the time to set up at each house and clean balance out with time cleaning the other way?
Assume the houses are quite close together.
Simon
Posted by pdhanson (Silly Philly), 22 January 2004
A partial answer:

http://www.window-tools.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Water_Fed_Poles;action=display;num=1074528392
Posted by Diamond_Vision (Jeff Brimble), 22 January 2004
Interesting questions, how much would you earn if you fell off !  
You would probably earn at least say 0 % more as I dont like answering questions about money  but lets say a lot lot easier and safer.
My set up time is 20 seconds as I use a back pack.
Van mounts probably  2 min get one of the companies to give you a demo although the big ones will scare you off by saying its not for domestics but a wfp is a wfp and can be made to fit domestics, you could wait 5 years and buy one when every one else has one.
Its a 6 month learning process for you and more importantly for your customer who give you a wage
Probably not the answer you wanted but keep asking the questions to the rest of the goup please. ( if you found a gold mine would you tell some one else where it was)
Posted by pdhanson (Silly Philly), 22 January 2004
Jeff,

could ya tell me where did you get your pump from as I'm having great difficulty finding it.

Pretty please

Thanks for your help

Phil
Posted by Diamond_Vision (Jeff Brimble), 22 January 2004
CK out your messages
Posted by easycleanwindows (easycleanwindows), 22 January 2004
We use wfp only on residential houses bigger than 4 bed and with leaded glass its just as quick to use squeege on anything smaller because of the set up.
And all our commercial is wfp as we up to 27 metres
Posted by peterf (peterf), 22 January 2004
Steve, how long would you say it takes to set up before you start using the pole?

Peter
Posted by simonb (simonb), 23 January 2004
Interesting answer Geoff. Not quite what I expected but I would like to know more. Can you mail me? I am in Bristol so don't expect to compete with you. By the way where is Ruthin?
Posted by g_griffin (g_griffin), 23 January 2004
This may seem stupid but I`ll ask anyway.
 Would it be feasible to use a wfp on upstairs domestics but use hand tools (squeegee etc) on the ground floor windows (if reachable without ladder).
 I know it would mean carrying extra equipment- pole system and tools and bucket but I`m thinking it may be a bit quicker on residential work. It could also save on water- pure that is.
 I apologise in advance if this is sounds pointless.

     Gerry.
Posted by allseasons (allseasons), 23 January 2004
That's what am thinking about doing, am getting a 250 ltr tank , using it for all the high window's,and tools on the lower ones.
any1 do this allready if so how do you get on with it.  
Posted by peterf (peterf), 23 January 2004
It works fine, you just want to leave a gap between cleaning the tops and bottoms to allow the water to have stopped dripping.  What you are better doing is a few houses first, then going back to the bottoms with the squeegee, this serves two purposes, firstly you are not carrying the both sets of tools around, and the bottom windows won't get splashed with the drips.

If you are cleaning the type of windows with the Georgian square type partitioning at the top of the main glass, then you need a couple of hours between poleing and squeegeeing as the plastic strips hold the water.

Peter
Posted by paul (paul), 23 January 2004
YOUL LL FIND SOME DOMESTIC CUSTOMERS WONT LIKE IT Grin
Posted by easycleanwindows (easycleanwindows), 23 January 2004
Hi sorry for the delay me and my business partner set up with water fed poles 3 months after starting with squeeges etc.We have dual hose so two can use together.We are now at a stage where we need to think about another van and also static water making facilities as we are taking on vast amounts of commercial work.Within 2 weeks of getting wfp we had to learn pretty fast as our first client needed us to go 80 feet up but  we were ok.We dont use on anything smaller than 4 -5 bedroom and mostly building cleans and office work.
Posted by easycleanwindows (easycleanwindows), 23 January 2004
And adding to the first post i personally think it takes too long especially if you still have to get ladders off to go over gates,fences etc.
Posted by stevekennedy (stevekennedy), 23 January 2004
Hi Easyclean,

I'm taking delivery of my pole system next week and was thinking of going more into commercial work. How did you sell it to potential customers?

I've been talking to my residential customers about the pole system and many of them have said that their workplace is cleaned that way and that the windows are always left spotted! Is this the expected result?  Huh If they're just making a mess of it, I thought I could offer to do a better job   Cool



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