[dazmond]

after reading all the posts on 3 grand heaters and gas bottles systems,expense to run them etc.do you think its worth it?

ive been WFP for over 3 years now and happy with a cold system.ive very rarely had a day off during the cold winters as i find i can work with cold wfp down to -2 with minimal hassles.any lower and i wouldnt want to work anyway.

most of my work is maintenance regular window cleaning,the add ons i use virosol if really dirty.

yes ive spent £££££s on extreme poles and the latest aqua-daptors and i think its money well spent.next on my list is a bigger van with a 500L tank in a frame,van wrap etc.

ive not ruled out fitting a hot water system in my next van but im still wondering whether its worth the extra expense and occasional hassle with em.

also hose reels/hoses will all  have to be upgraded and new stiffer brushes etc.

i want to keep expenses to a minimum and maximize profit over the next few years so im just wondering whether hot water is just an unnecessary expense?

cheers guys


dazmond

[bobplum]

if you go for a L5 type ..yes because it will always come in handy and for £200.00 ? total cost

£3k.... i would want to be using it all the time if your not into it then stick to the DIY system

[PoleKing]

if you go for a L5 type ..yes because it will always come in handy and for £200.00 ? total cost

£3k.... i would want to be using it all the time if your not into it then stick to the DIY system

+1

Looking at changing to the Corwoods one myself

[home6442]

I feel the same as Dazmond I have no interest in cleaning below -2 so don't need
one for the winter months.
But would think about getting one if it cleaned better and quicker.

[windowswashed]

not worth it

[Small but perfectley formed]

Gas heater  use mine every day even when we had heat wave

[Smudger]

Hot water is a great asset from November to feb, working is so much easier with hot in these months. The main benefit is the hoses are great to work with soft and supple and then your not feeling as cold when handling them.

As for faster,better cleaning, yes but marginal.   Would I spend 3k on a diesel system no chance gas heater system not yet as there is still a grey area on safety with insurance proper venting etc..

I found that heating with 1 kw water heaters overnight was excellent they cost £7 each
And 8p per hr when in use

In the mornings water was between 25 and 30 degrees lasts all day and serves as anti frost protection for the van

Darran

[andyM]

Hot water is a great asset from November to feb, working is so much easier with hot in these months. The main benefit is the hoses are great to work with soft and supple and then your not feeling as cold when handling them.

As for faster,better cleaning, yes but marginal.   Would I spend 3k on a diesel system no chance gas heater system not yet as there is still a grey area on safety with insurance proper venting etc..

I found that heating with 1 kw water heaters overnight was excellent they cost £7 each
And 8p per hr when in use

In the mornings water was between 25 and 30 degrees lasts all day and serves as anti frost protection for the van

Darran

Could you put a link up for the 1kw water heaters you use please Darran.
And how many of these do you put into your water tank, I presume more than 1 would be needed?

[dazmond]

also i cant believe some window cleaners work with the van doors open as ventilation.surely your leaving yourself open to having stuff nicked out of your van?or even worse your van?

[Dave Willis]

Always work with mine open. I have so many Extreme poles I probably wouldn't notice if one or two went missing.

[dazmond]

Always work with mine open. I have so many Extreme poles I probably wouldn't notice if one or two went missing.

[ben M]

also i cant believe some window cleaners work with the van doors open as ventilation.surely your leaving yourself open to having stuff nicked out of your van?or even worse your van?

not here Daz,i live in a safe area, not in Manchester 

[Spruce]

Hot water is a great asset from November to feb, working is so much easier with hot in these months. The main benefit is the hoses are great to work with soft and supple and then your not feeling as cold when handling them.

As for faster,better cleaning, yes but marginal.   Would I spend 3k on a diesel system no chance gas heater system not yet as there is still a grey area on safety with insurance proper venting etc..

I found that heating with 1 kw water heaters overnight was excellent they cost £7 each
And 8p per hr when in use

In the mornings water was between 25 and 30 degrees lasts all day and serves as anti frost protection for the van

Darran

Good advice Darran.

What makes sense to me is the smaller heating element of 1kw. This is well within the safety margins of our wall sockets and extension leads. I'm very dubious of using a 3kw element that is used in a geyser off an extension cable and 13 amp plug.

My main consideration in having warm water through the winter are exactly the same as yours, supple hoses and warmer pole. Saying that, our latest minibore hose was much better in the cold last winter than the first batch we bought 7 years ago to replace our garden hose.

[Archer]

Damone,

It's a no brainier to be honest, it has so many benefits.

Especially for my business I wouldn't be without it

[Spruce]

I haven't worked with hot water so I haven't experienced those benefits. But working with hose that is like coils of wire in winter makes cleaning a little less pleasant.

We need an on demand heater to work with hot water, but for those who have taken the electric heating element route to warm water, I think a more safe way is a lower rated element. They also have the added benefit of using that water in the tank as a big heat source which should keep the van from freezing up on cold nights, probably better than me having a frost controlled heater.

Personally I would prefer the diesel heater route, but many small one man cleaners have done quite well with their gas heaters. How safe some of these installations are is another question, and as Archer is an employer, he has a duty of care with regard to his employees. In his case, more can go wrong with a gas setup IMHO.

[gary999]

if i was conservatory gutter and fascia cleaning all day
i would defo get a system but 90% of my work is maintenance
cleaning where you could dribble on the windows and they would
be clean.

as for winter i work a couple degrees below freezing with cold
anything really extreme i wouldnt work anyway hot water freezes
as quick as cold ,spending large amounts of money to keep
my hands warm personally for memakes no sense.

going down the cheap and relatively safe route of immersion heaters
does interest me  thoghfor occasional use

[Inspire Cleaning]

Hi,

We have the Purefreedom two man diesel heaters in our vans. You can run two operators at the same time and each man has their own basic temperature controller.

The system looks very professional and is a great selling point. Businesses like the fact that you have a decent set up, it means you are serious about your job. People want to look in the vans and see the kit.

Put it down as a business cost and put your prices up a little to cover it.

[Dave Willis]

I have hot water and the benefits in speed are a myth.

The reason is that 95% of my work involves maintenance cleans with next to nothing on the glass, even bird poo mostly comes off pretty quick with cold water.

So, those guys who say hot is faster must scrub less on every pane - which I don't believe anyone does. I do the same action whether I'm using hot or cold water.

The advantages for me lie with the supple hose and warm pole. Wait till you crack a pane as I did last year and you won't be so impressed.

[Archer]

Hot water IS better than cold without any doubt, depending on what you are cleaning,

Without tempting fate we have broken any glass whilst using it, but in cold weather you have to use common sense, we have it at a temperature that stops our hoses freeZing, but no matter how much you use it, it will still freeze on the glass.

We originally bought the hot water for a job we used to do

[richard jagger]

IF its 30 degrees you want then just us a 500watt or 1000watt fish tank heater in you tank if it does not reach 30 then add a second one which will get you up to 30 degrees.If its more I would go gas.