[Dave JP]

Hi Guys,

I am just going Water-Fed, so please bear with me !

I wondered if it's possible to use the Customers water source, i.e. an outside tap and connect it to my hoses and wfp, with a DI Resin bottle situated between the tap and the pole (I live in a soft water area).

Letting the water pressure feed the WFP and getting pure water via the DI unit.

Is it possible, does anyone use this method, or am I being a bit thick ?

Cheers,

Dave.

[gmcs]

It can be done like that but ask customer first if they are on a water meter they may not be to happy

[East coast window cleaning Services]

To be honest aint very professional and if its a house biult recently the chances are there on a meter. i only ever use the customers supply when doing conservatory roofs. then finsh them of with me own water.

[ian m]

Hi Dave

I use this method on most of my work. I have been doing this since I went wfp 2 1/2 years ago.

None of my customers are on a water meter (Yet)

If and when they do have their water metered, I'll have to pay them back an average of £1 a year for the water I use.

None of my customers has complained to me about using their water taps .

When anyone new telephones enquiring about window cleaning I always ask then if they have an outside tap.

I did need to buy a couple of adapters as not all outside taps accept the same fittings

I found that using this method was a cheap way to get into wfp



Thanx

Ian

[macmac]

It's very possible, i used to do this & i know of a w/c that uses this method currently with his bigger houses.
I'm in the borders & there are no water meters here, i dont think scotland has water meters as water rates are in with your council tax. my neighbour wanted a water meter fitting & the water supplier wouldn't do it!

I do however know that this method is only worth while on bigger jobs time wise. if you were to hump the DI & fittings in & out all the time for even small houses you'd be quicker with ladders.

tony

[Dave JP]

Should be ok, as no one around here (NE Scotland) has water meters.

Do you think it looks professional though if I start using their outside tap ?

I was concerned some customers may think - 'I can do that with my own hosepipe', and as you know it's not that easy trying to explain how WFP works to customers.  I'm normally met with a blank gormless expression..... 

Thanks for the advice so far....

Dave.

[Paul Coleman]

Hi Guys,

I am just going Water-Fed, so please bear with me !

I wondered if it's possible to use the Customers water source, i.e. an outside tap and connect it to my hoses and wfp, with a DI Resin bottle situated between the tap and the pole (I live in a soft water area).

Letting the water pressure feed the WFP and getting pure water via the DI unit.

Is it possible, does anyone use this method, or am I being a bit thick ?

Cheers,

Dave.

Of course a lot of people won't have outside taps though.  Of those that do, they often throttle the supply to it in Winter to prevent freeze-ups.

[macmac]

Should be ok, as no one around here (NE Scotland) has water meters.

Do you think it looks professional though if I start using their outside tap ?

I was concerned some customers may think - 'I can do that with my own hosepipe', and as you know it's not that easy trying to explain how WFP works to customers.  I'm normally met with a blank gormless expression..... 

Thanks for the advice so far....

Dave.

Don't get me wrong, this situation is not ideal & you would certainly still need to carry all your trad gear, but for very little money & not much gear to carry around it can be an excellent addition for the right jobs. as shiner points out, a lot of people do turn off the supply to their outside taps in winter.
You would have to decide which jobs & which customers would be best to use this system with.

tony

[Count Phil]

Scotland doesn't have meters cos there's so much water and low population.
England, less water, 9x more people = water metres on all new homes and one fitted if you move to any property. As people move around there will be more water meters.

[Jon-scwindows]

you could have a small trolley with a merlin Ro on it and di vessel, all bolted on it, and a small hose reel on the front and some spare connectors. then connect to there power supply.

good idea but not suitable for most people.

[Dave JP]

Jon,

Don't know if they would go for that - using their electric 

I could even go as far as lending them the WFP and getting them to do it themselves 

'I think you may have missed a bit',  I could shout from their bedroom window.

Cheers,

Dave.

[Jon-scwindows]

no sorry i meant their water supply, have the trolley set up and ready for use, and just connect to their water supply. i dont know if you would need a pump, possibly not with a merlin from the taps water supply.

i wouldnt use this method myself, what the heck am i even going on about anyway

[ian m]

Hi Dave

Ive read all  of the replies you have had so far.

what you really need to do is survey which of your customers have a tap, and plan from there.

As for the point of customers turning off their water supply in the winter, the only way you will know about that is to ask them, none of my customers do this.

a good point was made about transporting the di bottle on a trolley, I use a £25 foldaway job from B & Q for this, my hosereel attaches to it as well.

What method you use really depends on the your type of work, I have 2 very large private estates where I can plug into someones tap and maybe do 2 or three houses before wheeling the trolley to the next tap.

The hose has  25 feet 1/2 hose attached to  150 feet of  winspray hose so I can reach quite a distance.

As i said before, a cheap way of seeing if wfp is the way to go for your business



Ian

[Jon-scwindows]

or have a hose to plug your van onto their tap, so their water is running through your ro and di in the van topping up the pure water in your van, while you work.

[windowwashers]

IMO you should take your own water to jobs, your customers are paying you for it