Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: capn sparkle on February 15, 2014, 03:05:56 pm
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I'm gonna up grade my wfp set-up from a Vectra n trailer to a fully mounted 2 man 1000ltr van system.
Only 1 man at the moment but need to 'future proof' it due to rapid expansion and possible commercials.
I've been looking on-line at various different options -
K Systems
Ionics
Pure Freedom
I like the 'plug n play' aspect so no more decanting from a tank at home. Also I've decided on the 1000ltr tank because I wouldn't have to fill it totally until needed.
Because this is going to be quite expensive I need some quality advice (that's where you guys come in) Ask the experts I'm told!
P.S. If you prefer one system over the others - Could you say why that is? I hope to be humbled by your undoubtedly superior knowledge.
Kind regards
Glenn
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Don't think many vehicles can pull a 1000 litre to be honest.
You would need a van with 1500 payload. ?
I've got a DIY, but I would choose pure freedom. Seen some of their vans and they look solid. Cheaper than ionics aswell.
I havnt seen k systems before.
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The cleaning warehouse have some good systems!
http://www.thecleaningwarehouse.co.uk/window-cleaning-systems-351-c.asp
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I would pass on all of them and look at grippa or xline.
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I'd pass on those as well, if you have some experience in setting up save yourself a couple of grand and put it together yourself.
You will need a 3.5 tonne van for 1000 ltr system
Darran
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I would pass on all of them and look at grippa or xline.
Great more research ;D ;D ;D
Why these 2 tho???
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My son and I are working off my Citroen Relay at the moment. We have a 650 litre 2 man system and may use 400 - 450 liters per day doing residential. Granted, he uses a backpack, but even with 2 hose reels in the early days we really used the full 650 liters.
A 1000 litre tank would need a Transit T350 or equivalent - so something with a payload of around 1500kgs as previous posters have said.
For the 2 of us I feel my SWB van is too small and am considering a LWB, but wouldn't put a bigger tank in.
But you have to make decisions according to your round and how you plan to expand business wise. The majority of our round is with 10 miles of base, so if there was ever a day we would need more than 650 liters we would start at the furthest point for that day and plan to work back home. If we run out of water, there will always be the possibility of popping back home and filling up again.
I usually save my closest customers in the estate for those kind of days where the weather is unpredictable, but you could add the times you need to refill to that plan as well.
The simple thing of adding an Aquadapter to your pole could save you on water. A friend of mine has a 650 liter tank in his Vivaro. He purchased a round about 10 miles away, from a retiring window cleaner. He and his son usually ran out of water before they finished the round and would have to go back the next day to finish off. Since fitting Aquadapters on both of their poles, they are able to save enough water to finish the job in 1 day and still have water left over.
So, although 2 Aquadapters and hose cost him around £90 in those days, he believes they paid for themselves within the first day of working that Estate.
In our case future expansion years ago meant a second and third van on the road. We process water at home so Son (if he is using his own van) or son in law can fill up at any time of the day.
As I mentioned before, we messed around with r/o's since day 1. We have always battled with producing enough of the key ingredient we needed for a successful business. So I would recommend a decent r/o from day 1 with an automatic on/off control so it can be working processing water whilst you are out there working.
My son and I have a large commercial job we do. We use both vans. He will empty his 500 liter tank on his van and will plug into mine to finish the last 15 minutes of the day before going home by plugging his hose reel into my van. By next morning both vans will be full and leisure batteries charged ready for work again.
If we only used my van, then we would have to fill up at around lunch time and go back to the job with full tanks for the afternoon.
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Grippa is crash tested tanks.
Xline are really pushing the boundaries.
Ionics are overpriced.
Pure freedom is basically a DIY setup. At least xline put some Bella and whistles on it. To JAZZ it up.
K systems. NO COMMENT
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Steer clear of K Systems - heard some bad reports.
Any of the others mentioned on post should be OK. My choice would be between Pure 2o (cheaper brand by Ionics) or Grippa. Both are crash tested and do not use Wydale tanks - their tanks are better baffled, stronger and black so they are impervious to light thus algae growth.
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Some bad reports from K Systems? I ain't heard a good one :-X
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Cleaning warehouses systems are good and competively priced.
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I haven`t heard Brodex mentioned. Im looking at one of their systems at the moment. Im in Northern Ireland so am restricted to suppliers.
Steve
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Brodex have got a bad reputation for after care. Very bad.
Poles are not great. Systems are ok.
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Some brilliant advice there guys - that's why I love this forum.
Methinks I need to do a lot more thinking before going ahead!!
Keep 'em coming - Please! :D :D :D :D
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You should DIY it mate.
I have been told by many people that mine is miles better than store bought systems!!
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Ive got a 650 rodi brodex unit, brilliant service, brilliant after care service, and a hell of a lot cheaper than the rest of suppliers,
Xline was 2 grand dearer
Grippa was 2.5 grand deerer
Facelift
Posted all the quotes on another forum, and people were very surprised with the differences in price, if you ask me complete con artists xline and grippa
Maddest thing was they were more expensive and that was with less stuff, brodex threw in split relay battery, external manifold, proteckta kote, pole hangers, guttervac
All in all i got a full 650 RO DI crash tested system, 2 pumps 2 controllers 2 metal hose rheels with 2 100m's of microbore hose , split relay charger, pole hanger, external manifold, resin and filters, 3000w guttervac and 24foot guttervac poles, 32ft ally wfp and 18 ft ally pole, full installation and 3 years warrenty
Total cost £4100
Yea the ally poles are heavy as hell but they do carbon poles too.
Xline systems wanted somethin like 5500 for just a 2 man system and installation, that was with 2 hose and rheels and 2 fibreglass poles
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You should DIY it mate.
I have been told by many people that mine is miles better than store bought systems!!
As pure h20 said though, diy will be alot cheaper,
Its easy to do a diy if u already no how systems work, for me i had no clue so had no option, sure u could get some good advice on here though with building one
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Thing is. Every company will have good and bad. So it's just up to personal per fence and price.
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Diy all day long, why pay huge sums of money to a company to make up a system which, in essence, is about as complicated as a knife and fork. Tank, pump, r/o system, hose reels.
As for crash tested systems, i am not really convinced that there is any point. After all, a van is designed to carry pretty much anything that will fit in, be that a pallet of bricks or 6 motorbikes, so why the need to crash test a box full of water?.
Payload is a thorny issue at the moment, a couple of others have suggested a payload of 1500kg for a 1000l tank, however, based on my own weighbridge experience, and reading posts related to the subject on here, i would suggest you need a bit more than that!. Just recently there was a post from a guy with a 650l tank in a vauxhall vivaro or reanault trafic 2700. The weighbridge reading was 2960kg, more than quarter of a ton overweight!. Now as i said, that was the 2700 version, but he would still have been overweight in the 2900 version, which has a payload of around 1250kg. 1000l of water weighs 350kg more than 650l, so with that in mind, i would say you need a payload of 1700kg+.
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Pure2o, its the cheaper brand of ionics
Ionics quality, at a budget price.
crash tested etc, highly recommend
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I'm gonna up grade my wfp set-up from a Vectra n trailer to a fully mounted 2 man 1000ltr van system.
Only 1 man at the moment but need to 'future proof' it due to rapid expansion and possible commercials.
I've been looking on-line at various different options -
K Systems
Ionics
Pure Freedom
I like the 'plug n play' aspect so no more decanting from a tank at home. Also I've decided on the 1000ltr tank because I wouldn't have to fill it totally until needed.
Because this is going to be quite expensive I need some quality advice (that's where you guys come in) Ask the experts I'm told!
P.S. If you prefer one system over the others - Could you say why that is? I hope to be humbled by your undoubtedly superior knowledge.
Kind regards
Glenn
I've had two purefreedom van mounted systems,I've found both systems to be reliable. If technical help is required,they will talk you through what to do.if replacement parts are required you get them the next day.i personally wouldn't look elsewhere.
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Captain Sparkle - Is DIY a no go for you?
Alot cheaper, plus if something goes wrong you can access the situation yourself and fix it.
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Captain Sparkle - Is DIY a no go for you?
Alot cheaper, plus if something goes wrong you can access the situation yourself and fix it.
TBH I did DIY my 350 ltr trailer system and 400 ltr home producer which has been chugging along quite happily for 6 months.
Reasoning behind buying a 'fully fitted block' if ya like, was that when I upgrade to a newer van in future it would be easier to swap. Not only that but it does take time to design n build (I could be out working instead).
My only other experience of a wfp system was a 1000ltr pure freedom unit in a 2900 vivaro which I worked for 6 months (old employer, before I started on my own) judging by some earlier comments it was probably way overloaded.
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Grippa all the way.
I have a 650 in my van and don't even realise when driving.
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Grippa all the way.
I have a 650 in my van and don't even realise when driving.
What van have you got now Simon ?
What sort of cost was the 650 system ?
Steve
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Just noticed capn sparkle.
You are in Hitchin! Only down the road from you. Got a base at Sandy and Bedford.
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Grippa all the way.
I have a 650 in my van and don't even realise when driving.
What van have you got now Simon ?
What sort of cost was the 650 system ?
Steve
Hi Steve.
I've got a new Vito sport lab.
Oliver installed a 650 delivery only system for me as I make my pure water with my electric trolley.
Honestly the grippa tanks are brilliant and the service was great too.
I won't mention any prices as maybe a little un professional but you can't compare their kits to most others.
You sorted yet??
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Grippa prices are listed on their website.
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whats the bad reviews on k systems? what problems
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Just noticed capn sparkle.
You are in Hitchin! Only down the road from you. Got a base at Sandy and Bedford.
Quite close - I'm currently taking over Stotfold bit by bit
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Just noticed capn sparkle.
You are in Hitchin! Only down the road from you. Got a base at Sandy and Bedford.
Quite close - I'm currently taking over Stotfold bit by bit
I think tony edwards lives there and cleans in stotfold a bit.
A chapped called smithy's window cleaning is in letchworth. Top bloke :)
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[/quote]
Hi Steve.
I've got a new Vito sport lab.
Oliver installed a 650 delivery only system for me as I make my pure water with my electric trolley.
Honestly the grippa tanks are brilliant and the service was great too.
I won't mention any prices as maybe a little un professional but you can't compare their kits to most others.
You sorted yet??
[/quote]
Still looking at options, has to be RO though.
Just saw a grippa install on their Twitter feed, is your van blue ? If so it may have been yours as it was a 650.
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Can't comment on other's but Brodex system that I bought used is great. Peace of mind with the way it is fit into the van and compared to a few of the other systems it looks the part too. Oh, and it has proper fittings, not those cheap and nasty plastic ones.
I use Gardiner poles though, and favour Gardiner brushes too.
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The blue vivaro on there website is mine , it was a bespoke system using there tank and frame and the bits from my old pure2o system , they did a good job and the tank is excellent .
I would reccomend grippa or pure2o , grippa being my first choice .
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Hi Steve.
I've got a new Vito sport lab.
Oliver installed a 650 delivery only system for me as I make my pure water with my electric trolley.
Honestly the grippa tanks are brilliant and the service was great too.
I won't mention any prices as maybe a little un professional but you can't compare their kits to most others.
You sorted yet??
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Still looking at options, has to be RO though.
Just saw a grippa install on their Twitter feed, is your van blue ? If so it may have been yours as it was a 650.
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No.
My van is a black lwb Vito sport.
Good luck with your choice. If you want to see mine just let he know.
Cheers.
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I use Brodex 650ltr DI system, robust, very well made - basic and simple, not over complicated.
I agree with comments about aftercare, but to be honest i have found that they have sorted this problem with me, obviously i cannot comment for others.
I just want something that does the job, basic, well made, simple and doesnt cost the earth,
I have had Ionics years ago but found the system very good, but too much mither with it being all singing and dancing
My vote goes to Brodex, and if you need a chat i am only too happy to help
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Yes, i like the way brodex tanks have built in compartments for pipes, di vissel. They look the beez kneez compared to other companies