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Roof Cleaning West Chester PA wrote:

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Apple Roof Cleaning Tampa FL (813) 655-8777 wrote:

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Thanks Mike and ED! I have never used a Fat Boy, but I have 2 FloJet Pentaflex pumps, just kind of sitting here.

Tile Roofs are a way of life for me, big ones, with no gutters, and tons of plants! I want to pursue the theory of the accumulators, and see if a bigger one will allow for less cycling.  Your friend may be correct ED, in that the pressure differential in a pair of accumulators will cause the Pentaflex to freak out, and cycle. 

Bob from Pressure Tek did modify my 2 FloJet Pentaflex Pumps to use external Auto Parts Store Relays. Unlike a Fat Boy, the stock Pentaflex relays are encased in Epoxy, underneath the freaking pump!  This protects them well, but makes it near impossible to easily change out, when they fail. And, fail they will, when hooked up to a small nozzle. In fact, the FloJet Pentaflex is an absolutely incredible 12 volt pump. If all I did was shingle roofs, Guess what I would use 

It is true, my 21 CFM 12 horsepower air compressor and 1 inch Wilden Hastelloy Air Pump will beat the FloJet Pentaflex, as far as flow goes, and will shoot further. But the simplicity and low cost of the FloJet Pentaflex vs a full blown monster air pump system like I have makes a very strong case for the Pentaflex. Of course, I have never gotten to use the FloJet very long. One big tile roof took it out, so I will have to see about it's ultimate relaibility I guess ?

ED, if a Pair of accumulators will not do the trick, then perhaps a larger one may ?  I plan on calling Shurflo and FloJet (they make the accumulators), and speak to a pump engineer if possible, to see if my plan has any merit. But according to Bob at Pressure Tek, the single accumulator reduced cycleing to only once every 6 to 7 seconds. Bob says that will greatly extend the relays life, and with the external auto parts store relay he installed, it is a piece of cake to change now.

The FloJet Pentaflex has a Monster sized motor, that sort of makes a Fat Boy look like a toy, compared to it. 

As I told you guys, my ability to clean roofs is over. My Lungs are shot, and any exertion causes extreme coughing spells/ An Inhaler works, but I have high blood pressure, and inhalers raise blood pressure 

And, just the smell of the chlorine causes my Lungs to tighten up, so my hands on roof cleaning carreer is at it's end.

Since I can no longer go out and work, I crave the simplicity for my employees of a 12 volt system. The other day, a belt broke on my air compressor. My guys were 45 miles away, and came home. I was so pissed. 

IF I can make these FloJet Pentaflex Pumps work, there will always be a replacement pump, ready to easily remove and replace.

One idiot I trained I had to let go. He came all the way bak to Tampa from Ocala Florida, 100 miles north of here, because thr air compressor "would not start". The dumb Fuk faled to realize that Honda Motors MUST have Oil, or they protect themselves from low oil conditions by refusing to start!

I did not fire the idiot for lacking the knowledge of Honda Motors. I fired him because he did not even TRY to go to a lawnmore shop up in Ocala, to seek advice! 

 

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I'm sorry to hear about your lungs Chris ... Chlorine & bong hits I guess isn't a good combination!!!

Yeah that would've been grounds for immediate termination on my ship too ... common sense can't be taught and no use investing any more time & money into a lost cause.

Safety & simplicity is so important to my operation that I've never explored the air system despite its undeniable advantage in terms of performance. I'm not the most handy guy in the world, as Bob can attest to with some of my questions. The way I justify my incompetence is in the time it takes me to repair something it would be more profitable for me to focus on marketing and sales.

I've focused primarily on residential roof cleaning and as I transition into my employees performing 100% of the labor, I'll be focusing more on commercial so I think the Pentaflex would make a lot of sense. 

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 Actually, it is more the Chlorine, and many years of cigarette smoking. I never was a Pot Head, just never liked the buzz I guess ? Remember, I am 58 years old, so of course I tried it. And I have smoked it several times. I have nothing against it, and think it should be legal, it's not like the Cops are stopping it. I think people of today are being ripped off on weed. Back in my day, here in Tampa, we bought 5 finger high sandwich bags of Jamician or Columbian for 20.00. If you were foolish enough to smoke a whole joint of what we used to get back then, you would be sorry! This "Hydro" shit I see people smoke is a big ripp off, but whatever. Garbage Mexican Weed has replaced the Primo weed I knew as a kid. You never see the good Columbian weed I saw as a kid, because the Columbians found more money sending Cocaine to America. 

The same with the great Jamician Weed we saw in the early 70's. LOL, I think all the Jamicians became Cocaine dealers instead. Now, the Jamicians were really into Da Weed. They even built a religion around that chit. Some of the "Rasta Men" had dreadlocks back in the 70's down to their knees( they stayed too stoned to get a freaking haircut) Their Weed was called "Jamician Collie" which meant "Jamician Tops". It was ALL tops, no shake, and the FEW seeds that one could find in it were considered "precious", they were saved and cultivated. 

Back when I was a kid, we had our Own "Outdoor Grown Hydro". It was called "Gainseville Green". It came out of the Universiy Of Florida, and was ALL Female Plants, absolutely NO Seeds. It was a direct descendant of the Jamician stuff. The Florida Growers only planted and cultivated Females.   W/O the male plant, the female can not make seed. So, she keeps making sticky stuff, in hopes of catching some male pollen. The longer she makes sticky stuff, the better. 

Mexicans do not care what kind of shit they send Americans, so they do not make any attempt to "weed out" the males. This is why their product is chit. Now, the Jamicans (who really cared) weeded out a good percentage of the males in their fields. As the result, it gave their Females longer time to "grow and get good". 

Interesting FACT here for everyone - Kentucky, yes Kentucky, supplies a large percentage of the "Hydro" for the Eastern Part of the United States!

And so, for all you "after work pot heads" out there, do NOT piss Gary off, because he lives in Kentucky, LOL

I have not smoked any weed in probably 20 years, maybe more, nor do I have any plans to. I think it is FAR less harmful then alcohol, and should be Legal, just not for me anymore. Roof Cleaning is a dangerous line of work. Just for the record, I advocate being totally sober and straight, when you are working. What you do in your free time, is your business. I have fired people for being BOTH drunk and stoned, on the job.