[Moderator David@stives]

 Just read the small print that comes with a Varistream and it states that the warranty will NOT be honoured out of damage to the varistream or pump if you use MIcrobore hose.

The Varistream and sureflo pump are CLEARLY aimed at wfp users and everyone knows microbore is now standard for most users mostly at 100m

So why are they aiming these products at us knowing full well we use microbore , then copping out of the guarantee.   

altogether i have bought 7 pumps and 7 varistreams, even reccommended them to others , so probably another few sales there.

Time to look for other options I think.

[Alex Wingrove]

just buy a flojet pump,

i love the flow rate that it pumps through microbore

[Alex Gardiner]

The Flojet is a great pump and rarely needs any form of electronic control.

We do have another make of pump in testing that may prove to be a lot cheaper than the Flojet, but with the same robust quality and no need for a electronic flow control.

[DASERVICES]

Fully agree Dave, in this day and age of technoligy surely manufacturers would have designed a pump to cope with microbore.

Time to ditch I think, there are other pump manufacturers who I am sure would be happy to design a pump unique to the window cleaning industry.

There are two new names I have seen that seem to be looking into the market, looks like Alex is testing one of them.
 

[john tomkins]

Varistreams are good when they work ok, mine tend to have quite a few off days, what is the flow rate of the Flojet with say 60m microbore and 2mm pencil jets?

[Alex Gardiner]

Varistreams are good when they work ok, mine tend to have quite a few off days, what is the flow rate of the Flojet with say 60m microbore and 2mm pencil jets?

The 60 psi Flojet is about 1.7 litres per minute with the above set up.  The 100 psi Flojet will give about 2.5 with the above set up.

[sunshine windows]

Is there no flow control with the Flojet then???

Lance

[Alex Gardiner]

Is there no flow control with the Flojet then???

Lance

No flow control, just a variable rate pressure switch.

[*foxman]

Just read the small print that comes with a Varistream and it states that the warranty will NOT be honoured out of damage to the varistream or pump if you use MIcrobore hose.

The Varistream and sureflo pump are CLEARLY aimed at wfp users and everyone knows microbore is now standard for most users mostly at 100m

So why are they aiming these products at us knowing full well we use microbore , then copping out of the guarantee.   

altogether i have bought 7 pumps and 7 varistreams, even reccommended them to others , so probably another few sales there.

Time to look for other options I think.

I've got a feeling that this disclaimer is against the law. Need to look into it further, might come under the not fit for purpose thing. The Varistream is designed for window cleaners and it is well know and perfectly reasonable that it might be used in conjuction with microbore - so they haven't a leg to stand on. Bring on Trading standards!

[jeff1]

I put up a post a couple of weeks back regarding the guarantee for the backpack, there altered and sold to w/c  but the guarantee is Nil & Void for w/c,  it seems there all jumping on the band wagon

[alanwilson]

well don't you think williamson pumps have fallen flat on their face especially as EVERY wfp'er uses microbore - on the poles!!

As far as I know every pole sold in the UK comes with 5/6mm tubing.

Clearly Williamson Pumps haven't thought this through and should come up with the goods instead of trying to dodge problems with their own 'purpose built' equipment.

[dai]

To be fair to Williamsons, the Varistream was never designed to work with micro bore.
Remember it is also in affect the pressure switch.
When you stop the flow, a back pressure builds up and draws more amps from the battery, this increased amperage is sensed by the Varistream and it switches off the pump as it's designed to do.

When you have an unrestricted pump running, as you do with the pump pressure switch removed, everything works fine until that back pressure builds up, and this is what happens with micro bore,
the smaller bore, especially when coiled on a reel builds up a lot of back pressure, the Varistream cannot sense if this is you turning off the flow, or back pressure that's built up running through your system, it will turn your pump off, and as pressure drops, back on again.

It is this rapid cycling that does the damage.

It's hard to see how any device that measures the demand on amperage can overcome this problem.
How do you make a device that will overcome the back pressure, without blowing your connectors off when you want to stop the flow?
You could go back to using the bypass method in conjunction with a pressure relief valve, but that won't stop your pump from running when you stop the flow, so no saving on battery drain.
It's a hard one to crack. Dai

[alanwilson]

ok dai but the fact is the 8000 series pumps and the varistreams are designed for window cleaners and all poles have 5mm tubing.

[Wayne Thomas]

I'm still using my first Mk 1 varistream from over 5 years ago.
I've gone through several pumps but not the varisteam.
I had lots of problems using varistream with shureflow 100psi with 100m microbore but not with minibore as there's less build up of pressure. I've used 250m of minibore on jobs in the past with no problems but had lots of problems using microbore over 120m.
Never had any problems using Flojet 95psi / 100psi pumps without a varistream fitted either.

[dai]

The friction/drag/back pressure of water is nothing on a pole hose compared to 100 meters of micro bore coiled on a reel.
I only use 25 meters of micro bore on my trolley system, but there's no way I can run the Varistream flat out without cycling, I wouldn't want to work without it, although it has it's limitations.
It's one for the boffins mate. Dai

[alanwilson]

yes dai, poles only have 10m or so of tubing, however they state that it isn't to be used with microbore - its a legal thing, we use 90m of microbore on our reels without any probs but if williamson pumps knew that they wouldn't stand by their product, but someone using half inch hose is still breaking the warranty conditions because of the tubing on the pole.

[scud]

I'm still using my first Mk 1 varistream from over 5 years ago.
I've gone through several pumps but not the varisteam.
I had lots of problems using varistream with shureflow 100psi with 100m microbore but not with minibore as there's less build up of pressure. I've used 250m of minibore on jobs in the past with no problems but had lots of problems using microbore over 120m.
Never had any problems using Flojet 95psi / 100psi pumps without a varistream fitted either.

  I had a varistream MK1 from the first batch released, this was only 3 years ago - it is still going strong with the shurflo 60 psi pump that is 4 years old, they have been running through 100m of microbore for 3 years with no problems.

[Moderator David@stives]

If mfrs are coming in on the wfp market , they must accept what comes with it.

It is a bit like saying Bosch wont guarantee there drills if you drill through high density breeze blocks.

Come on Williamsons, have confidence, and guarantee your products.

Dave

[pjulk]

easiest and least troublesome way it to just buy a flojet no need for a varistream then.


Paul

[DASERVICES]

Whats the guarantee on a Flojet then, I know someone who had one only lasted a year plus needed a new switch!