[Dave Anderson]

For anyone that knew me in my former guise on here as 'Pingu many years back you'll know that I can be either very ocd about knowing everything about my business as per when I first started to the other extreme where for the past 2 years I have just lost total intrest and just treated everything like a job I just turn up and do.

So with a new lease upon life and a re-gained interest.... I am now rebuilding both my van ( delivery system) and my static production side i.e membrane in the shed 

Got lots of new toys coming.... Exceed tubeless setup for all my poles, Exceed all weather hose (100meter), more univalves, elec reel...and the list just goes on - Havn't really invested too much in the business recently so decided to fix whats broke and improve where I can.

So.... Plenty people heating water with immersion heaters.... Do you just fill a tank and heat it? do you actually know to the nearest 50litres how much you really need per day. 

How much does your system make/waste per day when its 22deg opposed to when its say 2deg?

What exactly is your good to waste ratio at different temp, pressures on your membrane?

Would adding a booster pump actually make a difference to your production costs i.e 4040 HF5 @50psi opposed to say boosted to 85psi and if you do this would an HF4 be better?.... how much would this cost or save you.

Does adding an extra set of jets to your brush cost you more than its actually worth? I'm not having a pop Nathan

Would using one of those standalone gas heaters cheaper in the long run opposed to say heating water with electricity?

Is an electric reel really worth it to you..... does it make you super faster ? or just easier than picking up the reel lifting out of the van (for those that do) and hand reeling in 40, 60, 100 meters of hose on a tiny spindle or would making the spindle larger actually make that process easier/quicker?

Would not having to open your van doors make you quicker on a day, week, month or yearly basis by simply routing your reel through the van floor via a hawse/fairlead/rollers/slip & slid type thingy and through your bumper and having your poles ontop of the van in a carrier be better?

We all spend money on our business's and do our accounts, here in The Netherlands we start paying VAT 21% at week1 day 1.... so 21% straight to the government (yes there is tax relief)....

How much more profitable could we all be if we knew much more about our business's and then made adjustments.

Even something as simple as knowing how much spits out the end the brush per minute and how long each job takes would allow us to fill our tanks based on fact and this one item may save us money each year as we are not carrying around excess weight or heating it for no-good reason.

So I suppose after this long ramble my question is what else can we do to avoid unnecessary costs over a year?

WFP is a simple process, make good enough water, stick it in the van, pump it up and out of the pole/brush, place on window, scrub, rinse job done....simples

Cheers
Dave.

[paul alan]

Good questions, be keeping an eye.......

[Dry Clean]

Dave we have guys on here heating 600lts of water on demand for a £1 a day we have other guys heating 500ltrs of water
to 60degrees in a few hours using 1kw immersion heater.
Why don't we  have this tech installed in our homes as it would save us all a fortune. lol.
I think the only way you going to get an answer on this one is to try it yourself.

[Dave Anderson]

Yeah this is my intention ... to get a better handle on what my business does well and does very badly.... 

[֍Winp®oClean֍]

Didn't some Irish guy rip you off years ago on here  pingu? He owed you money and suddenly left without trace?

[Dave Anderson]

Yeah JM123.... Selling brushes... yeah that still gets me, hate being ripped off.... 

[֍Winp®oClean֍]

Yeah JM123.... Selling brushes... yeah that still gets me, hate being ripped off.... 

That's him!!
I remember it rather annoyed you. 

[nathankaye]

Because on here you get conflicting information or slated for trying new approaches its best to enjoy the experimental stages.
Some are old school and supposedly after trying everything their happy with cold water, 2 jets and a nice brush and manual reels. Or just cant be bothered anymore with all the faff.

On the other hand, i take what is said with a pinch of salt most times, lol depending what stress im under (external related not work). Concluding that only I know what work//houses im cleaning. What i most find stubborn on windows and what areas I work and so the only person who is going to know whats best for me, is me.
Ive gone from 13yrs of trad and being as efficient as I could (lol climbing ladders before they reach the window or mopping a window with one hand whilst blading another with the other hand) to taking a new learning curve with wfp for last 2 yrs.

I want to be ad efficient and more than what I was on trad tools. So ive gone from a diy set up in van (450gpd set up in van), to setting RO in house feeding into a 1000ltr ibc tank.  From using hybrid poles to carbon, from light weight brushes to heavy dual trim brushes. From cold water to using fish tank heaters (getting upto 40 degrees) to now using 27inch 1kw heater. ( someone cant do the maths, as ive said many a times that most nights its on from either 8 or 9pm till 8am at) from the tank being baffled by its divide to stickingba number of balls in untill i was happy with it.
From using a gardiners quick valve gooseneck to staying with my tap valve. From dragging the hose on the floor to using hip holsters. From manually winding the hose in or picking reel in n out the van to keeping it mounted in the van and putting a motor to it.
From finding what brush i like to then experimenting with jets or spray bars until I have in my opinion the best set up I possibly can.

Have i wasted some money in the process, yes!  Have i learnt more about my job/wfp in the process? Yes!!
If i took everyones word on here would i be where im at now??  NO 

[Dave Anderson]

Yeah you have to try... I remember a few years back the snake oil being sold was Methanol/Ethanol.... suddenly if you put a teaspoon of it in your tank the window had a dazzling sparkle aking to moonlight and cleaning was easier, better, quicker..... etc, etc.... I sat and tried in sub zero nights and days with percentage from 2 to 75.... and the truth was.... its great in enclosed systems to stop freezing but when exposed to air it just evaporate but in the process you get headaches, stinging eyes .... So yeah you have to try and see what work best.... Don't stop evolving Nathan... 

[elite mike]

Welcome back Dave , are you still drinking your own urine ?     

[dazmond]

i keep it simple these days.thankfully i dont need an RO as tap tds is 029 so DI only.

1.hot water was a waste of money and didnt speed me up.(faffing about thats not needed.)only took me 2 years to realise it!
2.a  top quality fixed manual reel is virtually effortless to reel in.(mines a coxreel)
3.xtreme poles are a waste of money for a main pole,SLX is more robust and hardwearing.
4.no need for cutting holes in van floor for hoses.i just pull the hose from the back of the van(and can pull round either side of the van)
5.uni valve is the best water control device for me.
6.my tank frame is bolted to the eyelet holes in the van with angle iron so easy to remove tank if needed.
7.leasing a new van(and a price rise to pay for it)rather than relying on old vans that kept letting me down has been a smart move.tax deductible too.
8.little things like always making a packed lunch and flask for work cuts down on wasted time during my working day.plus i have a large bottle to pee in when i get caught short!
9.invoices,chits etc are always printed/wrote out the evening before.
10.round software has been brilliant for organising work,chasing debts and generally keeping things running smoothly.i use cleaner planner and have my work/debtlist on my smartphone.
11.englebert strauss rough/tough workwear is top quality!i wish id got some earlier!even though its expensive i think its worth it .
12.i have 2 lots of wet weather gear/fleeces etc for those cold wet winter days so i can swap at lunchtime.it makes my day a bit more bearable! .
13.rectus 26 connectors are a lot more durable than the 21s and last a lot longer.
14.additives like vision slow me down and offer no benefit whatsoever.
15 having a clean tidy organised van makes me happy to go to work.
16.having a top spec van means heated drivers seat for cold winter days and air con for hot summer ones plus bluetooth for phone so i can speak/call when on the move.heated windscreen for frosty morning and parking sensors which are fantastic for reversing in tight spaces.

[Dry Clean]

Yeah you have to try... I remember a few years back the snake oil being sold was Methanol/Ethanol.... suddenly if you put a teaspoon of it in your tank the window had a dazzling sparkle aking to moonlight and cleaning was easier, better, quicker..... etc, etc.... I sat and tried in sub zero nights and days with percentage from 2 to 75.... and the truth was.... its great in enclosed systems to stop freezing but when exposed to air it just evaporate but in the process you get headaches, stinging eyes .... So yeah you have to try and see what work best.... Don't stop evolving Nathan... 

We have all been there Dave I have a garage full of useless junk but like your example it was always to fix a problem,
for instance a Dragonfly kit was my biggest waste of money but I only bought it as I was looking for a way to do high interior windows and lack of experience made me think I needed to spray the glass instead of the pad.
Nathan was knocking out 30 to 35 properties a day with ease using around 10ltrs of cold water per property and then realised he needed a brick loaded up with jets and hot water as the windows he cleans are covered in hard to remove crud, and he wonders why he gets slated.

[nathankaye]

Oh ive also learnt who the negative ones are on here, the quick to have a jibe and the ones who offer good advice are..........

So because many of my peers who we're shiners used me as a bench mark to combine speed/efficient cleaning with quality that seems to pee some people off!!
Now im on wfp and tried every different way possible to get as good/better than i was on trad and again people dont like that because in their tiny heads they dont think it can be done!! But as i said in my first post, these ignorant people dont know my background, my customers nor the houses i clean. 
So because i can clean x amount of houses in a day, i choose to then refine how i go about doing that all with the intent of making it even more easier.   Ones call it a brick but im not an old #art and can manage the weight and actually prefer this to a very easy light weight brush that feels like a plastic toy brush (in reference to the weight). Ive gone from 2 to 4 and now 6 jets as i like the water coverage (dont wish to use fan jets) which in my opinion speeds up performance.
Haha in my opinion even tho ones may have been wfp for a good number of years, does not mean they have been doing it right nor tried different options along the way. But again thats their choice, i dont knock it as i dont know their work.

[Dry Clean]

Oh ive also learnt who the negative ones are on here, the quick to have a jibe and the ones who offer good advice are..........

So because many of my peers who we're shiners used me as a bench mark to combine speed/efficient cleaning with quality that seems to pee some people off!!
Now im on wfp and tried every different way possible to get as good/better than i was on trad and again people dont like that because in their tiny heads they dont think it can be done!! But as i said in my first post, these ignorant people dont know my background, my customers nor the houses i clean. 
So because i can clean x amount of houses in a day, i choose to then refine how i go about doing that all with the intent of making it even more easier.   Ones call it a brick but im not an old #art and can manage the weight and actually prefer this to a very easy light weight brush that feels like a plastic toy brush (in reference to the weight). Ive gone from 2 to 4 and now 6 jets as i like the water coverage (dont wish to use fan jets) which in my opinion speeds up performance.
Haha in my opinion even tho ones may have been wfp for a good number of years, does not mean they have been doing it right nor tried different options along the way. But again thats their choice, i dont knock it as i dont know their work.

Telling somebody that they will be able to heat a 500ltr tank to 60degrees with 1kw heater isn't good advice its just nonsense that will waste that persons time and money, running a 1kw heater from 8pm to 8am will raise the water temp by 20degrees tops, less with poor insulation and in winter conditions and that a fact.
You need to learn the difference between somebody being negative and somebody correcting a stupid piece of advise.

Added, and putting 6 jets on a heavy brush is just silly, what are you trying to push off the glass, clay ?,I don't need to know what's on the glass your cleaning to know that.

[davids3511]

i keep it simple these days.thankfully i dont need an RO as tap tds is 029 so DI only.

1.hot water was a waste of money and didnt speed me up.(faffing about thats not needed.)only took me 2 years to realise it!
This I disagree with and Daz only changed his mind because he nearly blew himself and his new van up. Hot speeds up removing snail trails, fly/bee crap and bird crap. It also improves hose managment as the hoses are soft and pliable.
2.a  top quality fixed manual reel is virtually effortless to reel in.(mines a coxreel)
Yes, and find a way to reel in with a drill or a premade electric reel
3.xtreme poles are a waste of money for a main pole,SLX is more robust and hardwearing.
Not any more, the X3 xtreem is a big improvement. Yes, you'll have to be a bit careful with it, don't bang windows shut but I wouldn't be without it. A compromise is to replace the top 3 sections when they do with SLX sections to keep price of replacements sensible.
4.no need for cutting holes in van floor for hoses.i just pull the hose from the back of the van(and can pull round either side of the van)Agree
5.uni valve is the best water control device for me.
No idea
6.my tank frame is bolted to the eyelet holes in the van with angle iron so easy to remove tank if needed.
Mine are a mixture of ratchet straps and bolted through floor with spreader plates.
7.leasing a new van(and a price rise to pay for it)rather than relying on old vans that kept letting me down has been a smart move.tax deductible too.
Can't agree with that, a decent second hand van will still look after you without you paying through the nose for it. Obviously once it becomes unreliable, get rid.
8.little things like always making a packed lunch and flask for work cuts down on wasted time during my working day.plus i have a large bottle to pee in when i get caught short!
Going to start doing this
9.invoices,chits etc are always printed/wrote out the evening before.
Going to do this too
10.round software has been brilliant for organising work,chasing debts and generally keeping things running smoothly.i use cleaner planner and have my work/debtlist on my smartphone.
Couldn't manage without George
11.englebert strauss rough/tough workwear is top quality!i wish id got some earlier!even though its expensive i think its worth it .Aldi trousers and Russell poloshirts for me
12.i have 2 lots of wet weather gear/fleeces etc for those cold wet winter days so i can swap at lunchtime.it makes my day a bit more bearable! .
This is a geat idea
13.rectus 26 connectors are a lot more durable than the 21s and last a lot longer.
Dont reel in too fast with a rectus 26, it'll knock your teeth out
14.additives like vision slow me down and offer no benefit whatsoever.
No idea, never indulged
15 having a clean tidy organised van makes me happy to go to work.
Yes, but I can just about see over the rubbish in mine. When I cant see out anymore, I tidy it up.
16.having a top spec van means heated drivers seat for cold winter days and air con for hot summer ones plus bluetooth for phone so i can speak/call when on the move.heated windscreen for frosty morning and parking sensors which are fantastic for reversing in tight spaces.
Yeah, no. It's not going to make you any more money so it's not necessary.

[robbo333]

I have bought an endless amount of window cleaning stuff in search for my window cleaning nirvana. I've wasted loads of money to get to where I am now. (And to be honest I don't think that's very far  )
And I think that about sums it up.
We are all different, we work differently and have different aspirations. So what works for one, will not necessarily work for another. Just keep going and find out what works for you.
In all fairness, I think this is where this forum excels; it may not give all the answers but it will surely point you in the right direction. 

[Dave Anderson]

its a great thing this forum, we are for the most part 1 man bands with little to no contact with others in our profession which is why the sharing we do here day in day out hels us all.... personally I work in The Netherlands and my only banter with other shinesrs is you guys...sometimes you, yes you talk absolute tat  but other times  you say something I agree with and the world is all better again.....

None of us get it right all the time and thats how we learn........  our idea's, our failures, our triumphs  and our sharing of them here make for a better place to hangout.  So thanks for all your input guys, even you!

[Dry Clean]

its a great thing this forum, we are for the most part 1 man bands with little to no contact with others in our profession which is why the sharing we do here day in day out hels us all.... personally I work in The Netherlands and my only banter with other shinesrs is you guys...sometimes you, yes you talk absolute tat  but other times  you say something I agree with and the world is all better again.....

None of us get it right all the time and thats how we learn........  our idea's, our failures, our triumphs  and our sharing of them here make for a better place for us all here.... so thanks for all your input guys

Is it true that working from ladders is actually banned in the Netherlands including inside work ?

[robbo333]

i keep it simple these days.thankfully i dont need an RO as tap tds is 029 so DI only.

1.hot water was a waste of money and didnt speed me up.(faffing about thats not needed.)only took me 2 years to realise it!
Hot water is brilliant, I have it with 4 cups of tea before I leave the house.

2.a  top quality fixed manual reel is virtually effortless to reel in.(mines a coxreel)
I bet you say that to all the laydeees.

3.xtreme poles are a waste of money for a main pole,SLX is more robust and hardwearing.
That's cause you keep breaking yours. You're a very naughty boy!

4.no need for cutting holes in van floor for hoses.i just pull the hose from the back of the van(and can pull round either side of the van)
Bugger!

5.uni valve is the best water control device for me.
Do you ever get that thing when you're in the Gents, ready to go, and someone stands next to you. It always puts me off!

6.my tank frame is bolted to the eyelet holes in the van with angle iron so easy to remove tank if needed.
This one I like.

7.leasing a new van(and a price rise to pay for it)rather than relying on old vans that kept letting me down has been a smart move.tax deductible too.
I've just bought a cheap Toyota Hiace, let's hope it's as good as they say.

8.little things like always making a packed lunch and flask for work cuts down on wasted time during my working day.plus i have a large bottle to pee in when i get caught short!
I've got a little short thing that likes to pee, bloody CCTV.

9.invoices,chits etc are always printed/wrote out the evening before.
I have enough trouble texting the night before...OPEN YOUR FOOOOOKING GATE TOMORROW!!!!

10.round software has been brilliant for organising work,chasing debts and generally keeping things running smoothly.i use cleaner planner and have my work/debtlist on my smartphone.
[/color]I have no idea what shape my software is.

11.englebert strauss rough/tough workwear is top quality!i wish id got some earlier!even though its expensive i think its worth it
Great singer, didn't know he made clothes.

12.i have 2 lots of wet weather gear/fleeces etc for those cold wet winter days so i can swap at lunchtime.it makes my day a bit more bearable! .
I have bra and knickers for a Sunday!


13.rectus 26 connectors are a lot more durable than the 21s and last a lot longer.
OK seriously, who in their right mind invented a brilliant way of connecting hoses and then named it after something you go to the Doctors for... when he says 'bend over, i'll get the gloves'?

14.additives like vision slow me down and offer no benefit whatsoever.
Additives like 3 pints of cider at luchtime slow me down.

15 having a clean tidy organised van makes me happy to go to work.
You could stick Melinda Messenger in a bikini in the back of my van and I still wouldn't be happy going to work.

16.having a top spec van means heated drivers seat for cold winter days and air con for hot summer ones plus bluetooth for phone so i can speak/call when on the move.heated windscreen for frosty morning and parking sensors which are fantastic for reversing in tight spaces.
Having an old cheap pooter means you get priority when cutting through tight gaps.


Sorry Daz, luv you really! 

[robbo333]

PS I lied about no. 15