Moving From Traditional To A Pole System

[chris warner]

Hi everyone
I'm a newbie and I'd like to pick your brains, I'm thinking of moving over to a water fed pole system with my window cleaning. I don't have a huge round so I want to continue using my people carrier rather than buying a van. Also I don't have a huge budget.

 

[Fintan Coll]

Hi Chris, I am not sure if there are many window cleaners on this board. I am not one myself, but if I were ever to go into window cleaning it would certainly be a pole system purely from a safety point of view. Your two feet on the ground is much better than twenty feet up on the rung of a ladder.

 

[John Bolton]

Hello Chris,



It's good to see someone posting within hours of joining - it takes some months to 'loose their virginity'.

We do have a number of WCs (pardon the expression) on board and I'll move this post to the General Cleaning forum to join similar topics.

 

[Dan Woodhead]

Hello Chris

Welcome to Cleantalk.

I used to do traditional and WFP window cleaning, I let most of it go over a year and half ago but I still have my system in the van as I have 2 commercial properties that I do (thinking of letting them go too).

If you don't have a great budget and don't want a van system then I would recommend a trolley system, I used one for over a year prior to getting my van system.

Check out this link: http://www.purefreedom.co.uk/pure-freedom-50-litre-trolley-system-package-p-294.html

 

[chris warner]

Hi guys
Thanks for the quick replies, Dan I've had a look at some trolley systems online but will definitely have a look at the link, cheers mate.

 

[Robert Bailey]

Does your round warrant the outlay for a pole system yet? If so a trolley set up would be best to start with especially without a van.

 

[Trevor Ives]

Look at http://www.gardinerpolesystems.co.uk/
I was one of Alex's first customers, I believe his daughter runs it mainly now. I met him with his prototype system in a car park in Cornwall-- funny how good things come from there. We got chatting, he had not even set up the website then.
We had a problem with one of his first fibre poles, he replaced it with the next generation at no cost, no quibble. Their latest poles have a very good reputation.

 

[Ian Harman]

Chris, if your budget is really tight and you are fairly handy it would not be impossible to build your own trolley system. If you only have domestics then you would probably get away with one pole something like a CLX22 it is light and not impossible to use closed up for ground floor windows. Would all go in your people carrier.

 

[Trevor Ives]

I made a short pole for my bungalow from a soft floor brush with a bracket to hold a tee jet spraying over the top.

 

[Danny Pain]

If money is really tight, you could use a backpack and put it on a sack truck. The back pack will have a built in battery and pump, so is ready to use, you would still need a system to purify the water, but you are going to need that, whichever way you decide to go...hope that helps!

It's also surprising just how cheap you can build a full on van system, just don't go too big on a tank, check the weight your people carrier can safely carry and build it around that.

 

[Brian Barber]

If your serious In my opinion, and I started with a trolley, buy a cheap van and get properly fitted system.

It's false economy starting with a trolley.


It's a pain filling up 25 litre containers ,and lifting in an out of van will start to grind after a while......

I can draw a comparison with carpet cleaning, instead of using a rug doctor, get a Jag or enforcer.......


Just my opinion.

MrB

 

[Trevor Ives]

If you have any mechanical aptitude at all you can build your own system.
Source the parts from various places and self assemble.
The pole is about the only thing you will have to get from a supplier.
As said just be careful of the weight in the van.
Get a large tank at home so the to unit can run all day and a submersible pump to fill the van tank, you can then get by with a lower flow rate on the RO. You can then nip home lunchtime to refill a smaller mobile tank.don't buy a cheap pole, you very much get what you pay for.

 

[Danny Pain]

If your serious In my opinion, and I started with a trolley, buy a cheap van and get properly fitted system.

It's false economy starting with a trolley.


It's a pain filling up 25 litre containers ,and lifting in an out of van will start to grind after a while......

I can draw a comparison with carpet cleaning, instead of using a rug doctor, get a Jag or enforcer.......


Just my opinion.

MrB

I agree! I couldn't use a trolley system, 1-2 houses and then go back to the vehicle to swap barrels over?! not for me, thats why i also suggested building a van system but to fit the people carrier. Even with a 100 litre tank, it would be enough water to allow a couple of hours work, non stop!
The other thing you will find is that if you have been working traditionally, your work will no doubt be built into a round where you can simply take your ladder and walk it. With the pole system you need to be able to park within 100 metres of the property (unless you want to join hoses together). I actually sold on lots of my original work when i went over to WFP as the work was in areas where you simply couldn't park. Worth thinking about before you commit to a particular system.

 

[james oneill]

If you would like to build your own trolley this is a brilliant step by step video on how to do it. I just ordered the parts needed and im gonna give it a go myself. I really like the idea of the pump and power in the toolbox on the vid. I'd like to use it as a portable water pump when needed. Wonder if it could be used for pre spray.

 

[Paul Lasik]

This might be a silly question but can you use a jag for window cleaning if you have all the rigth poles/equipment and if so do people do this.

 

[Andrew Evans]

Hi Paul the jag is a carpet extraction machine and whilst it is great I can't see anyway you could use the Jag for w/c unless there is another Jag for w/c cleaning in which case I will shut up and apologise.

 

[Robert Bailey]

I think window cleaners all drive jags.

 

[Dan Paton]

I think your right Robert. we were leafleting a very affluent area of Southampton on Sunday and I seen a fair few window cleaning vans. Some with 2 or 3 vans on their drives

 

[craig wilson]

I use a wfp system, I have a van mount which is used most of the time.
But I also have just had this trolley made up, pretty much all other trolley wfp systems have an built onboard pump and battery.
With this you use a back pack type unit, it can carry up to 4 x 25litre barrels + the back pack, will also hold your pole and just seeing if a bucket will go on.

I could clean maybe 10 3 bed semis with this fully loaded, less if first cleans.

Its ok on concrete / tarmac but going across grass is hard work, for this reason I'm fitting pneumatic wheels on it.
It would fit in an estate laying flat, possibly a hatchback too with the seats down maybe...?












sorry about the photo's but on my pc they are at the correct portrait angle, drag them to tis and they change to landscape...

 

[Dan Woodhead]

Trolley systems are ok if your working out of your car. When I bought my van years ago I stripped the trolley system down and used the pump, controller and battery to make a van mount.