d
Carbon dust, yeah?
What did Shawn Gavin say?
Josh,
with any tool that you use, you still need to maintain it. If you go to the manufacturers site, follow his youtube page. He has a video on how to maintain your pole to keep that from happening.
I’ve actually done it as well. With all the money you spent on that pole, you gotta baby it. Here’s a short checklist that will help you AFTER you’ve restored your pole:
After each use or at the end of the day:
Take each section out and with a regular garden hose and a good spray gun tip spray the inside and outside very well getting all sand out.
DRY EACH SECTION WITH A CLEAN TOWEL
Check for scratchs and wear on the epoxy
Spray and clean your pole hose
Clean your brush and hose push fittings
When you collapse your pole you should not hear any grinding or scratching sounds. Those sounds should make you cringe.
On the handle section, go to your local boating supply house and get yourself some 2 part marine epoxy that flex’s.
Make sure it dry’s transparent. All you need is a paper thin layer.
If you can’t do what Alex does in his video, do what I did and get some very thick rubber gloves that you don’t mind throwing away after one use. Mix your epoxy and MAKE SURE YOUR POLE IS FREE OF ALL DEBRIS INCLUDING PET HAIRS. Don’t ask.
Make sure you have an area that you can let the pole cure in that is clean of all dust and debris. Now this part is very important: IF YOU PUT TOO MUCH EPOXY IT WILL, I REPEAT IT WILL ABSOLUTELY RUN ON YOU AND YOU WILL SEE A BUNCH OF DRIPS TOWARDS THE GROUND.
In this case, LESS is always better. You can always put another coat on later, you CAN’T always bring a layer down as you run the risk of damaging the original finish…
That said, my Google+ page has photos of the one’s I did. They look brand new. This will solve your problem.
Josh, its a tool like all others. Don’t be disappointed…you bought a trusted brand from a good manufacturer. All poles WILL eventually wear. All poles need to be maintained.
Hope this helps.
Heres a photo so you can see the difference.
[MENTION=1407]thorSG1[/MENTION] Thankyou Tory for this reply, you put a lot of work into it ,and I appreciate it. I have been cleaning the SLX pol e insides weekly by fully extending the pole and rinsing the inside with pure water, and cleaning the hose with magic eraser. Thats not as diligent as your procedure. I saw and entry on Gardiners site about lifespan of products and they said 12-16 months for the SLX pole. This really suprized me. I thought I was being diligent about maintenence . OK
Your epoxy work is facinating. Your getting marine grade clear epoxy and applying it to the sections in thin coats with a brush? The section does look brand new in your photo. My pole is working fine but putting out black. I d like to try this.Do I have it right?
I have also a Gardiner extreme 35 with a 10 ft extreme extention. I ve used it only once in a year as the SLX is such a great tool, I figured why wear it out. The clamping of the extreme pole at the halfway point of each section is a brilliant way to save weight on the pole. Only at the halfway point is the section thick enough to clamp. Great design !! So I ll start using it regularly at some point, but it was so expensive (1500) I just sorta like looking at it!!
How to apply epoxy ? Brush Rag spray thanks for your help really good of you Josh
The life span of a SLX is only 12 to 16 months? That’s nuts if I read it correctly. That’s an expensive pole no?
@Washed Up This is the Gardiner Info page that I read when the pole started putting out black dust. I still think it is a great pole Josh
How long will the components last?
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How long will the components last?
How long will all the components last?
All components of the system will eventually wear, some faster than others, but proper use and maintenance can prolong the life of each part. Below is a list of each component, its expected life span and suggested maintenance.
FLOJET PUMP - Expected life in excess of three years. We have worn one of these out in three years on one of our vehicles. It had constant five day a week, two pole usage. Other pumps are still going strong long past this time. Visually check pump housing for leaks. This is a sign of diaphragm or bearing failure. If pump fails to shut off when not in use, the pressure switch is usually broken. These can easily be replaced.
HOSE END-STOP CONNECTORS - Three to twelve months. These items will take the most wear as they get dragged along the ground and even run over by vehicles. If they start to get stiff, make sure there is no grit in the mechanism. Fitting Protecta-Balls to pole-hose tails will help reduce this wear. With these fitted we have doubled the life of our connectors.
HOSE ON REEL - Six months - two years. This has a fairly high wear rate depending on the type of work you carry out. Domestic work tends to incur higher wear than commercial due to more frequent reeling in and out and dragging round buildings. You can prolong the hose life by being careful when pulling around sharp corners and also in not allowing vehicles to drive over it. The damage to this will not always be visible as often the inner core of the hose will wear first. You will know when your hose needs replacing as it will either burst (inner and outer layer failure) or it suddenly starts to enlarge along its length (inner core failure). You can successfully repair the hose if you have a simple inner and outer layer failure, ie, your hose gets cut through. Using one of our 6 mm inline hose menders and two 11-13 mm O rings, you can effect a good repair. If the inner layer of the hose has broken down in an undefined place, we have found the simplest method is to replace the hose.
POLES - 6 months - ten years. This is purely dependent on its usage. On commonly used poles, we replace them every 10-18 months but our larger (more expensive) less used poles, last for years and years. Regular care and maintenance will prolong the life. If poles get gritty, extend pole fully and hose down. Grit will accelerate the wear on the pole surface and clamps. From time to time, you can also spray each section with PTFE dry-film lubricant. During the life of the pole you will need to adjust the clamps.
REVERSE OSMOSIS UNIT - Two to four years. The life of this unit will depend on how regularly you change the pre-filters and flush the membrane. We recommend that you flush the membrane by turning the flush valve at least once a week and leave running for at least ten minutes. Another method is to flush the system for a few minutes before using the unit each time.
Pre-filter changing is the single most important thing you can do to prolong the life of your reverse osmosis membrane. Failure to change these pre-filters, whilst not immediately affecting water quality, will gradually start to damage the membrane. Recommend change intervals are:
For single operator usage - Three months
For dual operator usage - Two months
Always change all three pre-filters together. After replacing filters, disconnect final filter output from membrane housing and allow unit to run for at least one hour. This will enable any damaging particles from new filters to flush through. Reconnect and start processing again.
Resin bead change is the final stage in the unit and this will need changing whenever your output TDS reading rises above 000-001ppm. To change resin bead, simply unscrew end of canister, pull out mesh or foam packer (keep), empty and throw away old resin, tightly pack in new resin, replace mesh or foam packer and refit end cap.
REVERSE OSMOSIS, MERLIN - Expected life span one - three years. These units are relatively maintenance free. They just have one pre-filter which will need changing very regularly as this is the only protection for the two RO membranes. Using this system for window cleaning you will need to change this pre-filter about every two months.
RESIN BEAD POST-FILTERS - On your vehicle systems, these will need refilling whenever your output TDS reading rises above 000-001ppm. Using filter wrench, unscrew lower clear housing, remove inner canister, remove one end of inner canister, pull out mesh or foam packer (keep), empty and throw away old resin, tightly pack in new resin, replace mesh or foam packer and then replace end cap. Ensure that rubber seals on both ends of inner canister are sited properly and are free from resin bead granules. Put back into outer housing and carefully screw back into position.
VEHICLE HOSES - Long life. Periodically check for wear and tighten jubilee clips.
VEHICLE TANK - Unlimited life span. We haven’t had one wear out yet! From time to time small bits may accumulate in your tank. When this happens, either drain the tank and clean it out or using a very fine mesh sieve, fish them out. Don’t be too fussy about the odd little bits as they don’t seem to affect your TDS.©
If the top 3 sections of the pole reach the end of their useful life in 24 months (?) I would replace them or the entire pole as the lightness and balance and ease of use of this pole (SLX 30) is of high value to me.
I m really liking my Unger nlite carbon fiber pole also . I aquired a 15’ pole to use and like the clamps and ridgidity and especially the hiflow brush with pencil jets in the uppermost and outermost position. This make a very accurate water line with a very low flow of water. Its amazing how much can be done with a 15’ pole. On some I can angle out over a roof with this pole. Like the nlite. Like to try the high modulous
From one Joshua to another…
I recently traded out my Nlite Carbon for the Hi Modulus - master and extensions. Same excellent features with a few ounces less in weight. At 6 or 7 stories you really feel the difference in stiffness. Amazing pole.
However, to encourage it’s longevity I employ a 14’ ALU Nlite for most 2 story work (I’m 6’ 5"). These are the projects that I find myself banging into a tree or a gutter and thinking “good thing I’m using something cheap!”.
For maintenance of my poles, both traditional and wfp, I pull the sections apart if possible and rinse with pure water, then dry. If not in use for a while, I pull them apart periodically and towel dry the sections of the moisture that often gets locked in.
For the Epoxy, it’s too thick to use a brush. You DON’T want to thin it out either because if you do you’re going to start getting so many runners you’ll never be able to get em all smooth to fit back in the section it belongs in.
The easiest way I found is to just use thick rubber gloves (I used medical rubber gloves, but they kept breaking so I would put two pairs on each hand. After you mix your resin and hardener just get some on your gloved finger and spread it around the circumference of the top of the section you’re working on towards the clamp just UNDER the clamp and after you’ve taken the clamp apart so you don’t get epoxy in the clamp and screw it up.
Then with your index finger and thumb (your open palm will be spreading the mix) bring the mix as evenly as possible down towards the end of the section (trying not to make this sound gay…sorry).
All you need is ONE thin coat. Just make sure the entire pole has been evenly coated.
It dries with a glossy finish. You’ll be happy with the results.
As far as that life span, I’ve had my poles for what 5 years now? Just take care of them. I think Alex put that there for those that pretty much beat the heck outta the pole.
You paid 1500 for an EXTREME pole brudda, lemme tell you, thats CHEAP! I paid 2000 for my SLX-47 and I still keep Big Bertha in good shape. (yes, I name them. The SLX 25 is Black Beauty)
Just remember, they are tools to be used to make money. Once you leave the mind set of how expensive they are and realize that a great quality tool is used to provide greater efficiency, increase productivity etc…you will not worry so much about it.
Don’t keep it on the shelf just as a trophy. Just create a system on paper to make sure it’s taken care of every day just as you would with high end tools you have for your truck. You wouldn’t leave a brand new set of craftsmen sockets in the rain would you? So don’t let your good quality pole sit in the dirt after a long job without taking care of it…ya know?
Many window cleaners are quick to point fingers at the manufacturer of a product without first taking a peek at our own way of doing things.
If a tool or product don’t work it’ll be made know real quick…I mean, as example take a look at that screen magic stuff. I bought into it, and only after the rainy season did I realize that the stuff is garbage. I wasn’t the only one who noticed it. Didn’t want to say much at first because maybe I was at fault and applied it wrong. It soon was realized that the stuff was just fluff.
Point is; just as I did research before I forked out that big chunk of money I was bugging Chris and Alex at LEAST once a week over the phone with questions. I went to a place that had a bunch of poles so I could see the differences in brands. And I STILL didn’t pull the trigger until a member on this forum sold me six of his for 1900.
So trust me, I know how it feels. Just take care of your tools and you will see that its a great investment and others will take better care of your tools too.
I’ve beat the tar out of my SLX…I never clean it. I think I did dunk it in a pool a couple years ago. I’ve replaced the end cap, and two clamps that cracked. Re-glued all of the clamps at one point or another…Its been run over by a SUV, cracked the bottom section…still works like a charm. Oh, and no dust that I’ve noticed.
Is this a Gardiner specific problem? My HiMod nLite doesnt have these problems, and I have not heard about this issue with Reach It.
Maybe you should call Gardiner US support
oh… wait… crap
Oh, snap!
