@TexasPressureWashing roflmao!
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Leave it. It’ll dry. I have a conversation with the homeowner that the driveway, walkway, patio, has bleach on it and while it is still wet they should exercise caution if they decide to traverse on it. Maybe I’m over cautious, but I warn the customer that while still wet, the bleach could transfer from the bottom of their shoes onto the upholstery in their car or in their home. I also tell them that the cleaning solution I used may form bubbles on the driveway temporarily, but they will disappear shortly. If it’s cold out or really cloudy out, the driveway takes longer to dry - naturally - but on a sunny day it’s usually nearly dry by the time I ring the doorbell to collect the check.
Thanks fellas, I’m trying to educate myself as much as possible before doing anything and this forum has tons on great info thanks to all you guys. Can I run a 100ft hose with my 2.5 GPM washer or should I stick with something smaller? The hose I purchased was a simpson monster 3/8" x 50’. It worked great but noticed it’s pretty stiff, are there better hoses that are more flexible? If so which would you guys recommend?
Get a decent machine… its an investment and well worth it.
What would you recommend as a good decent entry level machine?
Since it’s just a side hustle, are you able to mount a machine and buffer tank, or do you need to keep
it portable? For me, I can’t keep anything in my truck at all time, I need to take it out when not doing jobs. That’s why I went with a 4 gpm machine. Most homes can provide enough water to run it. Going larger will most likely need a buffer tank to run. I’d say 4 gpm should be the minimum if you want to get jobs done in a reasonable amount of time. Gear drive or belt is obviously best, but if you’re only doing a couple here and there direct drive isn’t out of the question.
Even with an aluminum frame, a 4 gpm machine like mine with a 390 engine is heavy and I wasn’t about to lift it in and out of the truck. I bought one of those aluminum wheelchair carriers from Harbor Freight with a ramp for like $140. It only takes a minute to put in on my truck and just roll it up the ramp.
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Thanks. Would have to be portable since my truck is my daily driver plus I use the bed of it a lot for various projects I take on. I like the idea of using one of those aluminum wheelchair carriers and a ramp. Will make things much more easier. I’m all about working smarter not harder and don’t mind investing a little money into trying to get this side hustle going.
Find yourself a small $500 trailer and call it a day. It’s the most practical solution.
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Just had a landscaping company do this to the new walkways around my office. They’ll be replacing them on their dime… not cheap at all.
This would be nice but have no room to store a trailer. Need something portable that I can keep in my garage and load/unload it when needed.
Just bought the book. Thank you for the info!
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Could I build a 12v portable set up using a 5 gallon bucket, 5.5 GPM pump and be productive with it for house washing, wood fencing, pre/post treatments, roof washing, etc? Or would it require frequent trips of having to refill the bucket? I also might have access to a free 25 gallon sprayer tank to use as a build. Just have to figure out if I can mount it onto something to pull around the yard.
You could use the 12v and a 5 gal pail to apply you chems to the house, but you’d likely have to use a garden hose and spray nozzle to rinse. Anything that required pressure you’d be SOL. But if just soft washing vinyl siding it’d work.
Being able to spray for less than a minute between refills is not going to work…
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Thanks. Could I use a 25 gallon tank and build something using a 12v pump that would work for applying chemical to the house and then use my pressure washer to rinse off? And if so what size GPM pump would be recommend and how many times would I look at having to refill the tank on a average 1 story 2000 sq/ft house?
There’s a reason most folks aren’t wheeling a 12v around a house to wash it. Weight of the liquid, weight of the battery, uneven ground. It would be a total pain in the butt.
So to overcome all of that, we use large chem tanks, mount our low pressure systems to the truck/trailer, and rely on hoses to get us around the house
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If you build what I sent you in your message to me, you don’t need a tank at all. Build a pressure boosting 12v system and downstream the cleaner on. 90-100 psi is plenty for rinsing too, I don’t use a pressure washer at all house washing. If you’re going to be cleaning 5 houses a day, it’s not going to be the best option for you. If you do 1 or 2, it’s great for that.
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Looks like I’m going to have to. Pretty sure it will not turn out as nice as your build though which is going to drive me crazy. Haha
I might’ve missed something but why not just ds with your pressure washer?
I have a little 2 gpm pump and 7 gallon container on a cart. I use it for applying chems to decks and fences. I can’t imagine using it on houses.
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My Simpson is only a 2.5 GPM and from what I have read, a minimum of 4 GPM is recommended. I thought about purchasing a Jrod with the correct tips for my machine and a 100ft hose to give it a try and see how it works though until I can upgrade to a bigger machine. This would be just for concrete flat surfaces and would like to try it on my wood fence. If I used straight 12.5 SH with surfactant would it be strong enough to clean my wood fence?
