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UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: GEMclean services on October 05, 2011, 07:35:53 pm

Title: gardiner pole breaking levers
Post by: GEMclean services on October 05, 2011, 07:35:53 pm
hi has anyone else had the little barrel nut snap on their poles i sent gardiner an email asking if they could use metal ones but got no reply ! i wonder why ? (no spares would get sold) anyway does anyone know where you can get these barrel nuts they charge you for the whole clip but must know its the same part that goes each time.

Thanks Anthony
Title: Re: gardiner pole breaking levers
Post by: Dave Willis on October 05, 2011, 09:30:37 pm
Don't normally go unless you overtighten them. I'm sure they can supply spares.
Title: Re: gardiner pole breaking levers
Post by: niceandclean on October 05, 2011, 09:40:25 pm
hi has anyone else had the little barrel nut snap on their poles i sent gardiner an email asking if they could use metal ones but got no reply ! i wonder why ? (no spares would get sold) anyway does anyone know where you can get these barrel nuts they charge you for the whole clip but must know its the same part that goes each time.

Thanks Anthony


Call them, i have had a handful sent out to me in the post.
Title: Re: gardiner pole breaking levers
Post by: Alex Gardiner on October 05, 2011, 09:47:19 pm
hi has anyone else had the little barrel nut snap on their poles i sent gardiner an email asking if they could use metal ones but got no reply ! i wonder why ? (no spares would get sold) anyway does anyone know where you can get these barrel nuts they charge you for the whole clip but must know its the same part that goes each time.

Thanks Anthony


I'm not sure why you did not get a reply.  Metal ones would not work as it would not be possible to have the lock nut facility built in to a metal barrel nut.  It is for this reason alone that we do not make them of metal and has nothing to do with a desire to sell spares to clients.  Spares are supplied as a service, not as a major profit stream.  Generally if a client has overtightened a lever assembly and snapped the barrel nut we pop some in the post for free - depends how nice the client is  ;).
Title: Re: gardiner pole breaking levers
Post by: Andy Prittchard on October 05, 2011, 10:12:46 pm
'Major profit stream', now that's quite enlightening.
Title: Re: gardiner pole breaking levers
Post by: GEMclean services on October 06, 2011, 06:59:09 pm
thanks alex but the metal barrel would replace the small plastic one that slides out of the lever it wouldnt affect the mechanism because the mechanism pulls the two sides together to grip the inner pole if anything you would get a better grip because the plastic stretches in hot weather and constantly needs tweeking

also id love some free ones but i bought i think 6 spares because 2 broke in around 3 months think they cost £2.34 each is it ? and how come you sell the lever and the bolt but not the barrell that breaks hmmm  ;) i dont mean to be arsey but it is a pain in the arse and its my partner who is a girl that broke them both times and shes no super human
Title: Re: gardiner pole breaking levers
Post by: Pope vader on October 06, 2011, 07:04:20 pm
can u put a pic up of the bit that broke,  as since i have had my clx pole i have had a barrel snap in half (i over extended a section) and gardiners replaced it no probs,
Title: Re: gardiner pole breaking levers
Post by: GEMclean services on October 06, 2011, 07:22:00 pm
its in the lever the part the bolt screws into i havent got a pic,

must just be me getting screwed then having to buy them haha
Title: Re: gardiner pole breaking levers
Post by: Alex Gardiner on October 06, 2011, 10:21:19 pm
thanks alex but the metal barrel would replace the small plastic one that slides out of the lever it wouldnt affect the mechanism because the mechanism pulls the two sides together to grip the inner pole if anything you would get a better grip because the plastic stretches in hot weather and constantly needs tweeking

also id love some free ones but i bought i think 6 spares because 2 broke in around 3 months think they cost £2.34 each is it ? and how come you sell the lever and the bolt but not the barrell that breaks hmmm  ;) i dont mean to be arsey but it is a pain in the arse and its my partner who is a girl that broke them both times and shes no super human

Whilst physically it would be simple to replace the nylon barrel nut with a metal one (the lever would operate exactly the same), it would no longer be able to operate in the same way. As stated above it would not be possible to have the same lock nut facility built into the metal barrel nut. Currently the end of the thread in the nylon barrel nuts acts as a lock nut to hold the bolt in its adjusted position. Try doing this with a metal nut (and we spent a long time testing these options) and the bolt changes tightness every time you open or close the lever. Because of this it has to use our current material as metal will not operate in the correct way.

For economy of manufacturer the plastic parts of the lever assembly are made in one single mould (lever arm, bolt cap and barrel nut). This means that we sell the three items together as one unit. We have now started offering the lever arms separately (although virtually no one buys them) as we are using the barrel nut and bolt cap on another manufactured item soon for release, so technically we have levers spare.

It does not take a super-human to break them, just over-tightening them and then forcing the lever down - the clamps work best when adjusted so they are just tight enough and in this position the levers need very little force on them. Occasionally I imagine one or two barrel nuts will break due to some moulding weakness - which is why if someone rings up, and we like them, we will send them out some free ones. You could give us a ring and see if we do for you  :)
Title: Re: gardiner pole breaking levers
Post by: Dave Willis on October 07, 2011, 04:33:35 pm
The problem I've found (even on my latest most expensive pole) is that due to wear there is always a difference between the pressure of the clamp in the collapsed position and the extended position. Anyone who uses the pole sideways will suddenly find it spinning and so tighten the lock nut. When you collapse the pole after using it the clamp is then far too tight. The temptation is to squeeze the clamp that last bit when sliding it back in the van.
I don't know what the answer is but it's happened with every pole I've had. My newest is probably a couple of weeks old. Often it means the pole is over the edge of a conservatory roof with a clamp lever half open because it is to tight in that particular position. Any ideas Alex how the clamp could be modified or improved to make it more usable as the pole wears? I imagine every make of pole must suffer from the same problem.
Almost needs a lever with some give in it to allow for discrepancies but how to engineer it cheaply is beyond me.
Title: Re: gardiner pole breaking levers
Post by: Alex Gardiner on October 07, 2011, 07:12:57 pm
The problem I've found (even on my latest most expensive pole) is that due to wear there is always a difference between the pressure of the clamp in the collapsed position and the extended position. Anyone who uses the pole sideways will suddenly find it spinning and so tighten the lock nut. When you collapse the pole after using it the clamp is then far too tight. The temptation is to squeeze the clamp that last bit when sliding it back in the van.
I don't know what the answer is but it's happened with every pole I've had. My newest is probably a couple of weeks old. Often it means the pole is over the edge of a conservatory roof with a clamp lever half open because it is to tight in that particular position. Any ideas Alex how the clamp could be modified or improved to make it more usable as the pole wears? I imagine every make of pole must suffer from the same problem.
Almost needs a lever with some give in it to allow for discrepancies but how to engineer it cheaply is beyond me.

Hi Hydrophyl

Would you be able to email me with the exact details of the issue you are having on your recent pole - which sections it affects and how much by?  There is probably a very simple solution or if not there is something wrong which I need to rectify.
Title: Re: gardiner pole breaking levers
Post by: Dave Willis on October 07, 2011, 07:33:06 pm
Will do  ;)
Title: Re: gardiner pole breaking levers
Post by: Dave Willis on October 07, 2011, 08:13:45 pm
Two emails sent - first one has massive pictures so might not get there - second is more normal so you can see what I'm trying to describe.  :)
Title: Re: gardiner pole breaking levers
Post by: GEMclean services on October 07, 2011, 08:19:14 pm
ok i cant argue with that .

 im ok for the minute thanks Alex iv got spares although i doubt it will take her long to break those.

Thanks Anthony.

ps cant you come up with a cheaper aquadapter id love a few but there a bit pricey for the sake of bending down £30 yes but £70 hmmm i dont think so