[Glen]

I am thinking about getting a WFP system and considering the various options. I am buying a house in the near future and alot of householders around me have had a R.O. water purification system fitted for their tap water.So here is my theory: I live in a hard water area so, from what I can gather,  a RO  system would be more cost effective than a DI system for Window Cleaning.

So, if I have one fitted in my house I can also use it for work provided I link it to the outside tap. I have a small car so was thinking along the lines of a trolley system, so I would fill my containers at home RO purified water and then refill at customers houses using the DI filter on the system.

Does this sound reasonable?

[gaza]

I dont know about a ro system,how about a water softener first for your house needs,then fill up your tank from this, in the long run im sure this will be the better option because it has been proven to improve the life of your washing machine,washing is softer,no scum marks from the soaps u use.less wear on your system resin{it doesnt have to work overtime}and the softener will regenerate its own resin = less costs.for research type in regenerate resin in youre search the web window

[WavieDavie]

Glen,

The domestic system won't have enough throughput for your window cleaning needs, and the water a window cleaning RO system produces won't be good for your body - looks like you need two systems unfortunately 

If you're in a hardwater area it might be worthwhile working out the financial costs of taking more containers of RO then DI water with you, (or coming home for more at some stage during the day) as opposed to rattling through DI resin by using the filters at client's houses.

[Glen]

Thanks for your replies.

Waviedavie,

My customers are spread over a wide geographic area ( I cover approximately 50 miles a day) so going home to fill up would not usually be an option.

I have a Corsa Diesel so the payload would not be that high so I don't think I would have any other option but to refill  en-route.

I was planning on buying a box trailer with room for a trolley system and containers. Any thoughts on this? Also, what length does a pole retract to and where can a car owner transport it without breaking one of the windows

[Peter Fogwill]

Glen, you could buy a trailer and transport enough water containers to do your days work.
The 40ft pole is around 7ft closed, and could fit on your roof bars, or on your trailer.  It may even fit inside your car with one end in your passengers feet compartment.

Peter

[WavieDavie]

The only thing I could add to Peter's reply would be to not keep the trailer on the main road without clamping it, or some other disabling device. Keep it in your drive if you have one, and wherever it's stored - get an alarm and a tracker on it. That way you'll be able to get it back, if, like lots of trailers, it gets nicked.

[Glen]

Thanks for your replies. Are you sure I could carry enough water from home for the day? The Corsa payload is (permissible gross vehicle weight less Kerb Weight??) 455 kg. I actually clean for about 6.5 hours a day, at this time of year, which is 390 minutes. If a WFP uses one litre per minute then I would need 390 litres which I think is litre for kilo 390kg in weight. Then add the weight of the trailer (?kg) and myself(78kg).

Would this not exceed the payload? Perhaps I am calculating it incorrectly?

[Glen]

Any takers for this? Sorry if it is a bit mathematical!

[Peter Fogwill]

Glen firstly I think you have worked it out wrong for the carrying weight of your Corsa, it won't be 455kg I wouldn't think.  Also a towing weight is different from payload weight.

Next thing, you won't be taking as long to clean the windows as you do now, if you were cleaning the windows in half the time, then you would only need about half the water you estimated.

Peter Fogwill
www.window-tools.com

[Glen]

Peter, thank you for this valuable information. How should I ascertain the towing weight for my car? Also, how would I then combine this with the payload weight ie passengers?

Thanks again,

Glen

[Peter Fogwill]

You should find the information for your model of car on the internet.  You should also get the information the same place you got the payload information.

Towing weight is far greater than the carrying weight capacity as the weight is simply being pulled rather than carried.  You will find that you will be able to tow more or less whatever size tanks you want, you will have to make sure the trailer you have or buy is up to carrying the weight.

Peter Fogwill
www.window-tools.com

[Duke]

Don't know if this helps...but as one of our fleet, we have (the one I use mostly) the Peugeot 106 diesel van. Ok this is tiny, but it carries the Omnitrolley 50 litre tank , plus another 5, 25 litre containers of purified water to top up with...that's 275 litres of pure water. That easily lasts me 5 hours and makes £100. If I wanted to, I could go back and re-fill, but I never have. The pole is on the roof rack in a tube...it drives fine.I rarely get the trolley out, as I have a 30 metre extension on the pipe, so all I need to do is park, get the pole out, switch the trolley on and clean....fast, efficient, and up the pub in no time !

[gaza]

ang on a mo.h/s ere.
390 litres un baffeled water in trailer not on my life,on yours,hope you wasnt going to use the trailer you run down to the tip in,else the only tipping done will be your trailer
buy an old tranny like i have,problem solved.

[bigToe]

The max towing weight is i think 85% of the weight of the car.

[Jeff Brimble]

You need to be a good driver to use a trailer, I would borrow one to try before you buy, reversing even a few yards takes skill., they are a pain. I would think about using your car to start because it will take you a few months to get up to speed (especially if you just do the upstairs only with wfp) then changing your vehicle.
You could also think about asking  any(yellow pages) "water treatment" company to do you an uprated RO domestic house supply. Mines a bog standard 3 stage  that drips constantly into my resevoir, you could T off the house supply into rainwater butts. 

[Glen]

Ok, the towing capacity of my car is 800kg. Would a box trailer and all the WFP equipment exceed that?

With regard to the RO system, am I right in saying that the water from a domestic system would be suitable for a WFP but the water from a system for WFP use would not be suitable for human consumption?

Cheers,

Glen

[Glen]

I'm giving the spec. to my builder - any thoughts on my last post?

[Glen]

I think an RO system is going to be bulky in my garage and when working for ten hours a day I will have to come home and get filled up. If I was to go down the "filter-as- you- go" route by filling at my customers houses, how much more would the DI resin cost me? Has anyone done the sums on the cost per litre of filtered water using the DI method?

I'm getting more confused by the day and my builder needs to know whether I want to install an RO unit or not. I actually clean windows for about 60 hours a month if that is any help.

[Duke]

I think you need to actually go and look at some working cleaners set-ups and chat to them. Personally RO...maybe DI as a polisher....we're all different depending on what it is we do.

[thewindowcleaner1]

I Have a 1000ltre storage tank with a Ro unit and resin cylinder, Built a shed around it at btm of garden takes up no more space than 4 weelie bins, a little higher though
( I've even heard stories of some window cleaners putting storage tanks in the ground). for two years I used a Montego estate with Sack truck type trolley on back, the pole rested on top of the ladders on the roof bars and I would carry between 6 and 8 25ltre tanks of pure water (this would normally last the day) doing upstairs and leaded windows only.
If water started to run low would save it for them mean windows that I hated doing, never really worried about wheight  started close to home and as worked through the day my payload got less.