bitter sweet

[Doug Riemer]

been running to small 4 gpm machines for years and they have done well this is my first year running a full time wash crew and should of done so long ao. Weve gotten in  good with some good property managers and won several big jobs. Hate to spen the money but upgraded to 2 8gpm machines today im sitting here in the window like one of my dogs just waiting for delivery. Hate to let go of money but it will be nice to cut down on man hours. Kinda sucks this is the first year ive pushed washing this hard and im booked out futher than my land scaping company been doing that for 12 years

[Roof Cleaning Virginia]

For pressure washing, you'll instantly see that the money for those 8 GPM machines was extremely well spent.  You'll be MUCH faster on the job, and that equates to higher profit margins.  For a 'typical' 2400 sq ft two story colonial with a two car attached garage with vinyl siding, it's about a 45 minute job with those big machines. 

Have you already got your buffer tanks on hand?  I'd say you'll want at least 100 gallon tank for each.

 

 

 

[Doug Riemer]

yea my trailer is on the gallery its a 20 ft trailer got 550 gallon buffer tanks and 2 125 gallon soap tanks i just been slowly upgrading I hate to spend money on equipment im always worried works going to fall off

[Roof Cleaning Cleveland]

  You can hook your 2 smaller machines up and get 8 gallons out of them.  I'm running a hot water 5 gpm and a cold 4 gpm.  It's nice I can run them together or separate; if a machine goes down I can still limp by with the one machine.

[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

Edited July 17, 2015 by Jeff

[Apple Roof Cleaning (813) 655-8777]

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

I am by no means an expert of pressure washing, but I have personally known quite a few pressure washing type guys, here in the Tampa area. One guy ran what is called an FMC Bean Pump. It ran off a PTO, it was like 1500 PSI, maybe more, but at like 35 GPM, or something crazy like that. It was a big ass cast iron pump, but had ceramic cylinder sleeves, so he ran the soap right through it, washed the house, then switched to water to rinse, all with the same pump ! He could wash a house so fast it was amazing   It was one of these bad boyz - http://www.fmctechnologies.com/FluidControl/Technologies/Pumps/PistonPumps.aspx 

Notice the BHP (Horsepower) requirements for these bad boyz ?  That's why you need you a PTO to run one, but that's really not a big problem. Just get you an old F 350 flatbed with a PTO already on it, get you one of these bad ass pumps, throw some tanks on the back, and go out washing houses for CHEAP. Offer to wash any house for 49.00 (up to 1500 sq ft) to set them up for an additional cost roof and driveways cleaning, LOL

 

 

Edited July 17, 2015 by Apple Roof Cleaning (813) 655-8777

[Doug Riemer]

I dont down stream what I do is i drag both pressure washer hosses to the back of the property one on each side of the house then we drag my air pump hose to the back. I soap the back of the house then they rinse and chase me as i soap we use over sized nozzles on the pressure washer so its still a low pressure wash but with pressure washers. i then do each side then the front and they meet in the middle of the front and we are on to the next one. My plan is right now i have 3 crews my main landscape crew and my main pressure wash crew and then i have a crew that floats in between and catches random jobs. but we stay 2 to 3 weeks out and im trying to do more apartment complexs so my times thin so my plan is next year during the busy season is to make a small trailer and have my third crew be able to catch these customers who call and cant wait. It amazes me how many customers think we are sitting on the couch and hoping they call and it amazes me even more how they find a guy who can be there that day and not wait for a company whos booked up. I dont eat at resturants that dont have waits that means foods not good i wouldnt hire a contractor during the busy season that has no work theres a reason there not working. But any way my plan is to set up a small trailer and my floating crew can handle little small jobs while i focus on the bigger projects. 

[woody70]

 I dont eat at resturants that dont have waits that means foods not good i wouldnt hire a contractor during the busy season that has no work theres a reason there not working.

 

I'll have to remember that one.

[Doug Riemer]

Its a shocker that 2 days before a holiday I have some one call wants work done before the holiday I schdule them for after the holiday then get a call that they found some one who can get there that day. I had some one call me today wanting me to work at there house this morning because he had a party that night the house didnt get dirty last week it amazes me

[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

[Doug Riemer]

but then thats tying a machine up if i soap have 2 guys chasing me thats 3 machines going at once and when i have a fourth guy i put him on a gard en hose 3 rinsing 1 soaping. and on the lasthouse ill switch my soap to clean water and even help rinse with the soap pump which gets it rinsed out