Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: giftedk on December 23, 2005, 09:04:12 am

Title: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: giftedk on December 23, 2005, 09:04:12 am
Hi all just curious how many litres a day we all use .?
I have an omnitrolley and seem to be using about 100 litres an hour,  the reason i ask is i hear people saying they get by with 200 litres a day.
Now im not superman and im not cleaning 50 + houses a day, but too get a decent days wage i need too use about 100 litres an hour.
Is there something wrong with my machine, ?
how much does everyone else use ?.
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: Alex Gardiner on December 23, 2005, 09:07:17 am
Hi,

You should only need about 50-60 litres an hour. Do you have a flow control valve on your pole? What size jets are you using?

Alex
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: Morph on December 23, 2005, 09:52:08 am
I'm using about 75 litres an hour.  I've only been using wfp about 9 weeks, but to get the windows right seems to take that amount.  I can't see it getting less, even if I get existing jobs cleaned up better, I still take on new ones needing the same treatment. 
I have a 75psi pump, varistream controller and a control tap at my end of the pole.
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: Alex Gardiner on December 23, 2005, 12:39:04 pm
Hi Morph,

you will find after about a year that your water usage will go down and yet you will do a better job, hard to believe until you get there!

Alex
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: newpy on December 23, 2005, 03:38:40 pm
approx 300l a day. 5 hrs running, of course it varies, on if the job is a first clean, or a 4 or 8 weekly clean, seem to be able to get away with less water on the monthly jobs.
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: Ian_Giles on December 23, 2005, 04:15:13 pm
Now ~I've converted to to a van I'm using a fair bit more than I was when using the trolley.
I guess it is up around the 300l a day mark on a busy day.

Witht he trolley I was around the 200l per day, but there is always a mix of trad work involved.
I'm also doing more houses now, and that too uses more water.

I think that as a general guideline you should be able to clean a standard semi with  anything from 15l of water and upwards on repeat cleans.

There are a couple of window cleaners out there who can do a standard house on less than 15l, but thats a skill that takes a fair bit of developing.

For those wishing to conserve as much water as possible, Peter Fogwill's new auto brush should be a good investment.
It on the market now, so it will be interesting to read some feedback from those that are using it.

But 100l an hour is a hell of a lick!

Ian
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: Easyclean Windows on December 23, 2005, 04:29:50 pm
700 ltr per day to empty but can get 30 houses (£10) a day or a large block of flats,10 x £40 houses per day or 3 x £200 houses per day.
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: windows_chepstow on December 23, 2005, 05:59:43 pm
I use around 150 to 175 litres per day.

By myself I'll do around 20 houses per day, doing 1st floor only.  I do traditional on the ground floor; mostly.   Leaded or Georgian I do the lot WFP.

I'm only 'small cheese', but enjoying myself.

What's your flow rate per minute? 

From my limited experience and from what I've read here, anything from 1 to 2 litres per minute is fine.  More is better if you can 'afford' it.

I like around 1.5 litres per minute.

You can measure it simply by getting a bucket and pump water in it for one minute through your brush head.  Then pour the result into a measuring jug.

My back pack pumps out on setting two around 1.5 to 2.00 litres per minute.  My 60 psi shurflo jets out around 5 litres per minute, but I hardly use this.

I haven't read any posts about 'litres per hour', only 'litres per minute', so I can't really comment.

How many litres per day are you using and what's your type of round?
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: batterbee on December 23, 2005, 06:55:55 pm
Hi i've been using peters auto brush for about 3 weeks and a have a good mix of commercial and private work, i also at the minute clean just first floor windows with wfp and my  customers have taken really well to the change. i have never used more than 125 litres in a day when using the auto brush so for an experiment i bypassed the auto switch just to see how much extra water i would use and on the same kind of houses i used an extra 75 litres in the day and had alot more hassle having to run and turn the pump off! I have a van and trolley system and 80% of the time i use the trolley of which i am using a 75psi shurflow pump. the brush is an exellent tool and will never do the experiment again!
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: matt on December 23, 2005, 07:16:42 pm
i work from 8.30 ( 9 in the summer) to 3.30 ( 4.30 in the summer)

i just do the upstairs with WFP and downstairs if its leaded or georgain

i use between 100 and 150 A DAY....... its normally 100 though

Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: dai on December 23, 2005, 10:07:28 pm
I use about the same as Matt. When I read some of the earlier threads, I thought I can't be doing the job right.
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: Chris Cottrell on December 23, 2005, 10:17:52 pm
I'm useing about 125l to 175l depending on whether its a new clean or not cause i'm still building my round up as well as getting on with WFP and doing any where from 10 to 14 properties (£15 to £25 accounts) a day.
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: matt on December 23, 2005, 10:54:11 pm
I use about the same as Matt. When I read some of the earlier threads, I thought I can't be doing the job right.

i must admit, even though i know my work is good, i thought the same

100 L's a hour, thats a frightening amount imho
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: Pole2pole on December 23, 2005, 11:42:20 pm
Can anyone out there tell me how i can eliminate the air in my trolley system, that seems to be turning my spray jets into a trickle again. One minute it's fine, next it's naff. Off the subject a tad, but to cure this one would bring my litres per hour down,so i'm giving myself the benefit of the doubt here  8) Oh and Merry Xmas everyone and thanx for all your tips and tricks over the last 6 months  ;)
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: kingfisher on December 24, 2005, 02:00:48 am
Im using between 300lt to 400lts a day thats window cleaning and car valeting the window cleaning tends to use more water.

I find I seem to work faster when the flow rate is set higher :)

Kevin
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: matt on December 24, 2005, 09:01:09 am
Can anyone out there tell me how i can eliminate the air in my trolley system, that seems to be turning my spray jets into a trickle again. One minute it's fine, next it's naff. Off the subject a tad, but to cure this one would bring my litres per hour down,so i'm giving myself the benefit of the doubt here  8) Oh and Merry Xmas everyone and thanx for all your tips and tricks over the last 6 months  ;)

1 of your joints is leaking, its most prob 1 GOING TO THE PUMP, it will be sucking in air
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: Chris Cottrell on December 24, 2005, 10:16:09 am
Can anyone out there tell me how i can eliminate the air in my trolley system, that seems to be turning my spray jets into a trickle again. One minute it's fine, next it's naff. Off the subject a tad, but to cure this one would bring my litres per hour down,so i'm giving myself the benefit of the doubt here  8) Oh and Merry Xmas everyone and thanx for all your tips and tricks over the last 6 months  ;)

1 of your joints is leaking, its most prob 1 GOING TO THE PUMP, it will be sucking in air

I had this problem .... cured it by taking apart all inward joints and useing plenty of ptfe tape on them and rejoining them ....  sorted

Chris

8)Merry Xmas Everyone 8)
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: dai on December 24, 2005, 05:48:28 pm
The size of the holes in your jets will have a big affect on your water usage.
I now use smaller jets, more force, and less water useage. Dai
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: Pole2pole on December 24, 2005, 09:43:10 pm
Thats what i love about this place.
(1) Ask question
(2) Go to bed
(3) Wake up
(4) Check for replies
(5) half hour later.....job done
Cheers Matt and Chris. Another Gremlin out the way ;) NEXT  ;D
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: billozz on December 25, 2005, 08:33:05 pm
700 ltr per day to empty but can get 30 houses (£10) a day or a large block of flats,10 x £40 houses per day or 3 x £200 houses per day.
blimey 3x£200 houses they must be big
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: matt on December 25, 2005, 11:00:29 pm
Thats what i love about this place.
(1) Ask question
(2) Go to bed
(3) Wake up
(4) Check for replies
(5) half hour later.....job done
Cheers Matt and Chris. Another Gremlin out the way ;) NEXT  ;D


so it worked

only to glad to help ;)
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: genesis_windows on January 04, 2006, 03:25:02 pm
1300 ltrs daily doing approx 40 houses with my mate, but we also pole the ground floor windows aswell. 9.am till 3 pm and loving it!
just like to say happy new year to all, polers or squeegee men, all the same to me!
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: JM123 on January 05, 2006, 03:42:05 pm
Anything up to 600ltrs per day, waters free so I use as much as I can, work quicker - better results.  Don't see why people try to save as much water as they can, can't imagine only using 100ltrs in a day!!!!!  I use nearly that in an hour!!!!
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: matt on January 05, 2006, 06:56:35 pm
Anything up to 600ltrs per day, waters free so I use as much as I can, work quicker - better results.  Don't see why people try to save as much water as they can, can't imagine only using 100ltrs in a day!!!!!  I use nearly that in an hour!!!!

Hmmmmmmmmmm

waters free --- not really, if your on a meter and you then have to pay to make it low TDS

work quicker - better results  --- When Ian here mentioned about this, i tested the theory out, i cranked the pump on full and the by-pass valve turned off, i used 200 L's in about 6 hours, the results were i had earned the same as if i had used 100 L's and i am sure the results of me using 100 L's are good anyways, afterall ive only been doing WFP 18 months and ive yet to have a complaint about it


its easy to knock others who are different or work slightly different to you
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: jon adams on January 05, 2006, 07:15:56 pm
Thats what i thought do you think their next door to each other????
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: JM123 on January 06, 2006, 12:38:50 pm
here I'm def not knocking anyone!!! All I'm saying is how much I use - that was the question.  I@m just pointing out that I've found it easier for me to keep the pump on full and find it gives ME better results - everybody is different and uses a slightly different method to everyone else, if the job gets done and gets done right then surely thats all that matters.

And by the way - we don't pay for water in N.I so it is free.
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: Ian_Giles on January 06, 2006, 08:16:05 pm
If you are using a trolley or a backpack, or have limited water carrying capacity then how much water you are using is vital, so getting it just right is an artform in itself!

I've found that a flowrate of between 2l and 2.5l per min is my ideal.

But using more water is also a skill too, well, to get the most out of it anyway, faster the flowrate the greater the potential to work faster too, at least on repeat cleans.
you have the flowrate up to high and you are wasting water, but you have to be able to work at a speed you can cope with too.

Matt has said that he experimented with a higher rate and earned no more than he did at his normal rate, but it takes time to get the speed you are actually working at to change, if you spend the same amount of time as before on a window then all you are doing is using more water :-\

We all develop our own techniques to cope with whatever flowrate we feel comfortable with.
As can be seen by all the varied replies, we all use different flowrates!!!

Ian
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: gaza on January 06, 2006, 11:19:25 pm
THE HIGHER THE FLOW RATE THE MORE CHANCE OF BLOWING?{MISTING UP }THE WINDOWS IVE FOUND,EXCEPT ON NEW WINDOWS.THEN IT IS QUICKER.

  GAZA
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: pjulk on January 07, 2006, 12:58:02 am
When i started with WFP about 8 or 9 months ago i was getting through 400 Ltrs a day with my trolley.
I now have this down to about 200 - 250 ltrs a day

Paul
Title: Re: how many litres a day do you use (wfp)
Post by: Jeff Brimble on January 07, 2006, 07:52:41 am
I see that I havent replied to this one so..........
 I use no more than 0.5 Litre/min using a 4mm ID 6mmOD soft thin wall micro bore pipe and the smallest  Flojet pump and a 12" over the top supply brush with 4 nozzles. I could use more water (-up to 1.5 Ltre at say 100ft) but in domestic light/ commercial situations I find  this controversial low rate and a low pressuresystem  is ample for cleaning glass only.