[Matthew Bateman]

You'd consider using a ladder in these conditions?

[Dave Willis]

Ian, that's a great idea apart from the generator bit. 3000w is a lot of power - you won't get a small generator to power that. It would need to be a large one that you can hardly lift on your own.

[Sir Squeaky]

You'd consider using a ladder in these conditions?

If there's no ice under it and it's not snowing, yes.
I did this morning for the first job.

[trevor perry]

You'd consider using a ladder in these conditions?

If there's no ice under it and it's not snowing, yes.
I did this morning for the first job.

in the past i have used ladders in these conditions, i always used spikes but they are not made right now a spike when fitted shouldnt run at the same angle as the style rather when the ladder is positioned at correct angle the spike should run vertical this makes them much more effective also if its solid ice throw a damp scrim down and put spikes on this, i wouldnt recomend anyone doing this with current health and safety regs but in past i used 40 and 60 foot ladders like this without incident or feeling unsafe.
 in 1963 the weather was like now from november till march and my dad kept workong right through using spikes, he cleaned the windows using a mop and scrim but sprinkled them with meths to stop water freezing bare in mind not many had central heating then so windows froze much more easily, during that winter his hands got massive cracks in due to cold weather and ringing his mop and scrim out on a couple of occasions he stitched these cracks on hands up when he got home to stop them opening up any more.

[AuRavelling79]

Warm/hot water.

There are a few people who will not try anything new, don't want to be reminded that they won't try anything new and despite having no evidence or experience of it they maintain that the new thing won't work.

Well, I have spent less than a hundred pounds insulating my van tank, my IBC and getting heating that will raise the water temp. about fifteen degrees.

I have found that in the -1 to -5 band where most of our daytime winter temperature seems to reside that I can work. Whereas before warming my water a little I would stop at -1 or -2.

So I have found that over the last few weeks I have earned twice as much as I believe I would have had I lived with water at four degrees (or frozen) in my tank.

This is borne out by the experience of another windy I know who has no heating or insulation and who surprised himself to find his water as a 1000L block of ice and a 400L block of ice and hasn't worked for three weeks.

[Sir Squeaky]

Well, I have spent less than a hundred pounds insulating my van tank, my IBC and getting heating that will raise the water temp. about fifteen degrees.

How do you keep your water warm once you're out then? It'll still freeze.
Hose connections are metal and laying them in snow freezes them.

[Smudger]

Me thinks some people with hot systems are a little touchy!

as earlier i believe hot has a place and that it will help in the bordline temps of +1 to around -2 beyond this
i agree you can clean but as you finish rinsing it will freeze, now this may or may not worry you as a windy but does it upset the custy ?

For those who are ingenius/brave enough to do DIY hot the outlay is more than worth the flexability gained, but paying out 4k or more well thats not for me.

Mr Giles - came across a few threads on the immersion heater, and i must say i like it, even more than an L5 option, but how do you feel about the point raised on earthing the system and that the heater unit is not waterproof should the tank leak ?

Darran

[AuRavelling79]

Well, I have spent less than a hundred pounds insulating my van tank, my IBC and getting heating that will raise the water temp. about fifteen degrees.

How do you keep your water warm once you're out then? It'll still freeze.
Hose connections are metal and laying them in snow freezes them.

My van tank is insulated and so water leaves it at 15 - 17 degrees. Even at the end of the day when I have less than a hundred litres it is above 10 - 12 degrees. My metal hose connections do not touch the ground and the water at the brush-head instead of being about 1 or 2 degrees or freezing is a few degrees warmer. I certainly don't leave my hoses out and sometimes will reel in between jobs that I wouldn't need to if the weather had been warmer.

It's slower, what with putting down salt and sweeping away standing water - but I earn.

All for less than a hundred quid and about £2 a day (12 hours switched on) in electricity.

[Roy Harding]

I have got peter's heater and flue, and mushroom vent also propane regulator. Will start fitting it tomorrow, the roof vent will not be nice to fit as there is snow all on the roof.

I will take some photo's and post when done.

Roy

[Sir Squeaky]

My van tank is insulated and so water leaves it at 15 - 17 degrees.

And how is your tank heated in the first place?

[james44]

If you cant spread salt on someones path to stop the water freezing you need to stay indoors mate, all year round. You're no doubt a liability to yourself if youre not capable of that.

One job springs to mind that I did last Friday. We'd finished the job. I knocked on the door. The lady came out and paid and thanked us. I then on leaving informed her that we had spread salt about where the water we had used had found its way onto her paths.

She looked at me and thanked me for my consideration and suggested that we were very considerate. Maybe we were, but it doesnt take a dunderhead to be able to spread a few handfuls of salt.

Matt it maybe different if you tell a customer that you have put salt/grit down but if you do it and they dont know, and they come home and slip and fall you will be liable that is( fact)

[Nathanael Jones]

I worked a full day today,.. only earned €230 though. It was -7 when I started and never got above -2 all day.

I won't lie, it was a tough day and I did have a little trouble with hoses freezing on the first job until the hot water got through,.. but after the first 5 mins everything went like clockwork. I used loads of salt (I prefer it to grit because there's no dirty residue when everything has melted,.. it just dissolves to nothing) under every window, and I chose my work carefully, but I got everything done that I wanted to. The salt is very effective,.. I have passed some jobs a few hours later & could see the snow & ice completely gone from the footpaths.

My biggest challenge was defrosting my transfer hose when I got home so I could re-fill the van ready for tomorrow.

There is no way I could have worked today with a cold system,.. so in just this one day my heater has more than paid for itself (again).

[Darren70]

HI MATT  just to let you know if you change the condition of the floor you are at fault if anyone falls.
If you salt/grit your/any  path the postman/anyone falls on that path its your fault.
 NO point getting the hump with me,i dont care if you do it or not your risk,i am not against hot wfp
but putting salt/grit does have problems.You work hard all year not lose it in court because a customer slipped
on thier path you put salt on,maybe in your world nobody would take you to court holding your ticket/invioce date
on it,report from hospital, bad back,brokern leg,wanting a payday in court. LUCKY YOU

[Steven Shoreditch]

It's pointless going on, it's just burning fuel.

[Matthew Bateman]

Matt it maybe different if you tell a customer that you have put salt/grit down but if you do it and they dont know, and they come home and slip and fall you will be liable that is( fact)

I'm sorry but as I understand it when you spread salt it prevents water from freezing.

There are some people on here that for some reason ignore the laws of science and physics. Do you know why the council spreads salt on the roads. I believe if it works for them it'll also work for me.

[Matthew Bateman]

Darren 70 what happened to the snow on the path the last time you spread salt on it?

The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 Section 3 clearly states that the employer owes a duty of care to all those affected by their work.

If an accident occurs as a result of slipping on ice for example, an injured party could prosecute.

If an employer has made an effort to manage the forseeable risk by gritting/sweeping away snow and ice then this will be looked on more favourably than if no effort was made.

There is no hard and fast rule about whether clearing or nor clearing gives rise to the greater risk of being sued.

Wherever you have a duty to manage risks and fail to do so there is a good chance that if someone is hurt as a result of your omission you will be sued. If the iced area is under your control then you have a duty to assess the risk and decide what reasonable management action is required. Deciding not to do something because you might not do it perfectly could indeed be a reasonable argument, but only if an imperfect job presented a greater risk than not doing anything. If you record that logic in your risk assessment then perhaps you can have that extra cup of tea. But wait! You would also have to record good cause to believe you could not reduce the risk. e.g. you have no arms or e.g. the salt in your salt bin had been stolen by the local authority. Without this evidence of reduced capability it will be apparent to everyone that you were just avoiding taking action. Have the phone number of your lawyer handy.

Deciding not to do something you could reasonably do to reduce risk, just because you might be sued, would be one of the most unconvincing arguments ever to appear in law. Good luck with that.

[Darren70]

MATT i am not saying your wrong,just that putting salt/grit does have its problems,it shouldnt happen but it can and is your fault if it does. Just because you dont like it ,does not make it untrue.

[mci services]

MATT i am not saying your wrong,just that putting salt/grit does have its problems,it shouldnt happen but it can and is your fault if it does. Just because you dont like it ,does not make it untrue.

Could you elaborate on that, just what problems does salting cause?

[Matthew Bateman]

I can tell you what'll happen if you don't put any salt down if you like


  

[mci services]

I can tell you what'll happen if you don't put any salt down if you like


  

I already know that