OK, Kind Of a 2 part question. I have read the posts, done the seminar, convinced the WFP is the thing to have in certain situations. I understand the WFP safes time, which in turn makes more money., but here is my questions
if you have only one job scheduled for the day…do you use the WFP? I am asking because if there is no rush to get another job in for the day is it still worth using? I am trying to calculate the cost of using one(resin) vs. the return.
If the TDS is way high, do you skip on the WFP? I dont WFP yet, but I have been testing random customers houses and I was getting some from 850 to 1000 TDS. From what I read the higher the TDS the quicker you need a recharge/new resin? so again from a $ point of view. Are there jobs not worth doing WFP on or are we only talking pennies here??
1, Yes. I use the WFP every chance I can get. Not only is it time savings, but it keeps me off a ladder. I’m not exactly lazy, but I like the easiest way possible, too.
2, For high TDS’s you’ll need a RO/DI filter. The reverse osmosis will eliminate a huge amount of the solids, and the DI filter will bring that water down to 0. Because the water is already filtered to a large degree before going to through the DI, you won’t have to replace or regenerate the resin often. You will need to replace the RO membrane - not sure on how often with that high of a TDS though.
A TDS of nearly 1000 is super high, too. Maybe your TDS meter is off? I believe the EPA’s limit is 500 ppm for safe drinking water.
Micah, thanks for the input…I really want to get a feel from everyone, because I was contemplating getting the “starter” WFP from WCR…its the pole and the 1 CF tank with resin(not a RO). But with high TDS in my area, not sure on this unit. My outdoor spigot was giving me 850 TDS. the inside was lower because of filtration, but a house I did the other day was under 200(a newer house). i guess I will give my testing a few weeks to come up with a decent “average” TDS.
What do you want to make per hr. Yes you add some expense w/ the resin use but you also make more per hour so in the end you still clear more $$$.
Like Micah said you may want to think about getting into RO/DI. Of course you cna take a tds reading at each house and if you think you’ll use a whole tank of resin on that job it may be more costly w/ just DI so do it traditionally. If one job used a whole tank on me ( I use the half cube tank) it would cost me an additional $100 for the new resin. If I make $80 per hr on a regular job then I would need to make an additional $20 per hr for 5 hrs to offset the cost of the resin. I don’t run into many jobs were this is the case. Most times I make almost double per hr because I’ve cut my time on the outs by half.
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[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]Hi Dr. Squeegee.[/FONT][/COLOR]
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[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]I know it may be expensive, but I agree with Micah and Tony. You might want to look into an RODI unit.[/FONT][/COLOR]
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[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]In Connecticut I [I][FONT=Verdana]need[/FONT][/I] to use an RODI cart because of how hard the water is. I havn’t had to replace anything yet on the unit. And it still is producing 0TDS water. I, like Micah, also use my WFP every chance I have, which this season has been 99% percent of the homes that I do. So I basically use my WFP 4-5 days per week for 1-3 hours a day. That “1-3” hours used to be more like “3-5” hours because of moving ladders or aerial lifts around. [/FONT][/COLOR]
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[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]I’m sorry I can’t give you dollar figures on [I][FONT=Verdana]the money an RODI unit brings in to cost for replacement filters/resin.[/FONT][/I] But like I said, I use it all the time and havn’t replaced anything yet and won’t have to for a while. I’m still getting 0TDS.[/FONT][/COLOR]
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[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]Hope this helps.[/FONT][/COLOR]
Saving time is always a plus! It=more $ per hour! Which will leave you more time to work on other areas of your business. Micah knows what he is talking about, the investment is a good one I say do it! Here in San Diego, I rent my DI tanks for 75$ and they last for about 12 hours of work. Some of the areas I work in have a TDS of 900-1000 too, and the DI tanks bring it down to 12-18 which is just fine and works well. For that 75$ it gives me work that earns 120-200$ per hour. To me, that 75$ is a no brainer.
I think you are talking about pennies here. But with that said and those TDS numbers (BTW I also read safe drinking water is under 500ppm so I think your meter might be off). If those numbers are even remotely correct you are going to need RO/DI. I’m pretty sure your going to blow out a DI tank pretty fast. I use the system on every job I can. I use my machine every week, every job I can. It’s always worth using because with the cost of a RO/DI unit you need to make it pay for itself. Being the machine saves time and time is money the quickier you complete the work, then the more you make on your per hour rate. You would not be able to increase your per hour rate with traditional methods, unless you raised your prices. Anything that saves you time is going to make you more money, regardless of set up time, break down etc. I would say any job over 5 windows the machine is a must.
Heres something for you to keep in mind with the smaller jobs and how to profit on them with a WFP. I have an area here where the average window count is 8 to 10 windows, retirement community. All the screens are removable from the outside and the homes take 10 minutes to complete the outsides. I run a super low cost deal that NO ONE in the area is able to beat because they do not have a RO/DI. I timed myself and a helper, using traditional cleaning tools. Both alone (he on one home and me on another) and the fastest I was able to complete the job was 35 minutes with screens. 1 cox reel hose spans 3 of the homes back and front, I use 2 hoses so I can bang out 6 homes. I offer outside only cleaning for $29.99. The seniors in this community have been eating up the deal to the point where this past Saturday and this monday was filled with 33 jobs. My helper got $15 per hour and completed the 5 home minimum per hour with no problems. I gave him a fulls day pay of $120.00 because he was able to bang out all the jobs in the two days no problem. Not one complaint from the seniors and I pulled in $375 per day gross after his cost. Because he was working, I was able to go out an drum up more business. I landed over $2400.00 worth of jobs this weekend to enclude a two year contract. So point being, the machine if used correctly will cost you ZERO.
Holy cow. Those numbers are crazy. I always thought the numbers here would be high being so close to NYC but I have been luckly enough to never see super high numbers. My house and surrounding area is roughly 85,of course I love this as it has allowed me to still produce zero water without having to shell out for new filters and membranes.
I have been using a WFP for approx.1 yr. and have had great luck. I believe that not only is it faster but, the job looks great after. I really think the best benefit from a WFP is the great cleaning it does on the windows. Sure, sometimes you have to go back (on a few windows) and re-do because of some drips but, big deal. Very little ladder work, that’s for me!!!
J. Crabb
Firehouse Window Cleaning
Alabama
Roll Tide
