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jgrippi · Guest

RE: New low pressure roof wash system

white fox · Guest

I would like to upgrade to a air pump but I dont do enough roofs to justify it for one thing and for another I like to be in a nice quiet neighborhood n not have loud machines running

Roof Cleaning New Jersey · Oct 11, 2010

Grippi one accused you of anything. Your like a battered husband.

-- Edited by Roof Cleaning New Jersey on Monday 11th of October 2010 05:25:25 PM

Matthew · Guest

jgrippi wrote:

First off, don't know about this bio thing, just filled out what was asked and got down to business.....I am not in this site looking for a facebook profile, suffice it to say I am a successful south Florida business man who will in a couple of weeks take delivery on a hearty trailer mounted hot and cold pressure wash system that specs out to 3000 psi and 9 gpm.....Calculate the cleaning units, they are formidable.....Dan Swede of ICES Fort Lauderdale is putting this together for us and we expect to put it to good use......We couldn't recommend these guys more...A powerful package this is, much to powerful to drag up to some ladies dirty roof....It belongs in gas stations, convenience stores and shopping centers......Thus my though of a low pressure roof package that would be self contained on the diesel truck carting this behemoth around, allowing it to be split off and go to roof work when the trailer is working elsewhere....... And speaking of business, all of mine from San Francisco to now Florida have been successful, not because i was exceptionally bright, I just worked very long and hard, and many times because I spent more time giving away my secrets of the trade, making fast friends of my competitors, the product of which came back to me many fold time and time again over many years.......If you are very good at what you do, and know it, and know you are ahead of the pack, you never have anything to fear......My advise to you is, tell all what you know, be energetic about it, help all you can with your good knowledge, it will come back to you in ways you couldn't imagine......A few words from a found out old man to an apparently young one......Enough of that.......Here is a link for you to do a little reading on..... http://www.coleparmer.com/catalog/product_view.asp?sku=7201215&pfx=
I could be wrong, but good old plug in power is always best, it it wasn't we would be lighting our homes with batteries......And insofar a power goes, we all know, or should, that 220 v power when available for equipment is always best......Runs cooler, runs longer, and wears the equipment miles better that 120V, with DC power only the choice of last resort......That's not roof cleaning technology, thats just electricity 1A....So, give it some thought here, if you are going to be pumping gas or diesel into a unit of any kind, why is it better to pump it into a gas operated and expensive, one using an expensive air compressor system to power up a low pressure system that needs no more than five or eight gpm to get the job done?......Not to mention the additional utility of a gas operated high output generator?........Maybe a lot more gpm if your game plan is to include delivery psi that you can shoot to the ridge from the driveway?........With my chemical knowledge, not a good thing.......And any more gpm, you would surely run dry pretty quick at the least.......And one thing I need to consider, that you don't, is that to run compressed air continually here in south Florida, given our humidity situation, it is problematical at best......Maybe not for those north, but it is for us.........I bought a soda blaster for a good price for personal use, the damn thing gummed up continually with the moisture, turning the soda to mush......Here, these things can only work with air coolers and dryers, something I didn't know, not a problem in other areas....... But it beg the question, for the gallonage of chemical and rinse needed to clean a residential roof properly, is it not easier and more reliable to go to full electrical AC power rather than air and DC if it is available?......A question that I believe should be seriously considered.......You Decide..............

Why are you asking what we think when you clearly have an opinion that you believe is better than our advice?

Hundreds of roof cleaners have logged millions of roofs and I'd bet my next paycheck you wouldn't find more than 4 or 5 electric roof pumps among them.

Issues you have to deal with are:

1. Chemical resistance. 12.5%-15% Sodium Hypoclorite or Sodium Dichlorite/Calcium Hypochlorite/ Dicholor, etc with available chlorine in the 65% range isn't campatible with much of anything resembling metal.

2. Field serviceable. It will break. Murphy goes to work with us roof cleaners every day. I want a pump I can either replace or repair in 15 minutes or less.

3. Cost. See #2. I don't want to have to replace an expensive pump if I can rebuild/repair my 12v system in under 15 minutes and for less than 50 bucks.

4. Versatility. Yes having an air compressor to run my pump is an added expense. But then so is a generator. At leat I can blow out a line or fill my flat tire with an aircompressor.

Just some food for thought.

If you're here to learn, then welcome.
If you here to try and show us hundreds of working guys how we are apparently all wrong.... well, good luck with that.

Oct 11, 2010

jgrippi wrote:

Thanks Ray......Appreciate the info....Been accused around here of trying to reinvent the wheel lately, but it looks like this electric wheel has been rolling for some time now in this business quite well....I suspected as much........Thanks again......

Joe, welcome to RCIA. I'm sure that you will find lots of information here. Everything you pretty much need to know can be found here from roof cleaning, equipment, web site info and SEO, marketing etc...

One thing that we do ask of ALL our members is that they have a signature at the bottom of their posts so that we all know who you are and where your from. House Rules.

We are pretty much a big happy family here and it just helps when we know who everyone is, what their name is and where they are from.

If you click on your name to the left it will take you to all your profile info. From there you can click on the signature button and it will take you to where you can fill out your information. If you need assistance please feel free to ask for help. If you would like me or one of the other moderators on this BB to do it for you we would be more than happy to help you. Just type in, right here what you want your signature to say and we/I can apply it for you.

Thanks and again, welcome to RCIA.
Larry

jgrippi · Guest

Read the posts Ed, they are anything but friendly and informing.......But the main point is, all who responded save a couple, misunderstood the main reason for me going electric at this time......My building a secondary truck rig while waiting for an expensive trailer unit was predicated on my using an already paid for and existing generator, and I stated as much, even saying that for this type of application I would go to air, but not at this time for cost reasons.....I don't need an end all roof washing unit right now, I have a lot to learn in that area, so I decided to go the electric route for the hardware I have.....However, I still prefer electric over air if possible, much because of the constant air problems I have had down here in the heat with our remodeling business....Three compressors we have gone through in just that many years.......Bottom line for me was to learn with what I had, a good generator, add a decent chemical rated pump which I can always use in lots of ways in my chemical business, and let the end all truck mount second system come as it comes......Hence my simple request for an electric pump recommendation.....

jgrippi · Guest

Your points are well taken and appreciated, and I didn't come to this site to tell all I had a better idea, I came to solve an interim problem in outfitting an interim truck rig and so stated...Your advise with these great points are what I would definitely need to consider putting together a quality roof rig,but my initial query was centered around using what I had electric wise by adding a serviceable electric pump to get it all going.....Still prefer electric to air in my other applications, but given the preponderance of roof cleaning experience to the contrary, and your point for point reasons for going this way, if I had a stand alone truck rig exclusive to roof cleaning, which i hope to, it appears that it should be an air unit....Thanks again for your informative reply....

jgrippi · Guest

Relax Ed, things are getting better, don't want to lose you, you were my first good voice......

sweetwaterfish · Guest

Ed...
I use my electric pumps for both roof cleaning AND soft washing. Be careful with these pumps, however. They can pump out a lots of fluid in a short amount of time. My 3/4 HP Meyers shoots about 10-11 GMP

jgrippi · Guest

And Ed, please, battered husband??.......Now I know you are reading my mail!!....Get's tough around here sometimes with this pretty blond lady walking about with her aluminum bat.......And I don't duck as quick as I used to do.......And remember, with me a Coney Island Brooklyn boy from birth, and you an apparent Jersey Boy, we are almost joined at the hip......If we can't understand each other, then who can?....Best!!...Joe

Kleen Roof and Exterior Cleaning · Oct 11, 2010

o.k. as far as good old plug in power for pumps being the better way to go, all depends on what you are moving. In the chemical industry, I'm talking the manufacturing of chemicals, ( glue, resin, and other chems ) the air diaphragm pump is the top dog. It can move large volume's at low psi, and it can pump liquids about as thick as wet cement. Yes, the industry does use ac pumps, mag drive's , direct drive, with and without internal bypasses. They all have their places. But, the true work horse is the air pump.

Roof Cleaning New Jersey · Oct 11, 2010

Grippi I did some of my growing up on 41st and 7th. But I dont have my name tatooed on my arm like the rest of the Brooklynites.

jgrippi · Guest

Not a bad address Ed...A very nice district in its day, like many, mine included back then.........No names on arms here, but with me, somewhere along the way, Mom & Dad ended up there.....

jgrippi · Guest

I don't do highly viscous stuff, but given that you do, yes, that is the best transport system.....Recently, we have developed a bang up graffiti remover for the recycled plastics industry here in south Florida......As good as it is, given my high concentrations of surfactant ingredients, though heavily d-Limonene and Cellosolve EB based, I have trouble moving it through the best of sprayers.....Can't make much money spending more on the delivery vehicle that the product......Thinking about a mustard bottle top?......Anyway, this is not the venue for this discussion, my e-mail is Citronal@comcast.net......Wouldn't mind talking of this.....

Oct 11, 2010

Sir, with all due respect, you are at a roof cleaning site, full of people who do nothing but share information. In all honesty, I sometimes question the prudence of letting just anyone stop in and walk away with all of our years of experience, just by registering? { That's my opinion }
You need to ease up a bit on making demands. I'm not as old as you, i'm 62, but i've been in this business sine 1978.
My advice: You are starting out with extreme overkill equipment ideas.
More pressure washing power and $ invested than is needed and way too much planning for roof cleaning!
I can do 2-3 2000 sq foot roofs a day with a 2 gpm - 5gpm Delavan 12 volt pump, that costs $65-$120 + hose, tank, trailer and gun.
Your idea might be fine ??? IF you already had a large customer base and had more work than you could get done! By the time you set that fancy equipment up, i'll be next door collecting my check.

Usually us older guys believe in the old KISS formula. "Keep It Simple Stupid"
I respect your gusto for work, but you are making way too much out of a simple operation.
You won't find a more knowledgeable group than us, so why not come here a bit more humble?
We are the experts at this and you need to learn. biggrin

Roof Cleaning New Jersey · Oct 11, 2010

Oh boy here we go again lol. We just calmed him down Chuck and here you go .......

Guest

You can twist it how you like,..but you came here with the attitude that our methods can't be working. You was explaining why your way just had to be better. When I told you about a simple water trap on the compressor to solve the moisture issue,...you gave a sarcastic answer about needing a gallon sized water trap,...you obviously hadn't any clue as to what you were talking about and made yourself look really stupid by coming here with 3 posts and making such an uneducated claim about air systems,....so don't turn it around to where you were just looking for some info. You gave a long winded speech as to why your idea seemed so much better.

You could have simply asked like this,...

"So what do you guys think about using an AC pump for roof cleaning?

Jeff

Travis · Guest

I agree with Dan

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