Possibly the worst ever carpet cleaning machine .
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110788527418?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_794wt_1130Saw this on Ebay , and it brought back some memories.
The ebay seller knows nothing about it.
The machine , called the 'Velda' HCU . hot carbonating unit, after the chemdry founders mother.
It had a single vac and a heater, 2x 100 psi pumps ,all running off a single power cord. Nearly every job resulted in tripped electrics, not helped by the constant leaky pumps.
Initially at launch the fittings were all brass , but the salt based chemical corroded these very quickly, along with the pump internals.
The 2 tanks were to hold 2 different chemicals , which were heated (poorly) and mixed in the wand just prior to hitting the carpet, causing carbonation, which apparently blasted the dirt to pieces.
Despite the one weak vacuum , we used to run an RX20 off this unit , with good ,fast drying results.
The chemicals worked out in 1996 at 25p a mixed litre , making it very expensive to clean carpets , 10 metres of carpet used 2 litres plus.
The cost of this beast in 1996?
£6500 plus VAT , ,,,vast amounts of well paid insurance work meant most franchises still made a good living.