How do I remove paint safely from asphalt?

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lonsompine

We had a new driveway (combination asphalt and concrete) installed a few weeks ago. Our next project was to paint the large shed in our backyard. In the process, there was a great deal of splattered paint and drippings that landed on that new driveway.

How do I SAFELY remove these paint splatters/drippings WITHOUT damagine the new asphalt and concrete?

Thanks.

Answer
I want to assume the concrete either borders the asphalt, or it's a decorative effect combining the two in a pattern.

Either way I suggest a solution of Muriatic Acid and a pressure washer. By now (a few weeks) both mediums should be cured out enough not to be damaged, and in fact the paint will probably come off relatively easy. There is a possible issue however.

Some of the "Pigment" may have leached and "stained" and it may take more than one effort. Certainlt on the asphalt you can apply a coverup in the same basic patch type spray substance. You may also have to use a wire brush on the concrete.

Steven Wolf

Can someone help me find a good hot water pressure for business?

ol'E

looking to start P.W service on a budget but want to get some good equipment have looked at landa,and hotsy great machines but a little pricey also need surface cleaner extension wands and chemicals I got a budget of $6500 for P.W and surface cleaner wands hoses and hose reels located in alabama but will travel a bit for good deals any pro out there help me out I need it.

Answer
ol'E, I don't have any answers for you but, have you done much power washing before? It's hard work. I know I wouldn't want to do it for a living. Just yesterday, I rented a power washer and cleaned all the brick & concrete in the front yard & around both sides of my dad's house. It took me 7 hours & by the time I was done, my booty was thoroughly kicked. It looks great though. (LOL) Good luck.

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Are four 4x4 pine pressure treated pine posts enough if set in concrete on the corners of a 10'x10' shed.?

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Mark

the two posts in the back are about 4 feet tall and the two in the front are about 6 inches tall(the shed is on a slope) the posts are set in about four feet of concrete in tubes.
The posts are set in sonotubes 8.5" wide. I am in Toronto Canada. My carpenters said I did not need 6"posts and that they always used four inch posts but I was a bit weary.

Answer
I would have just set a threded rod in the concrete, then drilled a hole in your lumber contacting the concrete for the rod to fit through, and secure it with a washer and nut.

the way you have it set up makes me a little nurvous just because you never said the diamiater of your concrete tubes, I would say that if you have less than 3 inches of concrete between the lumber and ouside of the tube, it will probibly crack and fall appart, but there are many variables in your set up. (is your lumber pressure treated, how wet is your aria, do you get frost? (moisture between the lumber and cement will force your concrete to burst))

What are you doing to save the planet and its resources?

DizzyLarry

Answer
For household of two, it's easier.

We have a small dog, 12 lbs, his carbon paw print is about as small as it can be. At one point we had three dogs and three cats but I started to realize one pet was enough. I use his poop with recycling green waste as compost which is used as fertilizer for my flowerbeds and plants.

I wash dishes by hand using a pot of hot water with dish soap. Then I rinse them under warm water and put them into the clean dishwasher to dry.

I have a high efficiency washer and dryer. The washer uses much less water and soap while taking a larger load. It has a very high spin so even towels come out feeling just damp, not wet. But I usually hang towels and sheets out in the laundry room for sometime to let them air dry and then put them in the dryer for the bit of drying to get the wrinkles and softness I want.

We use hand and dish towels to dry. But I use paper towels for wiping countertops and such, which I clean with soap and water using reusable brushes and scrubbers.

I use a Dyson vacuum cleaner that cleans in half the time of my old Hoover. I steam clean tile floors and bathrooms thus using very little artificial chemicals. I use ammonia, vinegar and soda for almost all cleaning. We use natural olive oil soap thru out the house.

We pull weeds out instead of using herbicide.

I drive a Honda Civic which my neighbors look down upon from their huge SUVs or Beemers, but I get over 35 mpg by keeping motor revs always below 3000 rpm. I use the speedcontrol to drive actual speedlimit. I plan my trips for shortest route and least trips per week.

I email and use online banking, so I don't mail out anything. If we send a package we reuse prior clean packing materials. I am fortunate to have a 3 car garage - one stall is used for recycling and collecting older items for new applications. My son thinks I am a packrat but he is always amazed at what I can put together from scrap for some temporary use instead of buying something we only need once.

We use very little paper. If I need a shopping list I use those return envelopes from trash mail. I recycle everything the city allows. I rarely buy drinks like soda or bottled water, we have an RO system due to the bad taste and high chlorine. I use a variety of herbal trees to make soft drinks.

I recharge all my batteries used in the home.

For trash bags I use two plastic shopping bags, and it gets tossed into the trash bin at night. I recycle using brown paper bags. I also have a few shopping bags I bought at Trader Joe's and love to reuse them for the more fragile items which need to come inside and put away asap.

I have replaced all lights with low watt bulbs, 12 W instead of 60-100W, it adds up in a hurry in my kitchen recessed lighting. Same in the bathrooms with those ugly but bright light bulb strips. The low watt bulbs actually look better. And they do not heat the rooms which we need to cool for 7 months of the year. Our outdoor lights all operate on solar power (we live in AZ).

I replaced all windows and glass doors with super efficient new windows. Also upgraded our old A/C to a new variable speed, high SEER unit. We cut our summer electric bill at least by half while keeping the house much cooler than before. I also had fans installed in each room. Programmable thermostat saves energy. We are also in a time of day electric rate plan and we plan and shift activites to take advantage of that.

I read all the news on my laptop, and I borrow books from the library. I run my laptop from the battery during high peak electric rate and recharge at night.

My toilets have a small and big flush button. Showers are water saver models but I also have a hand held unit which has full water pressure.

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anybody have a Karcher pressure washer with 5 h.p. Honda engine that is hard to pull start and how to fix it?

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crazyjack1

When first got pressure washer it was very easy to start now it kicks back very hard.

Answer
BE CAREFUL! I had one too and there was a recall on it because of a dangerous defect. Check out the recall lists at the Karcher website and see if yours is on it...they will replace it totally free

What is the best pressure washer UNDER $300?

theGODwatc

Due to an old roomates German Shepard, and his propensity to scratch, urinate and deficate on my deck, I have to pressure wash it before resealing it, and I also need to pressure wash the patio beneath it. This gives me an excuse to buy a pressure washer. I know nothing about these things so... What is the best model under $300 that will take care of buisness?

Answer
Karcher 2400 PSI, Honda gas powered, from Costco, $299. Sorry, it seems that this model is no longer made. A co-worker recommended this model and I've been extremely satisfied. The electric models are not much better than a good high pressure hose nozzle. The closest I can find is Karcher 2500 PSI Pressure Washer w/ Honda Engine $399.99

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Karcher 2500 pressure washer pulsating?

pressure washer unloader image

Jamie

I have been working on a karcher 2500 pressure washer I got in a garage sale. I have taken down the pump and replaced some of the valves and the spill valve. The hose it came with was cracked, but I didn't get a new one until I thought I could get every thing working. Once the pump was put back on it ran fine with the cracked up, but the pressure was lower than I thought it should be. I figured it must be the hose causing my pressure problems, so I got a new one. Ever since I put the new hose on the pressure wash pulsates (It has full pressure for a second or two then it loses pressure for a second or two.) Any ideas what could be causing this?

Answer
This should be an easy fix. The unloader valve is sticking....quite a common problem for Karcher machines. On the top of the pump you will find a black plastic cover with a chrome button on top of it. Pry the button off and lift the black plastic cap off. You'll find two star or hex screw under it....remove these and carefully lift the plastic retainer up. You are now looking at the unloader valve assembly. You'll need needle nose pliers to to remove it. Look down into it and you will see a tab to clamp the pliers onto. Gently twist it pulling up slightly at the same time. Once you have it out, clean it and apply some silicone grease to it and replace it. Put everything back together the way you took it apart and your done.

How to tell if 1600 psi electric pressure washer pump is toast?

Big Yoda

the motor comes on but not the pump. Does the pump give off its own sound? the water pressure is not being boosted.

Answer
assuming you have adequate water flow to the machine

check if the water inlet filter is clogged
check if the unloader valve is stuck
if you don't know what that is
google search unloader valve+theBrand off your machine
if all thats ok you probally need to rebuild the pump

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What is a quick, baby-sitting free, way for a 14yr old to make $ in less than a month?

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Bailey

I want to have at least $200 in my pocket by Halloween and I'm 14 so I can't get a job, I have two little siblings that I watch and so I don't want to Babysit, what are some other options for me? If you have ANY ideas, they would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
By the way, I just want to start buying things for myself without having to ask my parents so that is why I want to do this.

Answer
1) Print first aid information on a single page. Include phone numbers for hospitals and national numbers such as the poison control center. Sell them door-to-door.

2) Speak with neighbors. Offer to clean around, and under, the washer and dryer, with special emphasis on getting out the built-up dust in the dryer's exhaust vent. Include information from your local fire department about the risk of fire from accumulated lint now remaining in the vent tube.

3) Look up stocks that have paid dividends every year for over eighty years. This means they have paid through recessions and the big depression. Sell this information to adults as a news service. (If you try to offer investment advice, you will be breaking the law. This information should be sold as news.) Especially helpful to local professionals could be local stocks that have long track records, even if they do not meet the big depression requirement.

4) Call investment professionals in your area. Call life insurance salesmen in your area, too. Offer to clip the press releases printed in your local papers (especially the business press). Tape each release to a single sheet of binder paper. Look up the phone number of the person in that news release. Sell the information to one agent for two or three dollars per person after he makes his first sale; one dollar per person before that first sale. You can even raise the price to ten dollars per person after he makes his tenth sale. This payment arrangement offers the salesman the opportunity to earn from your efforts without going broke. It also allows you to establish a clientele.

5) Learn how to set a sprinkler system timing clock. Go door-to-door offering to re-set the clocks as the seasons change. Keep the names handy, as you will return every quarter for resets. Fifty clients once each quarter, youngster, and you can start making plans for buying a car for cash.

6) Offer to drain the hot water heater of the sediment. Since one of the chief causes of HWH failure is the build-up of the sediment, you can save your clients from replacing their water heaters soon. You can also offer to leave an inexpensive hose attached to the drain valve. Then, when you return every six months, you only need take the far end of the low pressure hose out of the garage, turn on the spigot, and let five gallons out. Leave that thin hose extended and against the wall of the garage.

7) Offer to read a chapter of the Holy Bible to families in the area. They can even work in the kitchen, as an example, while you read.

TIP: Have a spending, investing, and cash handling system in place!!!

If you do not have a responsible program established, please contact me through Yahoo Answers. Ask for the Financial Freedom Plan of Seven. I will be pleased to send it to you through YA at no charge.

Earning cash is important. Handling cash is critical.

Contemplate the Seven Pâs of the Armed Forces of the USA:
Proper Prior Planning Prevents Pathetically Poor Performance.

I have a Karcher electric pressure washer and water is coming out from the trigger area, what's causing this?

Dinosaur

Here is the one that I have:
http://www.karcher-usa.com/showproducts.php?op=view_prod&param1=232&param2=&param3=

when i turn the water hose on water comes out from the trigger area and it won't stop. i made sure that there is a washer where the hose plugs into the unit also.

Answer
YOU HAVE A SEAL/RUBBER WASHER THT IS BAD

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How to fix a Husky pressure washer trigger gun?

pressure washer gun image

Scott

I need to know how to put a trigger gun back together. Are there any break downs of the gun assembly?

Answer
Go to this site and enter your model number. They advertise breakdown views which may include your handle. Without the model number there isn't any way to see so try it yourself:

http://www.ppe-pressure-washer-parts.com/?gclid=CIyyo9nInK8CFcjb4AodtWnWaQ

How can I remove marks from a composite deck from pressure washing too close?

kbc..loves

I used a pressure washer on our back deck and got to close when doing some furniture and the steps and removed to color and left marks all over the deck. Any idea how to fix it? Would bleach work?

Answer
NO to the wire brush ... don't ad a metal to start a reaction on the deck.

give it time in the sun. if you bleach it its going to fade a lot.

you can use a deck cleaner. that will also fade the deck some. We have use a heat gun to get scratches out with very good results. We were shown that technique at a trex factory.
Be careful stay back to not burn the deck.

Last idea you could also through a big party and let every walk on it.

http://milesbradley.com/

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is a 2000 psi electric pressure washer good enough to clean siding and wood deck?

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I am looking at purchasing a 2000 psi electric washer and want to know if that will be good for cleaning my wood deck and aluminum siding on my house? i also would use it for other smaller misc. cleanings.

Answer
the 2000 psi washer may cause a bit of damage if used too close to the wooden deck, but if used wisely and not on a too long deck it will be effective. If you take the nozzle too close you might see splinters especially if the wood is not very well seasoned. For a siding this will only be effective if the siding is small and neither very wide nor very long.
Best to use an adjustable washer where you can adjust the pressure and then buy something in the range of 3500 to 4000 psi maximum power. Depends on your budget!
To have a little extra power will help you use the washer for long time and will somehow minimize the maintenance.
Best of Luck!

has anyone ever rented a pressure washer? where did you rent one from and about how much did you pay?

Mono

the home i am renting needs a good cleaning! so i was thinking of doing that this weekend. not sure if i should go to Lowe's or home depot..... thanks for your input!
oh yeah how did it work did you just hook it up to a hose? i have well water does that matter?

Answer
Most rental yards have pressure washers. Its been a long time since I rented one. I would expect to pay $40-50/day. It hooks up to a regular garden hose. The only concern is if your well has enough gallons per minute for the washer to work properly. As a painting contractor I pressure wash many houses and decks every year. My big pressure washer is rated for 4 gallons per minute, my smaller one is 2.5 GPM. Before I hook it up I time how long it take the hose to fill a 5 gallon pail. If it takes longer than a minute I know not to use the bigger machine.
I don't recommend the rotating tip for beginners. Its true that it can do the job faster but it can do lots of damage if you are not careful. Sometimes the rotating feature gets stuck and leaves you with a narrow high pressure stream. Play it safe and use a 25 or 40 degree fan tip. Keep the water moving without stopping in one spot. That can cause damage if the water gouges the wood.
Most of the houses I work on have well water. I find about 1 in 10 don't have enough flow to use my 3500 psi, 4 GPM machine. I have only found 1 where I couldn't use my smaller washer.

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I have a devilbiss ex-cell pressure washer. today the thermal relief valve started spewing water from a small?

pressure washer thermal relief valve image

Jas

hole in the valve (never happened before) now the washer won't build up pressure. I've replaced the pump once before. if i replace the thermal relief valve will that solve the no pressure problem. Pressure Washer model # EXWGV1721. the part # for the relief valve is 17658.

Answer
yes, replace it
same thing happened to me once,
their cheap you can even buy them on ebay

What's wrong with my pressure washer?

Kyle

My troy bilt pressure washer has hot water coming out of the valve on the bottom when the engine is running but I have nothing coming out of the gun/nozzle. With the engine off if can pull the trigger on the gun and water will come out, so the hose/gun is not clogged. it was working fine earlier today, i took a break for a bit and now this. Any suggestions ?

Answer
I have a Troy Bilt washer and I will read from the manual. When you hook up the water hose, press the trigger to purge the system. A stream of water will come out. Then crank the engine. Sounds like you are in the automatic cool down mode. ( Thermal Relief). The manual says this: If you run the engine on your pressure washer for 3-5 minutes without pressing the trigger on the spray gun, circulating water in the pump can reach temperatures above 125 degrees. The system engages to cool the pump by discharging the warm water onto the ground. Sounds like this is your problem. Hope this helps, I think it will.

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I took apart my pressure washer pump and gear oil has spilled all over. How do I reassemble?

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X-Men

I took apart my Karcher K2400HH pressure washer pump unit from the engine and now gear oil is all over on the ground. I think I took the whole pump unit out and now I need to reassemble it back again. How do I put it back together, where do I fill the oil back in and what type of gear oil should I use? Any help would be appreciated.

Answer
I had the same problem with a Generac Model No 1537 2400PSI washer.!!! This unit has a 5.5 HP Honda engine.
I'm a builder, and one of my customers gave me this pressure washer after he had problems with it. Seems he left it with the gas in it for years and gummed up the carb. He told me his daughter ran it without the water turned on and burned up the pressure pump. He bought a new pump, but had no idea how to replace it. When I removed the old pump, I had a flood of oil on the garage floor. The new pump was a Briggs and Stratton kit #193473GS, and did not have the wet bearings of the original. It bolted right up to the bottom of the engine and works like a charm.. It took a little cleaning with Gum-out to get the engine running, but now it works fine.
I remember that there was a drain plug on the side of the pump shaft housing, but nowhere in the service manual did it tell you what weight oil went in there ,or how much.

what distinguishes a good pump on a pressure washer?

^glen^magn

Pressure washer gone bad. Repair business stated this type of pump is not rebuildable. So I am looking for a new pressure washer but want to make sure the pump is serviceable.
How do you tell?
What do you look for?

Answer
Call the guy back and ask which brands he would recommend

When buying mine all the research I did (google) said to stay away from aluminum pumps, I opted for a Generac pressure washer with a brass pump, also they need to be winterized or kept where it won't freeze during the winter months.

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How much can charge to clean Business Billboards?

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K_Z b

I notices the business owners never wash clean their business billboards hanging outside their shop lots or premises. There are lots of dust and the plastic billboards looks so dirty. I am planning to buy a lorry, and carry a large tank of water and water pressure washer to clean the billboards. How much I can charge to wash once a month? It will take just 10min to wash a billboard.

Answer
Good idea, but before diving in at the deep end why not canvass the businesses you have in mind for your service. Ask if they are interested. How often would they like your service, i.e., monthly, and then offer them a price for this service on a 12 month contract. Also, get them to sign up as this indicates a degree of commitment on your and their side.

If they seemed hesitant, offer the first month at half-price as an initial trial.

But, before you do this you need to do some calculations. How much is the lorry going to cost you? The cost of fuel? Cost of the pressure washer etc.

Once you have all your set-up charges calculated, you will need to reckon how long this equipment is likely to last you. Factor this into any final charge you will make to your client. Yes, a lot of initial work, but far better to do this now than to find you are running at a loss and have to close your business down. Don't forget to get some insurance cover for yourself and the business.

When you do start, you will need to keep an accurate diary of your clients, their needs, the dates you last visited them etc. Remember, they will talk to each other, so this is your chance to give a good service and generate more custom.

If you have an accountant friend who could assist you in this, this would help you greatly.

Best of luck, it sounds like a great idea and would probably appeal to larger businesses with several signs to maintain.

How do I start my own mobile detailing ?

Rafael

I'm 20 years old live in Los angeles I have a truck & some experience in detailing/washing & some clients!

What are the basics things too buy just too start ? Any heads up ?

I was thinking pressure washer vacumme Busines cards flyate generator & washing utensils & water tank?

I have $500-700 budget!

Answer
You just about got the list right, this actually was the very first business I did. You can get lots of the stuff at Pawn Shops or on Craigslist used for a good price. I would say a good vacuum first, washing utensils and then a pressure washer generator, try and get a quite running one.

What I did was start in the residential areas, in that way I could use the clients power and water. As my funds and clients built up I got into washing at commercial spaces where you would need to have your own everything. The key to this business is trust, people have to be able to trust you with their vehicle and it's contents. So make sure you look presentably, get maybe one or two shirts with your name and some simple logo so you look legit and just market like crazy and do a good job. Always ask for referrals, and give out tons of business cards in the areas you serve.

You can also rent equipment you don't have for now as well, so book several shampoo's in one day and rent the machine from HomeDepot for the day, same with the generator and pressure washer. Also put a nice heavy orbiter and buffer on the list as well. Look to buy your stuff also wholesale if you can as this will save you some money and you get commercial grade stuff which typically perform better.

Hope this helps if I can be of additional assistance please let me know.

Gersham Charles
Klik Systems Consulting

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I'm looking for operators and repair manuals for older models of edgers, pressure washers, & generators.?

pressure washer 1600 image

lsjbs

sears craftsman 1600 psi pressure washer 3.8 HP
sears craftsman 2400 watt generator 5 HP
power trim edger model 100

Answer
http://www3.sears.com/ they have parts, diagrams and can help you locate owner's manuals, too.

What PSI would be good for a pressure washer to use for cleaning siding and washing windows and car.?

Teressa J

Answer
1400 to 1600 psi

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What pressure washer do I need?

pressure washer 3000 psi electric image

Ryan K

I am thinking of buying a pressure washer to make a little extra money on the weekend. I am thinking of buying a gas engine washer with at least 3000 psi. Is this too much or no. I want to offer outside house cleaning, driveway cleaning, deck cleaning, and maybe boats. Also how much should i charge people for the services?

Answer
just don't ever get an electric one!

Whats the easiest way to remove old paint from stucco?

Mr. AL

Sand blasting is too messy. Any special tool/s ?

Answer
There is no easy way to remove sound paint (but why would you want to?). If you want to remove loose paint to prepare for painting, use a pressure washer. You want a gasoline powered one, not electric. About a 13hp engine, delivering about 5 gal./min. @ 3000 psi. You can rent these. These are dangerous, get instruction from the rental place. Do not use the 0 deg (red) tip; it will destroy your stucco.

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If a cord is plugged into an outlet, is your electricity still running?

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CeeCee

If you have a cord plugged into an outlet, for example: a lamp cord, and you are not using the lamp and it has not been turned on. Is your electricity still running its power through that cord?

Answer
Well, yes and no. There are different ways of measuring electricity. I'll explain Voltage, Amperage, and Wattage to you.

Voltage is how much "pressure" the electricity has as it tries to push it's way into something. Think of voltage as water pressure in a pipe. That is why you see DANGER: HIGH VOLTAGE signs, if you get close enough, electrical energy will force it's way into you much the same way a jet of water from a good pressure washer will tear a hole in your skin.

Amperage is how we measure electrical current. Think of it as water flowing thru a pipe. The faster the flow, the higher the current. Electrical current is measures in Amperes, or Amps for short.

Wattage is simply a measure of power. Volts x Amps = Watts. If you want to put that into perspective, 1 horsepower is 746 Watts, so a 1/2 horsepower garage door opener for instance uses 373 watts of power, not including the built in light.

Now, if you leave your lamp plugged in, there is "electrical pressure" (voltage) present at the switch on the lamp, but since the switch is open (OFF) the light bulb itself is cut off from the voltage. Without any voltage to create a current flow (amperage) in the wires, the light bulb can't consume any power (wattage) or affect your electric bill in any way.

Pressure/power washing as a business?

Q. I was considering starting a Pressure/Power washing business and would like to hear from anyone who has done this or is familiar with this type of business. I want to start it part time and see how it goes before comitting. Anything special I need to buy? Whats the best way of going about it? How to set prices?
The following is done in an almost perfect imitation of Shreks voice (Since I'm 1/2 Scottish, its quite easy, lol)

DONKEY! I was thinking of doing mostly flat work and possibly trying to find some fleet work as well. Question about water. What source should I use? Available source from the customer or should I invest in a portable tank? I'd like to stay away from chemicals, at least in the beginning because I know there are lots of restrictions and of course the cost thing. I am looking at this, right now, as a starter business and dont want to get in over my head from the start. Thanks to all of you for your help.

Answer
There is a company that offers manuals and training for starting a pressure washing business. This is a great field to get into. We started out as a pressure washing company in 1992 washing decks in our area. We expanded to house washing and even did some commercial. We no longer do the services part of the business because we realized that there was more of a need in the area for a supply store. We started off using chemicals that were only doing half the job. We stepped up to finding a chemist locally to make our own. We now sell nationwide to hundreds of pressure washing companies. We are able to give educated and honest answers to our customers because we have done the work and have used our chemicals in the field.

As for some of the pricing issues, that is a touchy field. You can't set your price too high or no one will use your services. On the same hand, you can't set your prices too low or you will go hungry. Don't be afraid to be higher than some of the others. If you take pride in your work and the time to do it right you will be worth every penny. This is what we did and we also got the "please-fix-what-he-messed-up" jobs; When the customer chooses the cheaper guy and they chewed the wood up or steaked the house.

Also, decide what you want to do. There are many facets of pressure washing. Wood care, residential cleaning, commercial cleaning, fleet washing, and flat work (concrete cleaning) are some of the more popular areas. This will help keep you from having to buy too much equipment and will also help you from being overwhelmed in the beginning. Decide a specialty first and then branch out once you have mastered the specialty.

Check out the websites below. Some products to consider are:
An X Jet
A flat surface cleaner
A commercial pressure washer (4 GPM 4000 PSI)
Chemicals
Manuals, training and certification

Good Luck!

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How do I dilute pressure washer detergent?

pressure washer detergent image

chicainthe

I bought pressure washer fluid that indicates it gets diluted 1:20. My pressure washer has a tube that sucks up the fluid and then, of course, the water hose connects to the machine as well. Do I dilute it 1:20 into a bucket and then stick the tube in? (Then the water hose is diluting it further...?) Or do I just stick the tube into the detergent bottle fullstrength?

Answer
Yes, you just dilute it 20:1 in a bucket as it says on the bottle.

soap or detergent safe for pressure washers? Cheaper or better than the labeled stuff?

Be respons

What will not eat up the seals or cause other damage in the pressure washer? Also cost less than the stuff labeled as pressure washer soap/detergent?
I will use it on my motorcycles both on and off road, bicycles on and off road, car, house, etc.
Thank you.

Answer
I have always heard that pressure washers are bad for motorcycles, that the design of motorcycle engines makes them vulnerable to water under pressure especially when the engine is cold. To play it safe, I would avoid high pressure wands.

Personally, I would use a detergent marketed especially for automotive uses.

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Why did my water pressure decrease when I changed out my hot water heater?

pressure washer fittings image

nathan

I swapped out electric hot water heaters. They were the same size (50 gal) and I used all the same diameter fittings, but I feel that my hot water is not holding for as long and the hot water pressure in the shower is greatly reduced. It is not leaking, all valves are fully opened, and the thermostat is set to 120 just as it was on my old one. They were both GE energy star products. I cannot troubleshoot this one. Any suggestions?

Answer
A few questions - in rank order of likelihood:

a) Were the fittings you used threaded brass, sweat, shark or PEX? That is, I know the connections to the tank were threaded, but did you make any other changes?

b) Are your valves globe or ball type?

c) Did you turn off the Main at all?

d) Does your system have a PRV (pressure reducing valve) or backflow valve in it anywhere?

e) Are you on a pump or a municipal system?

A - if you made changes to any fittings, especially sweat-type, you may have used to much solder which has narrowed the diameter of the pipe somewhere. Or, you may have left some debris inside a pipe that is caught in a valve.

B - Older globe valves are notorious for 'throwing' their washer - the set-screw holding the washer corrodes and the washer floats free inside the valve. In that case, the washer will partially block the valve even when it appears open. I try to replace any critical globe valves with ball-valves (full-flow) whenever I am working on a system.

C - As above, with the added concern that main valves, especially globe-type , sometimes accumulate grit and corrosion products behind them which when disturbed can clog at the valve or further down the system.

D - PRV and Backflow devices are notorious for clogging even with little bits of debris in the system. Given how they operate, that is no surprise. Try to clear any that you have.

E - Some municipalities will lower pressure at times - that is a question for them.

In general, I hope you flushed the system for at least one full minute at full flow at a hose bib or a full-flow faucet such as laundry tub or a kitchen sink with the aerator removed, and preferably close to the work. So then, check your valves, clean the screens, and drain a gallon of water or so from the bottom of the water heater. If that does not do it, you may need to put a pressure gauge on your system and see where the big drop occurs when water is flowing. That will be the choke-point.

How to go about sealing coolant leak from cooling lines on radiator?

William

Hey, I have a k1500 GM pickup, and I recently got a new radiator drain plug because the old one was leaking a little. Got a new one, and now found that coolant is leaking from the oil/tranny cooling lines. Not oil, but coolant is leaking from behind them where the metal fittings meets the plastic. It's a plastic tank by the way.

I was thinking about stop-leak, but that would be a last resort for me. I heard that there are rubber gaskets on the inside of the tank that could be replaced, but i'm not sure.

I'd like to hold off on getting a new radiator, because this one is in pretty good shape(minus the leaks, lol), and I want to use this one until i get a new engine, then i'll get a new radiator for that. How should I go about doing this? Should I unscrew the metal fittings and buy new gaskets(if they even sell them)? Should I instead use RTV sealant? Or go with stop leak?

Answer
There are a few ways to fix this with the best being a new unit but out side of that as you stated you wish to avoid that right now I will list a few tricks I have used in just cases like this

1) Try tighting the fittings a little bit but be careful as they are in plastic!

2) wrap in Teflon tape at lest 3 to 4 wraps but no more then 6 as it may not fit back in with that many . Normally 3 to 4 will do it.

3 pull the lines( there your auto tranny cooling lines by the way) and use a tight fitting rubber washer on the out side next to the hole then wrap the threads with Teflon tape 3 to 4 times and tighten it up.

if none of this works buy a new radiator as using stop leak is never a good deal if it can be avoided at all as not only will it stop the leak (maybe) but because of how it works it can also plug or come close to it the small tubes in the radiator and or heater core besides coat the cooling passages in the motor lowering there efficiency. Now if you do replace the radiator do your self a big favor and do these things also

1) Flush the motor and heater core before you install the new radiator do this by removing the thermostat and then run a hose into the return radiator line from the motor tell you get clear water.

2) Replace thermostat with a new one

3) Replace all radiator hoses and heater hoses including any small by-pass hoses.

4) Replace the radiator cap with a new one that also is with in the OEM pressure rating.

Doing the above will stop any contamination from getting into the new radiator right off the bat. It will also stop you from blowing older hoses that may be weak from the possible higher pressure of the new radiator being it will not longer be leaking and can now build full pressure some thing it most likely has not done for some time. (Learned this one the hard way on the side of the road late at night as one hose after another blew!)

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How to clean flagstone and slate?

pressure washer broom image

Chelseafan

Does anyone have any tips for cleaning years of dirt from outdoor flagstone and/or slate ? I've seen it suggested that a pressure washer is a good idea, however, I'm not sure if that alone would be effective.

Answer
You can carefully use miractic acid to clean the stones. Use rubber gloves and protective eyewear. Pour some on the stones and use a broom to perform a scrubbing action. Then rinse with water.

How to fix lines/etch on bricks after pressure washing?

Radojka B

I made a rookie mistake and pressure washed my brick patio with my 1500 psi electric pressure washer, and now its got white lines all over it, almost like its etched in or something. Is there anyway I can fix or reduce the visibility of these?


Thank you

Answer
Next time use 20 minutes, a yard broom and a bucket of weak bleach solution.
No patio needs pressure washing, it's a frightful waste of water and electricity to clean an outside surface, it's not a living room, it's a garden.

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What equipment would I need to start a mobile car wash?

pressure washer vacuum image

sweet a

I know that I need rags, brushes, products etc. What I dont know is what do I buy to get the water to wash the cars, like what powers the pressure washer, etc

Answer
Most people use a gasoline powered pressure washer. You can get water either from a long hose ran to a nearby building, or you can get one of those large water tanks, usually 90+ gallons. Most people mount the pressure washer and tank combo to a small trailer, or inside a large work van.

Then, like you said your soaps, cleaners, waxes, polishes, chamois, a vacuum, interior carpet cleaner, a brass brush, a ton of rags, etc.

Its all at www.detailking.com

Should I wash my rug at the car wash?

PlasticTre

I got the idea from my friend. He said that's how he cleaned his mom's rugs.

One of my dogs has white hair and sheds a LOT. There are white hairs embedded in the rug that I can't get out with the vacuum or carpet cleaner.

If I use the pressure washer at the car wash.. will there be any drawbacks? Can it damage the rug? *It's a huge cheap rug anyway from walmart*

Answer
Sounds like a good idea but the only thing is it's going to be sopping wet, how are you ever going to get it dry. If you have a truck you could put it in the back of it once clean then take it home and hang it over a fence or something. Good luck!:)

I would just shampoo it with a shampooer.

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