I have a truck mounted machine. 8/3500. But I got called to do a balcony/ rooftop 25 levels up. I said if I do it I’ll just run hose up the stairwell instead of taking a portable up an elevator. The client stated that they might find someone w/a portable machine I said go ahead. Well, the question is: Would the machine lose pressure running hose UP a building??? Would gravity affect the flow going straight up?? I figure 300-400 feet of hose would get up there if I were to do the job.
I can’t answer your question but I personally would avoid running the hose indoors in case a hose blows. Then you’ve got a mess. I’ve run hoses down hallways and I just put them inside pvc pipe and stick the ends of the pipe outside the door so if the hose blew all the water would go outside.
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Just pull it up the outside. You’d have enough to soft wash it, probably to not run a SC effectively.
I think it would be too dangerous to pull from outside from that high up. Could easily fall because of the weight of the hose pull you over.
Maybe…rent a PW on wheels and take it up the elevator? Janitors closets usually have garden hose hookups. You can even use an xjet if DS isn’t cutting it.
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What you’re working against in this situation is called friction loss and head pressure. Friction loss is the turbulence inside your hoses that increases resistance and loss of psi. Secondly head pressure is gravity working against your flow as you increase elevation from your pump. Generally speaking you will lose 5psi per every 10 feet of elevation starting with the second floor. In short you’ll lose 25psi every 5 stories. Firemen must account for this and increase pressure accordingly to maintain correct flow and pressure at the nozzle, this same force (gravity) is present in any occupation. I cleaned a rubber membrane roof on a 4 story apartment building recently - Hoses up the side yes. Pressure loss was negligible; however, 25 stories up would probably create a significant loss
Let us know what you decided to do please.
Thanks
-Gunny
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Yes that’s what was suggested to me by the client. But I kinda turned down the job. I still have my cart for my GX390 w/a good pump & should have thought of putting it together.
So basically it would be approximately a 125 psi loss. But also the hose I would be running with the stairs, not straight up through the stairwell. So there would probably be a lot more than 300ft. of hose needed.
Ive wondered how those upper level multi family unit lanais are cleaned. I mean cleaning them is easy but what do you do with all the water? I would think an homeowner’s electric PW would be the way to go for using way less water but even then what do you do with the water. I think if somebody asked me to do it i would be using a brush, mop and wave break and charging accordingly
I’ll never do this, but I was thinking about it.
Most people who have lived in apartments have had mobile dishwashers and washing machines. How some do this is unscrew the fitting on the sink faucet, screw on an adapter, and attach a hose (think plastic to avoid damage to sink faucet). That is your water supply. Not getting a lot of supply from that though, but probably enough to do it. Just have a small machine on hand for the job.
But as @SWFLWasher said, if you use chems and rinse, doesn’t it hit the other balconies? Unless they have some internal drainage system. A roof would have a drainage system I would think. Water would land on all balconies from rain, but washing someone’s balcony would push the water onto other balconies. I would love to hear how people tackle this.
for every foot of height, you’re losing about half a psi. So if you’re using a 12 v 100psi softwash pump, at 250 ft, you won’t have any pressure. If you are using a pressure washer, you’ll be OK.
Have you considered what happens when someone trips on your hoses in the stairwell?
Just buy or rent a machine on wheels for the job and save yourself the headache.
