I need lots of advice

[MEDSKER]

Well I am really glad that I found this forum I have already learned alot but it has also made me think about alot of ???s. I am currently thinking about starting a small powerwashing business, I have been thinking it over for a long time and I think I can make it work but I am a little apprehensive about it. It will start out as a part time thing just to supplement my income and see if I can make it work. I live in a rural area and thought I would try to start with washing houses, decks, flatwork and possibly local farmers trucks and tractors. I was thinking about starting off with a small coldwater washer but the more I read the more I think that a hot water washer would be better(less chemicals sounds better to me) I have a few questions please let me know what everybody is thinking.

1. Is a water tank a necessity

2. Do you have to worry about water recovery if there are no storm drains, I figured around houses and in rural areas it will soak up in the ground before you could recover it any way.

3. can a person get started with a cold water washer or is heat a must.

4. Is it a good thing to get in with property management groups and realtors, I know a few and I think there is a market for it here.

I have already looked in some of the local phone books and called around and I can't find anybody in the area that specializes in powerwahing, some painters do it on the side.

I know that some of these questions probably seem a little stupid or strange but I have know one else to ask so please tell me what you guys think.

All info and advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[itswillist]

Well I'm pretty new myself, but I encourage you to get hot water if your going to do alot of trucks and flat work, it just makes the job easier.. much faster, cleaner, and easier. But cold water will do the trick, but heat breaks up oil, grease, dirt, and mildew better. It's all about the molecules in the water moving faster due to heat, so they break surface tensions better.

I don't have a water tank, and I do fine. However I do have a 25 Gallon Chemical tank that I draw my chems out of. That's a life saver.

I mostly due residential, and I don't recover my water. But I don't use alot of chemical. Don't get me wrong.. I use it, but mainly just when I need it. But water recovery is a federal law if your using chemical, only more inforced in the commercial world.

And yes, get in with anyone you can. If there cash is green, it's good to you. I would use any and every connection you have, esp. to get started... It takes a good bit of trial and error to find out what makes the phone ring .. But if you're in a very rural area, I would but up flyers in local hang outs, churchs, and try some signs in various parts.

 

[grasshawg]

1. A water tank is not a necessity, but a good idea if you're going to be out on remote jobs, like a farm tractor. Maybe it's just been pulled out of the mud, and won't run. The farmer wants it cleaned up before working on it. Maybe, for whatever reason, the farmer wants you to go to the tractor, rather than bringing the tractor close enough to a water supply so you can clean it. So many scenarios. It's a matter of personal preference, but in my opinion, it's better to have it and not need it so much than to need it and not have it.
2. Rural Missouri is probably not real concerned with water recovery, but be careful out on the farms. You DO NOT want your wastewater to wind up in the pond or creek that the animals drink from. Work a safe distance away from such places, and always be aware of the direction of your runoff. Check with your local Commission on Environmental Quality just to be safe. Don't want to wind up being sued because your wastewater killed a bunch of cows or chickens. Not to mention the fines imposed by the EPA.
3. Everybody knows, or should know that hot water cleans better than cold. You can get started with cold water, but you're on the right track with using less chems with hot water, which is desireable around the farms and animals. Keep in mind also, that if you already have a long term plan for expansion, wouldn't it be better to already have a hot water unit than to worry about upgrading before you can expand?
4. Ditto to what "itswillist" said. If they're money is green, it's good to you. I like the way that was put. Property management firms will require recovery most likely. They are being monitored by local governments to make sure they are in compliance with local laws and ordinances, so they will require you to be. But get in with one of them, and do a good job, you'll likely get the nod toward others as well. And one property management co. usually has multiple locations.

 

[Revive]

In Stages

I've haven't seen much about them here on the PWN

Propane Hot Box's. We started off on fences and decks using 4gpm cold machines. Then started cleaning balconies on high rise apt's. Didn't know I was going to want hot. By the time I wanted hot I already had 4 machines. So I bought a 375,000btu propane hot box. Now we run which ever machine is handy with it.All I'm saying is if you're leary about spending the extra on hot now, you can still go in that direction later. There is some draw backs to the hot box, but there is also advantages.

 

[Larry L.]

Sometimes its harder or will take longer to expand with a cold unit.On the farms sometimes the tractors and trucks will have a grease on them that will laugh at cold water even laugh at chemicals.If they have been using another contactor using hotwater your repete rate may come slow.