Jeff

Thanks Gary, yea that rings a bell from math class. Hey Chris,..yea it is confusing,...Santoprene for example,..a common diaphragm material rates A-Excellent for the <20,... but D- Severe Effect for 100% . Whatever that is, like you said. I dug around and can't seem to find anything on what 100% actually is. Maybe I'll e-mail Cole-Parmer. The reason I even ask is because I sometimes have a reason to spray 12.5%,...Flagstone can be one of the hardest things to remove mold from,...those black spots that always seem to be underneath lichen are a bear to remove. As shown in another thread, I made a 12V sprayer and was wondering if 12.5% is gonna eat it up. Jeff

When I read the Cole-Parmer chemical compatibility guide I see where it says,..for example: Sodium Hypochlorite <20...........................What does the symbol represent? Sodium Hypochlorite 100%...........................What is considered 100%? *Just wondering where typical 12.5% falls into place for chemical compatibility checks. Thanks, Jeff

Chris Tucker was talking about something like this years ago,..I think he called it a vari-flow system. Was the same idea, had separate tanks with proportioning valves to dial in an exact mix. Jeff

Yea Chris,..I actually remember you discussing these things in the past,..but I had no interest because I wasn't using 12V for anything,..but I would have listened. The only reason I could see using an accumulator over these would be the flexibility of being able to run both high flow and low flow with the simple change of a nozzle. Where as,.. the smaller suction line restricts flow and pressure, resulting in lost distance and coverage rate when it's needed,..requiring the opening of the pinch valve or changing the suction hose size to a larger diameter,..back at the pump. But yes,.in my case,..I will be using this thing with lower flow and PSI 90% of the time,..so the pinch valve would be ideal for me. Jeff

Thanks Chris,..the inlet hose isn't collapsing at all. So I'm gonna go with it. I like that pinch valve,..use one hose and adjust as needed. Yea, I realize starving a pump isn't good,..but I'm with you on the perfect World thing. I think it's better than an accumulator as well, and doesn't take up any space or have bladder failure. I use Purple Power diluted by 50/50 with water during the warm humid Summer months,..early Spring and Fall I use it more on the straight side.. Yes, I like the idea of the 12V portable so far,.and it is a simple system. Good to hear the longevity of your pump spraying various chemicals. The dolly idea is a good one,..I'm just out of room. *On the possibility of a leaking pump,..I think I'm gonna take a bucket and cut the bottom off so I have a drip pan about 3" Then I will mount the pump to this on the inside and put it inside the bucket and rest it on a ledge I will screw to the side made form rubber blocks or even wood. Will also hide the battery and make a cleaner look. There will be charging posts to the outside of the bucket. Jeff

Yea, maybe I'll put the battery in it's own box. Aren't lawn and garden batteries sealed though? I guess they could still leak,..but they don't have the caps like the old ones did,..at least this one doesn't. But I will still divide them better and also put a few more holes in the bucket for ventilation. maybe I'll enclose the pump,..it's not gonna see alot of use anyhow to get hot,..maybe even a plastic tray on top of the battery to catch any leaks that happen before i catch them. The fumes from Purple Power aren't flammable on their own and neither is bleach. Jeff

Thanks Tom,..I'm gonna work on a nicer looking setup over the Winter months. Been wanting to try a portable,..I think these do have several uses,..Be a good middle ground applicator,..where the pump up's are sometimes too small,..but the roof rig is overkill,...this should fill that gap. This is my first go round with 12V so I need to catch up on all you veteran 12 volters. Gonna order the one Chris recommended and use it as a second/,backup unit. Just want to get my feet wet with this one. Jeff

Ok, I went to TSC and bought the Delavan 2 GPM 60 PSI 12V. Santoprene Diaphragm and Viton valves. I didn't disregard Chris Tuckers recommendation,..the Delavan was bought because I had some ideas and didn't want to wait,Ha,Ha,..So,.it's kinda' experimental so no big deal. I had an Idea to make it hand held,..but also wanted to make it waterproof. So my prototype came together quickly. This pump puts out 2 GPM and REALLY sprays for the purpose I intend. Chris,..Question for you,.....I was experimenting with the flow rate to tone down the flow and the pressure,....Turning the pressure switch down just causes cycling,..but to have it up causes too much flow,..along with the PSI. So,..what I did was make the pickup line very small,..went from 3/8" to 1/4" first,..still too much,...then I went to a size smaller than 1/4" not sure the exact size, just had it laying around,..it makes the flow and pressure perfect for what I want. By restricting the intake it restricts the PSI and the flow. And the motor doesn't sound like it's working as hard with the smaller hose,..so my question is,...is this restriction on the intake in any way gonna hurt anything? I figured as long as it's pumping liquid it's ok,..and with the pump not working as hard,..I can't see what it's gonna hurt,..BUT,..that is why I'm asking. I can switch intake hoses easy enough for times I may want more flow and PSI. I like the bucket because with the lid it is now waterproof,..this pump is used sparingly for short spray times so heat won't be an issue,..probably around a total of 10-15 minutes per job,.. May go to the original idea of a hand truck,.but I am OUT of room,Ha,Ha,.. *Gonna use a prettier bucket next time,..this was just a prototype. **Pump is mounted to an oak board and lays between the battery terminals. Gonna insulate the posts and also run charging posts to the outside of the bucket. ***May try to cut down a hand truck to the size of two buckets stacked,..with something on there to keep the hose on. And also add bigger tires so it will roll easier. Not sure I even have room for that. Jeff

Yea, Chris,.I could see me showing up on a job with that,Ha,Ha,..I like the concrete cleaning he was demonstrating. May be ok if you were getting paid by the hour,Ha,Ha,.. Thanks Tom,..that's good information. I have an almost new tractor battery that is fairly new,..I may try it and see how long it lasts. But it also tells me that a smaller deep cycle battery would also work. Thanks again, Jeff

With weight of a battery in mind, I may try and use a wheel chair battery for a portable sprayer? There won't be a constant spray,.more like spot spraying,..usually 1-2 minutes continuous at most I'd say. Anyone ever try this with a wheelchair type battery? Thanks, Jeff

Show us something that can make GM on a shingle or tile roof disappear in 15 minutes or less,...that isn't Sodium Hypochlorite, won't destroy the shingles,.. and works upon simple application with rain doing the rinsing. I really hope you have something,..Not something that should work,..something that DOES work,..with proven results.. Jeff

You look at equipment as an investment, that will possibly be used for many jobs,..use this one to pay for the equipment and then you own it. Stinks I know,..but that's how we move up in this business and separate ourselves from the guys doing it with sub par equipment. Get an 8 GPM machine,..I think once you go 10+ GPM you have to go to 1/2" hose,..at least if you're running 200'. That would get HEAVY. A job like that requires a tank float and then just hook up to any water source. The way you first described doing this job would be a serious PITA. Yes,.you need upgraded equipment here,..you may land more work from just looking like you're prepared for the task at hand. If hooking up to a water source is available everywhere, you're going to have to figure out a way to get more water onsite. 300 gallons doesn't last long doing flat work. Do it the way you described for 1/4 of the job,..then go buy the new stuff and it will seem more worth it to you. Jeff

Yes, that's the stuff. Best bought through Advance Auto website. Free Shipping on orders over $75.00 and with code TRT30 you get 30% off. So,..5 buckets to the door is $96.00. There is a $50.00 cap on the savings, so ordering 5 per order suits best. Jeff

Yea Chris I agree, I 'd rather be able to dial the pressure down than to not be able to dial it up! Hey Tom,..I spray alot more than just the gutters with PP,..I also spray window seals, trim and fascia to brighten,..way better than house wash mix will get them. I also use it on white vinyl railing and fencing, PP just does a superior job compared to SH and soap. I want to make it so a 5 gallon bucket can be taken on and off. Not gonna be strapped in permanent. Hoping to get by with charging the battery once a week,..not sure how much these pumps draw, but really not alot of spray time in reality when just doing gutters and trim. We shall see. As far as spraying gutter cleaner, it does a couple things,..I think it wakens up the cleaning agents and lets the product work better,..and spraying makes an easy way to apply and let sit for a minute on the tough ones. The little bubbles created gives it cling to the gutter surface as well. Just my preference. Jeff

Thanks Chris,..I knew I asked the right guy! Thanks Again, Jeff

Thanks Chris, Although they may be worth a gamble,..I think I will stick with a proven name. Anything you recommend in particular? I was actually looking at this pump. SHurflo 8000-543-238

Hey Tom nice to see you!!,..... I just prefer to spray gutter cleaner,..always seems to work better when sprayed,..at least for me. Hey Chris,..PP is Butyl based and also has a kiss of NAOH. Thanks, Jeff

Thanks Chris, mostly I want to apply my gutter cleaner, Purple Power. I've been using my roof rig as a test for this idea and I really like it over pump sprayers. Just wasn't sure I'd like the extra hose getting tangled in the wash hose. But I find it's working good. But, I'd rather have a smaller hose to apply Purple Power, 1/2" is just overkill. Plus, having a carted rig would be more tidy I believe. I also like dedicated tools, with the All-Flo roof pump I have to run PP back out of 200' of hose to then run roof mix through it, kind of a pain. With that said, I still want a pump that will handle something more aggressive if need be,..but mostly would be used for Purple Power. This is gonna be a Winter project, so I'm in no hurry to throw something together. Appreciate your knowledge and feedback! Thanks, Jeff

Hey Chris, I know you have great knowledge of hose diameter and lengths for use with 12v pumps,.. So,..I'd figure I'd ask you some advice on the build of a chemical applicator. I want to make a portable chemical applicator mounted on a hand truck. With 12v pump and battery, 50' of 3/8" hose on a reel and of course the 5 gallon bucket. Will a 12v pump push through 50' of 3/8" hose through a small orifice like a basic garden sprayer wand, like a mist if needed? And if so, which pump would you recommend for this? Although I wouldn't be spraying roof mix through it I'd like it to handle aggressive chemicals if the need arises. And I'm good about rinsing. Thanks, Jeff

For the rare times I can't reach part of a roof with my regular tool,..due to angle, height or wind,....I simply attach an aluminum extension and spray that area and then remove it. When removing it, make sure you have the end pointed away from you and onto the roof or into the gutter,...because it's full of roof mix and is gonna run out the end. It's actually for my power washer,..use it rarely there also,..but a good to tool to have none the less. You can by 1/4" aluminum pipe from McMaster-Carr and then have it threaded,..add coupler and you have an extension that will last forever. I have 3 of these extensions that came with the original used machine I bought in 1996. 1ft. 3ft. and an 8ft. Jeff

The idea of spraying 12% to clean soffit tells me you have ALOT of reading to do before going to someones property. It's more like about 1% hitting the surface. House washing properly and giving a customer their moneys worth is more than applying bleach and rinsing. Gutters are cleaned with an entirely different product. These are things you have to know to give customers a quality job. Go to Propowerwash.com and read.. Jeff

Hey Doug,..DS'ing houses is something you should try. If you would go back and find my old posts on various sites around 2005,..you will see I did it the same as you,..and I was stubborn about DS'ing,..I Once I tried it though I wouldn't look back. If you want to use two machines on a house they should both be DS'ing and rinsing with the same machine(s). You can do as many are beginning to do and have a ball valve soap by-pass,..you stop the soap and also get the benefit of full flow. At what strength is your SH when house washing. Here is our procedure : I wet all the windows, then soap the siding,.. usually two sides at a time,....My helper stands at the machine and turns the ball valve by-pass when I'm done soaping,.....then using a pump sprayer we apply the gutter cleaner to the gutters and any other aluminum trim like soffit and windows screens etc,..We scrub these surfaces with brushes,.....then we push up the screens and clean inside the window frames,..sometimes the ledge needs done with Magic Erasers ,..then we rinse it all down. Some houses need two-stepped under the soffit and fascia to get the (Dirty) stain out,..an acid alone will work,..but you can use it much weaker when used along with a caustic,...and it works with less effort. Had to do a whole house a few days ago by two-stepping. *We actually prefer the Dollar Store brand "Super Erasers" they're not only stronger but are also cheaper. Jeff

I go look at every job that is a new customer,..not just to see the the work and landscape,..but meeting the customer shows a more personal touch and interest in their job. I like to explain about moss and lichen and anything else that may be of interest,..not to mention the possibilities of other work. Oh,.and I don't write any quotes on anything in most cases. I like keeping business casual. I give them a price and and they say, "sure do it"... then I come and do it. ( I will write it down in my personal notes, because busy times can get confusing on who gets charged what,Ha,Ha,.) *Certain jobs require written quotes,..but residential is just agreed on when looked at. **We have about 100 regular every year customers who just call when they're ready, we obviously don't look at these every time. In fact many of these customers have told us a month they want it done every year and we just schedule it in. Jeff

Hey Doug, work falling off is usually temporary, not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. For whatever reason work falls off for me through August,..EVERY year? Not sure why,..but by September the calls kick back up and we go until it's too cold. This used to scare me,..but after about the 5th. year, I realized it's a pattern. I actually look forward to this slower time,..I get to do some Summer things,Ha,Ha,.. Treat customers fair and do a good job, and the business will take care of itself and reward you with repetitive work from many customers. I aslo seen you mention 125 gallon soap tanks. When you wash a house, are you using a dedicated pump to apply soap, or are you DS'ing? Unless you already have,..you will really want to get a surface cleaner to go along with 8 GPM. That is where you will really benefit with the bigger machine. Jeff

Hey Doug,..going from 3/8" to 5/8" would make a huge difference,...but 1/2" would most likely been a good middle ground for you,..especially if you drop down to 200'. There must be a reason for the 300',..but I think the the more common length is 200',..especially for residential. *The bigger hose is also better for you pump if it's electric, especially when running longer lengths. The longer the hose the more friction loss your pump must overcome. Jeff