[Derek]

Hi

Not being mechanically minded (that for me would be extremely dangerous) may I pose the following question.

If you purchase a machine and subsequently change the original specification, what implications could this have on..

1.  Insurance.. would any changes invalidate the normal insurance cover?

2. In the event of an accident relating to H & S issues could the machine alterations have a negative effect which could lead to a prosecution?

Derek

[Mike Halliday]

You mean like fitting a bigger pump & inline heater without upgrading your solution line so you  end up powerwashing the customers living room because it burst

I've done that before

Mike

[adl]

Derek
Yes this could have serious consequences but only by way of negligence if you have changed the specification of the machine from the manufactures, the manufacturer is normally responsible, for example, if the machine blows up and kills or seriously injures someone due to manufacturing faults which they will be covered by insurance, this is why if you try to insure a car the insurance company will ask you if you have altered or modyfied the vehicle in any way, they will then charge a higher premium to cover for this.

Should you wish to change a machine in any way just ring the manufacturer and ask for their oppinion and for their agreement to change spec and get written confirmation if possible, this should not only be done with new machines but with old machines as well, this way you are fully covered.

It should be noted that a manufacturers warrenty of 1 year does not stand up much in court theese days, as the sale of goods act now says that a purchase should be expected to last a reasonable amount of time and due to the high cost of cc machines this would cover our industry also, barring the obvious consumable items, i.e pumps, seals, valves ect, however to be able to cover your self in any case full sericing should be carried out on all pieces of equipment at regular intervals and all records of service should be kept on file.

regards Dave ADL

[Ian Gourlay]

In the past when I have been in dispute with companies I have been told The Sale of Goods Act does not cover commercial transactions.

[*paul_moss]

On this subject can i ask why is there a difference increasing psi from say 200 to 500.
Surely 200 psi is enough to fire the solution into the fabric,
And I would have thought it was the pick up power of the vaccum motors that made the difference.The difference being the dry time.

If I am wrong please explain the process to me .

Regards
Paul

[Dynafoam]

Paul,

The pump output pressure should be considered for two aspects:

For any given jetting, the higher the pressure, the more water is put down - the greater the flushing action.

The blast effect of the jets is increased when higher pressures impart more energy to the jet stream.

Pressure choice should also be balanced against the need to avoid excessive penetration of the water and the ability of the vacuum recovery capability.

Other factors that come into the equation are the texture and density of the surface being cleaned,  the substrate and the design of the tool delivering the water (CFR Tools)

[Derek]

Thanks Guys

The question was generated by the fact that many of us are tempted to 'tweak' our machines a little by maybe adding a new pump with a larger output or add a heating element to it.
In the same way as many years ago a mechanic friend at a Garage we did work for was going to fit twin Webber carbs. to replace the existing twin carb. system on my vehicle... this would have made a significant difference to my insurance premiums at the time

Derek