[Mike 108]

Fitted some fan jets for a colleague the other day and watched while he cleaned a few panes of glass.

It looked like the panes were being pressure washed - very impressive to see.

It was so impressive that I'm thinking of changing all my jets.

Unfortunately, I couldn't hang around to see the results once the window had dried.

Does anyone know of any shortcomings/disadvantages to fan jets?

Cheers

Mike

[Peter Fogwill]

There are none Mike, change over you won't regret it.  I don't understand suppliers not putting them in as standard.

Peter

[ronnie paton]

were can i get some and are they easy to fit?

[L.J.Thorpe]

i have only ever used pencils,never even seen fans in operation
ithink that cleantech do fit em as standard and that you have to specify pencils if you want em
do you ever have a problem avoiding vents etc  when using them

[Chris Cottrell]

http://www.wintecs.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=803

[Nathanael Jones]

I started out using Peter's fan jets,.. the cleaning is very good and rinsing is easy,........ but no matter how careful I was I'd always end up with wet feet by the end of the day.
Pencil jets keep my feet dry!

[ronnie paton]

thank you chris

[frames to panes]

Same here, pencils for me too but that's because i buy the majority from Gardiners. What's your view Alex?

[Skyglide]

I think its better to use pencil jets.  You can aim precisely, avoid vents and rinse trouble free with plenty of flow.
Fan jets always block up and spray more indiscriminateley, causing the odd problem when everything has dried.

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

I started with fans and then went to pencils as the fans were too inaccurate and the spray would go up into the vents.  However when I started with wfp I was rinsing off, they are probably okay for rinsing on.  Get you mate to experiment with some vented windows and see how he gets on.

Simon.

[Wayne Thomas]

I started with pencil, switched to fan, then switched back to pencil. With pencil jets I can leave my water on and jump from window to window, but with fan jets the water goes where I wouldn't want it to.

[Peter Fogwill]

I find some of the comments about fan jets strange, as the water goes exactly where you want it to go. 

I don't have any problem with vents.  It must come down to the way they are used, and the way they are fitted to the brush.  I have seen them fitted in the middle of the brush before, and this could cause a problem with vents.

Peter

[alanwilson]

we've always found fan jets to be better for rinsing but you do need to be a tad more careful with them, however they are so much faster on large panes of glass, sometimes less than half the time rinsing than with pencils - they do tend to spin round a little and can clog up if you get a little bit of grit in your hosetail etc.

[macmac]

It also depends on the fan jet itself, there are different types, i've used two, one quite good & one terrible. the difference was one sprayed a very fine mist which blew everywhere & was very inaccurate, the other had a thicker, more accurate flat fan which was ten times better to use. then i tried pencils & never looked back, accuracy of a marksman

Tony

[Alex Gardiner]

Same here, pencils for me too but that's because i buy the majority from Gardiners. What's your view Alex?

Just don't get on with fans.  Not enough direction, not enough flow but that is my personal opinion.

[williamx]

I have tried both and I much prefer fans to pencil, the main reason is the power that the water hits the glass from the jets.

With pencils you can easily guild the water over the glass and avoid vents and brick work, but the flow rate seems rather limp.

With fan jets the power of the water hitting the glass seems more powerful, the jet that I using now comes from a carpet cleaning machine, and when I use it, it sounds like I'm using a power washer.

It might be psychological but with the sound it makes the customer seems more impressed with wfp cleaning, than they do with the other jets that make no sound.

[Clive McDonald]

There are none Mike, change over you won't regret it.  I don't understand suppliers not putting them in as standard.

Peter

Exactly.

The reason  they are 500% superior is that the water is spread through the entire brush allowing rinseing on and leting the brush do the job it is supposed to, clean the window with water. Additionaly the points williamx makes apply. I know AG and it's not often I think him wrong, but I know he is about this.

[L.J.Thorpe]

There are none Mike, change over you won't regret it.  I don't understand suppliers not putting them in as standard.

Peter

Exactly.

The reason they are 500% superior is that the water is spread through the entire brush allowing rinseing on and leting the brush do the job it is supposed to, clean the window with water. Additionaly the points williamx makes apply. I know AG and it's not often I think him wrong, but I know he is about this.

but aint we now getting into the whole rinse on rinse off debate?
i use flocked brushes and rinse off,dont you need a mono brush to rinse on effectively?

[frames to panes]

AG? do you mean Alex? i don't think he is against them, just that he prefers pencils for his own use.

[Peter Fogwill]

but aint we now getting into the whole rinse on rinse off debate?
i use flocked brushes and rinse off,dont you need a mono brush to rinse on effectively?

Well yes, and quite rightly so.  What you want to do is clean the window as fast and as effective as possible, with as little water as possible.  

Now supposing the fan sprays had disadvantages as mentioned, like not as good control over where the water is going (although I don't have the problem, but other do) Now supposing the fan spray has advantages like mentioned, rinsing with the brush on the glass, better water coverage over the length of the brush, better cleaning power due to the pressure.  Wouldn't it be better to work at the disadvantages, so that they are not a problem any more??  That must be what I have done either consciously or unconsciously, but it obviously can be done.  Then when it is mastered, you can work faster, more effective cleaning, and use less water into the bargain.

Fire away,

Peter