[dazmond]

yesterday i went out and started work at 11am and it was still -2.no freezing water apart from one unheated porch.i bring all hoses/poles/DI/TROLLEY inside at night so no heaters needed in van.i cover barrels in van with a big thick duvet(no freezing water even at -5 overnight).


my question is how can you start work earlier in very cold weather(-4) just because you ve got hot water?surely you run the risk of breaking glass with the sudden change in temp on the glass?

also doesnt hot water freeze quicker than cold on very cold days?



dazmond

[elite mike]

you are right daz

got a couple of mates with hot systems, and they have both said they are not worth the money

[Darranvps]

Hot water

Hot water cleans better than cold - in Summer on dirty less frequently cleaned windows:o

Hosepipes are warmer in winter - easier to rewind:o

You can always use the hotwater to fill up a bucket if needed

Probably better to have it, but don't expect to be able to work in minus 15 temps

[concept]

If you have it HOT, say 65 degrees, then you could expect cracked glass yes, however, 20-25 degrees, just to keep it from freezing, then no problems.

[erithwc]

i  spoke to the guys at purefreedom yesterday as im getting a trolley in the new year and was told that you can put hot water threw the di/ro system and it will work fine so when  i get my system i will get up a few hours early and use hot water 

[dazmond]

if you could work at -15 i think a lot of us would of bought one by now!as it stands it seems to me you cant work longer in colder weather be it a hot or cold system.


most of my work is maintenance 4/8 weekly cleans and i do clean conny roofs/fascias/soffits etc but usually these are add ons in the spring/summer months.


how much extra does it cost per week to run the hot system and what is the initial outlay for a pro system like the pure freedom set up?



regards


dazmond

[dazmond]

have any of you guys tried soaping a window with hot soapy water in freezing weather?

itll freeze faster than if the water was stone cold!

therefore hot water freezes faster than cold on sub zero days!!


so surely its better to use cold??

[erithwc]

how much extra does it cost per week to run the hot system and what is the initial outlay for a pro system like the pure freedom set up?

£1,949.99 Inc VAT plus 1ltr of diesel per hour  

that why i will be using a trolley and fill up using my hot tap water they should keep warm if i put a sleeping bag over them  

[Steve CM]

I haven't noticed a massive on crease in my fuel bill yet[tr][/tr]

[TomCrowther]

I haven't got a hot water system but think they would be useful on first cleans and imagine it would be slightly faster generally. However, once you have your technique correct with the normal coldwater system, would you change it if using warm or hot water? Probably not by much.
Yesterday, I went out at 10:00 and worked until 2:30 but then it was getting really cold again and although I had been putting rock salt down at every job after squeeging the ground first, the last job had a pressed concrete drive which can be slippy at the best of time and I must have put down a bucket of salt before I felt it was safe for the customer to come home to.
so the point I am making is hot water will have an advantage but it freezes on the ground like cold water does, maybe even faster so you are left with the H & S problem   Meaning it's not safe to work so you aren't protecting your income at all.

[dazmond]

erith it was -6 here last night and barrels of pure cold water are not frozen whatsover!big duvet does protect them in the van!well happy!

also hot water from the mains in your flat/house will only last until the tank is empty!plus im not sure very hot water going through the DI is good for the resin!i think it uses it up faster!


dazmond

[Matthew Bateman]

if you could work at -15 i think a lot of us would of bought one by now!as it stands it seems to me you cant work longer in colder weather be it a hot or cold system.


most of my work is maintenance 4/8 weekly cleans and i do clean conny roofs/fascias/soffits etc but usually these are add ons in the spring/summer months.


how much extra does it cost per week to run the hot system and what is the initial outlay for a pro system like the pure freedom set up?



regards


dazmond

We were working on a property yesterday, I had hot and the other reel didnt. The chap I was working with came round and said the water on the porch glass had frozen. I went round and did it, firstly defrosting the frozen water, with hot and it didnt re-freeze. Hot water warms the glass so it wont freeze.

We were working on a house the day before with a conservatory. The water froze on the connys glass. I didnt have my gas with me as I had just refitted my van out for the second reel. So yesterday we had to go back and re-do that conservatory, a 20 minute round trip. Not having hot costs you money if its freezing.

[pitcher]

great point.its not what happen in your van over nite or the cleaning of the windows its when your finished and the cold air take over .bet not many have this in there H S policy and would your insurance cover you if some one slip on the ice caused by you.i run 3 vans and have 5 men on the books who all need to be working.i cant see hot water would make any differents from cold. the end of the day hot or cold water it will end up freezing

[chopsie]

Swerving off topic slightly, regarding putting grit/salt down.
I am unsure what is best to do, I did a place on thursday and left a row of about 8-10 quite steep old stone steps covered in water, I swept them off best i could, But I was worried all night if they had frozen,I had visions of the home owner slipping down them and smacking their head!!
Now if i put grit down I am admitting responsability, also they would be walking it into their homes.
Another equally big concern is on concete or even old stone, The grit can damage the surface and the top layers start breaking off. This happened to me on my own rented place last year, and also at my mates mums, whos path and drive I gritted for her using grit out of the grit bin near by.

[Newannaive]

i cleaned a porch yesterday with cold, froze instantly  :

went back to the van used the hot water.. sorted 

[dazmond]

chopsie worrying all night?ya big jessy!!

best thing is to pole tops and trad ground floors if possible to minimize standing water and just sprinkle salt/grit on the doorways/paths if your worried.



dazmond

[trevor perry]

great point.its not what happen in your van over nite or the cleaning of the windows its when your finished and the cold air take over .bet not many have this in there H S policy and would your insurance cover you if some one slip on the ice caused by you.i run 3 vans and have 5 men on the books who all need to be working.i cant see hot water would make any differents from cold. the end of the day hot or cold water it will end up freezing

on our method statements and risk assessments we state that WFP will not be used in freezing conditions as the forming of ice would create a major slip hazzard, we have a hot water system but as you say when water hits the floor it freezes just the same as cold water, Ionics always advertise their hot systems by stateing you can work in cold and that your hands will be warm which are both false claims as your hands are no warmer because the water runs up centre of pole and in no way heats the pole to keep hands warm and also as stated above the water freezes when it hits floor IONICS should change their advert if they are so Health and Safety concious as they would have us believe they are.

[dazmond]

i worked half a day today with a cold system.frost and ice everywhere but it didnt freeze on the glass or jets!came home a bit earlier than planned as it was getting bitterly cold around 3pm!!i salted the odd doorway that was it!oh and tradded a few more lower windows than i normally do.

happy days!and a good weeks work considering the weather!



dazmond

[mileslake]

If it is true what I have heard. The main benefit to me would be the easy removal of snail/slug trails.

[chopsie]

chopsie worrying all night?ya big jessy!!

dazmond

Tell me about it, I had visions of me being called up as she had had a serious accident on the ice, and I was considering denying all knowledge and telling them I tradded the windows 
Its this bloody forum, I never used to think twice about going up a ladder, But now I get quite nervous!!