[the king]

i had a lucky escape van was froze up but gas heater is ok i for got to drain it  may get a  diesel  heater this year my local is verotech so it be the stream line 9 killa watt any one no how much fully fitted ?

[CleanClear]

that's why I use am immersion - full set up 1 hr fitting £50 total cost - but "yo da man" and happy to spend $K to get the same result 

Odd isn't it, the most cost effective way of heating water is to use gas? If it wasn't we'd all have electric boilers. The most cost effective way to heat an empty van space i can only imagine is not an immersion. WHats your running costs per week for the immersion system per van ?

[KS Cleaning]

It’s always been a comfort thing for me , and as you all know my water doesn’t get as hot as Grippa water until quite late in the day , the usual is about 30*c hitting the glass at current temps .
Before heat I was going home due to being a real bad cold feeler , but since using it I haven’t even needed gloves , my old setup saw me wearing sealskinz with latex or cotton liners under Showa’s !

I think even if I could warrant the spend on a Grippa I wouldn’t

Exactly this. I have a 3kw immersion and it only goes on in the winter months, purely to stop equipment freezing in the van and to keep my hands warm on the colder days.

[KS Cleaning]

that's why I use am immersion - full set up 1 hr fitting £50 total cost - but "yo da man" and happy to spend $K to get the same result 

Odd isn't it, the most cost effective way of heating water is to use gas? If it wasn't we'd all have electric boilers. The most cost effective way to heat an empty van space i can only imagine is not an immersion. WHats your running costs per week for the immersion system per van ?

Using a gas boiler in a WFP set up means you don’t heat the water up overnight, so it doesn’t offer frost protection. There is also the question of safety, you can’t put a price on that.

[Smudger]

I have 2 kw heaters in the tank and they run from 8 pm to 7 am @ 9p per kw/h (18p per hour) x 11 hours so quick maths is £1.98 ver van per night
Only use it if the outside temp is dropping below 3 degrees - it is a comfort thing - you can find many studies and reports that hot water cleans no better than cold - however it is more comfortable to use when it's below 5 degrees. 
I will add again I'm not against hot water it has some uses but doesn't make a big enough impact to pay 5k for it.

Darran

[NWH]

I think it does have a big enough impact for me anyway me personally I don’t think 5k is a great deal of money to flick a switch for hot water,if I couldn’t afford it I’d still want it that’s the difference in an honest opinion.
If I thought it was only good for facia and soffit cleans I’d own up and say pointless for windows,I have no interest in telling people with cold water that hot is better I know it is I have the option of being able to use both so I can give an honest answer,anyone thinking of going hot don’t listen to a never been hot cold water user.

[P @ F]

i had a lucky escape van was froze up but gas heater is ok i for got to drain it  may get a  diesel  heater this year my local is verotech so it be the stream line 9 killa watt any one no how much fully fitted ?

Lots of money from Varitech !
They are my on the doorstep people too !
I’m in Plymouth so if you do want a diesel feel free to come on down and have a look see at mine 

[Jonny 87]

I have 2 kw heaters in the tank and they run from 8 pm to 7 am @ 9p per kw/h (18p per hour) x 11 hours so quick maths is £1.98 ver van per night
Only use it if the outside temp is dropping below 3 degrees - it is a comfort thing - you can find many studies and reports that hot water cleans no better than cold - however it is more comfortable to use when it's below 5 degrees. 
I will add again I'm not against hot water it has some uses but doesn't make a big enough impact to pay 5k for it.

Darran

I’d say that’s one of the most heated debates on this forum (Pun intended) because no one seems to be able to prove either way. The only way to test it is to try both and base it on experience.

I’d be interested to see these studies you speak of. 

[Don Kee]

I have 2 kw heaters in the tank and they run from 8 pm to 7 am @ 9p per kw/h (18p per hour) x 11 hours so quick maths is £1.98 ver van per night
Only use it if the outside temp is dropping below 3 degrees - it is a comfort thing - you can find many studies and reports that hot water cleans no better than cold - however it is more comfortable to use when it's below 5 degrees. 
I will add again I'm not against hot water it has some uses but doesn't make a big enough impact to pay 5k for it.

Darran

I’d say that’s one of the most heated debates on this forum (Pun intended) because no one seems to be able to prove either way. The only way to test it is to try both and base it on experience.

I’d be interested to see these studies you speak of. 

If there’s no one can prove it either way then surely that means that any difference is negligible?

I have no doubt that it’s nicer on your hands and the fact that it stops your van from freezing is handy though.

[combat1]

Hi Darren, where do you get 9p a kWh from?
I’ m currently paying 16p so 2kw immersion costing me around £3.50 a night.
I reckon this is still cheaper than gas or diesel.
For me, at 70, it’s a perfect facility. I’m too old to invest 5k in a diesel heater.
With the immersion I get  no freezing, no windscreen to scrape, warm hoses and faster cleaning.
My tank is so well insulated that I lose very little temperature over the day.
Cleaning wise I find the main benefit is in rinsing. Hot water does clean better it’s obvious, think of washing up.
Overall I fully understand some guys staying on cold but for around £100, with no servicing costs it suits me and there’s no way I’d go back.
Happy New Year guys, all the best for 2021.

[Simon Trapani]

Yes it's gonna be nice and warm on your hands, supple hoses etc.

It will also cut through thick dirt, algae etc quicker. It's a fact hot water dissolves solubles quicker. Remember science experiments at school?

But for you average regular clean it's not gonna clean any quicker. Neither will it be any cleaner. Clean is clean.

At this time of year I would love hot systems in both our vans but I'm not prepared to pay the money. I'm not prepared to drill a hole in my tanks for an immersion either. We just put up with oiled filled rads in winter to prevent freezing.

[Richard Groves]

On average I lose maybe 3 days each year to freezing conditions ( south coast ). If each winter I was going to consistently not be able to work for weeks on end  without it I'd invest in it, no question. I don't doubt hot water cleans more efficiently but for me at least it would be an added expense for negligible financial gain.

[NWH]

The proof is when you go inside and look at your work from upstairs if you clean doors and frames as you go you would see the difference using hot,I’m not one for wasting time and money if it was the same as cold I’d hardly ever turn it on.

[NWH]

If you are someone that does coastal work after 1 demo you’d hand over you’re card to buy 1 lol,I’ve seen the difference using cold over hot on work I do about 30 meters from the sea it’s night and day in time and end result.
I like the way cold water still leaves loads of white runs on coastal work because cold water doesn’t lift the salt off of the rubber seals 🤣🤣

[KS Cleaning]

I had a 9kw webasto 2 man  650 litre system from purefreedom for 4 years, I currently have a 3kw immersion heater in a 500 litre tank, 9 months of the year I use cold water. 95% of my work is 4 weekly regular maintenance cleans, I use a backpack to do my work as I just couldn’t get on with hose reels. Whether I use very hot, hot, lukewarm or cold water I clean the same amount of houses per day in the same time. The main reasons for this is that for some strange reason hot water doesn’t push the brush up and down a window any faster than cold water does, it doesn’t make me walk any faster, it doesn’t make getting the equipment out of the van any quicker etc, etc. I don’t hang around long enough to time how long the windows take to dry and I don’t need to go inside a property to make sure I have cleaned the windows properly, I’m sure the customer would let me know if they weren’t.
 I clean my own windows and whether they are cleaned with hot or cold water the result is the same......clean windows.

[Richard Groves]

I'm doing a good enough job of coastal properties without the need for it. I've retained those customers for years without complaint, plenty of cleaners in my area too with and without hot. I get paid and get to keep more of it without hot water.

[CleanClear]

Think this is the cheapest and most efficient way to heat your van:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5000W-Air-diesel-Heater-LCD-Remote-2KW-5KW-12V-For-Lorry-MotorHomes-Car-Boat-SUV/163687483643

[Splash & dash]

If you are someone that does coastal work after 1 demo you’d hand over you’re card to buy 1 lol,I’ve seen the difference using cold over hot on work I do about 30 meters from the sea it’s night and day in time and end result.
I like the way cold water still leaves loads of white runs on coastal work because cold water doesn’t lift the salt off of the rubber seals 🤣🤣

Exactly this is why we have hot in all our vans makes a huge difference, but you will never convince  the majority on hear as they haven’t got or used hot water so cannot make a fair comparison , hot cuts a lot of our costal works time by nearly half especially after a storm and the windows are opaque with salt , but Ime not going to waist my time saying any more as certain experts on hear will just poo poo it and know better .

[KS Cleaning]

If you are someone that does coastal work after 1 demo you’d hand over you’re card to buy 1 lol,I’ve seen the difference using cold over hot on work I do about 30 meters from the sea it’s night and day in time and end result.
I like the way cold water still leaves loads of white runs on coastal work because cold water doesn’t lift the salt off of the rubber seals 🤣🤣

Exactly this is why we have hot in all our vans makes a huge difference, but you will never convince  the majority on hear as they haven’t got or used hot water so cannot make a fair comparison , hot cuts a lot of our costal works time by nearly half especially after a storm and the windows are opaque with salt , but Ime not going to waist my time saying any more as certain experts on hear will just poo poo it and know better .

I agree with that, I used to clean an area in my town that was right on the Firth of Forth, if strong  winds came off the sea in the wrong direction you couldn’t see out of the windows. Even using hot it would take twice as long to clean compared to a normal maintenance clean, with cold it would have took longer again.....I sold that work about 3 years back😁. I do however stand by that on regular maintenance cleans it makes no difference.

[Smudger]

Yes it's gonna be nice and warm on your hands, supple hoses etc.

It will also cut through thick dirt, algae etc quicker. It's a fact hot water dissolves solubles quicker. Remember science experiments at school?

But for you average regular clean it's not gonna clean any quicker. Neither will it be any cleaner. Clean is clean.

At this time of year I would love hot systems in both our vans but I'm not prepared to pay the money. I'm not prepared to drill a hole in my tanks for an immersion either. We just put up with oiled filled rads in winter to prevent freezing.

Not so, hot water has no effect of dirt at all - where hot will help is grease and other contamination that was warm at one time and gone cold - the hot will solidify the grease to help removal - dirt is dirt and does not change - algae is also formed in cold weather - and even Nigels attempts at hot are not enough to sterilise the surface therefore not really having an effect  if your using chemicals them warm will make these work better which in turn makes cleaning easier - but now a lot of chemicals are being designed for cold use.

I have a fixed rate over night for a commercial premises - no doubt that will be reviewed soon as ive had it for 5 years 

I find it interesting that all those with diesel heaters resist getting them serviced - ( more cost etc... ) in this day and age where every other industry is trying to go green - here we are promoting dirty and innefficient oil burning systems that and never maintained to their optimum performance....

Darran