[dazmond]

late starts/early finishes(11am-3pm).bring as much gear in as possible.thick duvet around tank/barrels.trad ground floor windows.salt paths and doorways.keep moving and dont leave hose lying around.

this is what i did last week but this week the temp has been more severe with snow so im writing the week off with no work done at all.

its imperative (for those of you who have nt)to build up an emergency fund throughout the year so if the weather is this bad you can still pay the bills.

its not great to lose out on a weeks earnings but after many years of cursing it sometimes i just accept it now and try and not get too frustrated.my financial postion has vastly improved over the last few years so that helps!!

but i do remember when i was deep in debt and couldnt work etc.thankfully them days are over now!but ive had to work hard the last 5 years to dig myself out of a hole.


it sure is no fun if your skint and cant work because of weather!if this is you now then learn from it and make sure you start putting some money away every week if want to carry on in this business so next time you ll be ok!!


best wishes to you all


dazmond

[Sir Squeaky]

Keep your hose pumping continuously whilst cleaning to prevent the jets freezing up,

Nope, doesn't stop it.

Mine froze up twice today while it was running.

[luther1]

No problems with the van freezing,and it wasn't even snowing here yesterday but the hose (6mm) kept on freezing on the ground. Take connector off,pump the ice out,put it back on etc.Flow rate full bore, water froze on the pole when extended and when closed it froze inside the pole. Had to give up!
I know,should have gone hot years ago!

[Dave Anderson]

 *Polystyreen is a very effective insulator and combined with something like double sided foiled bubble wrap is excellent.

* Ensure all your hoses route in your system so they can self drain the use of ball/gate valves have their uses too.

* Keep a 10 litres see through can of anti-freeze and pump this through your system at the end of day...will prevent freezing. Try to use blue/coloured if poss will make it easier to see when the antifreeze is 'through' your system.

If you have no garage/car port consider having a bespoke tank made that is insulated i.e double walled this way you could have insulated storage built in for pumps, reels, controllers, strainers etc.

* Use a tube heater to warm your water overnight (if static) which if in the right cabinate would radiate heat and keep your r/o system warm(again if static) your could then pump the water into your insulated tank which would stay warm the most of the day.

*Look at pulse technology stats, once set to a certain temp these units will keep the temp at the set point but will do so using the full range of heat i.e if your set the temp at say 5deg once it drops the unit will use just enough heat to maintain that set point without having the heater run at full tilt.

* Weipro 1000/2000/3000 watt titanium tube heaters with stats.

*Tube heaters with frost stats.

* Derwent Muck boots, Joka polar gloves, Helly Hanson thermals.

* At least 12 weeks money put by just for bad weather.

* Consider looking at your round and making the potential earnings year 10months and making your yearly money in that time.

* Take your hols in winter (hard I know if you have kids).

* Go to your local coffee shop and get a catering size bag of weed just to keep the chill off and the cabin fever out....oh..you'de better not it's illegal there HAHAHAHAHA...but not here in cloggyville(well it's accepted anyhow's).

[[GQC] Tim]

When you put your heater in the van overnight, dont put it on the frost stat, sooo many times ive got up in the morning and hoses etc frozen!!

this year ive turned mine right up, not a problem at all....may cost a bit more in electricity, but not lost a day in work so far!!!

Also, to stop your microbore freezing on the ground, get the water flowing thro as soon as poss, then keep it running, no freezing for as yet since been doing this!! 

Very true. I've done that before and it cost me £200 for a new HF-4. Very expensive mistake.

Ps. I found tube heaters or any static heater to be totally useless. A fan is needed to have it circulate through the van.

[lovewindows]

Got rid of the van system , use a shed for my gear with a frost watch heater in it. Trolley system now. Had water freeze on windows in unheated shops only, went back to do them later in the day and water had melted off leaving behind a clean window.
I use ice melt around footpaths before i start.
Saying all that if it's -1 during the day , i just dont go out.
Hope to god that this doesn't last for to long. 

[geefree]

Attach a snow plough to front of van ...£400

[lee_dewing]

Daz and Dave good posts.

I remember your post last winter Daz

I've squirelled away some dough but not enough

Unfortunately i've been paying my mother in-law back what i borrowed last year

Gonna try and push indoor window cleaaning service next year for bad weather days; so if the idea worked i wouldn't loose too much time to rainy days.

Dave's idea about condensing working year is good but would obviously have to up customers prices; at the risk of making myself look even sillier , is this a 20% price increase?

I don't think big price increases would be well recieved in the current climate

But it would be good idea for new work.
Hope we are all back to it soon.
There goes my plan of having two week xmas break
Unless this weather keeps up of course
Lee

[Rob125]

someone mentioned using an aquirium heater - that a pretty good idea - but how do you power it (ie. do you need a mains supply or has anyone invented a mobile version). Also if you do heat the water overnight to make it pretty warm so it wont freeze throughout the day - does that not make it more risky that the first few houses you do, you may crack the glass - or does it not matter?

Also - anyone know where to fill up on cheap polysteryene /  insulating stuff