[Tom White]

1/2" up to your reel is just fine. If you used 8mm instead of 6mm on your reel you'd have far less issues!

Why?

My problem was the positioning of the pumps, not my reel hose.  Still, I haven't tried a proper day of work with my set up, so I've time to have problems yet.

I'll report back - you know I will! 

[dave0123]

i use 6mm and its finee no problems at all. 6mm has to be easier to use than 8mm id

[Londoner]

Thats right but they are also hard plumbed in which I don't like and is an inefficient method of working for domestics because you have to physically drag the hose all the way to the back of the houses each time. OK for commercials but not for houses snagging on dustbins and knocking over plantpots.
Besides, my microbore is now well into its 4th year and still as good as new, dirty but still OK. Who can say that with 1/2" I'm comvinced they only fit that stuff on new installations because it cheap,

what do you mean by hard plumbed in? my system uses all 1/2 hose on the system from tank to pump to Di to hose reel then onto microbore from them on.. thats how i thought all systems ran?

I have used 1/2 hose on the reel for a year or 2 its REALLY HEAVY!! lol

Hard plumbed in means the hose is permanently connected to the van. I take my brush and the reel to the farthest point then feed out the hose back to the van and plug it in. This means there is always some air in the hose when you start but witn microbore it doesn't matter it gets pushed through. With 1/2" on the reel the air gets stuck in the loops on the reel and won't shift. it shows up as weird pressure variations. 

[paul saunders]

Come on Tosh were waiting, and please don't give us any rubbish about working late ............... cos we all know you get a nose bleed if you work later than 2.30pm. 

[Tom White]

Come on Tosh were waiting, and please don't give us any rubbish about working late ............... cos we all know you get a nose bleed if you work later than 2.30pm. 

I worked till 4.30 pm!!!  Actually, work is physically a lot easier, so it's easy to work longer - but I lost a bit of time because of some admin jobs (picking up some new sign written work wear) and dropping off Wor Lass home because she wasn't feeling well (yet she's pretty perky now and she's just left to go to running club  ).

Anyway, I've not had one single problem with my pumps today.  I didn't even have to prime my pumps by running them full belt - I just switched on the flow controllers, grabbed my pole and reel hose and went to clean windows.

Lovely!

Oh, I went over one garage today (I still carry ladders) to clean a massive conservatory, so I just took the pole and hose with me - and had I got an air lock after I was on the other side of the conservatory I would've poured two litres of petrol into the back of my van, followed by a match, and had done with it.

But it worked perfectly.

So, there's a top tip; keep yer pumps close to the van floor! 

[Dave Willis]

I always had trouble with my layflat tank and airlocks particularly when it was half empty. Hit the brakes and the water sloshes forward enabling the pump to take a gulp of air. But I did leave everything switched on whilst driving.

[Tom White]

I always had trouble with my layflat tank and airlocks particularly when it was half empty. Hit the brakes and the water sloshes forward enabling the pump to take a gulp of air. But I did leave everything switched on whilst driving.

Someone advised putting in a tap (which I've got, but not yet installed) at the outlet for this; when the tank is running low and you've got to drive to another location, turn the tap to 'off', so the water in the pumps stays where it is.

[paul saunders]

It's nice when everything goes right init. 

[Frankybadboy]

I always had trouble with my layflat tank and airlocks particularly when it was half empty. Hit the brakes and the water sloshes forward enabling the pump to take a gulp of air. But I did leave everything switched on whilst driving.

Someone advised putting in a tap (which I've got, but not yet installed) at the outlet for this; when the tank is running low and you've got to drive to another location, turn the tap to 'off', so the water in the pumps stays where it is.

got that and never ever done it,because ive never had a air lock.

dont know where you guys find these air lock.