[Ian101]

Yesterday was big house day for me with in particular 3 large houses all with BIG connies on the same cul de sac ... been doing these 3 jobs for over 2 years so I know they take slightly over 3 hours to do them ..

 ive been thinking of ways to improve recently and spoke to bob plumb who says he works of a 60 flow and no rinse and been this way for 6 months with no complaints.

so wacked my controllers up to 65 but still rinsed .... got 180 minutes down to 130 minutes !! 

Question is would I have used more water or the same as 50 minutes less time to do them ? ... if I was a pro I would have checked my water first   

Anyone ever upped their flow rate and kept a comparison check for any length of time.

If water usage about the same or even slightly more gonna make a big difference to days takings 

[Tony dunmall]

Yep tried this over last year don't work less than 65 on the 100 psi last 6 months with 150 psi set at 45

Allways on glass with fan jets if I use smaller pencil jets from gardiner I turn flow down

I have noticed use about 100/150 less In a day also less body strain from over scrubbing and turnover has gone up by about 60-80 a day allways finsh few hours earlier

[ChumBucket]

I don't think you can compare a flow rate via numbers on a controller. Everything within each individual system will have an effect on the flow by the time it reaches the glass. So 45 on one guys controller might produce the same final flow rate as 65 on someone elses. As I stated in another thread- "optimum" flow is what you need to achieve. Above this you are just wasting water, below this you are costing yourself time.

[gary999]

on  regular maintenance cleans whether you use a high or lower flow rate
should make no difference in the time you clean a window..its
all about you being confident in the job you are doing.

[Jonny 87]

All this year I have been using about 75 on my flow controller, (which equals 2 litres per minute) and I've found I'm getting great results, but more importantly earning more because I'm a lot quicker.

[ChumBucket]

on  regular maintenance cleans whether you use a high or lower flow rate
should make no difference in the time you clean a window..its
all about you being confident in the job you are doing.

To a certain point maybe. However, it would depend on the windows (could be a huge conservatory for instance) & whether the operator might normally have a "trickle" for a flow rate- I've seen it before!!

[gary999]

on  regular maintenance cleans whether you use a high or lower flow rate
should make no difference in the time you clean a window..its
all about you being confident in the job you are doing.

To a certain point maybe. However, it would depend on the windows (could be a huge conservatory for instance) & whether the operator might normally have a "trickle" for a flow rate- I've seen it before!!

obviously im generalising..my point really is i have seen plenty of chaps
with the water bouncing off windows..it only takes a finite amount of
water to clean a window the amount of flow you use should depend on
the crcumstance of the job in hand.

the idea is to make a much as you can per litre of water you use

when i used di or ro water i was just as quick on a regular maintenance
house using 1ltr per minute as the guy bouncing water off the windows
i obviously had more confidence in my ability to do the job.

Far as im concerned we are now in the ideal time of year for cleaning
less birds in gardens poopting everywhere the fly population has died
down the leaves have dropped less cobwebs plenty of rain keeping
the sills cleaner..in general i have my flow a little lower this time of
year doesnt mean i wont use a higher flow if the circumstance calls
for it though.

[DG Cleaning]

I don't have a controller and I believe I clean similar to bobplum.
I never fill my 400L tank more than about 350.
It'll comfortably see me through 25 properties with over 50 litres left.
Since i stopped rinsing so much ive noticed ive got quicker and use less water.
I also used a lot less when I bought an slx.
For me water production isn't a big cost and I quite like the high flow.
I'm quite happy to get a full day in on a bit less than 300L

[SeanK]

Totally agree with Gary, like most when starting out I used to go through at least 600 litres or more of water daily.
The reason was lack of confidence so too mush rinsing and too high a flow, long story short I cut my rinsing
in half and flow in half.
I just cant understand why some think you need the water to be bouncing of the glass to get speed.
Would also like to make it clear when people talk about a low flow they aren't talking about a trickle.

[Jonny 87]

How many litres per minute do you use Sean?

[SeanK]

How many litres per minute do you use Sean?

Not sure Jonny but would be getting around the same stats as DG about 25 properties to 350 litres.
I used to run my controller at the 55 mark I now run it at 28.
Will get a empty 2 litre bottle and see how long it takes to fill it.

[Jonny 87]

How many litres per minute do you use Sean?

Not sure Jonny but would be getting around the same stats as DG about 25 properties to 350 litres.
I used to run my controller at the 55 mark I now run it at 28.
Will get a empty 2 litre bottle and see how long it takes to fill it.

I'm just curious as we might actually be on very similar.

[DG Cleaning]

How many litres per minute do you use Sean?

Not sure Jonny but would be getting around the same stats as DG about 25 properties to 350 litres.
I used to run my controller at the 55 mark I now run it at 28.
Will get a empty 2 litre bottle and see how long it takes to fill it.

That's odd, if we are using the same amount of water for the same amount of work, you with controller set at 28 and me without one then either my pump is on its way out (which I doubt judging by the flow) or I must be cleaning them much quicker, which I also doubt.

[SeanK]

How many litres per minute do you use Sean?

Not sure Jonny but would be getting around the same stats as DG about 25 properties to 350 litres.
I used to run my controller at the 55 mark I now run it at 28.
Will get a empty 2 litre bottle and see how long it takes to fill it.

That's odd, if we are using the same amount of water for the same amount of work, you with controller set at 28 and me without one then either my pump is on its way out (which I doubt judging by the flow) or I must be cleaning them much quicker, which I also doubt.

I was sort of thinking the same thing, I'm not joking but if I ran my pump flat out there's no way I could get 25 properties
on 350 litres of water as I would be pumping about 6 litres a minute and I would spend about 8 mins on the glass per
property.
That would work out at 48 litres per property, even at 5 mins per property your talking 30 litres which works out 750 litres.

[Jonny 87]

How many litres per minute do you use Sean?

Not sure Jonny but would be getting around the same stats as DG about 25 properties to 350 litres.
I used to run my controller at the 55 mark I now run it at 28.
Will get a empty 2 litre bottle and see how long it takes to fill it.

That's odd, if we are using the same amount of water for the same amount of work, you with controller set at 28 and me without one then either my pump is on its way out (which I doubt judging by the flow) or I must be cleaning them much quicker, which I also doubt.

I was sort of thinking the same thing, I'm not joking but if I ran my pump flat out there's no way I could get 25 properties
on 350 litres of water as I would be pumping about 6 litres a minute and I would spend about 8 mins on the glass per
property.
That would work out at 48 litres per property, even at 5 mins per property your talking 30 litres which works out 750 litres.

I don't think many pumps will give you actually that high flow at the brush head.

A 5 lpm pump like my 100psi shureflow will only give you about 3 Lpm at the brush head, when you run it through hoses and pole jets it restricts the flow. 5 Lpm would be if you just took the outlet off the pump and ran it like that.

[SeanK]

Jonny I just timed it and I'm running at about one and three quarter litres per minute, I put my flow
controller up to 99 that's the highest it will go and was pumping about four and a half litres a minute.
That was through every thing and I'm assuming that both brush jets release the same amount of water but there
shouldn't be too much difference. I only measured the water from one jet and halved the time
couldn't be bothered timing both jets.
But my god you want to hear the noise from the pump at the 99 setting there's no way I would want to run without a
flow controller.
Its a five year old pump but its the higher flow model.

[Ian Sheppard]

I don't think you can compare a flow rate via numbers on a controller. Everything within each individual system will have an effect on the flow by the time it reaches the glass. So 45 on one guys controller might produce the same final flow rate as 65 on someone elses. As I stated in another thread- "optimum" flow is what you need to achieve. Above this you are just wasting water, below this you are costing yourself time.

Would agree with this. There are a number of factors which will impact on how much water actually reaches the glass. The right flow for the job in hand is the aim. http://www.springltd.co/node/137

[Jonny 87]

Jonny I just timed it and I'm running at about one and three quarter litres per minute, I put my flow
controller up to 99 that's the highest it will go and was pumping about four and a half litres a minute.
That was through every thing and I'm assuming that both brush jets release the same amount of water but there
shouldn't be too much difference. I only measured the water from one jet and halved the time
couldn't be bothered timing both jets.
But my god you want to hear the noise from the pump at the 99 setting there's no way I would want to run without a
flow controller.
Its a five year old pump but its the higher flow model.

We're not too far off each other then Sean. I use just over 2 litres per minute, and   That's my pump running on between 70-80. I've not actually checked what I get in full flow though.

[Perfect Windows]

the idea is to make a much as you can per litre of water you use

I've heard this said before but I disagree, as water isn't a limiting factor in what you can earn.  The limiting factor for a one man band is the number of hours you work, so what you need to maximise is profit per hour and, by implication, per day.  10p/25p/50p/£1 per litre means nothing to me.  £X per day does.

Vin

[gary999]

the idea is to make a much as you can per litre of water you use

I've heard this said before but I disagree, as water isn't a limiting factor in what you can earn.  The limiting factor for a one man band is the number of hours you work, so what you need to maximise is profit per hour and, by implication, per day.  10p/25p/50p/£1 per litre means nothing to me.  £X per day does.

Vin

So the more hours you can get out of the water you are carrying then
generally the more you will earn per day...like i said maximising the potential
of the resource