Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: billozz on March 13, 2006, 10:27:05 pm
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can i ask what size jets you all use in your wfp, we are using 3mm but are about to change to 2mm ( now that we have them ) presumably we will now use a third less water, hope so as two of us are using 650ltr over about 6 hrs
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I was on 3's , now on 2's , it makes all the difference
Rich P @ F
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2mm gets my vote
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Hi Billozz,
You will use a lot less than a 'third less'.
This is to do with the area of the round hole, a 3mm jet hole has an area of about 2.25 (approx) times that of a 2mm jet hole, so your water usage should halve!.
2mm rules for me!
Alex
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I went from 3mm to 2mm and then back again and i'll tell you why. With the 2mm jets, if you use a decent flow rate it really fires out, and I don't like that because it splashes off the window onto the frame above. When you do above the frame it splahes onto the brick work etc dripping down on your clean window.
Now (shock) I never do the frames - just like you don't on windows with vents- with the 2mm jets you have to do the frames beacause you wet them. To avoid wetting them you have to turn your varistream right down (if you have one) but then it takes longer to rinse the window. With a good square shaped brush - the vikan rectangular is excellent - you can clean right to the top of the glass accuratley without touching the frame. With the 3mm jets you can rinse accuratly with a decent amount of water without splashing the frame. The water you use by having 3mm is saved by not washing the frames - except when the customer wants(and pays) for it.
You no those annoying complaints you get about spotting and drips every now and then? They dry up when you stop doing the frames (top of that is), just clear glass every time. The curved vikan brush touches the top of the frames when you try to do the corners so no good. Must be rectangle.
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Hi,
This is an old subject which I find quite interesting. I have just added a new Vikan brush to my kit with 2mm jets where the old brush was fitted with 3mm jets and I am experiencing the same problems with insufficient water to rinse the washed window quickly (spending too much time on the window) and, if the flow rate is increased, water is sprayed everywhere.
How come the 2mm jet size the most popular with WFPers then?
Is it because of it's lower water use with back packs?
Your experience would be most helpful.
Spruce
I went from 3mm to 2mm and then back again and i'll tell you why. With the 2mm jets, if you use a decent flow rate it really fires out, and I don't like that because it splashes off the window onto the frame above. When you do above the frame it splahes onto the brick work etc dripping down on your clean window.
Now (shock) I never do the frames - just like you don't on windows with vents- with the 2mm jets you have to do the frames beacause you wet them. To avoid wetting them you have to turn your varistream right down (if you have one) but then it takes longer to rinse the window. With a good square shaped brush - the vikan rectangular is excellent - you can clean right to the top of the glass accuratley without touching the frame. With the 3mm jets you can rinse accuratly with a decent amount of water without splashing the frame. The water you use by having 3mm is saved by not washing the frames - except when the customer wants(and pays) for it.
You no those annoying complaints you get about spotting and drips every now and then? They dry up when you stop doing the frames (top of that is), just clear glass every time. The curved vikan brush touches the top of the frames when you try to do the corners so no good. Must be rectangle.
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Its mostly to do with water usage but 2mm give a good fan at much lower pressure setting on the varistream so its less wasteful. Pure water still costs money to produce and most of us are limited by how much we can carry.
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And it all depends on whether you have fan jets or needle jets, not forgetting the type of brush you are using.
A 2mm hole on a needle jet, used at the same pressure as a 3mmwill of course use less water, the trade of is just like pinching the tip of your garden hose, pressure is the same but instead of running out it blasts out.
If you are using a fan jet, you NEED that blast to get a good spread on the fan of water.
I use the brush that Peter Fogwill supplies - the salmon - two rows of bristles removed, fan jets in the brush, and the water is contained nicely inside the bristles.
Rinsing is done mostly on the glass, so the water is yet again contained in the bristles and strikes the glass directly, so if you want to clean just the glass only then you can do so.
If there were needle jets in the brush I think I would struggle with 2mm because I would want the greater volume for the rinsing aspect.
If you have that greater volume, it should enable you to work faster, but if you are a relative newbie to WFP it isn't easy.
When I first started I had to work with the flow rate turned down, I just wasn't skilled enough to work at the rate I needed to if the flow was flat out.
Now I'm experienced I can do so.
If you are using 3mm needle jets and you are worried about the water you are using then you may not be working fast enough!!!
That isn't meant to sound like an insult...honest!
But if you get everything in balance, using the greater volume of water that the 3mm will give you, should enable you to get more work done out of the 650l of water.
As has been noted, using the 2mm needle jets means turning down the pressure because the water will be splashing all over the shop.
So you turn it down to gain more control, and this also means you are going to work a little slower as you need to spend more time to get the glass clean and rinsed.
But then again, working at the slightly slower pace may suit you better...horses for courses eh? ;)
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Thanks Ian
My feelings exactly. I will probably replace these pencil jets with 3mm ones shortly.
Spruce
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2mm and microbore go well together, perfect flow rate.
Alex
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The jets I use are even smaller as they are from the Hozelock watering system. As they are smaller I use very little water in comparison to most and I fit 3 instead of 2 on my brush, so cover the window easier.
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2mm for me, the more pressure the quicker you clean the window. Yes do get
the odd splash above the window but it will never drip onto the window.
Doug
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since i posted the comment above about never cleaning the top of the frame and going back to 3mm jets, I have learnt the error of my ways and retract the comment. I suppose I have just got better at it. I now do the top of all frames except varnished ones. Here's a setup that will save you hassel: Get a brush that has 2mm jets, you will find they are quite far apart, get some fan jets and put them just inside the pencil jets. Give them their own tubes and y piece. Taddar!! Now do all windows in general with fan jets (often quicker) when you do not want to do the frame for whatever reason, the fans are to indirect to avoid touching the frame simply disconnect the fans and connect the pencils for more direct control. I've tried it and now I'm fitting all my brushes up like it.
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2mm and microbore go well together, perfect flow rate.
Alex
I found this and wouldn't go back to 3mm
Craig
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P Bowen, maybe you could connect each pair to a Y piece using 3 in total and put a small hoselock irrigation tap(s) on one or both.
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Now that is an idea....
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Nobody on any posting yet has ever mentioned the sound that the water makes when It comes out of the jets.
I know more or less when the flow rate is right by the sound that it makes. 2mm jets are a lot more "vocal" and its easier to judge whats going on.
That brush Doctor, it talks to me, it really does it talks to me.........
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Mine whistles "Dixie" ;D
I have my varistream set to 12 o'clock and the tap on the end of the hose open full.
I always work like this.
Craig
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You no those annoying complaints you get about spotting and drips every now and then? They dry up when you stop doing the frames (top of that is), just clear glass every time. The curved vikan brush touches the top of the frames when you try to do the corners so no good. Must be rectangle.
couldn't agree more, i NEVER do the top frame