[macc]

i agree with what you are all saying.

one close will be pleased your regular & reliable,

the next is full of moaners, it doesnt matter what you do they moan, ive stay clear after that.

then they moan if they see you & i wont come back.

ive a MRS at home who moans enough, i dont need it at work. 

[Ian_Giles]

I like the idea of glass being floated on a bed of deionised water, but if the glass is in even a semi-molten state surely the whole caboodle will just explode
Molten glass is incredibly hot.
If it is cold enough to be floated on water, then, er, what difference will it make

I am really very ignorant of the glass making process, but I am now very curious as to the process.

Are there any sites out there that give details of how our window panes are made??

I have had very few complaints about WFP from customers, one was a few days after they had been cleaned and she mentioned them being spotty.
No problem, I gave her a free clean the following month, I gave her no hassle at all.
Though I am not sure if it was poor work from me or the windy, wet weather we had over the following couple of days after I had cleaned them.
I have politely told her to make sure she calls within 24 hours if there is a problem in future.
Had the same type of complaint from another customer too, but I deserved that one, the day I cleaned them on was very stormy and windy.
When they were cleaned there was a clear spell of weather, and they probably dried out spotless. But the customer wasn't in when I cleaned them, by the time she got home the weather had closed in again, when she saw the windows the following day they looked like they hadn't been cleaned.
Now if she had been in when I cleaned them I don't think I would have had a problem as she would have seen that they would have dried out spotless as usual.
But I was all too aware of the weather conditions, it was my own fault for cleaning them in those conditions in the first place.
They would have been a mess if I had used trad methods too, ahh well, that's life
Just recently I have started to clean a certain shop with WFP, now I have my new van it is easier to use WFP on it, it is also an absolute doddle using trad, but the finish is just that bit better with WFP.
Anyway; the boss see's the windows have been left wet and rings me at home to complain.
I explain the system to him an also inform him that it is the third week I have cleaned them with WFP.
He replies that they are drying out all smeary.
I bluntly told him that no they are not!
He is slightly nonplussed by my reply, but I also knew that I was correct, on this one they come out top notch every time.
I told him that if he could find a single mark on the glass after they had dried I would come up the following day and re-clean them using trad methods.

Needless to say he has not complained or rang again.

I do clean the door trad though, it opens inwards and water gets in the shop if I do it WFP.
When I cleaned it on Thursday I timed myself on it.....less than 60 seconds, which is quite a bit quicker than when I did it trad.
I was actually very surprised, it doesn't feel as if I am that quick on it.
It only takes about 2 minutes when done trad mind. As I said, a very easy account whatever way it is done.

I also do a particular pub that simply will not come out right when I use WFP on it
The landlord never complains, but I do it WFP on the outside every time, then, muttering to myself after I have done the insides I go back out and squeegee all the big panes, and I absolutely fly through them too, way, way quicker than I did when I clean them with WFP

If you are reading this Squeaks it is the Cross Keys at Tutshill.

I use the 'Turbo Terry' method on them, the glass is basically clean, so they only need wetting and squeegee-ing...doesn't half make a difference to the speed you can go at

I'm rambling again

Ian

[Sir Squeaky]

As I said Ian, if you get the right technique there's nothing in it.

I'm obviously slower on some windows, (like the Cross Keys) but miles quicker on others as you have to do every window the same, I can cut corners!

To be honest, I haven't had a complaint from trad work in at least 5 years, and I'm pretty slack sometimes!

[billozz]

The landlord never complains, but I do it WFP on the outside every time, then, muttering to myself after I have done the insides I go back out and squeegee all the big panes, and I absolutely fly through them too, way, way quicker than I did when I clean them with WFP 


Ian,
when you reclean them traditionally do you use detergent or pure water, if the former doesnt this cause you probs when cleaning with wfp the next time. sorry if am missing summat
regards
Bill

[rosskesava]

Hi Ian

Quote:

"The 1950s were, however, of most significance to Pilkington because of the invention of the float glass process. In 1952 Alastair Pilkington conceived the idea of forming a ribbon of glass by floating the melted raw materials at high temperature over a bath of molten tin."


 
I thought de ionised water was used to clean the inside of glass before it was sealed as a double glazed unit not only to get the glass 100% clean, but so as no bacteria and mould would ever grow in between the glass.

I also remember reading somewhere about how the RO unit and resin was first used in hospitals for some reason to do with purity and sterilising and if I can find any links - I'll post them.

I also thought that if molten glass was poured onto purified water water (or any water) there would be an explosion due to the rapid expansion of gases (oxygen and hydrogen) in the water due to the massive temperature difference but there again, I may be wrong.

Without spending tons of time the only real link I could find to do with glass production that may lead to loads more links is:

http://www.glasslinks.com/newsinfo/pilk_history.htm

[24-7 S C Services]

Evening all,

I have been lead to believe the glass is floated on Deionised water at the final production.

I was given this info from my brother in-law, who has his own window business in Norfolk. He told me he had seen massive DI bottles at the glass factory and when he enquired what they where, the production manager explained it to him. Now I did not fish for this info, he gave it to me after he viewed my setup and was slightly amazed that window cleaners had become this far advanced.

I will talk to him again and ask him to verify the info and even get the manufacturer to pass it on to me if possible.

Many Thanks

Andrew

[rosskesava]

Hi Andy

I was not disputing what you wrote. I am curious as I don't know for certain. Years ago, glass was made using molten tin but that was years and years ago.

Things change so quickly.

Whatever you find out - I'm really interested to know. Sorry if I appeared to be discrediting you. I didn't intend to do that.

Thanks and cheers

Ross

[Ian_Giles]

Same here Andrew,

You have tweaked my curiousity

Rog,
WFP is new to almost all people, it is a major re-think for them to see windows left soaking wet, ergo they will always check them carefully to begin with.
The one woman would have complained no matter what method I used, as I said, it was my own fault for cleaning them when she wasn't in and in weather conditions that I knew full well would getthem mucked up again in short order.
The other may or may not have been justified, 3 or 4 days had passed before she noticed them.
The other one (the shop) was just panicing because he thought I had not bothered to get the water off!!

Billozz,
The panes I whipped over were done with a normal washer with Unger liquid as the detergent.
It is only after years of cleaning with detergent that makes it hard work on first time cleans with WFP (but not always!)
Over time detergent residue builds up in cracks in the glazing, or gaps in beading and so on.
It isn't a problem to use a washer now and again.
Though even with something like Unger liquid or GG3, when you clean the glass with WFP the glass itself very slightly goes sudsy, not very much it's true, but it does go to show that a residue is always left behind after glass is cleaned trad.

The fact that when cleaned with WFP there is no residue left whatsoever is of course the reason that the windows stay cleaner for longer.
The residue left behind after trad cleaning may be invisible to the naked eye, and not remotely sticky to touch, but dust will adhere to it.

I'm late!!

Gotta go!

Ian

[Philip Hanson]

How about this one:

"I don't want you to use that pole anymore because THE DOG doesn't like it"

No kidding

Weirdo.

[Morph]

Well don't use it on the dog!!

[Paul Coleman]

How about this one:

"I don't want you to use that pole anymore because THE DOG doesn't like it"

No kidding

Weirdo.

That's a classic Philip 
I'm just picturing the dog with it's teeth around the pole, complaining because it's not chewy enough.

[Filllllll]

Another complaint regarding a dog.

The customer didn't like all the water on the ground because it made her dogs feet wet.

"could you clean my windows the old way?"

"No" I said, and lost the cutomer.

On a wet day I see her carrying the dog for walkies.
No, not really but I wonder what she does do when it rains.

[Morph]

Made me laugh today:
I was doing an old folks place.  One resident stopped me and said, "Who are you?", so, I explained, I suppose I did attract some attention: Waterproof trousers, heavy boots, double fleece, waterproof top jacket, waterproof hat, gloves, high viz waistcoat. (It was -2 here today with a wind chill!!).
"Oh, I see!", she said.  I felt I had explained well, so turned to walk away. 
With a concerned look, she responded, "You're job must be even harder in the summer, dear, with all those clothes on. You'll get very hot!"

I love it

[dai]

I lost a customer who said that WFP left a bloom on her glass. She said I'v got a guy to do the job with ladders. I know that the bloom she's talking about wouldn't be there if she didn't smoke 30 a day. You can't do anything about that from the outside. To add insult to injury, she said ,"if it doesn't work out I'll give you a call".
She can go on my waiting list and wait for ever. Dai

[ross-kesava]

We had one customer cancel because our 'broom thing' was yellow and yellow is a bad colour.

I really cried my eyes out losing that job.

She had about 20 cats and the whole garden at the rear was a cespit for cats. It stank something serious and with wfp, it's hard to work and watch where your feet are treading.

She was one of those 'cats are better than people' idiots.

[Moderator David@stives]

I can remember p@f losing his first job with wfp for soaking there cat.
They were that incenced they took photographs

[AuRavelling79]

I put a note through a customers  saying basically you may have overlooked it but you owe me for this and last clean.

Got a cheque for one clean plus note saying - I don't think you cleaned the windows last time becus the marks are still on one of the upstairs window from before Xmas. Your services are no longer required.

Now - I've not lost a single customer since starting wfp last March so I go round to see what's caused the problem. Parents not in but get permission off teenager to check windows. Ladder up and indeed five or six soil marks on otherwise spotless (UPVC - done two weeks previously - thats how long it took them to complain) window.

Scrub/scrape/scrub off ladder - muck still not moving - it's rendering mixed with waterproofer from a job done just above window up by the central heating outlet. Blow that for a game of soldiers!

Put note thru to say you still owe me for last time and if you want the marks moving that should have been done by the guy wot done it and if you want me to do it it's a special job! I also wrote that whatever caused their dissatisfaction I'm glad it wasn't my poor workmanship!

I'll keep you posted but these customers will be no loss. (five years ago when I was more naive I agreed to stop cleaning for five months because "they were building houses opposite and the windows got dusty!")

I'm waiting for them to ask me to clean again to which I have planned to say (no copyright here so feel free to use this )

"Sorry but have you got a hand mirror I could borrow?"

When they ask why I'll say "cuz I want to see if I've got "STOOPID" written on my forehead!"

[AuRavelling79]

Update on above - got a letter of apology, a cheque and a please continue cleaning letter!

[AuRavelling79]

Update on above - got a letter of apology, a cheque and a please continue cleaning letter!