[dai]

Just starting my third week With WFP. I'm still losing money, just can't do the job as quick as with ladders. Went up the ladder today to inspect my work again, very few small spots, what I expected really on first cleans. When did you veteran WFP users start to see big time saving improvements when you started? Will I get faster?
At the moment I seem to be about 15% down on my take. DAI

[Moderator David@stives]

stop checking for spots .And dont clean the top frames everytime.
Also if i think i can do a particular house faster on ladder i will do that.
hope that helps ,but i am new like you . i think spots come with the terratory.
how many that is the question

dave

[kingfisher]

If this is only your third week then you wont have done many second cleans yet.

First cleans take much longer I always allow at least half as long again somtimes twice.

When you get round to the second cleans you will do them much quicker.

Not to sure that I agree with David about the tops of the frames I always make sure that the tops are clean.

[rosskesava]

Hi Dai

We've also not long started using WFP. Like you - we're in our third week.

At the moment I'm not impressed at all but I (try to) have faith that what those say on this forum is true.

We are still really struggling with the mechanics of just how best to get in and out of the van and all those niggly problems.

Friday, on one job, I did the whole downstairs of a house with trad methods before my mate had even started the upstairs because the hose reel got all knotted and he coped the nark.

He said to dump the f***ing thing and I ended up doing the uppers with the WFP and got stressed out because the hose kept getting stuck on rocks in the persons garden. Then the brush separated from the pole because the thread bit snapped.

Then ... off came the ladders. Job done quickly and easily.

Having said that, we're now on plan B and I guess it's a learning thing.

As for the results and spots - dunno. Havn't looked at any where we've done with WFP except one 2 story place right next to the cliffs edge near here. The dreaded bird poo was still there but only an outline of it's former self.

I don't know how anyone on this forum could have got it right from day one.

Cheers

[Moderator David@stives]

lol    best laugh ive had in ages .

hum  betty   

[rosskesava]

It's funny now but at the time...........

It's one of those things that you look back on in the future and say 'do you remember when...'

Just like when I first started window cleaning and couldn't work what I was doing wrong. I had the ladder upside down. My mate p**sed himself laughing as it was so obvious.

Seriously, I think our WFP set up once we've ironed out all the problems is a winner.

[Moderator David@stives]

i can relate to it all .i keep having problems with connecters ,either stopping the flow or leaking and previously popping off .i have had the brush head keep swivelling the pole sections swivelling .car p155ed wet through. The best one was when i pulled the connecter of the di bottle and the water shot at my face at 100mph and soaked me .that was a bit of a shock and i looked around to see if anyone noticed.

 

[rosskesava]

Our first WFP day.

The whole bottom at the back of the inside of our hearse was under 6 inches of water.

The pump had been wired up to the bodged hi fi system in error and when the switch was flicked, it pumped out all the water.

Then we went and got breakfast before beginning the days work.

Cheers

[AuRavelling79]

Dai, It took me three months to distinguish where to use the pole and where to stay trad. - and I've only been using it since February. I reckon I'll (one man band) turn over an extra £6000 this year (April to April) - in part due to not being so knackered at the end of the day and in part to being quicker.

Ross - Roy Harding (or was it Ian Giles?) - one of these two wise men anyway - said to start from the farthest point of the property and work towards the trolley (or hose reel) to avoid hoses catching on things. That works for me.

Another guy reminded me, and I quote " the trouble is that wfp suppliers sometimes give the impression that wfp is a magic wand - it ain't - you've got to get the technique right and when you do it'll fall into place."

He's right and it has.

[rosskesava]

Cheers Malc

Simple advise but good advice.

Why havn't I been using this forum to ask more questions?

[pjulk]

When i got mine back i think in march the first month i though i have made a big mistake.
I had spots, runs the hose's where catching on everything.
When i got round to the second clean i started to notice the windows were comming up a lot better than with the 1st clean and i was slightly quicker.
The third month i was flying and really no more problems.
Now even on first cleans i can get it right first time, Its all practice just like when you started traditional.
I still use ladders for the odd job but mostly my round i use WFP for 95% of it.
The customers are happy with the results i can get some jobs done quite a bit quicker but a few still take me longer than with traditional.
Im no better off money wise though but im a lot happier.

Paul

[Simon Carter]

My business is all domestic. I bought a van, with a tank & all the gubbins, hose reals etc. It looked the business. What a waste of money!!. I've now sold the van, got myself a car again ( bigger one it's true ) & a back pack & a bunch of Jerry cans. Much better. No parking worries, no hoses wrapped round garden gnomes. NO DIY  or rip off 50 litre trolleys.
My advice is keep it simple & don't be oversold.

[dai]

Had a much better day today, In fact the highest earning day since the Mrs and me have worked together. Managed to tread on that useless £15 tap I bought and it snapped like a carrot. Does anybody know where I can buy a decent tap that will fit 8mm bore tubing? preferably brass. If I can get the variflow adjusted so that it turns off the pump before the seals start leaking I think I will have cracked it. I can stop the water flow but the pump starts up as soon as it forces a leak. I am wasting good time running back to the trolley to turn the pump off.
The system itself is working perfectly, it is really quick to set up and that 8mm bore tricoflex hose is excellent, got 30 metres on my hose reel and up the pole.
Why is it that the windows that have not been done for months[over conservatories] sheet perfectly and the windows next to them don't? Do you think that the dirt acts as an abrasive and actually helps the cleaning process? Bit like scouring powder.
Ah well this old dog is slowly learning new tricks.
 Please help if you can locate a tap, thanks for all the good advice. Dai
ps Do you know I had never seen a WFP set up till I came on this forum, now I'v built one.

[Ian_Giles]

Simon, not to sure which 50l trolleys you consider a rip off, but mine is anything but that.
Mine is the aquatech one, two 25l containers, very efficient.

I know of one guy who has a full van mount system, most of the time he and his wife use their Omnitrolleys on domestic work.
They open the van, lift out the trolleys (never full to the brim, they top them up to whatever level they need from the main tank) and off they go.
Very quick, very efficient.
There are other times when they work directly from their van (a Citroen Relay). All depends on circumstances.

The learning curve is steep, but once you have cracked it, and adapted it to fit in with your round it is just so efficient.

Spotting will occur now and then, and sometimes there are windows that just won't be able to be cleaned well with WFP, but you learn those as you go around your round.

Mostly, for UPVC, Georgian, leaded and so on, WFP is king.
For windows with oxidized frames its a different matter

Be adaptable, keep learning!


Regards

Ian

[gaza]

ross: water music I presume.filling tank up one night left mrs to switch the tap off,she forgot when I got back saw water running out of the van ,switch tap off ,opened van door and gallons filled my shoes and soaked my trouses.so your not on your own pal

gaza

[AuRavelling79]

Re: Ross's bodged up stereo/waterpump connection:-

ross: water music I presume
gaza

Brilliant Gaza! LOL

[Moderator David@stives]

Mostly, for UPVC, Georgian, leaded and so on, WFP is king.
For windows with oxidized frames its a different matter

on oxidised frames or all troublesome windows stay away fom the top .thats what the bwca reccomends then you should have no trouble really

dave

[jsm]

I agree with keep it simple on domestic , you don't need hose reels and big pumps .

After my battery died on my 30ltr sack barrow diy thing , Dan @ DSB lent me his Surflow back pack , I put it on the sack barrow and away - top bit of kit , just fill it up at every house , its got a big cap on it so you can fill it up super fast - qiicker than changing the barrel over before .
plus its got a 4 speed pump inside - cool

[Sir Squeaky]

....it is just so efficient.

Ian

  Efficient! That takes me back Ian! (sorry guys,private joke)

[sair]

it will get better and quicker after many years wfp i have doubled my five day round and generally only do 2 days should be another half day , but the wfp buisness is so busy since january i need three days a week there , running nout of time now , it will get quiker about three onths and you will be more confident,

tony