Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: barry mallett on November 08, 2011, 04:51:26 pm

Title: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: barry mallett on November 08, 2011, 04:51:26 pm

can anyone give me any advice on what is at fault . my water flow has slowed down and is now stopping . i put a new pressure switch on the pump , didnt make any difference . battery is showing fully charged (14 month old leisure battery} use my controller on 4 .so i thought i would try it higher . so turn it up to 9 and its as if i have put it on 1 . so it is only working very sporaddic on 4 . and doing my head in . could it be the pump or maybe the contoller . any ideas . cheers barry . only serious replies please ;D ;)

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: Pope vader on November 08, 2011, 04:53:59 pm

try working with out the controller, see what happens

try it with van runing to see if that makes any difference

if you are using a di vessel, try with out in case it gets air blocked,  mine use to do this 

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: barry mallett on November 08, 2011, 05:02:59 pm

cheers pope . i bypassed the contoller today and the pump made a lot more noise and the water spluttered . my di vessel is before the tank so that is not the problem  . my battery is not connected to the van .  thanks for the reply  ;)

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: gto on November 08, 2011, 05:06:02 pm

is there a strainer on the pump, have you checked it lately.

also try by passing all of you plumbing with new short hoses, see if there is a blockage.

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: Pope vader on November 08, 2011, 05:08:06 pm

what controller you got,  as might need reseting

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: ♠Winp®oClean♠ on November 08, 2011, 05:08:13 pm

Blocked strainer Bazza. ;)

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: ♠Winp®oClean♠ on November 08, 2011, 05:09:15 pm

Quote from: ♠Winp®oClean♠ on November 08, 2011, 05:08:13 pm

Blocked strainer Bazza. ;)

Clean it or bypass it to either cure or eliminate it. ;)

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: Dave Willis on November 08, 2011, 05:12:48 pm

Battery knackered? 14 Months is a long time by my experience. See how fast the light is flashing

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: barry mallett on November 08, 2011, 05:16:11 pm

some fast replies guys . i have a varistream controller goes from 1 to 9 . never reset it or anything in 3 years always been fine . yes i do have a strainer and check the mesh all the time , it is clear . can some crap get in the bit before the mesh . but will check again . can wimpo be right again . . thanks for the fast replies .  ;)

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: Llaaww on November 08, 2011, 05:17:50 pm

Re fit any wire terminals that may have coroded a bit and it should be ok.

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: lozsing on November 08, 2011, 05:34:21 pm

you can have a battery showing ok , but as soon as it drops below 12.8v your varistream will start to play up . take a volt meter out with you and as soon as it happens test your battery

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: Frankybadboy on November 08, 2011, 05:41:00 pm

with the colder weather  you just need to play around with the back settings on the controller. ;)

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: lozsing on November 08, 2011, 05:45:17 pm

here are some  varistream instructions if there any help too.

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: STEVE-UK on November 08, 2011, 06:01:19 pm

sounds like your picking up air....try tightening all hose connections between tank and pump

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: weetot on November 08, 2011, 06:08:07 pm

Are you using a leisure battery? and when you put it on charge, is the green light coming on within about 10 mins? If it is and you havent charged it for 24 hours there may be a cell knackered in the battery.


Saying that it should still push the water out the pump.
I'll have another think!

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: barry mallett on November 08, 2011, 06:12:10 pm

thanks gunna check em all . out all night . my heads gunna explode  ;D

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: barry mallett on November 08, 2011, 09:02:12 pm

been pratting about half the night . tightened all jubilee clips, all connections , cleaned strainer and was running ok . will see how it goes tomorrow . if it plays up will try the pressure setting on the controller . if that dont work i wiil kick the lot down the street . thanks again for taking time to reply . except wimpo who is usually wrong  ;D just thought i wonder if its cos i changed my vikan brush for a gardiners  ;)

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: ♠Winp®oClean♠ on November 08, 2011, 09:31:23 pm

Why did you put a new pressure switch on the pump if you are using a varistream Bazza? It should be bypassed.

As someone said, in colder weather, the pressure cut off will activate sooner than in warm/mild weather as there is very little expansion in the hoses to absorb pressure. With warm water I have to knock my varistream cut off down to 4 or 5. In summer but with cold water it's on 6 & winter on 7.

I reckon you're working so fast with that new brush that the poor old pump just can't keep up with ya Bazza! ;D

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: J. Domingos on November 08, 2011, 10:26:17 pm

I'm working with 2 pumps and 2 controllers, 1 a simple 12v 30amp dc remote motor controller, does the job
VERY well. I'm quite please... no more faults whatsoever. Probably this winter... will try build up a few more and
put to sale  8) ;D

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: barry mallett on November 09, 2011, 06:53:15 am

enlighten me wimpo . you saying i dont need a pressure switch if i have a varistream . so should i take the pressure switch off cheers  ;)

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: Frankybadboy on November 09, 2011, 06:58:21 am

Quote from: barry mallett on November 09, 2011, 06:53:15 am

enlighten me wimpo . you saying i dont need a pressure switch if i have a varistream . so should i take the pressure switch off cheers  ;)

you dont need to take the pressure switch off,there should  be no wires conected to it ;) ;)

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: lozsing on November 09, 2011, 07:21:14 am

no just disconnect it

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: barry mallett on November 09, 2011, 07:27:16 am

cheers bad boy and lozing ;) will check it out, off now prob back in an hour with the back of my van smashed up ;D

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: ♠Winp®oClean♠ on November 09, 2011, 08:19:02 am

Quote from: barry mallett on November 09, 2011, 06:53:15 am

enlighten me wimpo . you saying i dont need a pressure switch if i have a varistream . so should i take the pressure switch off cheers  ;)

As said, just disconnect it.

On another note Bazza- How long you been at this wfp malarkey? ;D ;D ;D ;D

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: barry mallett on November 09, 2011, 06:53:05 pm

ay up wimpo .wiped my head out today this job  . started at 8 first hour fine set on 4 working well . then the next 3 hours it was stopping and starting .then it was fine all afternoon  . working on 4 . but i still cant higher it up as the flow just goes down . so i am stuck on no 4 .so tomorrow got a bit more time so i am gonna disconnect the pressure switch and repressurise the varistream .idont know what number to though .and i dont know why im doing it ;D but there is defo some wires coming out the pressure switch  ???  was on the ladders 21 years .then used a trollet for a few jobs for 3 years , but the last 4 years been 100% van mount and wfp . but not had any real problems up to this week    cheers bazza  ;)

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: barry mallett on November 09, 2011, 06:54:58 pm

thanks loszing for putting up the varistream instructions .  ;)

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: A & J Owen Window Cleaning on November 09, 2011, 07:09:46 pm

you might have a link in the line or the brush head is blocked had this last week.

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: Jays Window Cleaning on November 09, 2011, 07:11:46 pm

Have you changed the fuse lately? Change it see what happens.  I once had a fuse that was faulty the metal teeth had like a calcium/powder on them  and that gave me troubles like what you have been having not enough power getting to the vari stream. Does the light kepp flashing when your having troubles?

jay

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: barry mallett on November 09, 2011, 07:21:52 pm

cheers jay thats an easy job ,  will do that first , cant do any harm . will check all my connections as well  ;)

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: lozsing on November 09, 2011, 09:04:18 pm

I had a similar problem and found battery knackered.

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: barry mallett on November 10, 2011, 03:10:57 pm

wewll had a look at the pressure switch and there is 2 wires coming out . 1 goes to the top of the pump aND THE OTHER GOES TO THE VARISTREAM .  so i disconnected em and the pump wont work at all  ??? so put em back and its back working but still only on 4 .  ??? repressurised the varistream on every number and ended up lon 9 as that is the only number to push any water out  . so i am at al loss . any of you brainboxes got any idea . i know i should probably just buy a new pump controller and battery but its probably just a simple thing .and i am from yorkshire so i am a tight git b ;D

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: lozsing on November 10, 2011, 03:54:54 pm

if you connect the 2 wires together you will just bypass the pressure switch

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: dd on November 10, 2011, 05:28:05 pm

Possible that the pump is worn out. Useful to have a spare anyway so try changing pump.

Do Varistreams also suffer wear issues? Maybe after 4 years it's had it.

Title: Re: faulty pump battery or controller
Post by: barry mallett on November 10, 2011, 06:31:06 pm

cheers i will connect the two wires together tomorow and see how it goes.  ;D if i don't get any joy i will get our lass to get me one for christmas ;) cheers bazza