This is all funny. Bulky? Heavy? Not hardly. How much does one 4' piece of PVC and a few small fittings weigh? Not nearly as much as a typical pressure washing wand. Now, maybe being a "roof cleaning only" company, your guys have a problem with "wrestling" with ball valves and carrying the immense weight of a piece of 1/2" PVC pipe, but us pressure washers are used to dragging 50+ pounds of hose and wand all over the place. Holding a 4' piece of 1/2" pvc pipe and "wrestling" with a 1/2" ball valve is a piece of cake for us.
"Me, and my guys are used to dragging 5/8 hose around too, and do not need any additional weight or bulk.
Personally, I do even NOT use a wand at all, I use a gun.
I only posted this info for those of you that feel you NEED a wand."
As far as giving your pocketbook a break, I build my PVC "phelps" wands for about $12.00 in parts, and if I need another one, I can get the parts and have it built in less than an hour. Can your supplier get me a wand that quickly?
"These wands are sold locally in many places, so the question to you Mike is what is YOUR time worth."
Since I keep a couple spares, replacing one that breaks is quick...though I haven't broken one in a while. If you're careful with your tools, they don't typically break. If not, anything will break.
"On page one of this thread, you broke one"
I can make a pvc wand to fit just about any type of nozzle I want...though why make it complicated. I use a 1/4" SS coupler on the end of mine, and use a 25 degree regular pressure washing tip. Works great.
The only drawback is the 2-3 times per roof job that I have to wrestle with that mean ol' ball valve...really takes it out of my hands and wrists...LOL!!!
"IF you are only opening and closing your ball valve 2 or 3 times on a roof, SOMETHING is wrong, or you could care less about overspray and runoff?
Often, on a windy day, one must actually spray between gusts of wind.
AND, sometimes, when shooting a really steep roof, one needs to let pressure build, and spray intermittently.
Kinda hard to do with an open ball valve.
Another consideration with a trigger vs a ball valve is this.
When a ball valve "opens", there is a moment when it partially opens BEFORE it is wide open.
This causes a momentary pressure drop, and a slight loss of shooting distance.
A "trigger" is instantaneous by comparasion, and there is less momentary pressure drop."
C'mon, Chris...This isn't really about just "offering an alternative", is it? Isn't it more about taking shots at Don? What's that all about?
"I have never met Don, or even spoken to him.
I only "know" him from the Internet.
Maybe I am just "old school" Mike, but I HATE seeing educational boards being used to sell anything.
I think most come here for free advice, and I think that advice is "tainted" when it includes a sales pitch."
As for selling products, Don never has pushed "his" wand...He initially posted pictures of it and how to build it, and some people who didn't want to take the time to find the parts and put them together have asked him to make them one...I'm guessing he probably doesn't make more than a few bucks on each one after you figure the time to get the parts, put them together, package it up, and ship it. Why do you have to imply that there's some ulterior motive? He could much more easily buy cheap spray guns from a suppler and re-sell them for a better profit...but instead, he, like me, has found that the pvc wand simply works better.
"A wand does NOT work better then a gun Mike.
You are going to lose this discussion because you have only opinion, NOT science, on your side.
Roof Cleaning is simply carefully wetting down a roof, and the faster we can accomplish that, the better.
The pattern of a nozzle develops exponentially with distance.
A gun gives a nozzle time to "do it's job".
A wand places a nozzle too close to a roof for it to develop it's full pattern.
That's why yard spray guys do not use "Phelps Wands", LOL
They use guns, because they are faster.
As for Don, IMHO he WANTS to convince us they are "better" because he SELLS them.
Sure, he could get and sell other guns and wands.
But then, he wouldn't have an "exclusive" product anymore, would he, LOL"
I've tried other sprayguns...the pvc wand, in my experience, is easier, cheaper, and much more readily available.
"And WHAT other spray guns have you tried Mike?
Have you tried the one we recommend, or are you just "shilling" for your buddy Don, in the HOPE that by "supporting" him on the Internet, he will give you a near cost deal on the stuff he sells ?
With all due respect Mike, you seem VERY defensive and protective of Don, why ?
What he calls the "Phelps Wand" was passed around on the old Delco board YEARS ago.
Us "Old Timers" know better.
It ain't like it is "his wand", LOL
We used, and abandoned these contraptions long before most of you guys were ever in this business.
For one thing, the gas from the Chlorine attacks the joints in a PVC wand, a solid piece of Polyproplyne in the wand we recommend is just plain better.
And, for those here seeking information, decide for yourself.
Apple Roof Cleaning has been helping people on the Internet LONG before most of these guys were even in business, at ZERO financial gain to myself.
We do NOT sell anything, but local roof cleaning services here in the Tampa area.
That put's us at a bit of a "disadvantage", because we have no way to entice the "support" of anyone with "sweetheart deals" on sales of equipment, or "promises" of work on big commercial jobs .....
Use your common sense, and remember that ALL you read on the Internet is not ALWAYS what it seems to be!
Question EVERYTHING you read, and make up your OWN mind ?
Chris
