[Smudger]

Yes watts,

The old omnivac is now 10 years old and going strong

Have a gutter sucker and as posted £180 jobby - the omni has slightly more pull and longevity but if the cheapy blows up after say 50 clears it would have aren’t 30x its purchase price

Darran

[lee_dewing]

Have a gutter sucker and as posted £180 jobby - the omni has slightly more pull and longevity but if the cheapy blows up after say 50 clears it would have aren’t 30x its purchase price

Darran did you buy gutter sucker
Second hand ?

I’ve looked on internet I can’t find gutter sucker 3kw less than £450

Thanks lee

[lee_dewing]

This is why I recommend you deal with a company that has an industry track record. Don't get taken in by sales spiels at the window cleaning show or anywhere else unless they are well known and respected by us in the industry already.

Thanks for tips Spruce

Sorry to hear about space vac 🙇🏻‍♂️ Saga
That’s not funny !

I think space vacs are now 3000 watt🤔

Thanks lee

[Spruce]

This is why I recommend you deal with a company that has an industry track record. Don't get taken in by sales spiels at the window cleaning show or anywhere else unless they are well known and respected by us in the industry already.

Thanks for tips Spruce

Sorry to hear about space vac 🙇🏻‍♂️ Saga
That’s not funny !

I think space vacs are now 3000 watt🤔

Thanks lee

Yes, I see that. At 3000 watts, those motors are drawing everything a 13amp socket plugged into a customers house will give. I worried about that.

I still regret buying a SWB van. We really needed either a MWB or a LWB. I honestly believe you need to carry your gutter vac stuff around with you and you need to have a generator as well to be fully self sufficient when needed. Yes use the customer electricity when you can, but have your own backup in case.

It just seems that nearly every gutter clearing job we get is a spur of the moment request by a customer. Every one just seems to be a long winded drama.

We have a couple of yearly jobs. Plug the extension cable into the outside wall socket and the job is quick. But the ones where we have to arrange the job when the customer is in just aren't worth it. We had a prearranged job the other day and the customer was out when she agreed she would be in the previous evening.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot. Can we do it early in the new year?"

[lee_dewing]

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot. Can we do it early in the new year?"

Yes we can, new price is
(original price +£50 cancellations fee for last times not in🤔 optional)

This is payable up front into my bank account via internet transfer

Once an appointment is made funds are non refundable unless 48 hrs notice is given.

(Maybe something in writing to be signed here Spruce).

Maybe something like this could be put into practice for non clients
i.e
Non window cleaning customers

Or messers as like to call them
I can think of another very good one syllable word too 🤭

[Spruce]

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot. Can we do it early in the new year?"

Yes we can, new price is
(original price +£50 cancellations fee for last times not in🤔 optional)

This is payable up front into my bank account via internet transfer

Once an appointment is made funds are non refundable unless 48 hrs notice is given.

(Maybe something in writing to be signed here Spruce).

Maybe something like this could be put into practice for non clients
i.e
Non window cleaning customers

Or messers as like to call them
I can think of another very good one syllable word too 🤭

I'm pretty easy going with my customers.  This particular lady is retired and does volunteer work. She is lovely and always tips us, but she's with the fairies some of the time. That's the way she is.
We live in a small village and we always bump into our customers, whether its out walking the dog, at the petrol station or in the super market. So we are never aggressive in our business stance with people.  A large portion of the village know me even although I have never met most of them. And they talk and gossip.  Its our reputation at stake. It quite scary the number of customers who have approached me in the street I've never met before, calling me by name and asking for a window cleaning quote. My van isn't lettered either and never has been.

There is another cleaner in our area who is rather short with his customer's to the point of being brash. People know him as well and he isn't spoken of very favourably. He also has a high customer turn over. We don't.

This is why I try to be self sufficient. Window cleaning is one  of those jobs you can do without anyone being at home. Gutter clearing isn't unless you can do it off ladders or have a gen set. For a 3000 watt vacuum cleaner you need a big gen set.

Personally, I getting too old to get involved with gutter clearing and conservatory roof cleans. Numerous windies in our area refuse to do those jobs for their customers. I'm asking why I should fill the gap.

I'm sure in some places you need to do as you suggest. Payment up front etc. but 99% of our customers are great. They are because they put up with me. 

[lee_dewing]

I hear what your saying Spruce👍

I operate the same.
I talk a good fight 🥊😯

Sometimes you have to take it on the
Chin!

But with gutter clearing;  non window customers maybe a slightly
Inflated price🤔

Like A.P.R on credit cards
90% of the decent customers, pay for
The 10% that are messers.
 
Did think about a lot of rule making in the beginning of my business 14 yrs ago

But at the end of the day the only way I found to treat a messer is a suspension in service and standing order setup

 (which I’m considering changing to go cardless only for this type of Window cleaning customer.
Last stop before the 🗑 bin)

paper work or reciteing lots of do and don’ts in front of a potential new
Customer could be off putting
Seeing it from the customers point of view

Like you say 99% people are ok

Waiting for rain to stop 🤦‍♂️

Ps. Understand your thoughts about
Why should I clean your gutters, Connie roof because your window cleaner won’t

Get a new window cleaner Me 🤣

[Smudger]

Lee/Spruce - my observations are as follows - you are unsure/don't like gutter vac'ing maybe this comes across to the customer in the same way they suss out a newbie window cleaner

Vac'ing is a great add on, but you do need to have the right kit and I don't mean the expensive stuff - over the years ive seen the threads and been told the 'you can't do this or that - honestly you can, but not with a silicone bend nor with. 38mm pipes  also ( and I haven't checked ) did you not post from gutter cleaning solutions that  they leave the filter bag in ?? ( madness! )

I did get the gutter second hand a couple of years back but the latest vac is £180 off eBay - guess what - its got all the same innards as a gutter sucker ( AMETEK motors )

Darran

[[GQC] Tim]

Hi Darran,

You mention an Ali 135 degree gooseneck. Could you elaborate a bit more on this?

There are a few on eBay with swaged ends. How do you make the connection between the CF modular pole and the gutter attachment? 51mm/2" couplers with wormdrive/mikalor clamps or other?

I assume you don't like the silicone gooseneck as there's too much flex in them? It does seem easy just sticking the pole and attachments in.

Thanks in advance.

[Smudger]

one of these - grippa do them or streamline/sky vac. - bond it into one section of your carbon poles - you can now push slipped tiles into place drag/push and loosen up turfs etc...

Darran

[Spruce]

Hi Darran,

You mention an Ali 135 degree gooseneck. Could you elaborate a bit more on this?

There are a few on eBay with swaged ends. How do you make the connection between the CF modular pole and the gutter attachment? 51mm/2" couplers with wormdrive/mikalor clamps or other?

I assume you don't like the silicone gooseneck as there's too much flex in them? It does seem easy just sticking the pole and attachments in.

Thanks in advance.

Hi Tim,
Nice to see you on.

[Spruce]

one of these - grippa do them or streamline/sky vac. - bond it into one section of your carbon poles - you can now push slipped tiles into place drag/push and loosen up turfs etc...

Darran

I've been seriously think along these lines as I believe it would make things a little easier. I can manage with the 135 degree silicon bend just, but the 180 degree bend is a struggle.

Yes, you are right. When I was younger gutter cleaning was an add on job I needed. Nowadays its become a chore.

[[GQC] Tim]

Hi Spruce, long time no see.

Darran, do you still use a push on attachment at the end of the gooseneck or do you personally just use it like that?

It looks like the Grippatank is a bit cheaper but looks like the end isn't slimmer to accept alloy tools to slide over.

It's a bit confusing without actually seeing it in your hands. The Grippatank website does have some very low resolution pictures.  Probably on purpose.   

[Smudger]

We don’t really use tools on the end any more - for tight gutter gaps we have a short piece of silicone pipe approx 6 inches long  - this squashes into a narrow gaps we use a 90 degree piece for some reach over gutters other than that it’s he Ali swan neck - however I do swage the end down by about 5mm  to allow easy insertion into the down pipes

Spruce - never used a 180 bend ( all the wrong angles to clear )

Darran