Hello!
I need help with straight pulls leaving lines on the sides. (If anyone can also recommend troubleshooting techniques for marks left on the glass, that would be great for us to review. I had trouble finding something to address the simple issues I am having)
I have just started window cleaning, and have clients ready to go. (starting tomorrow, residential) I have been practicing over and over on my own windows, and keep running into the same issue. Lines left on the window on straight pulls. I have tried angling the squeegee so that the water runs down the āwater sideā or āframe sideā Have tried varying degrees of pressure and angles towards the frame, yet the lines are there every time. This is with pole work and hand work.
Squeegee/Handle Setup:
Unger Ninja Handle+Sorbo Cobra Squeegee Channel (12")
Ettore Ledge-Eze Handle+Ettore Master Brass Channel (16")
Moerman Excelerator+FliQ
Unger Optilock Pole
Suggestions as to any other essential handles etc I may need? I was thinking I would like a handle which I can attach to the Master Brass Channel with an adjustable angle. (Didnāt realize the Master Brass Channel wouldnāt fit into the Unger Channel I have) These parts are about as compatible as car tires arent they? XD
I can fan by hand at ground level no problem. Iām getting better with the Moerman Excelerator with a pole where the windows arenāt too high, but cant (and probably shouldnt??) fan with the pole say 12" up on a window. I should be straight pulling that high?
Anyway the real issue is lines on straight pulls down. Even if I start the squeegee so that is halfway on the dry side, and halfway on the wet side, there are still lines. Unless Iām drying the rubber every single time which is unpractical when the pole is 6-12" in the air.
Iāve added a few pictures as well, I hope you all can help me. I just launched on Monday and had 8 clients by Wednesdayā¦ just from Google. (marketting, SEO & website design is my background) My first client is tomorrow and they have SO MANY long, wide 2nd story windows with a Lakeview. Iām freaking out a little because I thought I would have this down by thenā¦ (had a guy to apprentice me but he was in a vehicle accident so training has been soley with the internet nowā¦help! lol)
I donāt know what your cleaning solution is, but I always put equal parts ammonia and soap. The ammonia seems to make lines and small marks disappear on drying.
Hi thanks for the reply! I am using Dawn 2x.
Are you straight pulling with the excelerator?
If so, youāll get lines even with the leading edge forward. Switch to a wagtail for straight pulls and watch the problem disappear.
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Well all window cleaning whether straight pulls or fanning there are basic fundamentals you need to follow to achieve the desired results.
When straight pulling you have to start from a clean edge, this means you either have to wipe the starting edge or you can cut in with the tip of your squeegee or you can use the feathering technique and ensure the squeegee rubber is free from hair or other debris.
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No not using Excelerator for straight pulls, just for fanning with a pole.
Iām looking into a wagtail nowā¦
Thank youā¦ what I had been doing was cutting in towards the center, and going left to the frame then straight pulling down. Then I would feather at the top of the new area, and just pull straight down. Is this the part Iām doing wrong? Iāve been watching a different technique where you cut in, straight pull down. And cut in every time/straight pull down until you get to your last pull down. Feather well at the top and pull straight down. I ran out of daylight to try thisā¦ haha!
While you awesome experts are here! How would you quote a four panel window of this size?
(The 4-panel window on the right) there are 50 windows in total of that size, (50 as in the 4 panel window counts as 1 window) 2 doors, and 2 vestibules with 8 windows in each. I got this job starting next week, Iām hoping I quoted right.
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Come on man, Wagtail for straight pulls? Completely unnecessary and you should know it. Itās great that you love wagtail, but newbs wanting to learn to pole should just get simple equipment like ettore brass. Learn on that and upgrade if needed.
Donāt fan anything until youāre more experienced.
Pull down at an angle, the cleaning solution doesnāt matter at all. Itās hard to put into words, wish i had a video link to send youā¦
If Iām picturing this correctly, youāre pulling straight down in the middle then finishing on the other side.
There are so many methods, but I was taught the āSheldonā pull style. Pull a couple inches, pull again, then one final downstroke. As youāre drawing down the ādry endā needs to come down lower than the wet end, otherwise you get pull marks.
Also look up ātabbingā where you tap the squeegee on the dirty glass to get rid of excess water.
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Best way to solve
Your problem , is to use a ladder .
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Not an option unfortunate due to safety regulations regarding at heights training in our province, as well as increase cost of insurance if doing so. You wonāt see companies using ladders here anymore, just the private guys with no insurance.
Wow !! Well if I were you buy a WFP right away. Beg , Borrow , donāt steal though
For the hard to reach interior windows. I hate that stupid wag wam whatever ya call it, but ya try those. In a pinch what Iāve done is when your done pulling if you get lines just buff them out with a green pad , an some spray way. Works great !!!
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Thanks, seems like a WFP is an essential tool for residential if we canāt use ladders then eh?
Iām looking at the Unger WFP system. The quality of all the other products we have from them are very good.
Are there any WFPās you would absolutely avoid? Or is Unger a good one to go with?
PS: didnāt even try straight pulling today after combating all those lines. used the Moerman Excelerator with FliQ pad today on probably 20 2nd storey windows. I donāt know why but fanning just seems so much easier than straight pulling. No issues at all, and it was perfect as some of the windows were arched or triangular at the top.
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I straight pull with my Excelerator on the few storefront jobs I do. I have yet to master fanning with it, especially with the longer channels so I always end up straight pulling. No issues
[quote=āCwcleaning, post:15, topic:49822ā]
Thanks, seems like a WFP is an essential tool for residential if we canāt use ladders then eh?
Umm ā¦Yes !!!
Iām looking at the Unger WFP system. The quality of all the other products we have from them are very good.
Unger Makes good equipment . Iām not a WFP expert , I have 2 Gardiner poles SLX 30ā & 45ā. **
** If I was goin to buy another pole I would probably go with a Tucker
** Just go full carbon fiber whatever you get.**
Unger looks quite expensive. I too use the Gardiner SLX 35. If I were to get another pole, my first choice would be another Gardiner. A second choice might be Tucker or maybe a Xero. Iād have to do some more research on the Xero.
Also, if you are required to have certification for ladder work, Iād make sure to get that. No matter what the government may hope for, there will be situations that call for a ladder.
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Wanting to get a WFP ordered asap, just learning about TDS. We cover a pretty large area, and some homes absolutley would have hard water. The water here varies so much from home to home. My water is great, but 3 doors down their water is hard and smells like eggs. (Southeastern Ontario, a lot of homes are on well water which is fed by whatever lake is closest, and filtered through tons of limestone.) I went to What is TDS & Why it Matters - Pure Tasting Water with ZeroWater (only site I could find) and there were zero results for our entire area.
Do I need to get a TDS meter and test the water in our service area before I buy a WFP? Or can just the basic one like an Unger handle most homes?
EDIT: Okay looking at Unger Systems, I think the durability and easy filter change system is going to be better in the long-term for employee use. https://windowcleaner.com/water-fed-purification/unger-systems
Stage 1: good for basic solo operator and can handle most waters, but will burn through resin faster if water is hard?
Stage 2: good for basic solo operator, but can handle hard water better and prolong life of resin?
Stage 3: Like Stage 2 but for 2 operators??
Is this right? Just above the basic one is what we need. One operator, most homes/buildings with average TDS, but some homes with high-very high TDS. Would this be the Stage 2 model?
Stage 2: https://windowcleaner.com/unger-nlite-hydropower-stage-2
@Jersey help this dude out!
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