[concept]

Having not been "on the tools" for a few weeks, I have been out with the lads for a few days this week, and I can't help but get frustrated with the equipment available for WFP.

We pay good money for equipment, yet it fails regularly.

For example, Rectus fittings remaining open and getting you soaked.

Hose reels being just awful, and wearing out spindle inserts, bending as soon as they fall over.

Hose popping off taps, taps failing resulting in a soaking, pole clamps coming off, pumps failing, flow controllers failing.

Now I realise I am having a rant here, but it just frustrates me that the majority of the products are adapted from other industries/uses, and sold to us as suitable for the job. Things like Rectus fittings, they are not cheap, yet seem to last no time at all with water going through them, but with compressed air, they are fine.

When will we see purpose built, robust equipment, or is this simply never going to happen and we will just have to have daily issues of some sort with a piece of equipment?

[L.J.Thorpe]

agree 100%
i have just looked around for alternatives that i can source locally and do a better job
i use pcl airline fittings rather than rectus or easi snap
heavy but much tougher and longer lasting (like up to a year or so )
i use geka fittings over hoselock on static joints
cheap and leak free
but yeah a lot of stuff is rubbish you just have to filter it out i guess
some lessons can be expensive tho

[amayze]

Tell me about it Simon (Dave) !!

I've had my same squeege for 4 years, it's had two handles, three channels and countless number of rubbers, but in short, it's the same squeege.

[Pope vader]

i agree, but the problem you have in this business is you can say something isnt very good and it is taken as a person attack on certain companys,  i have lost count of the no of rectus fittings i have gond through, got about 6 reels in the shed all knackered,  sick of leaks in the van from stuff that wont stop leaking no matter how much ptfe i put on

[Nathanael Jones]

Try Rectus 19 fittings (ebay) or rectus 26 (same as 19's but brass). Bigger than the 21's most ppl use but MUCH harder wearing, & no leaks. 

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

Try Hozelock reels, 8mm hose instead of 6mm, B&Q's own budget hozelock "type" fittings & you'll have no leaks, less pressure & nothing popping off!! Used them for over 7 years without fail. The rear of my van is bone dry, no protectakote stuff here!

All the barbed connectors in my whole system, including on the end of my minibore hose are held in place with plastic tie-wraps, not even a jubilee clip in sight!

Will people listen? will they chuff!!

[alanwilson]

have had to change one rectus 21 fitting in 3 years (thats between 4 of us in 2 vans) simply because we use triggers and therefore the fitting is off the ground and get disconnected once a day usually.

hose reels are depressurised after each job and never had to change a reel in about 5 years (use redashe reels)

hoses are all over 3 years old and looking to replace soon.

[4Taz]

Tell me about it Simon (Dave) !!

I've had my same squeege for 4 years, it's had two handles, three channels and countless number of rubbers, but in short, it's the same squeege.

Trigger,

Was that just for cleaning the Nags Head?

See you in there later.

Micky Pierce 

[amayze]

Tell me about it Simon (Dave) !!

I've had my same squeege for 4 years, it's had two handles, three channels and countless number of rubbers, but in short, it's the same squeege.

Trigger,

Was that just for cleaning the Nags Head?

See you in there later.

Micky Pierce 

Thanks 4Taz, I was beginning to think, nobody would get that one !!

[Tom White]

Thanks 4Taz, I was beginning to think, nobody would get that one !!

We got it, it just wasn't funny.  1964 phoned me up about it; said it was a daft variation of the brush and brush handle joke.

It says it wants its joke back.

[amayze]

Tosh, it's being stuck in for 2 days....got cabin fever !!

[Spruce]

Funny,
We have gone through a few Rectus fittings (we now find the cheap imitation Schraeder fittings perform poorly when compared to the genuine article), had the odd clamp come off, but generally haven't had much in the way of equipment failure over the last 6 years of WFP.

I've still got the same hose reels, no broken spindles although I see the bushes are wearing a bit, the metal has rusted in places and the wheels are fine (but they do get lubricated from time to time). I have replaced the brass coupling on one twice as they have worn out and have replaced the plastic Hozelok fitting as needed when they wear out. We did replace on/off taps on a regular basis, but now have Aqua-dapters, so that problem is eliminated.

We have never had a pump or Varistream failure on either van.

Unfortunately, the difference is that it is our own equipment and it tends to get looked after. I have seen a couple of WFP vans locally and the condition of the equipment is disgusting. I saw the one operative throw his wheeled hose reel of out the back of the van onto the road followed by a Brodex Prolong Pole. No wonder the hose reel was knackered. His brush should have been replaced as it was missing half of its brissels. The van wasn't that old and had the company's logo all over it - but let down by the 'couldn't care less attitude' of the cleaner. I often wonder how the owner of the business would have reacted had he seen what I saw.

If I was an employer I wouldn't go out with the lads, but would follow them around randomly and view what they get up to without them being aware of my presence.

Equipment maintenance is something that needs to be done regularily, no matter what business you are in. Things will breakdown on site and botch repairs are made to keep going, but these need to be fixed properly ASAP afterward, but it doesn't often happen. One botched repair leads to another.

As an employer I would also suggest a routine replacement of equipment. For example, replace the hose reels and hose every 3 years, no matter what their condition, replace poles every 18 months etc. If they break them sooner than these times, give them an old one until the replacement schedule is due. If they wilfully destroy equipment, then either make them responsible for the replacement costs or get rid of them. Operatives would display this attitude toward equipment usually will carry that attitude into their face to face dealing with your customers.

Spruce

[Steve CM]

Funny,
We have gone through a few Rectus fittings (we now find the cheap imitation Schraeder fittings perform poorly when compared to the genuine article), had the odd clamp come off, but generally haven't had much in the way of equipment failure over the last 6 years of WFP.

I've still got the same hose reels, no broken spindles although I see the bushes are wearing a bit, the metal has rusted in places and the wheels are fine (but they do get lubricated from time to time). I have replaced the brass coupling on one twice as they have worn out and have replaced the plastic Hozelok fitting as needed when they wear out. We did replace on/off taps on a regular basis, but now have Aqua-dapters, so that problem is eliminated.

We have never had a pump or Varistream failure on either van.

Unfortunately, the difference is that it is our own equipment and it tends to get looked after. I have seen a couple of WFP vans locally and the condition of the equipment is disgusting. I saw the one operative throw his wheeled hose reel of out the back of the van onto the road followed by a Brodex Prolong Pole. No wonder the hose reel was knackered. His brush should have been replaced as it was missing half of its brissels. The van wasn't that old and had the company's logo all over it - but let down by the 'couldn't care less attitude' of the cleaner. I often wonder how the owner of the business would have reacted had he seen what I saw.

If I was an employer I wouldn't go out with the lads, but would follow them around randomly and view what they get up to without them being aware of my presence.

Equipment maintenance is something that needs to be done regularily, no matter what business you are in. Things will breakdown on site and botch repairs are made to keep going, but these need to be fixed properly ASAP afterward, but it doesn't often happen. One botched repair leads to another.

As an employer I would also suggest a routine replacement of equipment. For example, replace the hose reels and hose every 3 years, no matter what their condition, replace poles every 18 months etc. If they break them sooner than these times, give them and old old until the replacement schedule is due. If they wilfully destroy equipment, then either make them responsible for the replacement costs or get rid of them. Operatives would display this attitude toward equipment usually will carry that attitude into their face to face dealing with your customers.

Spruce

if i had a pole that lasted 18 months i would of thought i'd hit the jack pot!

lucky if i get 3 months without any issues

[Spruce]

I appreciate every situation is different, but as an employee you need to respect your employers property, something sadly lacking in today's society.

[richard jagger]

Steve cm what poles do you use.

[Steve CM]

Every day poles brodex hydras.

I have used every thing on the market I think apart from the clx

The hydras are the the best of a bad bunch