Didnt turn out exactly how I expected

[Tim-newbie]

Recently I bought a portable eclipse portable. I know, I know seems like everyone on here hates portables and everyone who uses them. Im looking for useful advice on this topic. I worked for a Servicemaster using truck mounts for a few years. Now that I don't work for them anymore I bought my own portable. I bought the portable from another carpet cleaning company. I bought a wand from this guy also. But the wand is clearly for a truck mount. It is a six spray, evolution. When I clean my rentals houses it doesn't seem to have much suction. I know its not a truck mount but the portable I have should be able to get what I do done. My question is, should I pitch the wand I have and get a wand that is for portables?

 

[Cleanworks]

Welcome Tim, we have been waiting for you. Yeah, a lot guys claim to hate portables but we all have to use them eventually, unless you live in Alabama. The Eclipse is a nice machine. You have to match your wand with the machine for best results. I am hoping you bought the Eclipse with the 2-3 stage vacuums and the 500 psi pump. Let me know. Nice feature with the Eclipse, is that you can drop in a dry filter for vacuuming. Check to see what your vacuums are and use the appropriate length of hose. Take your time and do repeat dry vacs. It's not a truck mount but you can do good work with it if you have some patience.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Recently I bought a portable eclipse portable. I know, I know seems like everyone on here hates portables and everyone who uses them. Im looking for useful advice on this topic. I worked for a Servicemaster using truck mounts for a few years. Now that I don't work for them anymore I bought my own portable. I bought the portable from another carpet cleaning company. I bought a wand from this guy also. But the wand is clearly for a truck mount. It is a six spray, evolution. When I clean my rentals houses it doesn't seem to have much suction. I know its not a truck mount but the portable I have should be able to get what I do done. My question is, should I pitch the wand I have and get a wand that is for portables?

Use no more than 25 foot of vacuum hose. 2 inch will work better than 1.5 if its ported for 2 inch. Check the suction, is it weak not strong enough to clean well?

Then she's running perfect.

Keep the wand, pitch the portable!!!

 

[smart n kleen]

I'd get a 2 jet 4-6 flow wand.

 

[Papa John]

Check to see if the vac hoses inside the portable are connected properly and free of any holes. This porty should have enough vac if you are using the 1.5 inch hoses and EVO wand.

I had the eclipse before-- it- as with many portables has a design flaw. Its great that it has 2 or even 3 vac motors- but then these vac are "hog-tied" being plumped in series and with 1.5 inch vac hoses.
The eclipse cant safely be pulled up stairs-- the controls near the back wheels get caught on the stair lip and the bulk of the weight is in the front of the portable instead of the back where the wheels are.
so this portable feels like it wants to pull the worker down the stairs.

 

[Mikey P]

more importantly, get a 1.5 inch wand, the wand you have is 2" and not portworthy.


The PMF Mach 12 is the cream of the crop IMO

 

[smart n kleen]

more importantly, get a 1.5 inch wand, the wand you have is 2" and not portworthy.


The PMF Mach 12 is the cream of the crop IMO

I'm getting a PMF Mach 12 with a 2" tube. Very rare right now.

 

[Papa John]

yeah-- do what Mikey said--
or to complicate things.

re plumb the vac motors and stand pipe and hose connector in parallel and with 2 inch hose and pipe

 

[Papa John]

I'm getting a PMF Mach 12 with a 2" tube. Very rare right now.

if your current connection on the porty is for 1.5 inch vac hose-- do NOT waste your time with a 2 inch wand-- LISTEN TO MIKEY!

 

[smart n kleen]

if your current connection on the porty is for 1.5 inch vac hose-- do NOT waste your time with a 2 inch wand-- LISTEN TO MIKEY!

I have a 575 so no worries but thanks

 

[Papa John]

I have a 575 so no worries but thanks

Opps- my bad-- I thought your post was a rebuttal by TIM-newbie.--

 

[Onfire_02_01]

Like others have said
1. look at the vacuum motors if they are 2 stage motors you must use an 1.5" wand if you have a 3 stage motor continue to #2
2. If you have 3 stage motors then look at the inner tubing if they are 1.5" pipes in series (connected to each other) you must use a 1.5" wand if they are 2" or they are plumbed in parallel then continue to #3
3. If your vacuum connection to the portable is 1.5" then you must use a 1.5" hose and wand. If your connection is a 2" then feel free to use the 2" hose and wand. If you have parallel but the connection is still 1.5" look to see if the portable has the room to put in a 2" connection.
Things to Remember.
Portables are slower than a truckmount, but that does not mean you cannot get as good of results, you will just have to work harder to achieve them. Clean properly and you will have no issues. Most carpet cleaners will use the extra vacuum or heat of the truckmount to cheat in their cleaning. "I have the vortex big block with turbo charge and a magic pixie heater so I don't have to pre-vacuum, pre-spray, or scrub in my pre-spray. I can take the spots off a dog." Follow the IICRC guidelines and you will clean circles around "that guy" who prances around the chem shop.

To answer your question: blow the water out of your wand and put it in the corner for the day when you can get a truckmount and buy a 1.5" wand for the portable.

 

[kevinj6121]

If your vac connection on the machine is only 1.5 you can change it out to a two inch and use 2 inch hose, they do sell 2 inch connection that are fairly easy to change. I will add that even if you do not change the connection on the machine itself you can still use 2 inch hose, just get the a new connection for the end of the hose. you get one that screws onto a 2 inch hose that will then connect to the 1.5 connection on your machine

 

[Onfire_02_01]

If your vac connection on the machine is only 1.5 you can change it out to a two inch and use 2 inch hose, they do sell 2 inch connection that are fairly easy to change. I will add that even if you do not change the connection on the machine itself you can still use 2 inch hose, just get the a new connection for the end of the hose. you get one that screws onto a 2 inch hose that will then connect to the 1.5 connection on your machine

Just because you can doesn't mean that you should. If all the internals are plumbed 1.5" the adding a 2"hose to the wand will at best do nothing for you and will probably decrease the performance of your portable.

 

[kevinj6121]

Just because you can doesn't mean that you should. If all the internals are plumbed 1.5" the adding a 2"hose to the wand will at best do nothing for you and will probably decrease the performance of your portable.

Hey Jeremy, I have to respectfully disagree with you here. Don't get me wrong, it is of course best if the machine is already plumbed 2.0"

But my 1st portable had duel 3stage vac motors and was plumbed at 1.5" another local carpet cleaner let my borrow some 2inch vac hose from him to try out. It made a much noticeable difference. For the better that is
Three months later i sold off that machine and bought a new one already plumbed at 2inch and 2 inch vac hose is all i'll use now.

But based on the experience i had is why i made my above post. No disrespect intended and i hope you do not take this post that way.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Kevin is correct.