[chris scott]

 I am on the verge of buying a big machine in case i get a big job .Where can i find a..... 30 lpm water supply.
What sort of places have them ? I have only ever used a tap before and a garden hose.

[Rob_Mac]

A garden hose/domestic supply should give you about 20LPM - or thereabouts. That wont keep up with the machine but once full it will keep you going for longer.

We work from hydrants - they cost, you have to hire the hydrant risers, for the various areas but they keep up with the big machines.

My set up is - machine in the middle of the van, tank by bulkhead, next to the rear doors there is a shelf with two Cox reels and directly underneath them I have just bought and fixed a 100 metre @1inch hose reel.

All set up so that I can fill up from a 15mm supply, and hydrant risers of various sizes.

Rob

[Rob_Mac]

There is an Alto Contractor on Ebay at the moment - it needs a new pump but could be a good buy!, Not big flow but heat as an option.

Rob

[chris scott]

So fire hydrants are the only way to feed big machines?
Just had a look on fleabay..i can get the same output as that from my little Honda and hot box.

[johnny bravo]

can you not get a flatbed trolley  with handle,    place a water tank onto trolley  , very long hose to water source fill up and manover trolley to where needed.  some some good strong trolleys out there., pretty cheap,   all taking extra weight.      ive been thinking how to clean walk ways outside supermarkets,  i can only think of this way without a big van .    from a 650 litre   +, light enough to take when empty.
i havent even cleaned a drive yet and im looking at how to do big jobs.

[chris scott]

can you not get a flatbed trolley  with handle,    place a water tank onto trolley  , very long hose to water source fill up and manover trolley to where needed.  some some good strong trolleys out there., pretty cheap,   all taking extra weight.      ive been thinking how to clean walk ways outside supermarkets,  i can only think of this way without a big van .    from a 650 litre   +, light enough to take when empty.
i havent even cleaned a drive yet and im looking at how to do big jobs.

Good idea but the big machines that the lads on the big jobs have, would empty the tank quicker than you could fill it. Then the time saved by using the big machines on the big jobs would be taken up watching the big tank fill...unless we use a fire hydrant.

[Roger Oakley]

So fire hydrants are the only way to feed big machines?
Just had a look on fleabay..i can get the same output as that from my little Honda and hot box.

Chris,
No not always, the machine and holding tank that Rob bought from me could just about handle domestic supplies, around 11-18 lts per min down here.
The tank Rob had/has is 1300 lts, so you arrive on site plum in the water first, set-up etc and say after 30 mins from the time you arrive you are ready to go not full but you can get started, if using chems to clean you are going to need dwell time, so why they are dwelling, your tank is filling. Hope this makes sense.

[BDCS]

Use a booster pump

[Roger Oakley]

Use a booster pump

But how do you boost from the supply coming in? if the tap is say 11lts per min how are you going to get more out of it?

[chris scott]

So fire hydrants are the only way to feed big machines?
Just had a look on fleabay..i can get the same output as that from my little Honda and hot box.

Chris,
No not always, the machine and holding tank that Rob bought from me could just about handle domestic supplies, around 11-18 lts per min down here.
The tank Rob had/has is 1300 lts, so you arrive on site plum in the water first, set-up etc and say after 30 mins from the time you arrive you are ready to go not full but you can get started, if using chems to clean you are going to need dwell time, so why they are dwelling, your tank is filling. Hope this makes sense.

It would be ok for a short while then we are back to square one ,no water...or am i just being thick? I admit to not being the brightest  but i just can't work out how the big  boys are running 30lpm machines they have.

[Darranvps]

We sometimes take our own River...............

Often a stand pipe

And usually suffer no water shortage issues that we cannot overcome

[BDCS]

Roger you might get 11 ltrs at the tap but only 9 at the end of the hose - the pump pushes the water up the hose and sucks some through the tap, this is how an ro pump works which is used to boost mains pressure.
See also :- water recycling system 

[Roger Oakley]

So fire hydrants are the only way to feed big machines?
Just had a look on fleabay..i can get the same output as that from my little Honda and hot box.

Chris,
No not always, the machine and holding tank that Rob bought from me could just about handle domestic supplies, around 11-18 lts per min down here.
The tank Rob had/has is 1300 lts, so you arrive on site plum in the water first, set-up etc and say after 30 mins from the time you arrive you are ready to go not full but you can get started, if using chems to clean you are going to need dwell time, so why they are dwelling, your tank is filling. Hope this makes sense.

Okay for a small job . But not if i am working all morning.

You have missed the point, large tanks can do "small" jobs you just have to adjust your working time to filling time, as in wait, also it depends on what your machine output is, but then as a pro you would take all this into consideration wouldn't you?

[Roger Oakley]

Roger you might get 11 ltrs at the tap but only 9 at the end of the hose - the pump pushes the water up the hose and sucks some through the tap, this is how an ro pump works which is used to boost mains pressure.
See also :- water recycling system 

Okay, get your point.

[chris scott]

So fire hydrants are the only way to feed big machines?
Just had a look on fleabay..i can get the same output as that from my little Honda and hot box.

Chris,
No not always, the machine and holding tank that Rob bought from me could just about handle domestic supplies, around 11-18 lts per min down here.
The tank Rob had/has is 1300 lts, so you arrive on site plum in the water first, set-up etc and say after 30 mins from the time you arrive you are ready to go not full but you can get started, if using chems to clean you are going to need dwell time, so why they are dwelling, your tank is filling. Hope this makes sense.

Okay for a small job . But not if i am working all morning.

You have missed the point, large tanks can do "small" jobs you just have to adjust your working time to filling time, as in wait, also it depends on what your machine output is, but then as a pro you would take all this into consideration wouldn't you?

Believe me this IS what i have been considering. I know a pro ..she works our street corner i'll ask her.

[Roger Oakley]

So fire hydrants are the only way to feed big machines?
Just had a look on fleabay..i can get the same output as that from my little Honda and hot box.

Chris,
No not always, the machine and holding tank that Rob bought from me could just about handle domestic supplies, around 11-18 lts per min down here.
The tank Rob had/has is 1300 lts, so you arrive on site plum in the water first, set-up etc and say after 30 mins from the time you arrive you are ready to go not full but you can get started, if using chems to clean you are going to need dwell time, so why they are dwelling, your tank is filling. Hope this makes sense.

Okay for a small job . But not if i am working all morning.

You have missed the point, large tanks can do "small" jobs you just have to adjust your working time to filling time, as in wait, also it depends on what your machine output is, but then as a pro you would take all this into consideration wouldn't you?

Believe me this IS what i have been considering. I know a pro ..she works our street corner i'll ask her.

You might as well, don't think you'll get a sensible answer here Chris

[chris scott]

Thats sorted that out then.
Who was testing the big brute ..what happened did it work?

[BDCS]

Chris, I thought you ran a 15 ltr m/c ? I now run a 21 ltr m/c and some taps don't keep up but by the time you've squeegy'd up, answered the phone, drunk tea and moaned about politics with the customer I usually manage with the supply. I carry 400 ltrs in the vanpack which I can use to top the wheely bin - when I finally build the trailer I will have over 1000 ltrs of water to top the house supply.
If you really want to run a big capacity pump then dump an ibc on site the previous day with a ball valve fitted - that would allow you to appear to be working all morning without stopping.
I enjoy a chat with customers - selling my other services and putting the world to rights.
Filling the jetter - now thats a pain as it uses 400 ltrs in 8 minutes full chat

[Kenny83]

empty 1000 litre ibc in the back of your van, fill up at hydrants on streets near customers supply...  simples.. takes about 5 mins to fill up using a fire hydrant hose... if your doing domestics you wont need 30lpm so you wont use all your water in half an hour, you could even hook up to their supply and use 15 lpm, then maybe 30 to rinse down.. if your doing big commercials then you will have a hydrant within reach... quite logical really 

[chris scott]

 I do run a 15 lpm machine . It's fine for the work i do. Slower but steady all day on domestic property's . A light weight diesel would be better then the machine,hot box and van could all run on vimto.
I am just taking the p on here really regarding the big flow machines. I have no interest in them at all..too much bother.
If i get large areas i will run two independent 15lpm machines.
A lot of the work i do requires less water and less pressure typically 1200psi @ 10 litre @ 130/140c  due to the delicate nature of the substrate . Especially at this time of the year when pumping stone full of water and then it freezing can cause devastation.