Fresh water tanks.

I've often wondered why some cleaners opt for a fresh water tank. I've been in the business over thirty years and have never run across a job where one was needed. I have a 100 ft live garden hose reel and another 100ft as a backup. Every place I've ever done has water. If they don't have an outside faucet I can always connect to a sink. Seems like a waste of space, $$ to me.

Winter is the main reason for me.

House bibs freeze around here and you can end up flooding a basement before you realize that it was cracked. Guess who gets blamed for the damages?

A fresh water tank also gives your water a chance to warm up in your van so that you can get more heat out of your heat exchanger.

Lastly, not all homes in my area have water softeners and almost none of them are connected to the spigot outside. With the extremely hard water found in my area, you build up scale very quickly in your machine and tools.

I wish I didn't need one, but it is a must around here.

For me; I do a lot of rentals. 5-6 /day. So it saves time. Not a lot, but...
That was my old rig, my new one didn't have a FWTank. Wish it did.
But with a FWT it adds weight to the van and wear/tear to the brakes and shocks.( which I just had new stuff put on). So you get some convience vs. Expense of repairs.
Every now and then I get a place that dosnt have the water on or hooking up to a facet on the 2nd or 3 rd floor is a PITA.!
And in the winter, its nice to not have 1 more thing to do in setting up.

Last winter one of my client had a water damage she wasn't home at the time. They blamed it on the gardner because he was the last one to use the spigot. Poor guy

Ive gone back and forth many times and am completely settled on no fresh tank,     its too heavy in an already loaded truck plus just extra maintenance on brakes,   shocks,   keeping it clean,    having to fill it from time to time.    

If you just have a live garden reel with 150ft air compressor hose on it (best upgrade EVER)     then its really fast to just hook in.    

Using a regular garden hose is like cleaning carpet without a glide compared to using air compressor hose

I need a reel for my air hose or maybe Ill give X hose a try. I tried the pocket hose from walmart put some brass fittings on it and it still got pin hole leaks

x hose sux Mo, went through 3 of them. Last one fell victim to a wasp poking a hole in it.

they also are way slower than having live air compressor hose.

pretty much every regular garden hose kinks too, air hose never kinks and doesnt spray you with water when you disconnect

Hey AC it must be really dry where you are, for a wasp to poke a hole in your hose to get water. Lol won't want to be stung by him

Reel its is. It would be nice to mount that reel on the vac reel but then  I wont have room to put the orbot in there.

Speaking of hose reels: I was looking at a used electric butler reel and mounting it in the back but closer to the TM. Leaving afew ft. of space right off the back doors for stuff.
CL in Spokane for $100.

Matt; My carpet cleaner wrote:Speaking of hose reels: I was looking at a used electric butler reel and mounting it in the back but closer to the TM. Leaving afew ft. of space right off the back doors for stuff.
CL in Spokane for $100.

Electric reel for $100??!!!

If you didn't buy it, this posting just sold it to someone else. That is a steal buddy.

Get it quick Matt

Rainbow Rider wrote:I've often wondered why some cleaners opt for a fresh water tank. I've been in the business over thirty years and have never run across a job where one was needed. I have a 100 ft live garden hose reel and another 100ft as a backup. Every place I've ever done has water. If they don't have an outside faucet I can always connect to a sink. Seems like a waste of space, $$ to me.

Ive never had the need either, seems like us warm weather guys are just fine without it. I think I've only run into a no water situation twice, both vacant houses where it had been shut off, and I was able to turn the valve back on at the meter both times.

When I got soaked with water pulling my water hose out of the spicket today I wished I had water on board The customer thought I was sweating and gave me some water.

But then I wouldn't have brakes cause the van can barely handle the weight I have in it now. There was one drive way were I had to get a running start in order to get up it

Next time you'll know to buy a 3/4 ton van, Mo..........1/2 ton is just under powered/braked/weighted for what we do.

It was perfect when I was VLM and just carried an Orbot and spot machine

That is the problem isn't it? The more services that you offer, the bigger pack mule you end up needing.

That is also why vehicles with GVWR over a ton cost so damn much. If you don't have the rating, you will lose on a vehicle inspection.

I had a buddy who did trash hauling and yard clean-up stuff for a part time job. He had a 3/4 ton truck and had over-load springs installed, upgraded the brakes, and installed box sides. He was pulled over and inspected by the State Patrol and was fined for loading beyond the GVWR.

The truck was quite capable, but the GVWR was exceeded and that was the end of his business until he went out and bought a 1.25 ton rated truck.

ACPower. The air hose is a great idea. What size do you use?

Go with the 3/8 air hose.

I love my tank...I have frequent water issues here from frozen spigots to crappy well water with low pressure.....it always seemed to be something...I see the good and bad in each but im enjoying the tank right now,,,,did three jobs back to back and never touched a water hose....but you do fill it up...I do that when cleaning for the day...works out and will get better in the winter I bet. Love the electric vachose reel.....ditched the pressure line real...not for me!

I hadn't considered winter freeze up or well water. Goes to show each situation is different.

I wish I could forget winter freeze up, I'm losing sleep already knowing that it is only a couple of months away.

Support global warming!

milspec...that scenario is bugging me. I know I asked somewhere and sorry if you already answered it, but would winterizing it each time work? maybe you could build in a recovery system to quickly winterize after a job where you have a drive to get to it. finish job, do shut down, winterize and go forward....sounds like a lot but in the winter I think it slows down some doesnt it? it's not like you will be doing it 3 ~ 4 times a day(maybe im wrong). just a thought.

It could work with winterizing each time and yes, the winter does slow considerably. It would just be the chemicals freezing and the pita factor that would be a problem.

I also don't really get impressed by RV anitfreeze as it does freeze at around 10 degrees above zero. Sure, it doesn't expand and break things, but it still freezes and makes a mess. It also should only be used once despite the claims by many that it can be reused several times over.

Is that the only antifreeze you can use?

Do you have enough room to build a secondary compartment in critical areas? maybe set it on something insulating and have another "box" that insulates over the unit.

I invision something easy to move around the unit like a giant styrofoam ice chest type thing.....if the bottom is insulated the "cover" would enclose the no freeze zone....after running it would hold heat nearly all day...then back home to whatever you do with it there.

Im thinking out load....the truck is really nice and its too bad its having this issue.