[Tristan R Clean]

A question for  you fellas who are sole traders and have a professionally  installed diesel hot system.
Have you noticed a distinct speed difference.
Do you get more done / finish the day quicker with the addition ?

Tris

[Splash & dash]

A question for  you fellas who are sole traders and have a professionally  installed diesel hot system.
Have you noticed a distinct speed difference.
Do you get more done / finish the day quicker with the addition ?

Tris

This subject has been coverd a number of times at great length have a look at back posts this should help you no end , the answer is a big yes

[Tristan R Clean]

Thanks for the reply .
I have read back posts.
I was requesting recent experiences of those who have had them for a period of time over all the seasons of the year .

Tris

[Splash & dash]

I have had mine for 4 years now and as far as I am concerned I wouldn’t want to go back to cold regardless of what some say it is definitely faster on all cleans especially first cleans and very salty windows we are buy the coast and clean windows that are that salt encrusted that they are opaque , bird strikes are removed much faster too especially seagulls poo , plastic cleans are a lot easier as well , it’s not cheap to run I think it uses around 1:2 ltr per hour but it’s worth it , any specific questions just ask

[dazmond]

i reckon i save around 30 mins a day using hot water....obviously it cuts through the snail trails/bee/pollen spots and baked on bird muck easier esp in this weather(my water is at 50-60c!)....

add on jobs like fascias/roofs etc then you save even more time compared to cold water....

thats not the main reason i invested in a grippatank hydroheat diesel heater though...

the main reason is i dont have to worry about anything freezing during the cold winter months as my system has " frost stat" as standard(brilliant!) and i prefer to work with hot water all year round.its more comfortable and hoses are warm and easier to manage as well as the extra cleaning benefits(easier scrubbing/rinsing/quicker drying, etc)....

ive used gas heaters on and off for the last few years but i had a gas leak(loud bang!) which scared me to death!also they easily break in cold weather if you forget to drain the water out of them on a cold night(and forget to bung a heater in the back!)which i found out one cold december day....i also got sick of changing gas bottles...and i always seemed to run out of gas on a filthy add on job OR id be cleaning one on a windy day and the flame would keep going out(very annoying!)......

their not cheap and i wouldnt get one installed in a second hand van thats say 5 or 6 years old but a brand new one,yes (that your planning on keeping for 10+years).....

diesel heaters are much better(safer and more reliable heat) than cheap gas showers but their also a lot more expensive.....but i dont regret getting mine.....

[Dry Clean]

Iv had 2 hard to remove bird poos so far this week ( Gardiner Scraper needed £3.50 ) which have added about a minute onto my working day, even with cold water snail trails just melt at this time of the year and you don't get them in winter so no bonus there, if you want the latest gadget then go for it, if you want to make money then work out what slows you down and go from there.
I wont say it doesnt make a difference to anybody ( guys on the coast would be one example where it could help ) but for most it will be nothing more than a placebo or the latest must have gadget to make them feel good.

[robert mitchell]

I love mine ........but i only paid £280 secondhand 

[Dry Clean]

If you are intent on getting a installed heater you can get excellent gas systems which are still fairly expensive but are a lot easier to remove should you need to change the van, I think this one is around £2k or so installed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSsRn6PwZ-w

[johnwillan]

A question for  you fellas who are sole traders and have a professionally  installed diesel hot system.
Have you noticed a distinct speed difference.
Do you get more done / finish the day quicker with the addition ?

Tris

As per "Refletions" YES.

I deliberated about it for years as per DIY system, made the jump to a 500L Grippa Hot and wouldn't go back

HTH

John

[Splash & dash]

If you are intent on getting a installed heater you can get excellent gas systems which are still fairly expensive but are a lot easier to remove should you need to change the van, I think this one is around £2k or so installed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSsRn6PwZ-w

Look at the amount of space it takes up !! No thanks

[dazmond]

If you are intent on getting a installed heater you can get excellent gas systems which are still fairly expensive but are a lot easier to remove should you need to change the van, I think this one is around £2k or so installed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSsRn6PwZ-w

i dont think they sell them anymore sean.....their dangerous......every gas engineer ive ever met have said "take it out their not safe"

[Stoots]

Generally those who have spent 5k plus on a heater swear by hot.

[Stoots]

Iv had 2 hard to remove bird poos so far this week ( Gardiner Scraper needed £3.50 ) which have added about a minute onto my working day, even with cold water snail trails just melt at this time of the year and you don't get them in winter so no bonus there, if you want the latest gadget then go for it, if you want to make money then work out what slows you down and go from there.
I wont say it doesnt make a difference to anybody ( guys on the coast would be one example where it could help ) but for most it will be nothing more than a placebo or the latest must have gadget to make them feel good.

I think a heater is only really any good for stopping the hose and system freezing up in winter and that can be achieved with a £40 immersion. To spend 5k on a diesel heater is never going to pay you back in this lifetime with time saved on general residential work.

[The Jester of Wibbly]

I too can vouch for it. RSW is correct and I too would not go back. It makes a great USP too. Customers love it.

There is a large gutter and facia clean I do every year. The job used to take 3 hours. I did it with hot and took just over an hour.

Take our word for it. We are the ones that use it and we know what we are talking about.

[Dry Clean]

Hot water will hep with badly stained fascia cleans but being able to use the extra pressure from a customers tap will
achieve the same, I have used both and have saved around the same in cleaning time.
I used a gas heater but its not hard or expensive to get a 2kw immersion, just put in your tank over the weekend and you will
have hot water to experiment with on Monday.

[dazmond]

gas shower heaters are not used inside a vehicle and while your 400yards away though sean......

[dazmond]

the truth is most window cleaners(if they could afford it)would have a new van with a professionally fitted diesel hot system (with frost stat) if they WFP all year round....its the easiest,most hassle free way to work with no freezing up issues,van breakdowns etc.....

[Smudger]

That’s a big presumption Daz

While water is great, and we use it during winter and sone large cleans the actual cost of buying and running the system does not stack up

Immersion heater has been excellent - it suits us in as much all the vans are in a unit overnight and they just plug in to heat unplug in the morning costs about £1.50 for a full tank of hot

If the guys get round quicker that’s a bonus 

Darran

[Dry Clean]

the truth is most window cleaners(if they could afford it)would have a new van with a professionally fitted diesel hot system (with frost stat) if they WFP all year round....its the easiest,most hassle free way to work with no freezing up issues,van breakdowns etc.....

I used to say the same about my £2k gutter vac until one day I looked in the mirror and said who I'm I kidding,
its not easy admitting it when you have been foolish, we have all been there.

[robert mitchell]

That’s a big presumption Daz

While water is great, and we use it during winter and sone large cleans the actual cost of buying and running the system does not stack up

Immersion heater has been excellent - it suits us in as much all the vans are in a unit overnight and they just plug in to heat unplug in the morning costs about £1.50 for a full tank of hot

If the guys get round quicker that’s a bonus 

Darran

If i was running from a unit i would probably do the same but i dont like the idea of an immersion running in my van from my house electrics , not sure why i just dont .  I love my diesel heater but from a purely business / profit point of view i dont think they make much sense , and im saying that knowing full well im slightly quicker with hot .

However , the running costs negate any improvement in speed in my opinion so you will never make back the 4 grand cost of the machine .