Downstreaming

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powerwashing4u

New member
I must be missing something, could someone please explain to me how downstreaming when washing a house is faster than running an X-jet?

If I understand correctly, you walk back and forth between your trailer and the house turning off the soap injector and turning it back on again so you can rinse.
 
I've done both and I think downstreaming is easier. The x-jet works great but carrying those jugs around gets old, and if you have to get up on a porch roof to wash a part of the house that is not accessible from the ground, then you've got to carry the jug up a ladder. My opinion is that it is easier on my body to walk back and forth. Also you can mix up enough chemical on the trailer to wash several houses. This means less mixing at the customers house, and less of a chance of spilling concentrated chemicals on their lawn or driveway.

What i hate more than walking back and forth is watching my employees walk back and forth. I set up a remote control so that we can turn the chemical valve on and off with out walking back and forth.
 
oh i thought i was the only guy with a bucket hanging off the ladder
 
When down-streaming you don't have to walk back and forth to the trailer. If you have your rig setup right you only change tips, from soap tip to rinse tip. Hugh
 
Nelson -
You are thinking of Upstreaming


Downstreaming is when you inject chemical AFTER the pump, there is a seperate attachement called a "Downstream Injector" that you place after your machine and before your hose reel - it has a chemical injection line that goes into a bucket and can be adjusted from 2-20 injection ratio. This is to be used with a dual lance wand. A dual lance wand uses a rotating handle - when rotated back it will kick on the downstream injector which will pull your chemical. Rotate the handle the other way and it kicks off the chemical, restores your high pressure and returns you to only water. So basically with the turn of the handle you can open and shut your soap "valve"



Upstreaming is drawing chemical BEFORE your pump and this system is usually built onto your machine and this is where you would use your detergent valve on your machine. Basically you have to turn it on to draw soap and walk back and turn it off to shut off the soap.

To make this easier I will go make a video....
 
copgib said:
When down-streaming you don't have to walk back and forth to the trailer. If you have your rig setup right you only change tips, from soap tip to rinse tip. Hugh
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Hugh, if your lance in dual you dont need to even change tips..
 
Well I was on my way to make a video until I looked outside and saw some guy stab a knife through my tire of my car. So I had to get redneck with him and chase him down in my pink pajamas and flip flops. This is not a joke - I will take a picture of the tire and the knife, as soon as I unpack my camera....:eek:
 
Dual lance wands are only good for up close chem application via a downstreamer. I didn't get the impression that the poster was talking about upstreaming, he is talking about disengaging the downstreamer during high height spray apps (I am assuming). As was mentioned, this is done via a nozzle change. You can go from an 0040 to an 0020 (depending on the size of your pump) and hit the heights without going back to the truck. A dual lance wand is great for downstreaming on decks which is what PWPros is probably referring to.
 
If you are downstreaming a house, try using a high-low nozzle. You can switch between soaping and rinsing by pushing or pulling the nozzle at the end of your wand. You can also adjust the spray pattern from 0-60 degrees.
 
I know you can turn off the downstreaming by changing tips, but sometimes I want to rinse with low pressure. That means turning off the downsteam injector manually or by remote control.
 
MrSqueegee said:
I know you can turn off the downstreaming by changing tips, but sometimes I want to rinse with low pressure. That means turning off the downsteam injector manually or by remote control.
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Or by using your ball valve.
 
MrSqueegee said:
I know you can turn off the downstreaming by changing tips, but sometimes I want to rinse with low pressure. That means turning off the downsteam injector manually or by remote control.
Click to expand...

When I used to downstream chems for house washing, I would keep a couple of tips in my pocket. I would rinse siding and windows with a #10- 25 degree tip, this would reduce the pressure giving me the same flow. I kept one size for decks and one for concrete, going back to the truck was rare. Your chem injector activates when the pressure is dramatically reduced, try a couple larger tips and see how high (orifice size) you can go before you draw chems.
 
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