Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: davids3511 on January 02, 2020, 08:06:25 pm

Title: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: davids3511 on January 02, 2020, 08:06:25 pm
I've tried hoselock, expensive metal hoselocks, Gardenias, Gardner's metal connectors (they actually fused together). I'm sick of a wet van, any ideas that work for more than a week?
Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: Splash & dash on January 02, 2020, 08:17:04 pm
I've tried hoselock, expensive metal hoselocks, Gardenias, Gardner's metal connectors (they actually fused together). I'm sick of a wet van, any ideas that work for more than a week?


We use a variety of fittings from John guest , Gardiners quick release bit like hose lock but metal fittings , don’t get leaks , just the odd bit of water now and then when connecting or disconnecting the odd fitting .
Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: davids3511 on January 02, 2020, 08:51:14 pm
I've tried hoselock, expensive metal hoselocks, Gardenias, Gardner's metal connectors (they actually fused together). I'm sick of a wet van, any ideas that work for more than a week?


We use a variety of fittings from John guest , Gardiners quick release bit like hose lock but metal fittings , don’t get leaks , just the odd bit of water now and then when connecting or disconnecting the odd fitting .
I've got the gardiner quick release, they're just OK in my opinion. The male and female on the reel spindle actually fused together, I couldn't separate them. Could you provide a link to the John guest you use? I need some inspiration.
Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: Splash & dash on January 02, 2020, 08:56:21 pm
I've tried hoselock, expensive metal hoselocks, Gardenias, Gardner's metal connectors (they actually fused together). I'm sick of a wet van, any ideas that work for more than a week?


We use these on the di vessels , and pumps , and other bits and bobs , hope this helps , there are a number of different types and styles of fittings . (http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1577998560_137084B9-B991-48A9-BC6F-1A05692B813E.png)

We use a variety of fittings from John guest , Gardiners quick release bit like hose lock but metal fittings , don’t get leaks , just the odd bit of water now and then when connecting or disconnecting the odd fitting .
I've got the gardiner quick release, they're just OK in my opinion. The male and female on the reel spindle actually fused together, I couldn't separate them. Could you provide a link to the John guest you use? I need some inspiration.
Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: NWH on January 02, 2020, 08:58:28 pm
John Guest everything except the connection on the reel and if it’s good quality it’ll last ages before it leaks.
Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: davids3511 on January 02, 2020, 09:04:42 pm
I've tried hoselock, expensive metal hoselocks, Gardenias, Gardner's metal connectors (they actually fused together). I'm sick of a wet van, any ideas that work for more than a week?


We use these on the di vessels , and pumps , and other bits and bobs , hope this helps , there are a number of different types and styles of fittings . (http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1577998560_137084B9-B991-48A9-BC6F-1A05692B813E.png)

We use a variety of fittings from John guest , Gardiners quick release bit like hose lock but metal fittings , don’t get leaks , just the odd bit of water now and then when connecting or disconnecting the odd fitting .
I've got the gardiner quick release, they're just OK in my opinion. The male and female on the reel spindle actually fused together, I couldn't separate them. Could you provide a link to the John guest you use? I need some inspiration.
Brilliant, thank you.
Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: dazmond on January 02, 2020, 10:01:17 pm
John guest/metal rectus 26 fittings and buying a decent reel with a high pressure brass rotary joint on the side did it for me.....I never get leaks from the side of my reel anymore......
Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: P @ F on January 02, 2020, 10:10:04 pm
My van is bone dry , I use nothing expensive at all , orange and black hoselock type plastics from Varitech and brass Wickes hoselock on my reel , rectus 21 on poles
Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: Spruce on January 03, 2020, 08:11:03 am
I've tried hoselock, expensive metal hoselocks, Gardenias, Gardner's metal connectors (they actually fused together). I'm sick of a wet van, any ideas that work for more than a week?

We have used petal hoses reels from the outset which we take out of the van.
We have outside van ports with Gardiner QR hose fittings.

On each hose reel I have a brass 3/4" Hozelok tap connector.  On the hose from the van port to the hose reel I have a QR Metal hose plug with 1/2" hose barb. On the other end I still use Hozelok plastic hose connectors. I prefer Hozelok as they have 3 plastic locators where others only have 2.

I carry spare replacement O Rings on the van and occasionally lubricate them with a smear of petroleum jelly.
When we finish after each clean  we join the two ends of this hose together and that keeps the hose near enough full of water, coil it up and put it away.
I have a couple of Hozelok hose connectors that are sealed with silicone adhesive. They go on the hose reel tap connector so water doesn't drip from the hose when inside the van. We use EZ snap female stop conectors on the other end of the hose reel hose and male connectors on the pole hose.

We are still using Exceed's orange hose. The brush head is shaken to remove excess water from the bristles and the poles are put into the van brush head first.  (I have a pole rack on the side of the van with 2 plastic  gutter brackets for each pole.)
 
I then open the Univalve and as I coil the hose up the water in the hose drains onto the ground. The hose is hooked onto the closest gutter bracket.

There is still going to be a bit of condensation inside the van, especially in winter. I had to dry the roof with a towel yesterday, but the floor is usually almost dry all the time.

When I can I leave the rear doors open for the van to breath when it's parked on the driveway at home.
 
Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: dazmond on January 03, 2020, 08:52:33 am
With the greatest of respect spruce(a man of your knowledge and wisdom)I cant fathom why you would take the reel out of the van and plug it into an outside port,a fixed reel is far easier on the body,just open van door and pull the hose........
Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: lee_dewing on January 03, 2020, 09:32:46 am
Quote
John Guest everything except the connection on the reel and if it’s good quality it’ll last ages before it leaks.

NWH
1/4 inch elbow fitting🤔

So thread end goes into
(shurflo pump?)

Other end takes pole hose? Or 6mm microbore hose ?

Thanks
Lee

Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: Spruce on January 03, 2020, 10:10:13 am
With the greatest of respect spruce(a man of your knowledge and wisdom)I cant fathom why you would take the reel out of the van and plug it into an outside port,a fixed reel is far easier on the body,just open van door and pull the hose........

I have often thought about a fixed internal hose reel. I often think of my round and if I had a fixed reel how would I park my van etc. So it is something I continually think about.

One of the local lads has fixed hose reels and he ends up pulling reams of hose out and its all over the road and the pavement. He walks right up the road way past the house he is cleaning and then doubles back knowing he has plenty of hose to get to the back windows.

This becomes more of an issue when parking in the side streets where there are hundreds of Victorian town houses in the side streets and parking is tight. With us we turn the hose reel around on the pavement in the direction we need to be in and off we go. I couldn't do that with a fixed reel.

On Tuesday we did a few houses built around a central car park. The only way is to take the hose reel to the furthest job and pull it back to the van laying down hose as we go around 6 or 7 x 90 degree bends. There is never any parking in this parking area. We have to park outside it.

At one time the insurance company wrote to us on several occasions informing us we needed to keep our doors locked when working away from the van. Leaving doors open would invalidate our insurance.

Most of the time we work in good areas but we do have a couple of customers on the edge of some rough estates. Leaving the rear doors unlocked is not recommended. When my son did deliveries, he got out of the van in a good area and on getting one parcel out of the back, some kid on a bike nicked his mobile phone out of the front. Son said it was a matter of a few seconds.

So if I did a fixed reel system i would also need a loose reel in the back and I would need rollers in the floor.
That's a big job when you give everything to do a day's work.  Most of the time my son lifts the reels in and out.


 
Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: lee_dewing on January 03, 2020, 10:36:44 am
Quote
I would need rollers in the floor.

Yes this is what puts me off!

Not easy lot going on under van
Spare wheel, exhaust etc
Where floor rollers go would not be
The place that suits me best

Also as said Spruce
The ability to lock doors is essential I think

I have pole hose off pump which connects to reel outside van

I shut doors on pole hose easily

I have shut doors on microbore with reel inside van but not happy doing that

Probably too O.C.D but feel over time this may affect door closure

Maybe messing up door alignment 🤔
Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: TomCrowther on January 03, 2020, 12:55:45 pm
I used to think the same. Bought two lots of rollers but never got around to it.
I use the electric reel, bolted upside down to the roof of the van. I work with the rear doors ajar but locked. Fixed electric reel is a big step forward. If it broke, I would avoid working until a new one arrived.
Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: Granny on January 03, 2020, 12:56:16 pm
Stainless Steel Flexible hose connectors (Screwfix) along with brass Rectus 26 connectors, Rectus 26  brass elbow connectors for the reels they are a better seal than the Hozelock type elbows.
Personally I wouldn't use Hozelock  anywhere on the pressurised side of the pump.
We run two man from one pump the pressure is pretty high! ;D
Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: davids3511 on January 03, 2020, 05:06:10 pm
If it broke, I would avoid working until a new one arrived.
So just a normal day then?
Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: Slash on January 03, 2020, 05:37:49 pm
A dry van,no chance as Ive tried everything.
Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: Stoots on January 03, 2020, 05:50:49 pm
As above, i dont stop leaks just minimse them.

Protect the floor and dont worry about it, lifes too short to try and achieve the impossible.
Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: robbo333 on January 03, 2020, 05:59:07 pm
I keep my pipework to a minimum (probably 1.2m in the whole van), from tank to reel.
I use normal fittings but make sure the fittings are secure, so they can't move around.
I have the brass hozelock 90 degree connector on my reel and I have secured the hose leading up to it (with a cable tie attached to the hose reel) to minimise lateral movement.
I work out the side of the van (which works very well for me). It's a straight run up the custy's drive, or I can go up or down the street without any problems.
I also use 50m of reinforced pole hose on my main reel, followed by 50m of microbore. Light to pull out and reel in, but also I can shut the side door on it, without affecting water flow.
Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: lee_dewing on January 03, 2020, 07:39:01 pm
Quote
[/I also use 50m of reinforced pole hose on my main reel, followed by 50m of microbore. ]

Robbo the 50 m pole hose off reel does it lay flat?

I’d be worried about tripping over joe public !

I’m obviously missing something 🙂
Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: nathankaye on January 03, 2020, 08:12:03 pm
Aint read any responses but why are you getting leaks and from where?  This might help in answering your questions.

Everyone saw my refitted van quite a while ago and if not, check it out on my you tube channel under NKservices.  Many said my shelf which sits my reel would smell like a wet dog as I used carpet tiles on top and then sat my fixed electric diy reel.  Underneath the shelf is my pump and batteries.   Everything is bone dry!  From the tank to the pump, I jubilee clip the hose straight on (via the elbow joint on the pump).  From the pump to the reel, its the car radiator hose which again is connected straight to the swivel on the reel via a jubilee clip.  Obviously really tight.   Absolutely no leaks
Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: JandS on January 03, 2020, 08:35:21 pm
You can lock the van with rear doors open, or you can with mine....just make sure nothing worth nicking in back.
Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: EandM on January 03, 2020, 11:44:24 pm
Two things:

1. Use all genuine, metal, Hozelock connectors.

2. Use a pick up truck.
Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: robbo333 on January 04, 2020, 10:07:50 am
Quote
[/I also use 50m of reinforced pole hose on my main reel, followed by 50m of microbore. ]

Robbo the 50 m pole hose off reel does it lay flat?

I’d be worried about tripping over joe public !

I’m obviously missing something 🙂


Yes it does lay flat.
In fact it acts more like a main hose than a pole hose.
It's the yellow reinforced pole hose that Gardiners sell.
Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: lee_dewing on January 04, 2020, 10:38:28 am
Thanks Robbo 👍
Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: Phil J on January 06, 2020, 06:53:53 am
What size John Guest fittings would be needed for standard garden hose? I have the same problem and it's doing my head in!
Thanks, Phil.
Title: Re: How does everyone stop leaks in their vans?
Post by: Richard Groves on January 06, 2020, 12:08:05 pm
I bought a brass swivel elbow for my reel years ago from a local cleaning suppliy shop. They are a stockist of ionics stuff so presume it was one of theirs. It has a 1/2 " hosetail with hose from pump O clipped on and has never leaked in 10 years of use on at least two different reels.

Its like this one
https://www.bladerightcleaningsupplies.co.uk/shop/water-fed-window-cleaning/hoses-reels/heavy-duty-90deg-hosereel-swivel/

I just use cheap blue hoselock style connectors from B&Q on everything else and rarely had problems with leaks. At a couple of quid each if I've ever had an issue , I've just popped in to the nearest store and bought a new one.