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khill007 · Guest

Start Up Essentials-Roof Cleaning Business

RCIA Founder

You need a chemical pump, suggest a Delavan 5850 12 volt pump to start.
2 -�100 foot lengths of 5/8 vinyl garden hose can be used to start cleaning roofs.
You MUST find a source for Sodium Hypochlorite 12.5 percent
Sometimes, it is called liquid pool shock, or liquid chlorine.

Bidding a job depends on your local conditions, and competing roof cleaning companys in your area.
Shingle roofs are from 15 to 20 cents a sq ft, so a 2000 sq ft roof will be from 300 to 400 dollars, steep roofs are more, and so is exsessive landscaping.

A Pressure Washer is not necessary to clean roofs with, and MAY scare your customers, LOL

ONEBADDOGO · Guest

What do you use for a power source for the Delavan pump?
Do you power it from your vehicle so your battery recharges?
Just getting list together to start and want to do it right biggrin

Thanks

RCIA Founder

I always used a deep cycle marine battery for my 12 volt roof cleaning pumps.
Some go directly to their trucks battery, and some just leave truck run during the cleaning.

Roof Clean USA Georgia 229-227-0000 · guest

ONEBADDOGO wrote:

What do you use for a power source for the Delavan pump?
Do you power it from your vehicle so your battery recharges?
Just getting list together to start and want to do it right

Thanks

As� Chris from Apple Roof Cleaning suggests, the options he recommends are

valid. I want to add one more thing. Solar power and a redundant power supply.

Let me address this.

Batteries drain, period. And if you are using your pump regularly you will eventuallly have a dead battery at the worst possible time, when you are either in the middle of a job and the supply of DC current can't keep up with demand or worse when you have a deadline and a job to do and you go out to the site and you find either your battey is dead and/or you forgot to charge it. Oops...

Bad scenarios, both.

Here is� one Solution.

Run a redundant (Multiple) battery system and use fuses and relays to keep everything kosher when in peak use mode.

Using more than one battery (marine deep cycle preferred) can keep you out of the poor house, Jason, when your rig is your lively hood, and I am assuming it is and you are not independantly wealthy and just doing this as a hobby because you don't need any more money. LOL

Here is an additonal option.

Solar Power as a Battery Backup

Also, since this is roof cleaning and you will be working during daylight hours outdoors, I recommend investing in a solar panel or two depending on load delivery and output capacity, to recharge your batteries on the job, between jobs and etc. so your batteries are always up to capacity and not left to an afterthought.

You can find these recharging solar setups at Northern Tool online or even Wal-Mart has versions suitable and up to the task that will work perfectly fine for your needs.

Once you set up redundant batteries and a solar cell to keep your batteries topped off you will sleep and work better knowing your rig will always be up to the task and will be ready to perform, when you are.

-- Edited by Roof Clean USA at 00:59, 2008-09-30

Paul Kassander · Guest

Solar backup...Great idea, I never would of thought of that.

RCIA Founder

Paul Kassander wrote:
Solar backup...Great idea, I never would of thought of that.

Paul, you guys NEED to come up with some roof cleaning pump/hose packages for our members ?
Do you guys carry Delevan Pumps, Flojet, Shurflo, Johnson 12 volt pumps ?
What is needed is a complete 12 volt pump package with hose optiions and a spray applicator that is chlorine proof.
Many are looking for a turn key system.
I think an inexpensive 4 roller pump set up using a roller pump directly connected to a gas motor will sell too.
Of course, any roller pump is eventually gonna die from chlorine exposure.
But replacement pumps are cheap, just bolt on a new pump, and go.

The Comet and Udor pumps I have never had luck with, even when I rinsed them out.
The stainless steel springs pit and break, and the glass filled poly leaks upon exposure to chlorine.
MAYBE the newer ones are better ?

Pressure Tek is coming out with a "Bobcat".
It is a Delevan 12 volt pump head on a gas motor.
I did this years ago on a shurflo, but found the head unable to handle the extra flow and pressure.
It did not last long.

Perhaps you guys should look into becoming John Blue Pump dealers ?
I ran the John Blue DP 193 pumps years ago.
These pumps are made in Italy.
I spoke� to Italy about the difficulty in rebuilding them.
They listened, and have a smaller chlorine desiged pump availiable.
It is pricey, but when the valve springs break, they are super easy to change.
That IS if they dont rip a diapraghm apart when they break ?

Just some ideas for you guys to check out ?

�

Roof Cleaning Manchester CT 860-970-1919 · Guest

I like the idea of the solar charging system. But, I really have no idea how to go about setting one up. I checked out the system available at the local walmart and was even more confused after reading the directions than before. Needless to say, I am not an electrician.
What would help tremendously is if there is someone with a schematic of how to set up the solar charger. I think this would help not only me but other newbies to the industry as well. It took me a while to figure out the wiring for the pump and battery as well. It wasn't until I saw Bob's video from PressureTek that I really got it and got everything together correctly.
Does anyone have schematics or plans for the various setups used in this industry today?

Roof Cleaning Corpus Christi TX · Guest

The solar charger is a great idea, you will be outside for a number of hours throughout the day so you might get some free juice from the sun while out.

Great idea!

Jan 27, 2009

If you also have a pressure washing business and have an electric start pressure washer the voltage regulator/rectifier will keep your battery charged.

My 20hp Honda operates off the same battery as my Dual Delavans to keep the battery charged.

Roof Cleaning Alabama 251-222-3011 · Guest

solar huh ? Now thats an idea !!!!!

Roof Cleaning Corpus Christi TX · Guest

I was at a Northern Tools store last week and I did not see the solar battery charging thing there. I will look online.

Any prices on those out there?

Thanks.

Feb 8, 2009

eBay has some good deals.

Just looking at page #1, here's a good deal on a 18W 1200mA solar panel.

http://cgi.ebay.com/18-Watt-Solar-Panel_W0QQitemZ220356943054QQcmdZViewItemQQptZElectrical_Solar_US?hash=item220356943054&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50

mountain washer · Guest

We have several pieces of equipment that require 12v behind the truck mounted on a trailer. We run Dodge/Cummins trucks and therefore have two batteries under the hood to work with but would be OK with just 1 battery. Here is how we did our setup.

You will need the appropriate amount of 6ga cable�to run� - and + sides from your battery, down the vehicle frame to near your trailer plug location.�Attach a HD connector to the end of the cable and attach to your vehicle. BE SURE AND USE AN APROPRIATE SIZE�BREAKER OR FUSE!!!

Do the same thing from you pump back toward your truck connector.

Everything you need can be purchased at an auto part store for under $25-30.

We just plug/unplug as we need to. If in dought� how heavy duty to go with wire and connections go heavy.

Roof Clean USA Georgia 229-227-0000 · guest

Christopher wrote:

The solar charger is a great idea, you will be outside for a number of hours throughout the day so you might get some free juice from the sun while out.

Great idea!

Thanks guys for the encouragement on the solar panel idea.

I had thought may have been the first to use it for a 12V recharge for Shurflo/Delavan Chemical Pump Application to keep the batteries topped off in summer. I guess I might be right.

Well since you all showed an interest I may work on drawing up a diagram in AutoCAD or may just hand draw it and scan it in as a jpeg file. Don't expect a complete disclosure any time soon as season hits and I am cleaning roofs. When I get time to pull it down off my rack and take pictures and the way the wiring runs I will show the details and help out some of you that want to run a solar panel for rechargeing your deep cycles between cleanings.

I'll keep you all posted when I get time to dedicate to this project. Just be patient as I will get to it when I can,

Thanks

Guest

One more thing about the battery: Shoot for at least 600 amps. Anything less than that and you may be in trouble.

The solar idea is something we may implement this year, after I research it a bit more.

VinceD10 · Guest

I was hoping you guys would give more details on the Start-up essentials. Im looking to get into this business as an add on to my window cleaning business. Before I went out and spend a bunch of money on it, I wanted to know what the bare essentials would be to get a couple jobs under my belt and kinda feel out the biz.

I have a van right now. I know you guys stated above that an enclosed vehicle would not be ideal. But is there a way to just mix the chemicals on the job as opposed to buying a trailer and a tank right of the bat? Maybe just use a bucket of some sort to start off?

-- Edited by VinceD10 on Thursday 23rd of April 2009 11:34:18 AM

Roof Clean USA Georgia 229-227-0000 · guest

VinceD10 wrote:

I was hoping you guys would give more details on the Start-up essentials. Im looking to get into this business as an add on to my window cleaning business. Before I went out and spend a bunch of money on it, I wanted to know what the bare essentials would be to get a couple jobs under my belt and kinda feel out the biz.

I have a van right now. I know you guys stated above that an enclosed vehicle would not be ideal. But is there a way to just mix the chemicals on the job as opposed to buying a trailer and a tank right of the bat? Maybe just use a bucket of some sort to start off?

-- Edited by VinceD10 on Thursday 23rd of April 2009 11:34:18 AM

Welcome, Vince D,

Mike Sullivan of Roof Cleaning PRO has put together a nifty "essentials toolkit" in the equipment section. Lots of valuable and important startup essentials.

If it works for you, send Mike a Big "THANK YOU!

I am sure he would appreciate it for all the hard work and time it took to put this list and pricing together.

Use the search function near the FORUM HEADER and type in your search query and you will find the information you seek.

Good luck and Welome aboard the RCIA.

Regards,

DAVID

Roof Clean USA Georgia 229-227-0000 · guest

Paul Kassander wrote:

Solar backup...Great idea, I never would of thought of that.

Thanks, Paul...

You KNOW I am ALWAYS trying to come up with ways to better the INDUSTRY and make things easier, not harder..

Guest

Here is a place that has all the things you need to go solar, but it really is much easier and cheaper to use the charging system on your vehicle to maintain the battery.

http://www.batterystuff.com/solar-chargers/?gclid=CL2zp-vF2poCFRo-awodwQVr3Q

Two sections of battery cable run from your vehicle's battery to your pump's battery are much more reliable and cheaper over the long run. Here are a couple of kits you can buy to connect the vehicle's battery to your pump battery on your trailer.

http://www.winchdepot.com/partLists.aspx?plID=4590&ptID=5148

There are a lot of places that sell these kits and they are pretty easy to install. If you have the mechanical ability and understanding, you can make your own kit much cheaper.

The guys that are not using a trailer to pull their equipment have it even easier. They have a much shorter run of cable and they don't need the heavy duty connectors.

I would stay away from the solar chargers myself because they don't create enough charge in the battery during the course of the day to keep up with the demand.

If you do not already know this, an undercharged battery spells disaster for any electrical load. Your spray pump is a load that you DO NOT WANT TO RUN ON A LOW BATTERY! A low state of charge on your battery will cook the motor on your pump faster than any chemical you run through it. Ever wonder why you are not supposed to run things like circular saws on real long lengths of extension cord? The voltage drop on long runs of extension cord will ultimately burn up the motor that is being used on the end of the extension cord.

The Roof Cleaning Institute Of America Training & Certification Forum "Find A Certified Roof Cleaner Directory"

The Roof Cleaning Institute Of America Training & Certification Forum
"Find A Certified Roof Cleaner Directory"