[johns window kleen]

Just wondered if any one could point me in the right direction.
My control panel, if thats what its called? The electric circuit box that controls the power to the water pump, has stopped working.{Van Installed Pure Freedom system}

I changed the 7.5 fuse, at the van battery connection and it worked for a couple of secs, then starting flashing weird random numbers and then died.

I think its clearly an electrical fault, the printed circuit may have gone for all I know.

Would a bog atandard garage be able to fix it, or an Auto Electrician ?, any help or ideas would be much appreciated.

I've had a crappy spell of luck lately, having just recovered from Capsulitis I was just starting again today and the bloody van battery was flat, now re-charged ive just discovered the above problem, which might even have been caused by this.

[Barnes Wallis]

Sorry, but get what you pay for.

[johns window kleen]

What do you mean, "get what you pay for"?

My Flowmaster Digital Pump Controller, has worked without any probs for about 3 years, now its stopped working, and I just wanted advice on who is best to go to.
I have no instruction booklet or papers and the whole system was pre-installed in a van I bought.

I will give Pure Freedom a ring 2moro then to see what they suggest, I just thought someone on here might have had similar probs and could give me some advice, If "you get what you pay for " is the best I'm gonna get on here then so be it. Cheers anyway, very helpful.

[scud]

  as the van battery was flat, it may still not have enough voltage for the controller.

  Try connecting it to a new battery.

[johns window kleen]

Thought of that but I fully recharged the one year old battery, and drove around for about 10 miles. I would have thought that would have been enough to kick it in to action, but no luck.
Cheers thou.

[home6442]

Had the same problem about a year ago.
It was a loose wire going into the controller.
Check wires at battery first then open the controller
and check inside.

[Barnes Wallis]

Had the same problem about a year ago.
It was a loose wire going into the controller.
Check wires at battery first then open the controller
and check inside.

Exactly - get what you pay for.

[Tom White]

Get rid of the flow controller; I've used two different ones and they're both naff.

You will have to reconnect the pressure switch on the flow controller, which requires two spades and two minutes of your time.  If you're unsure how to do this, phone a local window cleaner who works without a flow controller and see how his wires go.

Seriously, get rid of the flow controller; they do nowt but mess me about.  And the unhindered flow from a 100 psi pump is just perfect all by itself.

[johns window kleen]

Cheers Tosh, however too late I ordered a new one from Adapta this afternoon.
Auto Electrician checked the wiring and said their was voltage going into the controller but the unit was faulty.
I can return it though.

What exactly do you mean by reconnect the pressure switch, why and how?

Can you possibly explain this on here?
I cant really ring any of the windies I know as I havent got a clue how their systems are set up, and remember i'm in Norfolk so van mount operations are as rare as pork chops at Barmitzvahs.

[Tom White]

Most (if not all) pumps have an inbuilt pressure switch, which means that when you nip the hose (or turn the flow off using an aquadapter, or a flow control valve), the pump will realise that enough pressure is built up and it turns the pump off.

When you release the nipped hose, the pressure switch on the pump senses that it can pump, and will pump.

If you don't reconnect the switch, the pump keeps on trying to pump and it blows your joints.

For most pump controllers, you disconnect the pressure switch and the pump controller does the job, so if you remove the flow controller, you need to reconnect the pressure switch.

It's very simple to do and I love the simplicity of it; no pump controller to mess us about.  A change of temp used to make me have to recalibrate the thing, and if the leisure battery isn't up to spec, you end up getting messed about and buying a new one too.  This doesn't happen with a 'pump only' system.  My 'knackered' leisure battery works fine and powers two pumps fine for two days; no problems.  Before, with a controller, it worked fine for a morning and then played up.

I like the fast flow rate too; you work quicker - it's physically easier.

I will never work with a flow controller again.  They waste our time and money - and they annoy me.  

[rosskesava]

For 99% of work, a flow controller is a needless pointless useless bit of junk that WFP companies tell you is needed.

I use a £10 voltage regulator to vary the flow on the very odd occasions I need it.

It's the same with that Aquadapter thing that I tried. A waste of money and extra arm aching weight when doing windows over a conservatory of when the pole is at a low angle.

Also full flow rate, as mentioned above by Tosh, rinses the window much much better and so much faster as all those little 'bits' gets rinsed off quickly. It speeds the job up no end.

And, to make life easier and make the clamps and pole last longer, have the hose outside the pole.

[home6442]

On a first second and third clean I use a high flow rate about 45 on the flow controller
after that about 25. Works perfect and just as quick.
As I now have a full work load most of my cleans are at 25.
Saves me about 300 lts. of water per day.
Thats 300 kilos in weight less that I have to carry in my van.
Which means less fuel used.
Less wear to van. Tyres etc.
Less pre filter and resin changes.
Longer working life from my R.O.
My waters not metered but im sure it will be some day which will mean another saving.
Keep your flow controller its worth every penny.
Sometimes to save a penny you end up spending a pound.
 

[johns window kleen]

Funny how you get such a contrast in views,over the use of a piece of kit, but probably not so surprising.

I have mine set at between 24-27, which seems to do the job quickly and effectively. I might be wrong but surely working at 45+ means you use an awful lot of water in a day, to do the same job. I've only got a 250 litre tank, and that will normally last me for up to 2 days.

Incidentally I managed to fix the problem whilst stripping off the insulation tape prior to installing the new controller. It was a loose connection at the wiring junction leading up to the unit, not the unit itself.