[Alex Gardiner]

I'm not going to confuse a newcomer so please disregard what i have to say.For the first time i can remember i'm pretty sure you are wrong about this alex.IMO The best place for a tap is on the end of a hose.

The best place for a reel is fixed to a van, and the proper disipline must/should be used for walking your hose end and still attached pole back to the van.Once the tap and the pole is inside the van the hose is wound in.If the reel is to be wound in fast (electrically) this results in fewer tangles and no damage.

The pole and hose tap should stay with you at all times.The best way to do this is to have a harness that fits over your head and under one arm.IE, arrive at job ,exit van, open side door, put harness on, grab pole ,walk to furthest point,- squirt.

I can only speak about domestic of course.The easiest way to make a harness is to put thin nylon rope inside some garden hose and obtain the lenght according to your girth.

Bit of a know-all post this, but by far the best method for domestic.

There is one downside to having the tap on the end of the hose reel which is the main reason I would never use it this way.  I like everything that I am using, holding or carrying to be as light as possible. I  tend to work with a section of the hose just before the valve in my hand whilst holding the pole.  If this was attached to the end of the microbore, it would mean that I would be holding the weight of a couple of metres of microbore as opposed to lightweight pole hose.  To some people this may seem like a small difference but I find it can make quite a bit of difference throughout the course of a day.

[ftp]

Luther - how do you shut the water off when working around air vents or moving to another window etc?

[Robin Ray]

I have the valve attached to the bottom of the pole for domestic work, it saves loads of water and is so quick, ultimate controll. But on the downside the weight of the microbore is a pain and the loop caused by ataching the valve to the pole is a pain too. I wish there was another way without having an auto brush you just put the weight up there then.

[Window Washers]

Sorry but I have to disagree entirely with walking the hose back to the van. Doing this results in making a loop with the hose which will snag on anything. Keep the hose straight with no tap and it should come all the way back to the reel. That's the way I have it. If you feel like washing your hands then hold them under the jets of your brush. Simples. 

The push fit taps are brilliant too, they can be changed in two seconds. I always carry a spare metre of pole hose with a male snap connector on the end. If your hose splits or punctures you can whip a new one straight on - no fiddling with olives and compression joints.

each to there own, the way we do it work for us, pull back to base and wind, maybe theres a nack to it who knows. pole tap is a no no for me.

[Nathanael Jones]

With hot water the pole hose becomes supple and can be kinked between the fingers,.. no need for a tap at all!

[Dave Turley]

I find this way of doing things really easy and have been working this way for  over 2 years:

I have a tap fitted 1 metre from the end of the microbore and a rectus 21 fitting at the end of the microbore.

when working, I loop that last metre round the back of my neck. this way the tap is always comfortably to hand without actually being attached to you (easy to put down at any time).

when i'm finished I walk back to my van with my pole, put it in the van and reel in.

this does create a loop which will catch on things, but you learn to work with the hose and position it so it doesn't catch on things (most of the time!).

I find that most of the snagging on obstacles happens on the way back to the van, so can usually be dealt with  with a quick flick of the hose.

[Clive McDonald]

Think about a harness, you walk the hose comes too.

Apart from that you work the same as me- except there are two of us and we both have electric reels.Probably on large commercial or when time doesn't matter any way is as good as another.My work is priced keenly and to hit the hourly rate we have to shift it.If i was new i would want to explore a few different ways(as in originator of thread).

[luther1]

Ftp-that is the only down side! I use one of those light plastic taps as i found the ones on the end of my hose kept snagging,however,i never tried the ones that Alex showed,so i might put one there too.