DSWCNORTX wrote:
I have been reading up on usage. I live in a rather high TDS area (187+), and some folks - at least initially - use DI but prewash/rinse with regular water, then do the final clean with pure water. Makes sense to save the resin for the actual spot free clean, and clean the dirt and debris with tap water with the pole and brush.
This is true. There are many trick to the trade. Really depends on how bad the windows are too. I have a separate pole with an adapter on it that connects directly to a water Spicket if they are really dirty I put Dawn on the brush hook up the pole to the hose clean the crap out of them then hit them with the water fed pole with pure water. Works for me. Saves you from having to get on a ladder sometimes.
Which pole and brush do you have? I see Luke has his rigged with a brass wool attachment thing I believe comes with Tucker?
I have a tucker carbon fiber 35 and brush. Now I wanna share a good video with you that will show you some valuable things that you want to see with your own eyes when deciding what to buy. Get on YouTube and type in “wfp sturdiness test” I saw this video not long ago and I think for someone buying their first pole and set up, it’s valuable info. Alex from windowcleaner.com is actually the one in the video explaining things. They stretch all these different poles out to 25 ft side by side and show stiffest to flimsiest. Tucker took the trophy. Same pole I have. Northern lite is a good pole too it’s also carbon fiber. But yea take a look at that video and decide from there. You already seem pro tucker, this will really seal the deal.
Yes, I’ve seen that video. Alex did a great job showing those off. (Although that link doesn’t work).
I use a separate pole with a square bronze wool pad. The pad holder is the grey square one. Even though running two poles may seem more of a PIA, I’d prefer it over what Luke uses. No worry about water getting all over me.
If you are worried about wasting resin, get a on/off vale at the pole or pinch off your hose. If water isn’t flowing, you aren’t using resin.
I do NOT prerinse with well water. I tell all my clients how bad it is for the glass. If I did it, it would leave a bad impression.
Funny thing is back when I was new at it I almost bought that 22 unger pole 
That would have been a big mistake.
I’m sure it has its use, but not for what I need.
Yea, I don’t know about well water, City tap water I was referring to for initial wash and debris removal on heavily soiled windows, then the final clean with DI. Why waste DI for that is my point.
The difference is?
Most people on a well use a softener. Same thing the city is doing.
If you are ok with doing it, that’s fine. I’m not. I don’t want clients doing it, so I’m not going to either. Besides, I run RO/DO and my resin lasts quite a long time. I’m not concerned with the costs. I’m more concerned with how they perceive me.
You know, I could understand your conflict with pre-rinsing the window frame and sill with regular water if that was it then on to the next - but the accepted procedure (as I understand it) is to get the heavy loose debris off first without using up resin (no matter the smaller amount with an RO/DI system) and then finishing the clean with pure water. It certainly makes sense to me and I have seen reference to it from multiple sources.
Now, if your customer is of the belief that water directly from their hose is going to do as good as a WFP clean, then you are not explaining it correctly to your customer. I could then understand the conflict of why sell on your Water Fed Pure Water System as being superior to just hosing off the window that the customer could do with a beer in one hand and hose in the other.
So I assume you are misunderstanding the suggested procedure of saving on resin at a point of the clean that resin or no resin makes no difference other than waste.
We will just have to disagree on this one.
This isn’t the standard procedure, If I was that concerned with costs I would but it just adds an extra step, It was an option that people have but I don’t know of anyone that scrubs first with normal water and only rinses with DI, I have heard of people talk about it but no one that does it full time. Honestly if you had RO you would NEVER in a million years pre scrub with tap water.
Personally I use pure water to speed up the job for the convenience if I wanted to save $$$, I’d just do it traditionally.
I tell my customers to specifically not hose the windows with tap water frequently as this will cause hard water spots over time. I advise them if they wish to do so and have rainwater tanks that the rain water would be safe to use for that purpose.
I get you, but you are still of the assumption that the “other-than-pure-water” would be left on the glass to leave spots.
I’m not of any assumption, I have had customers who frequently hose the windows down and it leave hard water spots over time when the calcium in the water is of the level it is here, I am not a making blanket statement I use pure water every day, I am speaking of my personal experience. I also use tap water daily and the temps here are quite high the water dries before I get to it with the pure water and its always spotty.
And there in lies the problem.
I wasn’t aware you were referring to hard water staining as I was not.
Again, you can do whatever you want Garry. It’s your business. I’m with @Steve076 on this one.
I don’t see any need to get into an argument about it. I just explained why I don’t use tap water. If you want to wash with tap water, go for it.
Man this discussion looks like SHUT-THE-DOOR you mentioned tap water!
NA-NA-NA-NA-NA…I can’t hear such malarkey! LOL
Dats not what I’m saying man! Geez. Apparently for a word guy I am having my challenges reiterating the notion that I have run across. So in this video at about the 5:30 mark he speaks of “the drive thru car wash system”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ6MNnsNO4A
So it is NOT WASHING WITH TAP WATER, it is an alternative to using up the cost of resin to rinse a heavily soiled window in order to get it completely clean. Of course on a maintenance job it would be a mute point.
I might also add that I do see the benefit of an RO/DI system such as the Xero Pure, but at a cost savings starting out with a DI only this is a makse-sense kind of way to not blast through resin in a high TDS area.
Hopefully the video makes more sense than me because it appears I’m being taken as saying…“just wash it with regular water. What? What?” lol
No, I understand EXACTLY what you are talking about Garry. Pre-washing with tap water. Again, I’m not doing that.
You also understand that pure water (zero res) cleans BETTER than tap water, right?
Would you prescrub with a mop, with just tap water first? Yeah, me neither. If they are THAT dirty, you should hit them with a brush first.
Again, you can do whatever you want, but I’m getting tired of what seems like arguing over this. I stated why I do what I do. You can do it whatever way tickles your fancy.
The tone of the discussion does seem to have gone South; sad for that. Thanks for your input.
I look at different aspects and different ways of doing things, that’s all.
We all get the job done for whatever circumstances arise in any given situation.
I look forward to avoiding high ladder work soon, and testing different methods based on acquired information from all angles.
