How many of u Portable Only Guys use auto fill & auto dump?

[Mikey P]

I'm curious as to how many of you POGS go through the hassle of setting up the two extra hoses for fill and dump?

Does it really save you time?

I would think that doing Bucket patrol would be quicker in the residential setting.

 

[rick imby]

MyHello Mikey,

I am a strange duck because I have worked with a regular Mytee extractor with rotovvac 360 and a Steamin Demon with autofill and autodump. The SD takes about as long to hook up as it takes to fill the porty the first time. It takes a little longer to tear down because up here I drain the hoses when it is cold---now--. If the job is over two rooms or dirty we will refill the porty at least once. I can do more and faster with the Demon and only agitating the traffic lanes and stains.

I bring in the house a laundry basket with all the hose I need and my tool box, and my demon with cleaner, and an agitator--- Three trips.


With Box Extractor
Hose for extractor and cleaner, and box extrcator, and Rotovac --three trips

I always work away from the bathroom so the hoses do not get in the way.


With an Extractor with auto fill auto dump do you still roll the box around or do you go to longer vac and solution hose? Either way another trip to haul more hose either vac or water.

My believe would be 3 or four rooms toss up, Upstairs down stairs advantage no auto, apo.

Box extractor setup takes a lot more space in a vehicle, we use an explorer with Demon and van with extractor.

I am looking to hear how the auto fill auto dump extractor guys do it. The time waiting for a bucket to fill is horrible.

 

[Dolly Llama]

I am looking to hear how the auto fill auto dump extractor guys do it. The time waiting for a bucket to fill is horrible.

I'm curious, Rick, where do you normally fill the buckets?

wouldn't it be much more efficient to have the bucket filling at a dribble while cleaning?
That way when you need another bucket of water, it's already full or near full.



..L.T.A.

 

[Greenie]

Without a doubt I'd have a couple of short 12-25' garden hoses, and I'd park the machine in a bath/laundry, or possibly in good weather out the front door so hook ups and pump out onto grass etc... would be quick and easy.

THe advantage of a high perf. unit is that you could run the 75' of needed hose without skipping a beat.

 

[Gary Taylor]

I just use the bucket for my Ninja. I don't think I would want the hassle of the extra hoses. I can always find something to do while my bucket is filling, and sometimes I just need a break.

 

[rick imby]

I am looking to hear how the auto fill auto dump extractor guys do it. The time waiting for a bucket to fill is horrible.

I'm curious, Rick, where do you normally fill the buckets?

wouldn't it be much more efficient to have the bucket filling at a dribble while cleaning?
That way when you need another bucket of water, it's already full or near full.



..L.T.A.

Normally fill the buckets in the tub, (the dribble treatment works there but only for 5 gallons) or next would be the sink.

I have only worked the bucket brigade a few times. Once in a church, no tub no shower had to do it from a sink. The issue of overflow is too painful. I get distracted easily and will not walk away from running water unless the overflow would end up in the tub.

Have a hose to work from any sink to extractor but still I could not walk away, I might forget to walk back.

Even a dribble if left too long can make a huge Mikey---oops I mean Mess. Just a little humor, I haven't seen anyone pick on Mikey lately.

Rick

 

[RIP IT]

I used to use a high powered portable ( gas heater ) with auto fill and auto dump for 9 years and had it permanently bolted in the back of the van. Up to 6 vac motors and a triple live hose reel with 45 metres of 2 inch hose. very reliable no breakdowns and earnt me plenty in wdr and domestic carpet cleaning. Only bought the Prochem to avoid a tax bill and take advantage of our governments 50% tax rebate on business purchases.

 

[jcdsog]

i only hook up the hoses if its a larger job. it doesn't really take me that long to hook up 2 hoses. i just have to remember to cut the fill hose off before i finish or im left with a full tank of clean water. it's also a little pain when unscrewing the dump house because the water likes to flow back at first. nothing a rag cant fix tho.

but this sure beats the bucket method when doing large jobs, especially when i'm a 1 man band and have to do all the filling and dumping myself. that takes alot of time and is a big loss in production rates.

 

[Dolly Llama]

[quote="rick imby":3shjurn8]

I am looking to hear how the auto fill auto dump extractor guys do it. The time waiting for a bucket to fill is horrible.

I'm curious, Rick, where do you normally fill the buckets?

wouldn't it be much more efficient to have the bucket filling at a dribble while cleaning?
That way when you need another bucket of water, it's already full or near full.



..L.T.A.

Normally fill the buckets in the tub, (the dribble treatment works there but only for 5 gallons) or next would be the sink.

I have only worked the bucket brigade a few times. Once in a church, no tub no shower had to do it from a sink. The issue of overflow is too painful. I get distracted easily and will not walk away from running water unless the overflow would end up in the tub.

Have a hose to work from any sink to extractor but still I could not walk away, I might forget to walk back.

Even a dribble if left too long can make a huge Mikey---oops I mean Mess. Just a little humor, I haven't seen anyone pick on Mikey lately.

Rick[/quote:3shjurn8]

Thanks Rick
I'm curious since you have experience with both stand alone portys and Steamon Demon ....
which do you prefer to use most for ease of set-up and efficiency?

..L.T.A.

 

[truckmount girl]

I've always done the buckets.

With my pimped Mytee (justy used to clean my house), I gave up heat and ap/af in order to get 4 big ass vacs and a 650 psi pump on 3 cords.

take care,
Lisa

 

[daniel@procarpet]

How long can you clean at 400-500 psi before running out of water? If you had a helper then buckets make sense, but if you are working solo then I would think auto fill would be the way to go. I really would like to get a mytee m5. The portable I used to have was 100 psi and two 2 stage vacs. It was light (95pounds) and held 15 gallons of water. I would be worried about lugging a 160 pound machine around.

 

[rotovacguy]

How long can you clean at 400-500 psi before running out of water? If you had a helper then buckets make sense, but if you are working solo then I would think auto fill would be the way to go. I really would like to get a mytee m5. The portable I used to have was 100 psi and two 2 stage vacs. It was light (95pounds) and held 15 gallons of water. I would be worried about lugging a 160 pound machine around.

Daniel, that weight you mention is one of the very reasons I run a external pump. I just tap into the hot water at the utility tub, or in the kitchen, depending upon faucets available. Lots of houses now have those fancy ones that you can't hook up to, so usually I bring the extra hose for the long run from the basement. Keeping the pump out of the extractor takes gobs of weight off the unit, making it easier to maneuver, plus it keeps the vac bay lots cooler, and less cluttered. So basically I run auto fill on every job, just that I'm not ever filling a tank.


As for the auto dump, again, I run an external unit, and only use it on the big jobs. Like Monday me and my brother have a 4500 square foot job to do, so the auto dumper will get used there. On most jobs, it doesn't pay, it only takes a few seconds to shut it down and drain the waste tank.

 

[rick imby]

Thanks Rick
I'm curious since you have experience with both stand alone portys and Steamon Demon ....
which do you prefer to use most for ease of set-up and efficiency?

..L.T.A.

I would take the steamin demon over the Porty/rotovac because of speed. If the dirt is coming up well--good chems and agitation--or on lightly soiled carpet I can make a lot better time with the Demon. Setup is about the same and I only stop for a break and to make sure everything is draining right.

Rick






*****************
Upholstery CleanerBowling Green Carpet Cleaner

 

[Jeff Madsen]

I use a CFX. I think it's faster by far than a standard porty. I think if you're comparing it to a porty like Lisa has described it's a wash or even a little slower. I'm sure she takes far fewer dry strokes with all that vacuum than I do with the dual two stages I have on that machine. I think af/ad looks more professional than the bucket brigade, but it's probably a wash in the end.

 

[Brett]

Lisa, what size vacs are you running, 4 2 stage?

 

[truckmount girl]

3 stage. Big mothers. The carpet is dry in like 15 minutes. of course I'm anal about performance, I'd have given my right arm to have had a V when I was cleaning, even though I was a one person show. It goes through a full tank in a bedroom. two or three tanks for the lr/dr combo. I only run 25 ft of 2" hose with it too.

Understand I wouldn't have done it that way if I was using it every day. I keep it as my Mini V, just to do my house. 3 cords, constant filling and dumping and the weight of it would not make it friendly for daily use. I just love getting better than most TMs performance from a porty I can roll into the closet when I'm done. It's a beast. Overkill for sure, but I love it.

Take care,
Lisa

 

[Brett]

Lisa, what is the amp draw of those vacs. If they are 10 amps or more you are pulling 19-20 amps or more under no load on the third cord. Unless you have 20 amp plugs, which you can easily add, your'e overloading those 15 amp ones. Last time I talked to Jeff he didn't have 20 amp plugs in the house he lived in with you, unless you have moved. With age, heat, excessive amp draw, plugs get weak and brittle. I have seen one blow apart and nick a kids arm and draw blood. I have also seen the wire going to the outside of the plug burnt, which you can't see without pulling the plug. 20 amp plugs have the horizontal and vertical slot on the left side of the plug so they can accept 15 amp or 20 amp plugs.

 

[truckmount girl]

I use the kitchen, laundry and bathroom. All 20+ amp.

Greenie will remember which motors it has. He picked them out and designed it to my requirements.

Take care,
Lisa

 

[Brett]

Lisa, is that 20 amp breakers your referring too, or 20 amp plugs

 

[truckmount girl]

20 amp circuits. The plug for the washer, the stove and the bathroom.

take care,
Lisa

 

[Brett]

Thanks Lisa. One of these days, replace the washing machine plug which is probably only 15 amp with a 20 amp plug and use the cord that runs 2 3 stages off of that and you will be fine. The 20 amp breaker feeding the washing machine won't trip but the 15 amp plug could fail someday. Residential appliances that are 110 volt are by law limited to 13 amps I believe which is why most homes were built with 15 amp plugs.

 

[truckmount girl]

Correction, they are two stage, 565's is what Jeff remembered.

Take care,
Lisa

 

[Greenie]

Yea...I wasn't trying to start a fire...lol

It's just a kick ass porty, .something like 210 cfm, and 200" water lift, just high perf. 2 stage (cause she didn't want to run more than 50' of 2" hose, so don't need any more lift or cfm).

It is most defintely a beast.

It's how i know Ken is full of shit.

Pretty nice to have an elec. TM just to do your own place. :wink:

 

[John LaBarbera]

Yea...I wasn't trying to start a fire...lol

It's just a kick ass porty, .something like 210 cfm, and 200" water lift, just high perf. 2 stage (cause she didn't want to run more than 50' of 2" hose, so don't need any more lift or cfm).

It is most defintely a beast.

It's how i know Ken is full of shit.

Pretty nice to have an elec. TM just to do your own place. :wink:

Hi Jeff,

If this was the porty we had at Connections 2008 it has 4-High Performance 2 stage vacs. 2 in series and 2 in parallel. I think you added the 3rd cord for the pump. Mytee just had a lower pressure pump if I remember correctly. It was an awesome machine. Those 4 vacs max out the amps on the 2 cords.

 

[Scott S.]

i have at Truck Force 3500 and I clean alot of dirty restaurants and stuff with it.. and the autofill and autodump i couldnt live without..

i only ever fill it with a bucket if its just one room..