[Blackadder]

Hi All. Long time since I’ve been on here! Just wanted to know (for those that have one) the pros and cons of having a hot water system fitted? Thanks in advance

[Arnold Palmer]

Pros- the water is hot.

Cons - ummm....

[Spruce]

Some on here will say that having a hot water heater is the pinnacle of window cleaning.

We mainly use our diesel heater in winter.

With our Heat Wave diesel heater, each of us gets around 50 degrees of heat leaving the boiler. By the time it gets to the brush head with the hose lying on cold/frozen ground, the temperature of water leaving the jets isn't much more than lukewarm.
A single operator will be able to increase that heat output a little more.

It's lovely to work with hoses that are supple, so that's a plus. If you don't wear gloves, then you can feel a little warmth holding your pole if working for an extended period of time.

With a soft hose, the pressure of water swells the hose a little. This stops that lag which we sometimes experience as the controller pauses for its 3 or 4 seconds before it pulses the pressure in the hose to identify if we have switched the tap/Univalve on to start cleaning again. I get frustrated with that lag on occasion.

Even with lots of pollen and bird poo on the windows, I haven't really noticed a marked difference in cleaning ability between hot and cold water. But that's my opinion.

If you want to work in freezing weather, then I'm sure a diesel heater will aid you doing this. I don't work when it's freezing, as I worry about slipping and breaking bones at my age.

We don't do much mileage a month as most of our customers are local. The heater uses more diesel a month running than the van uses.

I purchased this unit as a spares or repair sale. Would I buy a new heater? No, as I don't feel the cost justifies the benefits. To me, it's a luxury which isn't totally necessary. But again, that's my personal opinion. Many others will disagree.

[Blackadder]

Thanks Spruce, this was exactly the kind of in depth helpful reply I was looking for 👍🏻

[The Jester of Wibbly]

Yea Spruce has said it all.

100% agree with his comments.

I too only use it in winter to help keep me going when temperature drops.  But if outside temp goes down below -4 it will still freeze up on the glass or freeze in the hose if you stop the flow.  It's my brush head jets that freeze up first 😂.

I also find it comes in really handy for frost prevention during the night which takes my stresses away.

As for cleaning, it makes absolutely no difference other than speeding up the stubborn bird muck removal.   Also helps with cleaning gutter and soffits. 

But that's about it.  So each to their own if you think it's worth it or not.

[Blackadder]

Thanks Jester. It’s going to cost just over £3k to fit but figured if I don’t spend some money on the business this year, the tax man will take more anyway!

[Spruce]

Thanks Jester. It’s going to cost just over £3k to fit but figured if I don’t spend some money on the business this year, the tax man will take more anyway!

I don't know where you are getting a heater from for £3k.  Xline have a 2-man system with a 9.9kw heater for £4k - that's before VAT and fitting I expect. Definitely stay away from the 5.9kw heater as it just doesn't produce enough heat imho.

I'm also not sure what boiler they are using. Webasto still have 5.0kw and 9.1kw boilers, not the spec that Xline are advertising.

[Tam1872]

Really don't see why anyone would spend thousands on this when you can install an imersion heater for £50 that pretty much gives you the same end product.

[Scottish Cleaning Service]

I started window cleaning 6 years ago and came across the other window cleaning forum. I began to study the folk on the site who were saying they were doing well. I began to notice a few things they all had in common. They all had a 2 man system, 650l tank or bigger, electric reels, Extreme poles with 350mm brushes, hotwater diesel system and big MWB van. So I decided to save up, head down to Cambridge and get Grippa to fit the system. I wasn't sure if I would copy them but I was dam sure that I would have all the same gear to make me the most efficient window cleaner I could be. 6 years later, I'm very glad I copied them because its a licence to print money. Morning shift finished and I'm going back out across the road for 4 cleans to trouser £50 for those 4 cleans. What other business bar a bank robber can you make money like that. 😉

[the king]

I run the stream line 9.1kw heater single operator it’s grate hoses easer to manage everything cleans quicker rubbers that play up are a lot less temperamental cobwebs come off quickly bee pollen comes off water doesn’t freeze so you can keep working in winter. I ran gas set up for years then payed out 6k for the stream line heater best thing I’ve ever brought  if I could change anything it would be a full temperature adjustment control rather then the summer and winter setting 😀

[Jonny 87]

I’ve got the grippatank heater and I’d never go back. I use it all year round.

I definitely clean more properties each day too. It’s the benefit of having supple hoses, birds muck and snail trails come off much easier, it just makes the whole day that much more enjoyable and easier. Well worth it for me.

I also go through about 1000 litres a day with a fill up at lunch, so immersion isn’t an option.

A good Immersion is a pretty close second.

[Scottish Cleaning Service]

I'm a firm believer that in any business we want to make it the most efficient we can make it. Hot water will definitely make our day easier, quicker and a joy to work with. I believe we should all try and save up and go down this route because you will wish you had done it years ago. That's my opinion due to the experience I have with it. fwiw

[Spruce]

Really don't see why anyone would spend thousands on this when you can install an imersion heater for £50 that pretty much gives you the same end product.

The thing is that we are heating our water needs on demand. We are also just heating the water we use when we use it.

One of the drawbacks of an immersion heater element is that you have to heat the water in advance. If the weather forecast is wrong and you can't work because you become ill, you have a heated tank of water that goes to waste.

When was the last time we saw those night storage heaters advertised that took advantage of a cheap electric current in the middle of the night?
My son's father in law had them in his house at one time. He never had a good word to say about them.

The cost of installing an electric heating element is negligible when comparing it to the cost of a diesel heater. However fitting the correct 16 amp socket by a qualified electrician to your house consumer unit is also a cost to be considered.

But again, this is just my opinion.

[AuRavelling79]

Really don't see why anyone would spend thousands on this when you can install an imersion heater for £50 that pretty much gives you the same end product.

The thing is that we are heating our water needs on demand. We are also just heating the water we use when we use it.

One of the drawbacks of an immersion heater element is that you have to heat the water in advance. If the weather forecast is wrong and you can't work because you become ill, you have a heated tank of water that goes to waste.

When was the last time we saw those night storage heaters advertised that took advantage of a cheap electric current in the middle of the night?
My son's father in law had them in his house at one time. He never had a good word to say about them.

The cost of installing an electric heating element is negligible when comparing it to the cost of a diesel heater. However fitting the correct 16 amp socket by a qualified electrician to your house consumer unit is also a cost to be considered.

But again, this is just my opinion.

I dropped my element to 2kw instead of 3kw so as to only draw 8+ amps instead near 13. So I just use an extension lead.

Supple hoses are worth every penny.

[The Jester of Wibbly]

Really don't see why anyone would spend thousands on this when you can install an imersion heater for £50 that pretty much gives you the same end product.

The thing is that we are heating our water needs on demand. We are also just heating the water we use when we use it.

One of the drawbacks of an immersion heater element is that you have to heat the water in advance. If the weather forecast is wrong and you can't work because you become ill, you have a heated tank of water that goes to waste.

When was the last time we saw those night storage heaters advertised that took advantage of a cheap electric current in the middle of the night?
My son's father in law had them in his house at one time. He never had a good word to say about them.

The cost of installing an electric heating element is negligible when comparing it to the cost of a diesel heater. However fitting the correct 16 amp socket by a qualified electrician to your house consumer unit is also a cost to be considered.

But again, this is just my opinion.

An immersion set up is not compatible with a Grippa tank anyhow with it's beveled system. 

However as I have plug in hybrid car, I qualify for the Octopus night discount.  So electricity is a fraction of the normal cost between 11.30 and 5.30 making the immersion route viable.  Food for thought.

[Scottish Cleaning Service]

Really don't see why anyone would spend thousands on this when you can install an imersion heater for £50 that pretty much gives you the same end product.

The thing is that we are heating our water needs on demand. We are also just heating the water we use when we use it.

One of the drawbacks of an immersion heater element is that you have to heat the water in advance. If the weather forecast is wrong and you can't work because you become ill, you have a heated tank of water that goes to waste.

When was the last time we saw those night storage heaters advertised that took advantage of a cheap electric current in the middle of the night?
My son's father in law had them in his house at one time. He never had a good word to say about them.

The cost of installing an electric heating element is negligible when comparing it to the cost of a diesel heater. However fitting the correct 16 amp socket by a qualified electrician to your house consumer unit is also a cost to be considered.

But again, this is just my opinion.

An immersion set up is not compatible with a Grippa tank anyhow with it's beveled system. 

However as I have plug in hybrid car, I qualify for the Octopus night discount.  So electricity is a fraction of the normal cost between 11.30 and 5.30 making the immersion route viable.  Food for thought.

The problem with cheap times is they don't seem to last a long time. Most folk now know about the cheap 6hrs electricity time. I have solar panels and my next step would be batteries. In the winter I would charge the batteries at the cheap time and use it during the day in the winter. The power companies will soon catch on and they will slowly increase the cheap rate. History has told me this when they realise all the EVs are getting charged between 11.30pm and 5.30am because they even have an app to only charge at the the cheap rate time.

[Tam1872]

Really don't see why anyone would spend thousands on this when you can install an imersion heater for £50 that pretty much gives you the same end product.

The thing is that we are heating our water needs on demand. We are also just heating the water we use when we use it.

One of the drawbacks of an immersion heater element is that you have to heat the water in advance. If the weather forecast is wrong and you can't work because you become ill, you have a heated tank of water that goes to waste.

When was the last time we saw those night storage heaters advertised that took advantage of a cheap electric current in the middle of the night?
My son's father in law had them in his house at one time. He never had a good word to say about them.

The cost of installing an electric heating element is negligible when comparing it to the cost of a diesel heater. However fitting the correct 16 amp socket by a qualified electrician to your house consumer unit is also a cost to be considered.

But again, this is just my opinion.

If you run a 2 kilo watt immersion heater it can be used in a normal socket

[High-Tower]

An immersion set up is not compatible with a Grippa tank anyhow with it's beveled system. 

I have an immersion fitted to a 650l grippa, I used a holesaw to cut a clearance hole in the internal baffle.

[The Jester of Wibbly]

An immersion set up is not compatible with a Grippa tank anyhow with it's beveled system. 

I have an immersion fitted to a 650l grippa, I used a holesaw to cut a clearance hole in the internal baffle.

Oooh, that sounds interesting.   I was advised by Grippa not to drill through the tanks system.  Pictures would be really interesting to see mate.

[dazmond]

I've had my grippatank 9kw diesel heater for nearly 7 years now....I'd really hate to go back to cold water esp during the cold,wet winter months. Remember the autumn/winter lasts at least half a year....

It defo helps in the summer too with bee spots and bird muck as the water is a lot hotter...

I use mine every day and only turn it off at lunchtime on the warmest of days in summer if I can't hold the hose because it's that hot!👍🙂