I have landed a large estate job (main house and 5 “cottages” that are about 1500 square ft each) that will be completed 4X a year. The owner would like the first cleaning done early this December. The windows have not been cleaned in approximately 2 years. I know using a WFP is a bit of a gamble with windows this dirty, but how will the temps affect the unit? It will be the IPC Hydrotube and we have been hovering in the mid-high 30’s in the northeast. Also, what amounts would you recommend I mix the windshield washer fluid in my soap and water solution to avoid any issues. This will be my first cleaning during this time of year.
I can’t speak yet from experience on the low temp WFP work- I haven’t gone below 40° with mine yet. Some guys have water heaters setup that they say will allow them to work down to 20° or so. I would guess that you could go right down to 32° without needing hot water.
As far as your wash solution: I would recommend going with straight ethanol (rubbing alcohol) or methanol (the antifreeze in your windshield wash). The washer fluid is full of nasty soaps and dyes. You can actually use ethanol mixed with pure water in a backpack or tank WFP system as well, since it will evaporate spot free.
Thanks Alex. This is a huge account for us and a great opportunity. The homeowner hosts a Christmas/New Years party on the property and would like everything nice and clean. What ratio would you recommend for the alcohol to water? I have been experimenting a bit and think I have found an 8:1 water to alcohol works well. What do you think?
I have used the WFP just above freezing and have not had any problems. As long as you are at 33 you should be fine. The unit will be fine as well since you have flowing water. As far as using blue in your water—don’t. If you are doing interior work the blue will stain any painted walls!!! If you absolutely have to use blue because the temps are too low make sure your inside bucket doesn’t have any blue in it. We really don’t slow down much in the winter as we are mostly commercial. Unless it is below freezing the WFPs are working. Methanol is great alternative without the side effects. It does evaporate much more quickly so if you notice your freezing point rising you probably lost some due to evaporation and wind. Push the commercial and you won’t be stressed out all winter!! No need to stop because its cold out! Bundle up and make some money!
Thanks Jared, I am having difficulty sourcing the methanol around me, which is why I was leaning towards the alcohol. What ratios do you use for your mixture? You can PM this if it is sensitive information. As much as I would like to use the WFP on this, I think the windows may be just too dirty to even bother this time around. Definitely for the spring and subsequent cleans.
See if you can find a local manufacturer of windshield washer fluid. It took us a while, but when we did find one, they now sell us 15 gallon drums of methanol very inexpensively. They didn’t advertise this, but were willing when we called and asked. All the advantages of WWF, but we only use a fraction, cheaper, and no blue dye.
Temperatures in the 30 or lower will effect the production of the membrane on the Hydrotube I suggest for low temperatures down to 28 use a backpack. Fill 5 gallon containers at home with your Hydrotube Add 8 ounces of isopropyl to the 5 gallon. You can get it at Walmart. I use the Wfp year round
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Hi Brian
Youre only a few miles north of me, and I have never had a problem with the pure water system freezing up.
The method I use is simply bringing the water purification method (in my case a DI tank) inside and putting it in front of a heating vent in my house. Its good to go after that. I;ve had rags freeze before the water in my lines does.
Water heaters? What kind and where are they placed in the system near the pump or close to the pole?
a lot of setups I’ve seen use a propane on demand water heater, such as the Eccotemp L5. they usually install it right before their hose reel going to their pole. It should go after any filtration, since hot water can damage RO membranes (from what I’ve read, anyway).
using hot water can work for your bucket, too. get a large insulated drink cooler, and fill it with hot water in the morning- keep the cover on whenever possible, and it should stay warm for a good part of the day.
This is exactly our setup for heating pure water (L5 after filtration). The only real problem we have is that, while the water won’t freeze on the windows, it will freeze on spandrel glass (blacked out), and also on any sidewalks, so plan accordingly.
Any pics of your set up?
[COLOR=#333333][INDENT]We mount it on the door, so there is no venting issues. A bypass valve inside brings it online. We blow clear with compressed air, like the rest of the system at night during freezing weather. It has lasted 3 years, has no impact on TDS, and was so cheap, 1 year would be worth it.[/INDENT]
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[COLOR=#333333]Where is the [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]bypass valve mounted in line? I’m thinking of putting together the same setup.
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[COLOR=#333333]Where is the [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]bypass valve mounted in line? I’m thinking of putting together the same setup. And where did you get the bypass valve?[/COLOR]
We put one in between the RODI machine and the reels. Lowes has what you need (we use all 5/8, garden hose-size lines before the reels)
The key to getting a really dirty job clean with a Water Fed Pole is to get the right agitation, and the right rinse. That means firm bristles and the biggest flow from your jets that your water supply can handle … There is a lot of data on this page (sandbox - under construction) that, whilst designed to explain Brush Pack BETA 2.0, can equally be applied to any range of brushes you may already have … /brushpacktwo.html
Can hot water affect di tanks at all?
The heater is always place AFTER filtration of any kind. I think the RO units have a max input temperature of around 80 or so.
Thanks!
What about when the tap has hot water?
