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Roof Cleaning West Chester PA · Premium Member Roof Cleaning Institute of America

rough day

aaron61 · Guest

Probably should have fired it up at home before taking it out in the field.IMHO

Did you grt some pics?

-- Edited by aaron61 on Sunday 17th of April 2011 05:43:30 PM

Guest

Roof Cleaning West Chester PA wrote:
Did my 1st roof today and and still can't figure out why my pump wasn't working right. I I have the delavan 5850 pump in a box kit, and wasn't getting enough pressure. I constantly had to play around with the hose clamps, and just couldn't get the thing to work consistently.
It finally started working towards the end, but I have no clue why. Also, I use simple cherry and notice that half way through the 200 ft hose the red ended. I'm assuming the SH took over and it lost it's color, but I've never seen one in action so I'm not sure.
Anyway, the homeowner was thrilled, I made 2 appointments from neighbors, and will give Bob a call tomorrow (never do your 1st job on a Sunday).

I suspect an air leak on your intake. (could be wrong of course). And although Bob is my preferred supplier for everything, there are better surfactants than simple cherry. I buy simple cherry and use it, but for siding, not roofs. Just a friendly observation. Bob will get your pump issue squared away.

Roof Cleaning West Chester PA · Premium Member Roof Cleaning Institute of America

I took a before pic but forgot to take an after shot, I'm going back to check it out after the rain so I'll definitely take one. And you're 100% right about testing it out first. My only excuse is that my plan was to fire it up at my neighbors house yesterday but the rain ruined my plans.

And Ted, I used dawn as my surfactant and plan to use ammonyx or bc-mao in the future. It was a steep roof, but cling wasn't my problem as I surprisingly controlled the runoff pretty well. I don't know why I used the simple cherry, looks like it's not necessary.

I used 40 gallons overall ...

25 water
15 SH
4 lbs. TSP
64 oz of isopropyl alcohol 91%
a bottle of dawn and a few scoops of simple cherry

I know that I should've mixed the TSP the night before, but I'm in an apartment so it's a little inconvenient. I mixed everything onsite, 1st SH, followed by water, and TSP, mixed real well, then added the iso, dawn, cherry and mixed some more.

I underestimated the wind ... big time!!!

aaron61 · Guest

I just disolve the TSP in a 5er.Box it back & forth between another 5er then strain it with a 5 gallon paint strainer then pour it in. I've never used the alcohol or simple cherry?

Apr 17, 2011

First off, I stay away from anything that is powder. I don't have time to play with mixing all day. 12.5%, water, and a good surfactant, (AM-lo, Dawn etc...) is all you need.

As far as your pump goes. You will find a very tiny set screw just under the pressure switch. Many times it is necessary to adjust the pressure switch depending on length and size of hose and the size of your spray tips.

Roof Cleaning West Chester PA · Premium Member Roof Cleaning Institute of America

thanks for the help guys, you read so much stuff on this site it can get a little confusing sometimes. last year i worked for a close friend and we used a surface cleaner or pressure washer, despite the rough day i can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel ... i owe you guys a lot, this is a great site because of the people here and me and my family greatly appreciate it

Apr 17, 2011

Before you adjust the pump.....let all your line out from the reel. Sometimes the hose goes dead flat from the weight of the rest of the hose cutting your pressure. It's a quick check before the next step. Good luck........

Roof Cleaning West Chester PA · Premium Member Roof Cleaning Institute of America

Roof Cleaning Long Island N.Y 516-763-4108 wrote:
Before you adjust the pump.....let all your line out from the reel. Sometimes the hose goes dead flat from the weight of the rest of the hose cutting your pressure. It's a quick check before the next step. Good luck........

will do ... i'm sure it's something simple ... i was thinking b/t the cherry and tsp it wasn't mixed well enough? i'll figure it out tomorrow, thanks!

Guest

I always open my valve and let my mix cycle for a min or two back into my tank, I've noticed if you get air in the line and I don't let it charge up before the line loose's total pressure, I have to let it cycle back into my tank to reprime.....in other words it wont prime if i'm at the edge of the roof. Don't know if anybody else has to do that...I just consider it prepping before the job.

As far as the Tsp I bought some when I first started, But after hearing it can etch windows I never tried it, I just stick with the SH,Surfactant,and water, If the roof is really bad I will add Iso, Tsp I hear will keep a roof clean longer tho seeing as it dries into crystals aswell i'm guessing it creates a more hostile enviroment with the added salt from the SH, If i'm right?

Did you ever talk to Bob?

Roof Cleaning Fort Myers FL 239-466-6980 · Guest

TSP does not have salt in it. Sodium is a metal, but when combined with a chlorine it becomes salt. I quit using TSP because of the phosphate in it. Algea flourishes on phosphate. The EPA put regulations on TSP because it was causing algea blooms in lakes. So I am guessing if it causes blooms in lakes than you are just putting GM's favorite food back on the roof when you clean it?

Jon

Central Iowa Roof Cleaning · Certified Cedar Shake Roof Cleaning Specialist

Roof Cleaning West Chester PA wrote:
I took a before pic but forgot to take an after shot, I'm going back to check it out after the rain so I'll definitely take one. And you're 100% right about testing it out first. My only excuse is that my plan was to fire it up at my neighbors house yesterday but the rain ruined my plans.

And Ted, I used dawn as my surfactant and plan to use ammonyx or bc-mao in the future. It was a steep roof, but cling wasn't my problem as I surprisingly controlled the runoff pretty well. I don't know why I used the simple cherry, looks like it's not necessary.

I used 40 gallons overall ...

25 water
15 SH
4 lbs. TSP
64 oz of isopropyl alcohol 91%
a bottle of dawn and a few scoops of simple cherry

I know that I should've mixed the TSP the night before, but I'm in an apartment so it's a little inconvenient. I mixed everything onsite, 1st SH, followed by water, and TSP, mixed real well, then added the iso, dawn, cherry and mixed some more.

I underestimated the wind ... big time!!!

That's quiet the mix there Brother. May want to reconsider your mix?

Roof Cleaning Fort Myers FL 239-466-6980 · Guest

I just had a thought. (kinda scary). Bear with me for minute. Metals are poisonous to algae, which is why the spots under the lead boots are always clean and why copper sulfate works to clean roofs too and why zinc strips theoretically work. Sodium is kinda weird. It is an earth metal but not naturally found in it's original state. And when paired with a chlorine is no longer a metal (because of a missing electron or something). But if the sodium in TSP is the metal form of sodium, then it could help clean a roof and keep it cleaner longer. NOW I JUST CONFUSED MYSELF!! Man I wish I would have taken chemistry. Anybody else understand this stuff? Jon

Guest

.....I was talking about after the SH dries you are left with salt crystals, when tsp dries it dries into crystals,(salt crystals IDK) I thought Tsp had sodium in it....which is salt. Reading your post confused me....lol i'm sure Chris T will chime in

Roof Cleaning West Chester PA · Premium Member Roof Cleaning Institute of America

Central Iowa Roof Cleaning 515-971-1430 wrote:
Roof Cleaning West Chester PA wrote:
I took a before pic but forgot to take an after shot, I'm going back to check it out after the rain so I'll definitely take one. And you're 100% right about testing it out first. My only excuse is that my plan was to fire it up at my neighbors house yesterday but the rain ruined my plans.

And Ted, I used dawn as my surfactant and plan to use ammonyx or bc-mao in the future. It was a steep roof, but cling wasn't my problem as I surprisingly controlled the runoff pretty well. I don't know why I used the simple cherry, looks like it's not necessary.

I used 40 gallons overall ...

25 water
15 SH
4 lbs. TSP
64 oz of isopropyl alcohol 91%
a bottle of dawn and a few scoops of simple cherry

I know that I should've mixed the TSP the night before, but I'm in an apartment so it's a little inconvenient. I mixed everything onsite, 1st SH, followed by water, and TSP, mixed real well, then added the iso, dawn, cherry and mixed some more.

I underestimated the wind ... big time!!!

That's quiet the mix there Brother. May want to reconsider your mix?

lol, yeah, i was like a mad scientist out there ... i think i just didn't mix well enough and made it more complicated than i needed to. i did my friends shed today to practice, just used SH, water and dawn and it came out great.

ordering ammo for steeper pitches from univar next week

Roof Cleaning West Chester PA · Premium Member Roof Cleaning Institute of America

Roof Cleaning New Braunfels TX 830-660-9849 wrote:
I always open my valve and let my mix cycle for a min or two back into my tank, I've noticed if you get air in the line and I don't let it charge up before the line loose's total pressure, I have to let it cycle back into my tank to reprime.....in other words it wont prime if i'm at the edge of the roof. Don't know if anybody else has to do that...I just consider it prepping before the job.

As far as the Tsp I bought some when I first started, But after hearing it can etch windows I never tried it, I just stick with the SH,Surfactant,and water, If the roof is really bad I will add Iso, Tsp I hear will keep a roof clean longer tho seeing as it dries into crystals aswell i'm guessing it creates a more hostile enviroment with the added salt from the SH, If i'm right?

Did you ever talk to Bob?

spoke to Bob, he agrees that the mix was the problem and told me to get a ball valve from lowe's ... great guy

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