[neil100]

I spent 4 hours useing wfp today, my first day.

God my 18' fibreglass pole is so bendy, its cheap I know but it bent that much when I was trying to reach a window above a consevatory I thought I should spray black and white arrows on it like you get going round a sharp bend to warn memmbers of the public to keep their distance.

I ended up cleaning the window with my 38' pole, just because it was a lot stiffer. though my muscles had to work a lot harder then I would of liked., I except it will be ok for a lot of the work I do but I will be buying a 24' pole soon and I need it to be light but stiff.

Any recomenditions? I dont like metal poles though as I find them too cold to the touch.

Regards Nel.

[Alex Gardiner]

Your 18ft must be an Exel extender range (sold as Inoics multipole, and by many others) They have to be the bendiest things around, no good for serious work.
That's why all of our poles are from the next range up the Exel Universal poles, they only weigh a little more, only cost a little more, but are so much better to use.

Alex

[neil100]

Alex,

Yes, looked at your poles and nearly odered the 24' pole. then I saw you do custom pole lengths, So I,m goinsg to use it for a while and see if I need a 20' pole instead.

How heavy are your 20' and 24' poles?

Are you sure their not as bendy being fibre glass?

Nel

[Jeff Brimble]

For over conservatories etc I reckon you may need 28ft pole

[Jeff Brimble]

Whoops, error that should be 24ft !

[Morph]

I cleaned some pvc cladding today around the sides of some dormers with my 35' ionics ultralite carbonfibre pole!

I am supposed to be taking it easy since I had a heart attack 2&1/2 years ago!!!
It was like going 5 rounds with Mike Tyson!  I dont need exercise I can tell you.

£35 for an hour's work.  OK but my arms are 9" longer and I can't lift my head off my chest!!

Don't do it.  These tools are for working up and down.... not at angles..

Help!!

[steve k]

I use an 18ft and 30ft fibrelass.
I find the 18ft good for most things but if working at any distance back from glass it will be whippy and difficult to control.
If you use a bigger pole to avoid using the real whippy end piece it will be more rigid but physically demanding.
I agree that these poles should only be used to clean in a relatively vertical manner.
If you start trying to over-reach or clean at awkward angles you will find it physically painful over even a short period of use.

[Jeff Brimble]

Morph dont laugh too hard but I thought at one time when I was starting of making a chest mirror so I could look down as well as up.
Doing large areas with wfp is v.hard work.

[Ian_Giles]

The amount of whip in the poles can be a real pain...and a mean pain, physical pain, the further you have to reach from the vertical and the longer you have to have the pole extended, then the greater your risk of physical injury, torn muscles, back damage and so on.

Where conservatories are concerned I try to extend the pole with it resting on the lip of the conservatory roof, directly in line with the window if possible, and tray to move the brush head up towards the window with the pole sliding along that edge.

I usually end out extending the pole out behind me, its quicker, each section on the Unger poles are 6ft long, and as I'm only 5ft 8in (bar a half inch ), extending it upright is awkward
I have usually had to change the angle on the Unger elbow joint so that the brush is at the perfect angle to work on the window (a real advantage with the Unger setup) so that by the time you have the brush on the glass and are actually cleaning, the strain of getting it up there is reduced and also, by virtue of using the edge of the guttering you have negated the bendiness of the pole to a certain extent.
But there are also those windows where you have to get at that awkward window from the side of the conservatory (or whatever part of the building happens to be in the way), you can still use the conservatory to help extend the pole up to the window.
But the actual cleaning of a window in this situation is not good for your body it is badly and unevenly stressed, and this is the time you are most likely to injure yourself.
The strain on your body is so uneven.
I'm lucky in that I'm pretty robust and strong, but at almost 50 years old, by straining at difficult angles I am more likely to do myself a mischief than you young un's

WFP is by and large safer and easier than trad, but as more and more make the change, and probably it will become the norm in just a few years, the potential for users being incapacitated through attempting to clean windows.

I wonder how long it will take Health and Safety to issue guidlines on safe and proper useage??

Ahh well, I'm late, I need to get off and earn some money to pay for Christmas


Ian

[Philip Hanson]

I wonder how long it will take Health and Safety to issue guidlines on safe and proper useage??

In 2002, the HSE commissioned the Health & Safety Laboratory (an agency of the HSE) to research the potential for injury using water-fed poles.

They tested Fibre Glass, Carbon Fibre, and Aluminium poles, and observed window cleaners using them.

The result was a HSL report: ERG/01/30
"Ergonomics of Long Pole Window Cleaning Systems" which made several recommendations to users and manufacturers.

Copies can be obtained from HMSO, and there is now comprehensive guidance on the safe use of water-fed poles.

-Philip

[neil100]

Yes I've read the report.

But no one seams to sell an 18' ergo lite pole in carbon fibre. I would not mind paying extra money on a quality pole if I'm going to be usueing it all the time.

I think the manufatures of poles are missing a trick here. They seam to make all the carbon fibre for 35' poles upwards. Sorry I'm not intrested in a pole of this size in cf that will sit in my carage most of the time.

Come on someone give us an 18' one in carbonfibre.

Nel

[Reuben_Reynolds]

Neil,

What are you prepared to pay for a Ergo-lite 18ft pole?

Regards

Reuben

[stuart@skypole]

neil,

i agree with Reuben,

we can make any size carbon pole it comes down to the cost and whether you think the price is right for your own spec.
stuart
skypole systems

[Alex Gardiner]

Hi Niel,

Do you want the weight with or without gooseneck and brush?

Let me know on alex@gardiner.e7even.com and I will weigh them for you.

Bendiness is relative.  It depends if you are using Extenders at the moment.  Do they have glued on clamps that have a wide(3cm) clamp handle? If you are using the Extender range, then our poles are much less bendy!

Alex

[H h20]

  LOL  This is good,let the battle begin,Gaz 

[neil100]

Rubens,

Dont be scrooge its xmas, so lets see what you can do for me.

Your 36' Ergo-lite Carbon fibre (6 x 6') 3.8 kg is  £795.95 with 18" DT brush.

So we should be looking under £300.00, with a 12" DT brush. THe price is cheaper then 50% of the 36' pole because you would be useing the top 3 slimmer sections of carbon fibre. Less carbon fibre less cost.

Come on Rubens be my Santa Clauss.

Nel.

[Jeff Brimble]

Money is not everything you need the right tool for the job whatever it costs. Day in Day out for 9 months I have been using   the top 3x8ftsections of an Ionics ergolite 8x8ft. If they will sell you just the 3 sections it would allow you to add a section at a later date. The weight without the brush head is   3 Lb 1 oz    The use of 8ft sections does take some getting used to in domestic situations but when extending over conservatories you only have to adjust 2 clamps so its often quicker. I used to use alloy poles which are lighter but bendier.
After 8 months use I thoroughly reccomend the ergolite. However it wil be interesting to see what the tnew alked about Unger pole and wfp sytem will use.  Which is supposed to be due out in January (was that 2004 once ? )

[Easyclean Windows]

I have got and used Tucker pole 78 feet

[Jeff Brimble]

I suspect the Tucker at that height is lighter than Carbon fibre, could you comment ? I know that cf only go to 60ft but I have added another 2x6 alu section at the top  just to see if it could be done. Also at 78ft is that one man operator ?

[sham33]

I use 2 sections of my omnipole which is around 18ft. Its very light and very ridged. Plus u can add sections when needed. Certainly the best pole for work around the 18ft mark ie average semi detached homes.