[craig jwc]

I've been using my Shurflo Backpack for 7months now. I only got it to do the tops but found i got lazy within a few days and started using it on the whole house.
I use it everyday on tops & bottoms and like already mentioned each time you go back it gets easier and quicker and find you use less water.

I have just received my Freedom Trolley which has a bigger pump, plus it has a flow controller which means i can pump water higher.
I bought this as my round has got bigger and think it too much for the backpack to cope with on it's own.
Plus i am fitting my van out with a tank which you can run from this Freedom trolley but i will still have the option to wheel my water round with me if i want too.
I will still use my Backpack for the really hard to get areas.

Craig

[Jeff Brimble]

I have a backpack trolley and van mount but I keep going back to the back pack- its faster.

[lippy]

Do you waste too much time refilling the shurflo backpack if you use it all day? i imagine it would waste soo  much time.

[lippy]

where can you purchase a back pack,also could you tell me  everything i would need to get it working,and price .thanks

[windows_chepstow]

Lippy, I'll have a try...

Changing over from using ladders to a Water-Fed-Pole (WFP) is without doubt a daunting task.  What system should you get?  What van to buy?  Do I need a van?  What reverse-osmosis unit should I purchase?  What's reverse-osmosis!!!!!? 

If you've a mainly residential round and plan to do 'tops only' with a WFP then the Shurflo back pack is a good place to start.

The whole set-up has to be purchased individually and should cost you around the £500 mark.

You can buy the Shurflo back pack from here:

http://www.williamsonpumps.co.uk/

Mine cost £215 including VAT and postage.

You can also buy them from E-Bay USA for around £160.

You'll also likely need a Reverse Osmosis (RO) unit and you will need a DI unit.

You can buy these from RO Man, (the unit in the link bellow would probably suffice), depending on how much water you plan to use.  Doing 'tops only' I use around 100 to 150 litres per day (it's four litres to a gallon by the way.

http://www.ro-man.com/shop/product_info.php/cPath/22/products_id/30

You'll also need a pole.  I suggest an 18" one if you're mainly doing 1st floor windows.  You can get these from numerous places, but this site generally gets a good rating and has an excellent 'frequently asked questions' area which explains just about everything you need to know to start using a WFP.

http://www.gardinerpolesystems.co.uk/

You'll also need a static tank, I use two 200 litre water butts, at least six 25 litre water barrels and a hand-held TDS meter (£13 approx).

Also, don't forget to ask lots of questions here.  I'm definitely not a WFP expert by any means.

[lippy]

thanks for the information tosh,im sure i will be back with more questions at a later date.cheers

[Richy L]

hey lippy, i might have found a way to get the whole system for £400, ill let you know if that price is right on tues, because ill know for sure then

richy

[Ian Rochester]

Just resurrecting this thread, I've just been watching a local lad with one of these Shurflo backpacks, he's just changed from ladders to WFP and I must say I was quite impressed at the set up and thought it could be a good back up to put in a spare van with a couple of filled barrels.

Where is the best place to get one from.
 

[Captain Scarlet]

the window cleaning warehouse, they have loads in stock and they are the cheapest, Luke

[Jack Avery]

Got mine from the USA. Took six days and cost £120. Tracked and insured delivery.

[Ian Rochester]

Cheers,

I've ended up ordering one from Cleantech, they did me a good deal with 4 water barrels and a few other bits and pieces, getting posted out today so I should have it by Monday.

I really just want it for a couple of jobs a week that one of our vans does, I did contemplate getting them a full van system fitted like the other van but for the amount that they will use it, it's not worth it at the moment.  Hopefully this will be a good short term stop gap.

I liked that fact that it is all self contained, we'll probably work it as a two man team, one doing tops with the shurflo and the other doing bottoms trad.  Be interesting to see how it goes.

[quantum cleaning]

we use a pump and varistream controller on a sack truck with a demountable  30 ltr barrel on 1 of our vans and we can do any jobs any more info get in touch

rachel@quantumcleaning.co.uk

[Richy L]

i bought one in the end.
I use it most days now. I do all the fronts with the backpack, and the guy who works for me does all the backs trad with a ladder.
Well worth the money! and its handy getting above some con roofs, and actually cleaning the con roofs.