What would the perfect RO/DI system need for the every day window cleaner. Please give me your ideas thanks
That’s sort of like asking what the perfect ice cream sundae has in it.
And it’s not a case of what the window cleaner needs, there are physics at work here - with RO, you need a sediment and carbon filter. That’s a requirement.
With dual RO, you may not even need DI. My RO filters get water down to 1-3 ppm, and then it goes into my DI resin. So in essence, the DI resin is not needed. But it’s still part of the system.
A reliable pump, a bitchin strong motor driving everything, those are a given.
An in line TDS meter, not MONITOR, is a no brainer.
200 feet of hose out of the box would be nice, but some guys may want 300.
And of course it would be nice for any rep to offer a “buy this system get this pole for half off” deals, wouldn’t it?
Are you buying or building?
building, I have built all kinds of RO and DI systems. I am just trying to make a system that is more user friendly
I would like to see a dual powered system. Right now you can either buy one that is battery operated or a plug in. I own a plug in and ended up buying a generator. It’s a long story why. But long extension cords are a pain and not always an option. I did a midrise two weeks ago and was told they have power for me. Yeah they had power, but the access to it was too far away when I got to the last 20 ft of the building. I would not have been able to complete the last vertical row of windows if I used theirs. So I used a generator. I guess in the end that battery powered one would have fixed that whole issue. But I never trust batteries. I saw one blow up on a guy and ever since I have hated working with them. Besides with a battery one, you never know if your battery is going to die out and need to be replaced. I think if you do make a battery one, look around at some fishing supply stores, they sell monitors that will let you know how much juice you have left in it. Also building one that has a built in charger on it. Something you can take home and just plug in over night to get the juice back in. Once again you can find a charger at a marine supply.
Also like the idea of the inline tds meter, not monitor. it’s not a big issue but for those of us that are just a little anal it’s nice to know these things. But if you really look at it there is not a big need for it. Mine has a monitor and you set them to beep after a certain tds level is reached. I have mine set to 8 tds. So knowing what is coming out is not really an issue as long as it does not beep you know your good to go. But I still test with a handheld, incoming and out going water just to check. It’s funny cause everytime I test the outgoing I have to remember, it’s supposed to read 0. I’m always expecting like a 1 or 2 to pop up. But 0 is good lol.
What are the pros and cons of the previous systems you have built?
How would you be utilizing the “perfect RO/DI system?” Or, is this topic for potential resale purposes?
The systems I have built in the past were for medical use,computer chip co. large whole building drinking watersystems, and those system have all the things you may need and alot more. I have only been cleaing windows for three years, and in boston a DI tank (1/2 cub.) last me over a month. So I haven’t used RO for window cleaning yet.
Contact:
Shawn Gavin
Prism Window Cleaning, Inc.
Reach Higher Ground
“Your Do It Yourself WFP Supply Company”
The dual powered unit is exactly what we have been working on as of late. We have accomplished it and hope to make an announcement about it soon.
It actually gives you the ability to use battery power or the electric or both.
An inline TDS meter is standard equipment on all our systems.
I would also add that our battery powered RO/DI cart has a battery charger that is included and is completely waterproof. Although we do not mount them to the system at this time, many end users have chosen to do just that.
I don’t have a WFP system yet so this maybe a stupid question… but couldn’t you get by on having a trailer mounted water tank (say 250 gallons or so) and just purchase the water? again bare in mind I have no idea what I am talking about other than what I have read on the internet… couldn’t you just have a water tank… and pump and your pole???
You could in fact have a trailer mounted system and buy water, but you still have the problem of water quality. You need a low tds to get a spot free clean, and unless you are getting your water from a pure source ie. RO or DI chances are the water you buy won’t be good enough to use raw. you would have to run it thru a DI vessel anyway.
Many window cleaners are finding this to be a very friendly method of using pure water. In fact it is the norm in the UK. Companies looking for this option typically will purchase our RO/DI System and mount it either in their shop or in their vehicle/trailer with the tank. Through the years I have learned that carrying water to the site has its definate advantages and this is generally the way my company handles pure water cleaning. http://reachhigherground.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=43&products_id=173
A disadvantage of mounting the system in your shop and carrying water to the site is that you could quite easily run out of water and have to return to the shop to refill. To get past this, many companies that have purchased our RO/DI system mount it in their vehicle/trailer so that they have the option of filling up on site if the need arises.
Feel free to give me a call and discuss real life solutions to issues that may arise. 303-521-2300
Trailer mount systems are not always feasible, neither are van or truck mount systems. I use my pure water system, but only 8.5 - 9 months out of the year. Then it’s put in storage for winter. I can’t afford the space to park a trailer all winter, or certainly to park a pure water truck, so a cart is the best option for me, and hundreds of owners like me.
Just broke it out this weekend - all fittings are tight, Honda generator started after 2 pulls, and the TDS after a 5 minute flush was 5 into the RO, and of course 0.00 after the DI.
Spring is officially here.
I have the Eagle RODI, like Jeff. Love the machine. It’s easy to transport and move around a home or building. I think that versatility is very important. However, it’s not perfect.
This year I will be putting a static system in my van. I will produce the water with my RODI cart. The reason I want BOTH is because I have run into little problems.
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Low water volume from inlet source. Can’t produce much water and the job takes longer.
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Well water. Some owners don’t want me to use it. Some of the wells are so deep that the water is very cold. That slows down production.
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Cold months. Again, slower production.
If I have a storage tank, pump, and 300’ hose, this can help me deal with those issues I face. If you have to choose just 1 over the other, I’d pick the cart. I have several recurring jobs where it is not feasible or allowable to park near the building or run a hose across a parking area/sidewalk. Again, the cart’s versatility wins.
Trailer mounted systems are nice. Just think about what limitations/obstacles you may encounter compared with the portable system…and vice versa. You’ll want whatever gives you the most opportunities, productivity, and ease of operation.
Shawn, I hear you have been working on this because a pesky Arizona window cleaner ran into some problems, and I think it may be wise to pass on the user error to enlighten others.
I was that pesky AZ window cleaner… And the problem was that I was using a Tucker pole with the original flow screws and unless I was in a REALLY high pressure area, I couldn’t get the water to have enough pressure to clear the brush’s bristles… rinsing was an absolute bear! Shawn racked his brain, lost a ton of sleep and began experimenting with the [totally unnecessary] electric motor to fix my problem. So then he had the brainstorm for me to check my flow screws and after replacing the gigantic stock ones with much smaller ones-- I don’t even NEED a pump, period! Seriously! I use it anyway because I have it and it draws a higher volume of water through for kicks, but the battery powered pump is (in my humble opinion) not necessary if you have the right flow…
I am so pleased with “Reach” and the 5 stage system that I can’t believe I ever worked before I had it. Our efficiency is up, the hot windows are a breeze, and when I turn the pump on, I can spray a window 20 feet away, even when there is only 30psi coming out of the hose bib. The battery will give me 10 hours of use, plenty for 2 days or more of residential use (since the WFP is only used for a portion of the day).
Just my thoughts. I will be mounting my cart to the trailer in the future, which will be cool, but I always blow a “0” and I will say with no reservation… the 5 Stage RHG Cart is the perfect system for me… I may buy more hose; I may buy a better pole; but I don’t think I could ever be persuaded to buy a different system… all of that said: check the price… Not too shabby.
Thanks Curt.
We do take every sale, customer and product very seriously and we certainly are working very hard to ensure customer satisfaction.
We originally started looking at the dual pump/power source set up to solve your problem. We are still experimenting with this set up and hope to find a way to incorporate both pumps in the future.
We believe we have produced a system with the highest production rates possible with a battery supplied system. Well over 1 gallon per minute is produced on average with our battery system.
