Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: AuRavelling79 on December 01, 2010, 05:50:52 pm
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For those of us who manage to continue working wfp in zero or sub zero temperatures, this thread is for us to put ideas up for the rest of the forum to keep going.
Anything from keeping van water warm enough to stopping ice forming on brushes or paths - put your experiences and ideas here.
Thank you!
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best idea ive got is trad pole and screenwash oh and maybe get a sack of grit for the old people's paths
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Holds 2 25L containers, heat loss is 1 degree per hour.
(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc114/JeffBrimble/DSCF0250.jpg)
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Fan heater here :
http://www.screwfix.com/prods/56373/Heating-Cooling/Electric-Heating/Birchwood-H02073-Freestanding-Electric-Fan-Heater-2kW
Brilliant, with thermostat, leaves neighbours wondering why my van is the only one without snow or ice.
Also, working in the snow is fine (up to a certain temp), you just need to have a high ish flowrate to keep it going. Did quite a few here.
Sainsburys basics table salt for parths, 27p for a bottle. Brilliant stuff and you can easily pour it on paths. Does the job and you can buy loads of it for that price.
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Frost-setting heater in van overnight.
Small gas torch for defrosting pipes under van.
L5 heater.
300W aquarium heater in IBC.
Ensure transfer pipes are empty after filling up.
Ensure van pipe-work is pumped dry after tap on van-mount tank is off
Make sure all R.O. pipe-work, D.I vessels and R.O. unit is sufficiently protected. If that means bringing in from outside do it.
Broom in van.
Salt in van.
Thats it.
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Snow chains in van, shovel. Tow cable just in case 4x4 needs to pull you out (like me today, had to be pulled out, don't have snowchains)
Make sure your RO doesn't freeze up while you are away (static) or when parked up (in van) 4040s aren't cheap and it takes very little for them to freeze up.
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4x4 Pick up wfp system
Heat water before transfer to van tank to about 35 Celsius, still warm at the end of the day.
Empty tank and hose reels after work and then leave small heater in van.
Blankets on hose reels between jobs.
Don't leave hoses or poles lying around unless being used. Slightly higher flow rate.
Between jobs have poles in cab rather than on roof.
Simon.
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Keep your hose pumping continuously whilst cleaning to prevent the jets freezing up, get it all back in the van as quick as you can and don't stop to chat to the custies!
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dont fill tank right to top and leave lid off,so if it does turn to a big ice cube then the tank aint going to break. ;)
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I've dug my old motorcycle neck warmer out and am wearing it. Very warm.
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i have a hot system but as soon as it starts freezing on pavement i put a bit of salt down on the couple ive been caught out on then pack up, i couldnt justify saying how safe water fed pole is then go and make an ice ring for some poor old dear to slip on.
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ive given up on trying to insulate van, i drain the pump and pipes then i bring in my 2 reels, 3 poles, 2 barrels and merlin now. only takes 10mins and saves me an hour sorting it out in the morning.
im very tempted to wear my ski-mask tomorrow, but dont want to scare the custs, i was so cold today, i didnt care what i looked like.
i do have a motorcycle balaclava i might wear, its not as intimidating.
only lasted 3 houses today, taps were freezing up and fan jets, and the pole was getting stuck in ice, icicles were forming on the brush.
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look out of window,get back in bed no problems ;D
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Fan heater here :
http://www.screwfix.com/prods/56373/Heating-Cooling/Electric-Heating/Birchwood-H02073-Freestanding-Electric-Fan-Heater-2kW
Brilliant, with thermostat, leaves neighbours wondering why my van is the only one without snow or ice.
Also, working in the snow is fine (up to a certain temp), you just need to have a high ish flowrate to keep it going. Did quite a few here.
Sainsburys basics table salt for parths, 27p for a bottle. Brilliant stuff and you can easily pour it on paths. Does the job and you can buy loads of it for that price.
tim do you leave fan heater on overnight and are they expensive to run
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Fan heater here :
http://www.screwfix.com/prods/56373/Heating-Cooling/Electric-Heating/Birchwood-H02073-Freestanding-Electric-Fan-Heater-2kW
Brilliant, with thermostat, leaves neighbours wondering why my van is the only one without snow or ice.
Also, working in the snow is fine (up to a certain temp), you just need to have a high ish flowrate to keep it going. Did quite a few here.
Sainsburys basics table salt for parths, 27p for a bottle. Brilliant stuff and you can easily pour it on paths. Does the job and you can buy loads of it for that price.
tim do you leave fan heater on overnight and are they expensive to run
Yep I put it in as soon as I come home and leave it running at a low-ish thermostat setting. No idea how expensive it is to run, it's got two settings 1Kw, and 2Kw. It's hard to say because it's got a thermostat, it only switches on now and then. Regardless, it's cheaper then a new HF-4. Been there, done that. :)
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Buy a house with a garage !
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make enough in the summer not to have to worry about a few weeks off in the winter ;D
shame i did'nt take my own advice lol :'(
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Cold water out of ro and resin cylinder then through inline heat and run carpet cleaning heater into van tank 400 ltr filled just enough to clean from 10am till 2pm £100 per day still then tank emptied and hose nothing to freeze just keep earning enough to keep going and in tank at about 40oc no freezing,no ice left on ground all hose and pump water cant go cold in the 4 hours as its emptied quick
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When you put your heater in the van overnight, dont put it on the frost stat, sooo many times ive got up in the morning and hoses etc frozen!!
this year ive turned mine right up, not a problem at all....may cost a bit more in electricity, but not lost a day in work so far!!!
Also, to stop your microbore freezing on the ground, get the water flowing thro as soon as poss, then keep it running, no freezing for as yet since been doing this!! ;)
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Fan heater here :
http://www.screwfix.com/prods/56373/Heating-Cooling/Electric-Heating/Birchwood-H02073-Freestanding-Electric-Fan-Heater-2kW
Brilliant, with thermostat, leaves neighbours wondering why my van is the only one without snow or ice.
Also, working in the snow is fine (up to a certain temp), you just need to have a high ish flowrate to keep it going. Did quite a few here.
Sainsburys basics table salt for parths, 27p for a bottle. Brilliant stuff and you can easily pour it on paths. Does the job and you can buy loads of it for that price.
tim do you leave fan heater on overnight and are they expensive to run
we have one and it costs 11p per hour to run at 1kw setting
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late starts/early finishes(11am-3pm).bring as much gear in as possible.thick duvet around tank/barrels.trad ground floor windows.salt paths and doorways.keep moving and dont leave hose lying around.
this is what i did last week but this week the temp has been more severe with snow so im writing the week off with no work done at all.
its imperative (for those of you who have nt)to build up an emergency fund throughout the year so if the weather is this bad you can still pay the bills.
its not great to lose out on a weeks earnings but after many years of cursing it sometimes i just accept it now and try and not get too frustrated.my financial postion has vastly improved over the last few years so that helps!!
but i do remember when i was deep in debt and couldnt work etc.thankfully them days are over now!but ive had to work hard the last 5 years to dig myself out of a hole.
it sure is no fun if your skint and cant work because of weather!if this is you now then learn from it and make sure you start putting some money away every week if want to carry on in this business so next time you ll be ok!! ;D ;D
best wishes to you all
dazmond
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Keep your hose pumping continuously whilst cleaning to prevent the jets freezing up,
Nope, doesn't stop it.
Mine froze up twice today while it was running.
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No problems with the van freezing,and it wasn't even snowing here yesterday but the hose (6mm) kept on freezing on the ground. Take connector off,pump the ice out,put it back on etc.Flow rate full bore, water froze on the pole when extended and when closed it froze inside the pole. Had to give up! :)
I know,should have gone hot years ago! :)
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*Polystyreen is a very effective insulator and combined with something like double sided foiled bubble wrap is excellent.
* Ensure all your hoses route in your system so they can self drain the use of ball/gate valves have their uses too.
* Keep a 10 litres see through can of anti-freeze and pump this through your system at the end of day...will prevent freezing. Try to use blue/coloured if poss will make it easier to see when the antifreeze is 'through' your system.
If you have no garage/car port consider having a bespoke tank made that is insulated i.e double walled this way you could have insulated storage built in for pumps, reels, controllers, strainers etc.
* Use a tube heater to warm your water overnight (if static) which if in the right cabinate would radiate heat and keep your r/o system warm(again if static) your could then pump the water into your insulated tank which would stay warm the most of the day.
*Look at pulse technology stats, once set to a certain temp these units will keep the temp at the set point but will do so using the full range of heat i.e if your set the temp at say 5deg once it drops the unit will use just enough heat to maintain that set point without having the heater run at full tilt.
* Weipro 1000/2000/3000 watt titanium tube heaters with stats.
*Tube heaters with frost stats.
* Derwent Muck boots, Joka polar gloves, Helly Hanson thermals.
* At least 12 weeks money put by just for bad weather.
* Consider looking at your round and making the potential earnings year 10months and making your yearly money in that time.
* Take your hols in winter (hard I know if you have kids).
* Go to your local coffee shop and get a catering size bag of weed just to keep the chill off and the cabin fever out....oh..you'de better not it's illegal there HAHAHAHAHA...but not here in cloggyville(well it's accepted anyhow's).
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When you put your heater in the van overnight, dont put it on the frost stat, sooo many times ive got up in the morning and hoses etc frozen!!
this year ive turned mine right up, not a problem at all....may cost a bit more in electricity, but not lost a day in work so far!!!
Also, to stop your microbore freezing on the ground, get the water flowing thro as soon as poss, then keep it running, no freezing for as yet since been doing this!! ;)
Very true. I've done that before and it cost me £200 for a new HF-4. Very expensive mistake.
Ps. I found tube heaters or any static heater to be totally useless. A fan is needed to have it circulate through the van.
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Got rid of the van system , use a shed for my gear with a frost watch heater in it. Trolley system now. Had water freeze on windows in unheated shops only, went back to do them later in the day and water had melted off leaving behind a clean window.
I use ice melt around footpaths before i start.
Saying all that if it's -1 during the day , i just dont go out.
Hope to god that this doesn't last for to long.
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Attach a snow plough to front of van ...£400
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Daz and Dave good posts.
I remember your post last winter Daz ;)
I've squirelled away some dough but not enough :(
Unfortunately i've been paying my mother in-law back what i borrowed last year :'(
Gonna try and push indoor window cleaaning service next year for bad weather days; so if the idea worked i wouldn't loose too much time to rainy days.
Dave's idea about condensing working year is good but would obviously have to up customers prices; at the risk of making myself look even sillier :D, is this a 20% price increase?
I don't think big price increases would be well recieved in the current climate :-\
But it would be good idea for new work.
Hope we are all back to it soon.
There goes my plan of having two week xmas break :(
Unless this weather keeps up of course :'(
Lee
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someone mentioned using an aquirium heater - that a pretty good idea - but how do you power it (ie. do you need a mains supply or has anyone invented a mobile version). Also if you do heat the water overnight to make it pretty warm so it wont freeze throughout the day - does that not make it more risky that the first few houses you do, you may crack the glass - or does it not matter?
Also - anyone know where to fill up on cheap polysteryene / insulating stuff