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Roof Cleaning Raleigh NC · Jan 9, 2011

RE: Convert X Jet To Softwashing!

gutterdog · Jan 9, 2011

I am going to give it a shot, downstreaming, this year. It used to be 50-50 on this and more are going to downstreaming. Must be something bettter about it?

Roof Cleaning Little Rock Arkansas · Guest

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

Jeff LeCours used to downstream roofs, and used a very small 2 gpm machine.
He says the smaller the machine, the better roof cleaning chemical concentration when downstreaming! He purposely got a really small GPM pressure washer just to downstream. I guess bigger is only better when it come to our EX Girlfriends, not for downstreaming cleaning chemicals LOL

Lol, we use injectors that are specifically rated for each machine but Ive been told using a smaller injector will help

EX a 3-5 gpm injector on an 8gpm machine. I havent tried that yet but I plan to.

For now whenever I ds with my large machine I just idle the engine down.

AC Lockyer · none

X-Jets and alike equipment are cumbersome and bulky however they work in principal and are effective. They are an excellent way to get your feet wet in a soft wash kind of way.

I can not find anything inherently wrong with using them, however I am a vendor who sells equipment marketed towards soft washing. If you want to compare these types of equipment and operations side by side I am glad to in the Delux Cleaning Supply Sub Forum.

http://roof-cleaning-institute.activeboard.com/index.spark?aBID=123190&subForumID=511268&p=2

Thanks,

AC

Roof Cleaning Raleigh NC · Jan 9, 2011

X Jet makes no sense to me when you can leave your cleaner on your truck or trailer and just go to cleaning with your hose and gun.

chrisf72 · Guest

how many feet can an xjet and m5 vertical draw bucket to lest say the roof line.I have heard pple puting a 50 feet of draw hose on there buckets. I have old M5 the black fan part brock and I need fast fix for drive wash so I put 1/4 qc on lets me change out the tips I use soap through acid on driveways.

Roof Cleaning Severna Park MD · guest

I am switching to DS'ing this year. I'm sicking of toting around the X-jet bucket and the last straw was when a customer wanted to watch and she knocked over the X-jet bucket full of chems! Nice 5' burn mark in the grass, DOH!

gutterdog · Jan 28, 2011

Phil Rogers wrote:

I am switching to DS'ing this year. I'm sicking of toting around the X-jet bucket and the last straw was when a customer wanted to watch and she knocked over the X-jet bucket full of chems! Nice 5' burn mark in the grass, DOH!

begining of last year, not used to the trailer yet, I knocked over a 5 gallon bucket! a dead spot in the middle of their grass. It turned the grass into milk. Dont remember if the 5er had straight sh, or roof or house mix.

I think I read someone asked about adding more line to the xjet, the line that goes to the bucket. I played with that last year. The longer the hose the added weight of the soap. The venturi in the xjet just cant pull it.

Guest

Downstreaming without a doubt. X-jets are antiquated as far as I'm concerned. There has to be a reason to make one tool chosen over another,..and an x-jet hasn't even one reason why it would be chosen over downstreaming. Not to mention an injector is $15-$20,...an x-jet is like $130 or so.

Where's the value in using an x-jet?

And, if you're doing houses on a regular basis,..using roof cleaning equipment will not hold a candle to a pressure washer and a downstream injector. Nice to have a dedicated rinsing machine,..instead of using customers' varying water pressure. The other choice if you're using roof equipment is to run clean water through the equipment to rinse,..that will require going back and forth and switching supply at the feed on the pump,...or having two hoses.

The trigger handle and nozzles I posted a few days ago will shoot 50 ft.,... or spray a nice fan pattern for up close areas,... and rinse,..all without having to run back and forth or have a separate rinse hose.

Jeff

Roof Cleaning Severna Park MD · guest

Hey Jeff,

Can you let me know the specs on the trigger handle and nozzles that you posted? I'd like to try something like that this year and I also plan to switch over to downstreaming. I assume you can get everything besides the handle at The Home Depot? Sorry if I just missed it in your last thread.

*EDIT* I just realized that I mixed both of your posts up. I meant to ask for the specs on the Roof Wand. Man, I need to go back and read because I obviously confused myself. emote.img?ID=8424

-- Edited by Phil Rogers on Friday 28th of January 2011 02:34:51 PM

Roof Cleaning Raleigh NC · Jan 28, 2011

Raystown Roof Cleaning Central PA 1-800-236-0322 wrote:

Downstreaming without a doubt. X-jets are antiquated as far as I'm concerned. There has to be a reason to make one tool chosen over another,..and an x-jet hasn't even one reason why it would be chosen over downstreaming. Not to mention an injector is $15-$20,...an x-jet is like $130 or so.

Where's the value in using an x-jet?

And, if you're doing houses on a regular basis,..using roof cleaning equipment will not hold a candle to a pressure washer and a downstream injector. Nice to have a dedicated rinsing machine,..instead of using customers' varying water pressure. The other choice if you're using roof equipment is to run clean water through the equipment to rinse,..that will require going back and forth and switching supply at the feed on the pump,...or having two hoses.

The trigger handle and nozzles I posted a few days ago will shoot 50 ft.,... or spray a nice fan pattern for up close areas,... and rinse,..all without having to run back and forth or have a separate rinse hose.

Jeff

"BINGO!" You got that right Jeff.

Guest

Hey Phil,..the roof cleaning nozzles I posted are just hose barbs,..as per your reference to Home Depot,...and they will work. But do yourself a favor and get regular spray nozzles,...they spray with a smoother pattern.

I will be changing as well,..0030-soap fan-and a 0010. You need a couple different o degree to control runoff on varying pitched roofs. Using the nozzle to control flow is better than just turning the valve 1/2 shut.

Jeff

gutterdog · Jan 28, 2011

I think I'm getting confused here? I feel compelled to support the x-jet. Its all I know though. I got both of them. Got the m5 because i hated doing the pocket thing with the tip.

HERES AN IDEA! I'll try it out! The m5, Close off the suction barb, and downstream with it? No pocket pool with tips!

EDIT: thats houses, for roofs I gotta snap a pic of what I use for that.

-- Edited by gutterdog on Friday 28th of January 2011 03:03:22 PM

Guest

Hey Michael,...once you go with downstreaming,..you'll find the x-jet obsolete.

As I said,..look at the picture I posted the other day of my trigger and nozzle set. You won't have a problem with digging nozzles outta' your pocket.

If you customize your handle like in the picture,..you can even keep a couple extra on hand.

But Michael,..you gotta try downstreaming,..only gonna cost you $15-$20.

Downstreaming works on low pressure,...you apply with a nozzle like 0030 or fan soap nozzle,... and rinsing with like a 0020. These sizes will depend on the GPM of your machine. Not sure if you understood the concept Michael. But you can do it all from one spot.

Jeff

Roof Cleaning Raleigh NC · Jan 28, 2011

I use one like this.

http://www.pressuretek.com/pahilowno.html

You push the nozzle out for low pressure and soap. Pull it in for High pressure no soap. Plus it fans out or a 0*for shooting soap & rinsing up high.

Jeff can you give a link for the picture you posted the other day. I don't see it. Maybe I'm blind.
Thanks, David

-- Edited by Roof Cleaning Raleigh NC on Friday 28th of January 2011 03:33:42 PM

-- Edited by Roof Cleaning Raleigh NC on Friday 28th of January 2011 04:02:32 PM

gutterdog · Jan 28, 2011

Raystown Roof Cleaning Central PA 1-800-236-0322 wrote:

Hey Michael,...once you go with downstreaming,..you'll find the x-jet obsolete.

As I said,..look at the picture I posted the other day of my trigger and nozzle set. You won't have a problem with digging nozzles outta' your pocket.

If you customize your handle like in the picture,..you can even keep a couple extra on hand.

But Michael,..you gotta try downstreaming,..only gonna cost you $15-$20.

Downstreaming works on low pressure,...you apply with a nozzle like 0030 or fan soap nozzle,... and rinsing with like a 0020. These sizes will depend on the GPM of your machine. Not sure if you understood the concept Michael. But you can do it all from one spot.

Jeff

I'm pretty confident and you pretty confidnt.

My closer friends call me Mike or Dog.

Looking forward to continuing this conversation in the premium section. Or somewhere else.

Roof Cleaning Cleveland (216) 323-0552 · Jan 28, 2011

I'm an x-jetter. I used to downstream early on, wasn't impressed. I also didn't have 12.5% back then. I will be trying downstreaming again this summer. Maybe it will make me an ex-jetter.

SP Cleaning · Jan 28, 2011

ACE wrote:

I'm an x-jetter. I used to downstream early on, wasn't impressed. I also didn't have 12.5% back then. I will be trying downstreaming again this summer. Maybe it will make me an ex-jetter.

Tom,

Check your Email and call me.

Chris

Guest

ACE wrote:

I'm an x-jetter. I used to downstream early on, wasn't impressed. I also didn't have 12.5% back then. I will be trying downstreaming again this summer. Maybe it will make me an ex-jetter.

Tom,..what was the issue(s) you had with downstreaming? The strength of the mix is an easy hurdle,.was there anytthing other than that?

Jeff

Guest

gutterdog wrote

I'm pretty confident and you pretty confidnt.

My closer friends call me Mike or Dog.

Looking forward to continuing this conversation in the premium section. Or somewhere else.

Unless I'm mistaken,..you're asking me to have this discussion away from the "lurkers" and non-paying members? If I'm wrong,..then explain what's wrong with this topic being continued here.

This is the second time now that I've been "kinda" asked not to post good information on the free board.

Jeff

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