questions on starting pressure washing business

[buckeye1]

i was wondering if i bought a regular pressure washer 4.0gpm and a portable tank would i need a pump to go from the tank the the washer?...and any other help on starting up would be very much appreciated...thanks

[Scott]

why would you need a portable tank? I'd go w/o and no you don't need a pump to transfer the water, the p/w'er will suck it out.
I've found that the easiest money to be made in pw'ing is surface cleaning but you'll need a p/w w/at least 4gpms, hotbox, or a skid with hot water, and a surface cleaner. Target churches and fast food stores.

[TRANSMAN]

QUESTION SCOTTY,,, I need more power now!!!!

why would you need a portable tank? I'd go w/o and no you don't need a pump to transfer the water, the p/w'er will suck it out.
I've found that the easiest money to be made in pw'ing is surface cleaning but you'll need a p/w w/at least 4gpms, hotbox, or a skid with hot water, and a surface cleaner. Target churches and fast food stores.

I need more power now Scotti warp drive now or the Klingon's will blow us to star-date 1975!!!

Ahhh that wasn't what i was thinking just having a trekky flashback so here goes and i would appreciate a prompt answer....

I assume you use Honda engines exclusively so how many hours do you get out of them pressure washing if you've worn them out at all

ALSO

How about life expectancy on the PUMPS????

Hours and which brands have you found the best????

Ive been doing a few jobs to keep me from soap opera land the past few weeks and every time i get one done 2 more people ask me to pressure wash their place and im using an older Honda unit that i brought up with me that pumps 3 gal pr minute at 2500-3000 psi....

I think i can easily afford to pay for a 4000 4 gpm unit being i will actually have some real use now for the dang thing so i thought i would ask your input on your F-22 aircraft expertise....

Oppps , i mean pressure washer expertise...

Ohhh , do you think the pumps on the home depot and Lowe's units are really up to the job if you had say 250- 300 or so guaranteed jobs at a trailer park????

Homes and driveways is what i`v been doing so far so the driveways add quite a few sq feet and a lot of these old N.Y ers have motor homes also parked in the place and they want a quick once over just to get bird crap and such so I`m looking at cleaning quite a lot of sq feet with whatever unit i ultimately decide upon....

Ceramic pistons in the pump are the best yes or no????

Thanks for any input and also throw in the max ceiling level on those F-22`s and any kool top secret stuff we cant find on the net , " or stuff thats bogus"....... TWANZ

[Scott]

I need more power now Scotti warp drive now or the Klingon's will blow us to star-date 1975!!!

Ahhh that wasn't what i was thinking just having a trekky flashback so here goes and i would appreciate a prompt answer....

trivia question: how many episodes did the original Star Trek have?

I assume you use Honda engines exclusively so how many hours do you get out of them pressure washing if you've worn them out at all

ALSO

How about life expectancy on the PUMPS????

Hours and which brands have you found the best????

C'mon are you baiting me? You know out of all people that Honda is the small motor king and as far as hours,, I dunno. I don't have a meter on my cheapo setup. Keep the oil fresh and the plugs good and you'll have that sucker for a long time. GX(V) models, that is.
Pumps that comes with a HD model or Sams Club is a direct shaft and is probably a "General" or "AR" pump. Both fine but your belt drives will last longer. When I get to the point that I need to change my pump, I plan on adding a K7 unloader which is easier on your equipment, easier on your body and eliminates water hammering. There's more to just adding on, orifice size may be an issue, mounting block, etc...
Life expectancy: Dunno but I know your motor/pump will last longer with an unloader. Most if not all pumps can be rebuilt for less than $100.
Brand: Dunno again,, I think I read somewhere that General makes a fine pump.

Ive been doing a few jobs to keep me from soap opera land the past few weeks and every time i get one done 2 more people ask me to pressure wash their place and im using an older Honda unit that i brought up with me that pumps 3 gal pr minute at 2500-3000 psi....

I think i can easily afford to pay for a 4000 4 gpm unit being i will actually have some real use now for the dang thing so i thought i would ask your input on your F-22 aircraft expertise....

Oppps , i mean pressure washer expertise...

That 3gpm should do you ok and I'd run it into the ground, not to neglect regular maint., but I'm sure you get my gist. If you ever find yourself needing a new pw'er,, definetely go with at least a 4 gpm. Now once you get into surface cleaning, you'll need mo' gpms and heat. What are you using to wash houses with?

Ohhh , do you think the pumps on the home depot and Lowe's units are really up to the job if you had say 250- 300 or so guaranteed jobs at a trailer park????

oh yeah. You'd be surprised at how many pro pw'ers got their units at HD. Besides, if you have 250 gigs lined up, you should be makin an easy 25k. What chems are you using?

Homes and driveways is what i`v been doing so far so the driveways add quite a few sq feet and a lot of these old N.Y ers have motor homes also parked in the place and they want a quick once over just to get bird crap and such so I`m looking at cleaning quite a lot of sq feet with whatever unit i ultimately decide upon....

now you need heat, surface cleaner at a 4gpm unit. PW'er= <$1000, 20in whirl away = <$350, hot box = <$1500. or get a skid unit for around $4k. Normally driveways don't need any chems unless you have oil issues.
Here's a nice set up with just about everything but chems.


8GPM Enclosed Trailer Setup

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8 GPM @ 3000 psi Custom Skid from PressureTek
51 Hours
24 Horse Honda, synthetic oil
Udor Pump, cat oil
Adjustable Thermostat
Racor fuel/water separator filter system
Belt Drive
1000 Amp Battery
Beckett Burner
30Amp Relay/Reset able Circuit Breaker
Hour/Maintenance/Tachometer Meter
Quick Drain Oil System, Engine/Pump
Nine Gal Gas Tank
16 Gal Aluminum Diesel Tank
1 ½ “ Steel Tube Frame (Red)
235’ High Pressure Hose
100’ ¾� feed hose
Regular Wand W/ Shooter tip and other various tips
Extension Wand W/Support Belt
M-5 X-Jet
200 Gallon Tank W/ Hudson Float Valve, Bypass Lines, Filter, UnderTailer Water Dump
Adams Injector
Ball Valve
2 Cox Hose Reels
Suttner Turbo Nozzle
Bad Boy 30� Surface Cleaner w/ filter
Hand Cart Sprayer For Chemical Application, Sureflo Pump, 50’ hose and sprayer wand.
10 Gal f-13 (PressureTek)
¾ 5Gal Bucket f-18 Stripper (PressureTek)
2001 Haulmark Enclosed trailer (7X14) Drop Gate Ramp, Built In Cabinets and Toolbox, rear stabilizer jacks, brakes.
Custom Cold Air Intake On The Trailer (Feeds Honda Engine)
Roof exhaust for the burner and the engine.
Roof Vent W/ 8 Stackable Fans Installed (Removes Heat From Trailer)
Various gloves, respirator, etc.
All forms, research, logos, website, advertising files, etc. goes with the sale on CD.
Everything is installed in the trailer and is a very nice setup, you could not put this together anywhere near the asking price.

$7500

712-548-4999

Pics are here --> http://frontiernet.net/~hostilezj/machine/

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Ceramic pistons in the pump are the best yes or no????

another one of your trick questions? It's your money homey.

Thanks for any input and also throw in the max ceiling level on those F-22`s and any kool top secret stuff we cant find on the net , " or stuff thats bogus"....... TWANZ

hahahahaa! Just realize that they never, ever, ever list what it's totally capable of.
35,000ft lbs of thrust per engine,,
50k ceiling,,
one thing that they did list w/o lying was the max g's allowed +9
one mo thang, those pics you see of the ****pit, those screens are totally programable. If a pilot likes this over here and that over there, he can do that. Actually when he loads up, his preferences are automatically loaded.

[Woody]

The true performance capabilities of the mothballed-and-recommissioned SR71 Blackbird have, to this day, still not been disclosed.

Even more peculiar, the replacement to the SR71 has never even been mentioned. Some might tell you that we now rely on satellites alone. I will tell you that statement is BS. Look for a brief glimpse of the SR71's replacement in the news some time in the next 25 years or so, but don't expect much in the way of details.

[Scott]

That bad boy was made with 50s technology and it once IFE'd into tyndall. It taxid right into the hangar and was locked up tighter than a drum. It was there for about a week and then gone in the night.

[Woody]

Night arrivals and departures are the norm. Most people would think it was "leaking stuff" if they ever got close enough to see underneath one. Yes, stuff drips from it, but it isn't leaking, I can assure you.

A typical departure... All base lights go out. I mean every single one. A "hangar" door opens (imagine the most secure building in the world, then multiply that times 20). These "hangars" are usually just about ON the runway. You hear VERY peculiar sounding engines fire up. A huge shadow emerges from the door in the black of night. Once it is aligned with the center of the runway, huge flaming exhaust lights up the night, complete with multiple "mach diamonds". VERY shortly, the shadow rotates, and begins a true vertical ascent, disappearing into the night in a matter of seconds.

The typical human reaction is to stand there with your jaw hanging open.

[Scott]

nahhhhh, this bad boy had an IFE, In-Flight Emergency, locally (probably over south america or something like that) and couldn't make it to home base. It came in during the middle of the day. They shut the whole flight line down for a few hours and word quickly spread on what was happening. They tried to get everybody inside, but can you imagine trying to tell over 7,000 people that nothing is going on outside and you must stay inside and away from the windows for an hour or so?

[TRANSMAN]

Scott pressure washed those babies

Night arrivals and departures are the norm. Most people would think it was "leaking stuff" if they ever got close enough to see underneath one. Yes, stuff drips from it, but it isn't leaking, I can assure you.

A typical departure... All base lights go out. I mean every single one. A "hangar" door opens (imagine the most secure building in the world, then multiply that times 20). These "hangars" are usually just about ON the runway. You hear VERY peculiar sounding engines fire up. A huge shadow emerges from the door in the black of night. Once it is aligned with the center of the runway, huge flaming exhaust lights up the night, complete with multiple "mach diamonds". VERY shortly, the shadow rotates, and begins a true vertical ascent, disappearing into the night in a matter of seconds.

The typical human reaction is to stand there with your jaw hanging open.

So that's why people were under the assumption that they were leaking do to increased tolerances required for expansion at mach 3.5...

Ohhh by the way scott thanky for the post ...That's a lot of info and some good reading on proper equiptment....

I`ll munch on that and let it digest a little but that was a mile or more , so now i have to ask if your also grassmaster in disguise???

The only thing is i don't know if i would have the stamina to deal with heated water in this hot sun , but i would like to see how much easier the hot water cuts through the grime so maybe ill check one out... I just figured perhaps a few thousand extra psi would get me by with the extra gallon or 2 for now...

Ohhh and yep when i flew the SR 71 with sodbuster by my side LOL , i used to measure and find it would grow about a foot after my speed record holding trip like the 1 i did from N.Y to London in which i made the trip to see my English girlfriend and made the trip in 1 hour and 45 minutes....

Dang that was fast and Soddy sheit himself at 100,000 ft doing mach 4....

Hey scott are you sure the f-22 has 35000 pounds of thrust per engine?????

Dang man i think that's around the same power as the largest ocean liner out yonder in the oceans put out wit them big diesels and 30 foot propellers!!!

In the movie The right stuff chuck Yeager takes a shiny plain up for a test and i think after hitting numerous afterburners and switches he breaks into outer space and in the movie they show the altitude at something like 102,000 feet just before the thing conks out and plummets to earth....

He does go straight up in that scene just as Woody described when he first takes her out !!!!

What was that shiny plane again???? possibly a U-2 sr-71 cross bread????

I`ll have to break out the DVD tonight and see exactly what that plane was again but give me your guess if your still on

Any guesses out their or was that a theatrical B.S scene in the movie that never actually happened????

Cool shiet though and in my next life i wanna be a fighter pilot just like my hero TOMMY Cruise aka Maverick....

OHHH i almost forgot what i also wanted to ask ya scott being your an airframe mechanic dude...

1.. How come you never jumped up and down on Dr Bizzaros head , and explained to him the white lines behind high flying aircraft and things they shoot from cape Canaveral every week are not some poisonous gas that the government is secretly trying to kill everyone with ?????

How did reading his constant drivel not make you want too explode?????

[Scott]

I`ll munch on that and let it digest a little but that was a mile or more , so now i have to ask if your also grassmaster in disguise???

ya know,, I've heard that before,, hmmm

The only thing is i don't know if i would have the stamina to deal with heated water in this hot sun , but i would like to see how much easier the hot water cuts through the grime so maybe ill check one out... I just figured perhaps a few thousand extra psi would get me by with the extra gallon or 2 for now...

it's the difference between day and night. You'll generally only need hot water for surface cleaning and you'll need to buy some insulated gloves. You don't even get wet and it virtually cuts your cleaning time in 1/2.

Hey scott are you sure the f-22 has 35000 pounds of thrust per engine?????

at least

Dang man i think that's around the same power as the largest ocean liner out yonder in the oceans put out wit them big diesels and 30 foot propellers!!!

but an ocean liner has solid resistance it has to deal with. I believe the 22 is only the 2nd aircraft that we own that can accelerate vertically. Don't quote me on that though.

In the movie The right stuff chuck Yeager takes a shiny plain up for a test and i think after hitting numerous afterburners and switches he breaks into outer space and in the movie they show the altitude at something like 102,000 feet just before the thing conks out and plummets to earth....

He does go straight up in that scene just as Woody described when he first takes her out !!!!

What was that shiny plane again???? possibly a U-2 sr-71 cross bread????

I`ll have to break out the DVD tonight and see exactly what that plane was again but give me your guess if your still on

wasn't that the X1, we used to sing cadence to that back in dubya-dubya nam.

OHHH i almost forgot what i also wanted to ask ya scott being your an airframe mechanic dude...

1.. How come you never jumped up and down on Dr Bizzaros head , and explained to him the white lines behind high flying aircraft and things they shoot from cape Canaveral every week are not some poisonous gas that the government is secretly trying to kill everyone with ?????

How did reading his constant drivel not make you want too explode?????

because he's right.

[TRANSMAN]

UTT- OHHH Conspiracy and scott was abducted with aliens taken to mother wheel with-

ya know,, I've heard that before,, hmmm

it's the difference between day and night. You'll generally only need hot water for surface cleaning and you'll need to buy some insulated gloves. You don't even get wet and it virtually cuts your cleaning time in 1/2.


at least


but an ocean liner has solid resistance it has to deal with. I believe the 22 is only the 2nd aircraft that we own that can accelerate vertically. Don't quote me on that though.

wasn't that the X1, we used to sing cadence to that back in dubya-dubya nam.




because he's right.

DOC !!!!

Now Woody will have to give you an azz woopin on the subject

WOODY WOODY OHH WHERE IS MY WOODY when i need him????

I didn't pull the movie yet but the X-1 does ring a bell and i think your going to win the mystery gift basket...

Also speaking back to the SR71 blackbird that was a pretty massive aircraft was it not?????

Some old air farce guy told me that it was about the size of a 707 or maybe a 727 forgot but i know i was surprised when he said it was like a luxury liner and wondered if he was yanking my chain....

Was there ever a mystery gift basket or was it always a figment of someones imagination????

I always wanted to ask that question also

This is my official ask stupid questions week!!!!!

[Woody]

Ok....

Trans: Scott is the worlds biggest "chain puller", no doubt about it!

Ummmm..... It is commonly stated that the SR71 has huge clearances that close up when it heats up at high speed. I know it is stated as fact, but I'm not sure if I believe that. I know that while it never seems to be mentioned anywhere, the fuel is in fact refrigerated. It is then piped through the craft to cool the crew and avionics. It is my opinion that most of the liquid seen on the ground is condensate. At least.... Well... I won't go there.

Oh and, yes, about a 727 in size. But it would never be mistaken as one.

Scott: I said the NORM! LOL! I bet they were scrambling to get everyone inside. LOL! Barring IFE's (yeah, I knew what that was too), departures and arrivals are normally at night. From a completely blacked out base no less.

[TRANSMAN]

Yes very subtle

Ok....

Trans: Scott is the worlds biggest "chain puller", no doubt about it!

Ummmm..... It is commonly stated that the SR71 has huge clearances that close up when it heats up at high speed. I know it is stated as fact, but I'm not sure if I believe that. I know that while it never seems to be mentioned anywhere, the fuel is in fact refrigerated. It is then piped through the craft to cool the crew and avionics. It is my opinion that most of the liquid seen on the ground is condensate. At least.... Well... I won't go there.

Oh and, yes, about a 727 in size. But it would never be mistaken as one.

Scott: I said the NORM! LOL! I bet they were scrambling to get everyone inside. LOL! Barring IFE's (yeah, I knew what that was too), departures and arrivals are normally at night. From a completely blacked out base no less.

(And scott kicks azz when he wants) "subliminally"

[TRANSMAN]

Pulled Movie &quot;The Right Stuff&quot;

I didn't see any markings but i don't think this was the X-1... They showed that in the beginning of the movie and that looked like basically a small 1 pilot cigarette puny thing that i believe was the first to break the sound barrier... I also got the impression it didn't get to mach speed with and turbo fan jet engines but was lit and used rocket power to get to mach like speed...

Maybe you can identify this supersonic vertical climbing unit ...


FRONTAL VIEW.

Whats the spear dohicky thing for sticking out the front????... Was that for pocking through the sound barrier or to spear any ruskies that couldn't be shot down conventially ????





Pulling out..



Flying straight up like woody described...



MAXED OUT at 110,000 feet or so.




Then they show you a view as if the plain just crests into outer space and everything hits the fan .... Twirly birding all the way back to earth to explode in a cloud of smoke....

Whatever that plane was it looked like a mover in that movie.... Kinda makes your hairs stand on end from power breaking it in the beginning scene , zipping straight up into the stratosphere, and those flames shooting out the back when it was taking off.... Definitely a cool unit and luckily old Chuck Yeager bails out at 90,000 feet in a suite just like the space shuttle dudes wear and walks away from the wreck area ...

Does it look familiar Scott??? I`m thinking it was a NF- 104 "possibly" twanny.....

OHHH just to stay on topic what did you guys use in the older days to pressure wash these things???? Pre 85 you just used a soapy bucket of water with dishwashing detergent and a garden hose right?????

[Scott]

yeah that's a 104, we have several of them drones here.

and that's not quite vertical,, close though.