2nd the pics request
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Didnāt realise they were that big. You would need a whole truck or trailer dedicated to gutter cleaning. Iām not sure going that hardcore would be worth it for many. Cool machinery though 
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Iāve got to get a bigger trailer ;>)
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Hope the pics gives you guys a better insight into these beasts of vacuums.
They are identical to what you guys use over in the US for reclaiming waste water for flat workā¦ but with a bit more grunt.
I also use my gutter vac to reclaim waste water by connecting it to a reinforced 44g drum. The drum has to be reinforced otherwise a standard drum would simply collapse under the vacuum pressure. The APO system runs off the 12v battery on my gutter vac skid. The APO is designed to operate whilst under vacuum pressure. I use a 2" vac hose to connect my SC to the cyclone filter fitted to the top of the drum. I then run a 1" garden hose from the APO to either a garden bed or the clients septic tank system to keep the EPA happy. I donāt recycleā¦ too much of a hassle. I also use the APO system to connect to down pipes via Y joiners when roof washing and again divert the runoff to either a garden bed or a septic systemā¦ whichever is easiest to access. Itās so much easier than bagging the spouts. This is not always possible on all jobs, but follow this process whenever the job allows.
I will try and hunt down some videos of these gutter vacs in operation. No more hand cleaning gutters for me. Those days are long gone!
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Is gutter cleaning the majority of your business?
The tanks in the photos are quite large. I donāt use those tanks as they are too bloody expensive. I had one of the gutter vac companies build me a tank to my specs 1300L x 700W x 1300H. I can get through a full day cleaning gutters without having to empty my 1200lt waste tank. My custom 12v vac hose reel is 1300L x 700W x 1350H. My gutter vacuum skid is 1220L x 550W x 1100H. I have a 3.6m long tandem trailer which is 1.95m wide. My entire gutter vac system all fits on the back of my trailer taking up only 1300L x 1950W space. The rest of my trailer is enclosed measuring 2300L x 1950W x 1600H which holds ALL of my pressure washing and soft washing components which comprises of the following:
1 x 4000psi 6gpm Pressure Washer running a Honda iGX800 EFi
1 x Complete Softwash System āBooster in a Boxā using a 1hp Gould Booster Pump 240v
1 x Proportioned
1x Remote control wizard (able to switch between soap & rinse on the fly)
1 x Honda 6kva Generator running a Honda iGX390 EFI to power the booster pump as well as charge 3 x 170Amp Deepcell Batteries
3 x 12v Titan Reels 2x12" and 1x18"
1 x 12v Hot Box for pressure washer
2 x 160w Solar Panels to trickle charge all 3 on-board batteries to power the 3 Titan Hose Reels plus my Vac Hose Reel
2 x Tanks 1x200lt Buffer Tank and 1x150lt for SH. I use the standard 25lt drums for surfacents etc plumbed directly to my Proportioned
1 x 44g Drum with APO
2 x SC housed in pockets on each side of a toolbox fitted on the drawbar measuring 1450L x 600W x 1100H. I use the toolbox to store excess Chemās plus my wet weather gear, roof harness etc. I also house my coffee machine in there to.
Iāve got plenty of space in the enclosed section to carry more Chemās and fuel when needed.
Itās a great setup and has served me well. I kept the height to 2.1m so I can gain access to underground carparks for flat work jobs when they pop up.
Well guys, thatās enough for now. I really enjoy reading your threads and have learnt a lot from you guys. Thanks!
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That seems like an awesome rig you have! Do you mind showing us some pics of it as well?
I will do as soon as I am able to travel to regional Victoria where my rig is parked at my weekend retreat. Due to Covid 19 we are not currently allowed to travel to regional areasā¦ bugger!
Gutter cleaning is mainly seasonal. Itās an add on service to my pressure/Softwashing Business and they both go hand in hand. If Iām Softwashing a house I let the client know that I also provide a vacuum gutter cleaning service and 9 times out of 10 they will opt to get their gutters sucked cleanā¦ No Messā¦ No Stress! Likewise, if Iām doing a gutter job and notice the house or driveway etc could do with a cleanā¦ I nearly almost manage to get something added on. I also vacuum under shearing sheds during the sheering season. I also bag the sheep poo and sell it for $5 a bag if I have the time. Sometimes the farmer opts to keep it for his own use. Nether the less, it provides a good income paying $150 p/hour plus on average around 250 10kg bags of sheep poo at $5 a bag. Most sheds will take me on average 2 days to complete earning me $2400. Add the sheep poo thatās a total income of $3,650 bucks for 2 x 8 hour days. Itās a shot of a jobā¦ but the money is too good to refuse.
On occasions Iāll pressure wash some farm machinery to earn an extra wage.
Can you reach all or most of it with a lift? Iām not sure about your area but where I live you can rent a towable lift for $325 a day. Using that you could probably do the job in one day and the amount of money you would spend on labor would be saved to pay for the lift, also making the job 1000 times easier.
Edit: lol just saw this post is years old. Anyhow food for thought for someone in the same situation moving forward!
How long are your vacuum hoses? We have some jobs 100ā+ away from the trailer.
I have 80m all up which is around 250ā which is ample. Generally speaking 80m is around the max length of vac hose recommended by the manufacturer. The vac hose comes in 20m lengths which are connected to each other via quick connects. If I am doing a job and only need 40m then I will unroll 2 lengths of 20m etc. Regardless of what length you require, always unwind the vac hose off the reel. Hope this helps!
