I'm looking for advice on dispensing apple sauce with a pump up sprayer. I'm still saving for a pump system, so I've got to make due for now with these first few jobs.
I know it will be more time intensive, but can someone help me think through other issues? I'll have two sprayers with a guy on the ground handing me refills.
All the answers you need are on these posts. There is a lot of great info on here. Just type in keywords on what you are searching for and voila....your answers will appear! Good luck!
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Mike Lacey Louisville, KY Green Goose Roof & Exterior Cleaning LLC
Let me clarify that I mean to use the small, hand-held, plastic pump up sprayers, until I can afford a Delevan / Fatboy / Shurflo-type setup.
I've done - and continue to do - lots of reading and searching on this forum and others, but I don't see anything specific to starting with a manual pump.
Obviously it will be more labor intensive because the process will be slower. Time I have. Money I don't have. I'm hoping to get a few roofs done using more "manual" methods, to practice with chems, dwell times, etc., while I save up for more automated methods.
If you had to do a roof with manual pump up sprayers, what would change, other than the time it takes to apply the chems?
I started doing roofs with a pump sprayer,..but that was actually long before I started selling it as a specific service.
There isn't much advice available for using the pump sprayers. Get the mix right and put it in the sprayer and spray away.
Not being a smart a**,...but if you can't afford a more efficient sprayer,..then you really can't afford paying someone to refill your jugs. Get rid of the helper and get things rolling on you own.
You only need a couple of roof jobs to get you a better starter setup,...and add to it from there. Pump, hose and storage tank. Go from there.
Thanks Jeff. I've been building up my services over the summer and my first roof cleaning job is next Thursday, so I don't have time to pull a system together, even if I wanted to!
As for paying a man on the ground, I'd have to disagree (unless I'm missing something). Paying a guy $60 (12/hr or $15/hr loaded) for 4 hours of labor on a $500 job seems worth it to me, just to have an extra set of hands.
I'll probably order a pump this week or next and start building a system. I'm planning on starting with the Shurflo 1.8gmp 60psi (thanks to AC Lockyer for that tip!), 3/8" polybraid hose and some sort of wand/tip set up.
I was looking at the pvc wand setup than Don Phelps has designed with the 8010 tip. I'm not sure if that's the best wand/tip set up for the Shurflo (I'll have to keep reading on that, because it doesn't all make sense yet).
Yes, if you're paying a guy before you're up and running,...you're missing something. The proper tools and knowledge to do the work is first and foremost,...not a helper!!
Suggestion: Put it on a visa or talk to a close family member for a little finances. Don`t get me wrong but it sounds like you might not have faith that this procedure will work. Trust me I bought a 5850 kit with 5/8 hose in the middle of June & have cleaned over 50 roofs & have not looked back. The Love mixture might be too harsh on a pump up sprayer & I hope you have good health insurance when you slip off the roof using a hand held sprayer. Kipp
Craig, I understand about not wanting to spend the money. Times are tough. If you are going to use a pump sprayer and a ground man... have him fill the sprayer and climb up and down the ladder while you wait on the roof. This will keep you from getting fatigued which could lead to an accident. If you can manage two pump sprayers then have your ground man fill one while you are spraying with the other. Premix enough Love to do the roof and put it in 5 gallon buckets that your man can use to fill the sprayers. Over spray should not be too much of an issue but be aware and rinse any areas that may be at risk anyway. I always do a two coat process. The second application is usually liter than the first but with the pump sprayer I would plan on the second being the same as the first. TAKE YOUR TIME, don't get in a hurry, think of it as a learning experience. Be safe and I hope this helps, Patrick
I cleaned my very first roof with a pump up sprayer. It worked very well, but took a long time!
The biggest problem you are going to have with a pump up is the screen clogging inside the sprayer. It will cause you serious problems!
I use apple sauce primarily and always have. The TSP and Borax WILL clog the sprayer. You MUST mix the TSP in extremely hot water and don't try to disolve more than 1 pound in 1 gallon of water. Borax can't do more than 1 pound in 2 gallons of EXTREMELY HOT WATER!
You can buy a cheap Shur Flow and use it to make enough money to buy upgraded stuff.
Don't waste your money on a wand set up. Just go buy an industrial garden gun from home depot. It is part of Mike Sullivan's bare minimum rig list. (Mike you should add some tags to that post. It is difficult to find for new guys) It is very cheap and works well. I have all kinds of spray tips and I really don't use them. I use a hose end sprayer that has an on off valve and an adjustable tip. It is over a year old and still going strong!
You don't need to make it more complicated than it really is. Simplify things and make some money and then go buy all of the upgraded time saving equipment.
Good Luck!
Brian
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Brian Friel The Roof Cleaners llc Oxford PA 19363 610 842 2104
This isn't necessarily directed at Craig,..but at the topic at hand.
I realize everyone doesn't or can't start with the best equipment. But, if I had the internet and access to this much information when I started cleaning roofs,...I would have been successful long before I was.
Pump sprayers were used probably by many unaware and aspiring roof cleaners,...but how can anyone sit here and read this much info on roof cleaning and still want to use pump sprayers!! It takes approximately 35-50 gallons for an average roof job PROPERLY,...Do you realize how much of a pain that is with a 2 gallon pump sprayer that is losing pressure the first second you start applying.
Paying a guy to refill a jug instead of having a fairly cheap electric pump is just beyond me. As I said, many of us have probably started this way,..only because we were ignorant of proper methods. Nothing wrong with a helper,..but his/her job should be landscape care.
Also, you're first impressions on customers is very important to establishing yourself. I don't see the need to offer much advice on severely antiquated methods,...makes me feel almost irresponsible to make out like this is an "ok" method. It's not ok,...I've been there,..it sucks!!
I'd say the guys wanting to use pump sprayers instead of waaay easier and better methods just want to test out the roof cleaning business. They need to come back when they're serious about it and have at least intermediate questions.
Jeff
-- Edited by Raystown Roof Cleaning Central PA 1-800-236-0322 on Sunday 27th of September 2009 06:53:45 AM
Some guy put bleach in his pump sprayer that still had acid in it. After he mixed the two together, he screwed the lid down tight, climbed up the roof while it was building up pressure........and..........BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!!
Craig,
Jeff is a very experienced veteran and knows what he is talking about.
We can not stress enough for you to avoid using pump sprayers like the plague.
If you can't afford a cheap $129 pump, how can you afford business cards, chemicals, or anything?
I'm looking for advice on dispensing apple sauce with a pump up sprayer. I'm still saving for a pump system, so I've got to make due for now with these first few jobs.
I know it will be more time intensive, but can someone help me think through other issues? I'll have two sprayers with a guy on the ground handing me refills.
Thank you!
Listen to Jeff and Mike ! Been there, done that, and one guy went boom boom! Read all about the roof cleaning explosion here www.saferoofcleaning.com
Heed Mike Sullivans advice, and read the bare minumum roof cleaning rig thread ?
Hahaha! I can remember doing some Roof Cleaning with a pump up sprayer many many moons ago. What a PITA...Up and down the Roof, Sprayer clogging up all the time, busted back and legs and not to mention how many sprayers I went through. They just don't last running Love through them. I would kill at least 3 on every job.
Hahaha! I can remember doing some Roof Cleaning with a pump up sprayer many many moons ago. What a PITA...Up and down the Roof, Sprayer clogging up all the time, busted back and legs and not to mention how many sprayers I went through. They just don't last running Love through them. I would kill at least 3 on every job.
Geez! Sounds like a serious PITA!!!
I think that would be my main concern with Craig using a pump sprayer -- what if it breaks when you're halfway done with the job? Are you going to wait while you send your paid employee to go buy a new sprayer? And if you can afford buy three pump sprayers like you might need, can you not afford a Delevan pump and rush shipping?
Craig one idea to think about if you need to, northern tool has 15 plus gallon spray or 26 gallons with a 2.6 gpm sprayer built on top of it. Here is the link
Maybe you can try this out and see if it would help, you can also get 100 ft of green braided hose from there at a 3/8 or 1/2 inch size. If anything you can mix up your love in 15 gallon plastic containers and take with you then pour it in the smaller sprayer to use. This would keep you from using a pump sprayer to carry also this might get you by until you can afford more or better equipment.
Just copy and paste the link for northern and it will take you to it, also if you choose this make sure you rinse out your pump with fresh water after each use.
Thanks fellas. This has been extremely helpful. I've been doing research all weekend! I'm going to try to reschedule this weeks roof cleaning and pull together a basic set up (thank Mike, that's a great overview!).
I was benchmarking my costs against the Fatboy at pressuretek for $1500 (+shipping +tank, etc), and can't pull that together quite yet. But, I couldn't visualize a more basic set up. So, I'll order a pump tomorrow, found 55 gal drums on craigslist for $25, and get hose, etc. Should be ready to roll through the Fall months by next week.
The next order of business will be certification!!