Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Mr. S on October 14, 2015, 06:13:03 pm
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Hi, can anybody recommend a good vac?
Domestic only at the moment, most are just your average 2/3/4 bed houses but some I get asked to clean are large town houses and houses with dorma windows with side guttering over a full width of house lean-to of 10 ft. Obviously best for money's worth! Cheap is not always best if I want to expand so I don't mind investing! ::)roll
So do I need a 3000 watt?
Should I buy a 240v and use customers power supply and/ or buy a generator 240v, or just a 110 set up?
Plus an inspection cam to fit on an old wfp pole and a display screen.
Your advices welcomed. One thing since buying gardiner carbon poles for wfp I believe I need carbon vac poles too😉
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skyvac is good i got one about 6 months ago and its been brill , 240.v carbon poles and camera , i decided to get a genny as well so i wasn't restricted . and totally independent when working . I've got my money back but that does take time ,
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skyvac is good i got one about 6 months ago and its been brill , 240.v carbon poles and camera , i decided to get a genny as well so i wasn't restricted . and totally independent when working . I've got my money back but that does take time ,
Thanks keyser soze, my thoughts are with skyvac too, which model did you buy?
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skyvac is good i got one about 6 months ago and its been brill , 240.v carbon poles and camera , i decided to get a genny as well so i wasn't restricted . and totally independent when working . I've got my money back but that does take time ,
Thanks keyser soze, my thoughts are with skyvac too, which model did you buy?
skyvac 75 commercial is the one i got .
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I have a grippa vac and it's been a brilliant bit of kit ;)
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Something to consider is to ask yourself will you have enough room in your van as most gutter vacs are not small bits of kit to carry about in a back of a van if say you have wfp setup in there as well. They also can mess up the inside of the van with gutter sludge and crap too...
The reason why I ask is there is a lad on ebay listing at the mo selling his van including his van mount just because his van is too small as he wants to buy a guttervac and it will not fit in the back. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WINDOW-CLEANING-VAN-FIAT-SCUDO-1-6D-WFP-VGC-SWAP-/161854811548?hash=item25af4c6d9c:g:N4wAAOSwo0JWGmaW
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Thanks keyser, sb and crapinon!
I have a 54 plate transit normal wheel Base and during summer can fit my pressure washing setup in there so plenty of room.
Is a 3000 watt machine essential, as I have been looking across the ranges, been looking at the skyvac industrial with camera, but feel maybe this might be too large to manoeuvre around some jobs, so a comparison with the commercial might be good. Any views. The Atom sounds good but would be worried not powerful enough for 3 storey jobs and the diameter of hose and inlet is smaller?
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Thanks keyser, sb and crapinon!
I have a 54 plate transit normal wheel Base and during summer can fit my pressure washing setup in there so plenty of room.
Is a 3000 watt machine essential, as I have been looking across the ranges, been looking at the skyvac industrial with camera, but feel maybe this might be too large to manoeuvre around some jobs, so a comparison with the commercial might be good. Any views. The Atom sounds good but would be worried not powerful enough for 3 storey jobs and the diameter of hose and inlet is smaller?
Pretty sure the grippa vac is 2400 watt and it's got plenty of suction
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Thanks keyser, sb and crapinon!
I have a 54 plate transit normal wheel Base and during summer can fit my pressure washing setup in there so plenty of room.
Is a 3000 watt machine essential, as I have been looking across the ranges, been looking at the skyvac industrial with camera, but feel maybe this might be too large to manoeuvre around some jobs, so a comparison with the commercial might be good. Any views. The Atom sounds good but would be worried not powerful enough for 3 storey jobs and the diameter of hose and inlet is smaller?
I would say If money is not any issue then better to go for the skyvac industrial setup but don't expect using a guttervac to be easy work.
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Got rid of my 3000w vac. I didn't find actually sucking the crap out was hard work but setting up and lugging everything about is a ball ache and the generator soooo heavy! I pass most of my work on these days but do use an 1800w Nilfisk if I get talked into it.
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The numatic 2400w don't really have anymore suction power than the nilfisk 1800w I've got both..
3000w vacs quite clearly have more suction but they are a bit bulky and blocky so gaining access to rear of property might cause you problems..
The sky vac is really designed to be used all day everyday for housing associations if you're just going to use it for domestic houses it might be over kill it's certainly overpriced I might take you awhile to make your money back.. it is clearly the daddy of all vacuum cleaners on the market thou.
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Got rid of my 3000w vac. I didn't find actually sucking the crap out was hard work but setting up and lugging everything about is a ball ache and the generator soooo heavy! I pass most of my work on these days but do use an 1800w Nilfisk if I get talked into it.
Same here Dave, you need to get very good money and I mean very good to make gutter cleaning with a vac worthwhile
I have a 4800w vac but only use it when the moneys right which isn't that often thankfully, haven't said that I did think it
was the business when I first bought It and before the novelty wore off.
Like you have said they can be a real pain to use for many reasons.
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To be honest, I actually felt embarrassed using it on domestic work - massive generator in a trailer, great big vac, miles of hose, bag full of carbon poles, gopro. Customers just couldn't believe it especially when next door got his ladders out, donned his boiler suit and cleaned his out with a bucket. ::)roll
The last straw for me was latching on to a lump of mortar at fifty feet and realising I couldn't risk pulling it over the edge plus the fact that S bends can't be cleared (even though people claim they do) it's physically impossible.
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To be honest, I actually felt embarrassed using it on domestic work - massive generator in a trailer, great big vac, miles of hose, bag full of carbon poles, gopro. Customers just couldn't believe it especially when next door got his ladders out, donned his boiler suit and cleaned his out with a bucket. ::)roll
Can seem a bit of an overkill for sure but I bet that chap would struggle with just trying to use ladders on this one as an example. ::)roll
Then try cleaning the outside of the guttering, fascias and soffits. Also remove the moss from the conservatory roof and clear the conservatory guttering to boot.
As they say tools for the job and all that especially on awkward jobs where ladder method is not really the best option.
Nothing worse than turning up at a quote then say sorry I can't do it is there? ::)roll
Price wise as an example to do that pair of small semis front and rear aspects not including deep cleaning the outside of the conservatory roof & sides the total cost was less discount for doing the pair £340 so it pays to have the right kit for the job.
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Like I said it can be hard work but the pay is not bad at all if you price well
Regarding roofline work using ladders then for safety and ease of accessing guttering, downspouts etc then I found this ladder setup works well especially on slippery surfaces.
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We use this to check and clear all swan necks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryH1qgKYvYE&feature=youtu.be
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We use this to check and clear all swan necks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryH1qgKYvYE&feature=youtu.be
If doing by hand it’s easy to check if nothing is obvious if the swan necks are blocked or not buy simply dropping a pebble down the downspouts and listening or stick a hose down them. Any blockage can be removed whilst up there by taking the joints apart
If using a guttervac and camera and nothing is obvious then you can simple place the gutter vac nozzle into the downspout and listen to the downpipe to hear if a good volume of air is going through the pipe or not. Or do a water test using a cone nozzle and hose attached to the pole. On some blocked swan necks then the water test method will work at unblocking the swan necks too. If all fails get yer ladders out or us a jetter and jet the fook out of it.
The one in the pick with the ladder setup I posted happened to be fitted with a metal gutter balloon so your gadget would have been useless.
May I add some downpipe bends that are blocked are nowhere near the top by the downspout opening so again your gizmo would be useless to try and use.
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Which is why I pass my work on to a gutter cleaning company who work off ladders - I just can't be bothered with the faff when cleaning windows is so easy.
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Which is why I pass my work on to a gutter cleaning company who work off ladders - I just can't be bothered with the faff when cleaning windows is so easy.
Like so may window cleaners do as they give it a go and think fook that ;D
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Precisely.
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Precisely.
More dosh for the gutter clearers then too ;D
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That gizmo is 1 metre long it has cleared and checked every swan neck we have encountered. I have not encountered a swan neck longer than that. If you work off ladders, buy a pipe and bend clearer, cut it down to about 1 metre, clamp it in your battery drill take it up with you, you will probably never have to dismantle one again.
We use a 9 mm size, I buy them from Germany via e-bay, the UK ones are a bit flimsy compared to the German ones.
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Just had one of those jobs were I had to say I can't do - dorma bungalow had the gutter at the height just above the door- then had a conservatory extension and left the gutter in the original place so the only way to get to it or even see it was from the bloody bedroom window- I thought fook that too messing about with that one - had to turn it down and say sorry ;D
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Precisely.
More dosh for the gutter clearers then too ;D
Not really as it requires very little skill so excellent work for beer money, just a pity I didn't catch this on before investing
in a vac.
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Precisely.
More dosh for the gutter clearers then too ;D
Not really as it requires very little skill so excellent work for beer money, just a pity I didn't catch this on before investing
in a vac.
I pass all my gutter cleans on. I get 3 or 4 a month I guess. I pass mine on to a local windiy that sometimes posts on here & I know he charges a good price, but I do see Facebook posts for a tenner a house.
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That gizmo is 1 metre long it has cleared and checked every swan neck we have encountered. I have not encountered a swan neck longer than that. If you work off ladders, buy a pipe and bend clearer, cut it down to about 1 metre, clamp it in your battery drill take it up with you, you will probably never have to dismantle one again.
We use a 9 mm size, I buy them from Germany via e-bay, the UK ones are a bit flimsy compared to the German ones.
There are some weird and wonder downpipes around with many bends which looks like works of art.
This on has to be the longest swan neck around surely?
It happend to be blocked solds all the way up...wtf ;D
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Reading all the above posts, it seems to me some regret buying the gutter vac for whatever reasons, but as has been said it's a tool for jobs you couldn't clean off ladders.
I have many customers with conservatories and lean toos, or access is limited down sides of houses or brown Pant moments on porches. They either take a long time with my worker footing my ladder or I pass them on to a friend.
Has anybody used the omnipotent vac with aerospace alloy poles, or are they are no no?
Cheers Craig
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Reading all the above posts, it seems to me some regret buying the gutter vac for whatever reasons, but as has been said it's a tool for jobs you couldn't clean off ladders.
I have many customers with conservatories and lean toos, or access is limited down sides of houses or brown Pant moments on porches. They either take a long time with my worker footing my ladder or I pass them on to a friend.
Has anybody used the omnipotent vac with aerospace alloy poles, or are they are no no?
Cheers Craig
If you are on about the 4200 w omni guttervac you need to use a large genny or just two motors connected to customers power. If you go for a 110 v version and want to use customer’s power then you need to lug about a stupidly heavy step down transform too.
The omni guttervac aerospace aluminium (semi telescopic) poles are robust but not ideal for taller / acute angle work due to their combined weight. They also get heaver when sludge start sticking to the inside of the sections and head.
Apart from that they are great ;D
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Crapinon has more or less covered it but another minus point is because of the tile overhang a lot of gutters just don't have the space to get the nozzle in and using a smaller nozzle that fits makes it almost impossible for the vac to suck anything up.
I know some force the wider nozzle in but this risks either breaking the tiles or gutters so not worth the risk in my books.
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Very true as some jobs you will come accross a guttervac would be useless on and/or quicker to do by hand that's if access is ok to use ladders or other methods to gain access to the guttering safely.
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I have a grippa vac and it's been a brilliant bit of kit ;)
Thank you for the recommendation!
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Are you two brothers as you seem to be to me "joint venture with alex"?
Thank you for the recommendation!
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Are you two brothers as you seem to be to me "joint venture with alex"?
Thank you for the recommendation!
Apologies - but we didn't fully understand the question?
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Are you two brothers as you seem to be to me "joint venture with alex"?
Thank you for the recommendation!
Apologies - but we didn't fully understand the question?
Ok put it another way is Alex related to you ?
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So after a visit to spinaclean, i have ordered an industrial setup with carbon poles and camera with inspection pole.
My initial concern was running it off mains power and have decided to source a 5kva generator later on.
Thanks for the input guys, I'll let you know how I get on!
Thanks Craig :)
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So after a visit to spinaclean, i have ordered an industrial setup with carbon poles and camera with inspection pole.
My initial concern was running it off mains power and have decided to source a 5kva generator later on.
Thanks for the input guys, I'll let you know how I get on!
Thanks Craig :)
Nice one... On large easy residential properties, blocks of flat and commercial premises it should pay for itself in no time.
Just remember it's always best on quotes to do a guttercam survey first and most importantly price well.
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Had a look at someone's Skyvac last week - very nice vac. Didn't think much of the camera or anything else but the vac and trolly was excellent if you like that kind of thing. 3300W I think.
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Nice one... On large easy residential properties, blocks of flat and commercial premises it should pay for itself in no time.
Just remember it's always best on quotes to do a guttercam survey first and most importantly price well.
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Thanks for your input Crapinon!☺
Yes for new jobs I aim to use the gutter cam
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No probs...I'm glad to be of any help ;)
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I've always recorded vids when wizzing around doing a gopro gutter survey. There are several advantages of doing so as follows.
1. have a perment record of the job in hand taken on that day including any access issues so can play it back anytime either by the camera lcd touch screen (in my case), wifi smart device, played back through a pc or mac and saved to a portable hard drive for safe keeping.
2. can show customer there and then by playing back the vids or still images from the vid
3. Identify & highlight any issues with the roofline like slipped/broken tiles, broken brackets, leaking joints,(including gutter creap), gutter ballons in downspouts, blocked downspouts, gutter guards installed, gap between guttering and tiles overhang, general areas of concern etc.
4. can attach still images to email customers with or without quotes.
Just to name a few so again doing a proper camera survey is a no brainer if you ask me ;D
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Smurf, why the name change?
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I noticed someone else do it so was a bit of a joke really and have not bothered to change it back ;D
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Crapinon, do you do free gutter surveys or charge? My thoughts are to charge for larger surveys where you may be there for an hour or more, and those where you travel some distance. What's your views? My regular wfp customers I would do a free check.
I like the reasons why you save all your jobs to computer, it makes sense!
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Crapinon, do you do free gutter surveys or charge? My thoughts are to charge for larger surveys where you may be there for an hour or more, and those where you travel some distance. What's your views? My regular wfp customers I would do a free check.
I like the reasons why you save all your jobs to computer, it makes sense!
It's up to you if you charge or not but I've never had the need to even on large jobs as is all part of the quoting process in my book. In doing so should be for your own benefit foremost and involving the customer in seeing what needs to be done gives you the competitive edge from others.
It's all about customer perception that wins high value work. Meeting someone for the first time that comes across professional in what they do and can trust to do a good job & safely goes a long way.
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Thanks Crapinon, much appreciated! :)
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Are you two brothers as you seem to be to me "joint venture with alex"?
Thank you for the recommendation!
Apologies - but we didn't fully understand the question?
Ok put it another way is Alex related to you ?
Morning Crapinon,
Apologies for the delay in response. Nobody in our company has any family relation to Alex - but two companies do work very closely in line with the development of the High Level Vacuum kits as well as the Crash Tested Cleaning Systems.