POLL: 1/4 or 3/8 supply hose

[AshleyMckendree]

This is not a "List pros and cons of going to one or the other" thread.

I know 3/8 will provide better flow, bleed less PSI etc etc.
And 1/4 is just way more convenient blah blah.

I currently have only 1/4 Parflex. Absolutely love it.
But want to go to 3/8 Sinflex or Parflex for more FLOW and PSI

... my dad will cry about the extra weight, but he's only had steel braided 3/8 in the past.

 

[Greenie]

3/8" Parflex 1035HT isn't much heavier than 1/4" to be fair.

Yes it does communicate More net pressure to the tool, about 30 psi more per 50', this is important with a Bane or other small pump, but with a pressure regulated TM pump, you can just "turn it up 100psi" and be done with it.

The real restriction in your pressure system is the wand valve, and wand plumbing...look at the big picture before you go and give pops one more thing to reconsider your share of the inheritance.

 

[esquireservicesinc]

All our Steamway stuff is 3/8. Wouldn't have anything else. The QDs and hoses are more expensive, but last a long time.

 

[Greenie]

You use 3/8" steel braid to the wand?
Are your wands running 1.5" vac hose?

What size is the line on your wand's plumbing from valve to jet?

 

[Mark Imbesi]

(Got my attention, now, talkin Steamways)

(Budgeted for the first half of 2009 to pimp her out)

 

[esquireservicesinc]

You use 3/8" steel braid to the wand?
Are your wands running 1.5" vac hose?

What size is the line on your wand's plumbing from valve to jet?

3/8" from TM to wand, steel braid.
1.5" vac "cheater hose" last 25', rest is 2".

The line from valve to jet is 1/8" I am pretty sure at least. Steamways run only 1 flood jet at the wand.

 

[Dolly Llama]

(Got my attention, now, talkin Steamways)

(Budgeted for the first half of 2009 to pimp her out)

it's a piece of cake Marc.
even for a Ginzo like you.. :mrgreen:

Greenie's 2.5" smooth flow elbow mounted to the tank the lid, and rubber plug to plug the stock vac port.
Hi-flow pool filter and 2.5 hose and you're good to go

'bout the only thing you'll need for tools is a drill, a 2.5" bi-metal hole saw, 5/16" drill bit and a 1/2" wrenches/sockets or Alabama socket set (crescent wrench)

you can pull the 2" adapter off the stock port and run 2.5 hose right now.
But putting the Greenie vac port on the lid makes a fair amount of difference

I'm not a big fan of the Bayco valve though

..L.T.A.

 

[Able 1]

You use 3/8" steel braid to the wand?
Are your wands running 1.5" vac hose?

What size is the line on your wand's plumbing from valve to jet?

3/8" from TM to wand, steel braid.
1.5" vac "cheater hose" last 25', rest is 2".

The line from valve to jet is 1/8" I am pretty sure at least. Steamways run only 1 flood jet at the wand.

Only thing you are doing with that "cheater hose" Is cheating your custy! I do understand that you have like 5 TM's going out every day but man do your custy's a favor and at the least go with 2" hose to the wand. Don't mean to take this tread to vac hose size but 1.5 is garbage unless used on upholestry.

 

[esquireservicesinc]

You use 3/8" steel braid to the wand?
Are your wands running 1.5" vac hose?

What size is the line on your wand's plumbing from valve to jet?

3/8" from TM to wand, steel braid.
1.5" vac "cheater hose" last 25', rest is 2".

The line from valve to jet is 1/8" I am pretty sure at least. Steamways run only 1 flood jet at the wand.

Only thing you are doing with that "cheater hose" Is cheating your custy! I do understand that you have like 5 TM's going out every day but man do your custy's a favor and at the least go with 2" hose to the wand. Don't mean to take this tread to vac hose size but 1.5 is garbage unless used on upholestry.

Do you think I am not getting enough vacuum? I can assure you I am getting enough vacuum. The previous owner has been using this set up for years and we are considered the best in our area. We do lare commercial buildings with over 100,000 SF of carpet on a regular basis. Run our hoses up to the 5th floor and go to town.

 

[Dolly Llama]

You use 3/8" steel braid to the wand?
Are your wands running 1.5" vac hose?

What size is the line on your wand's plumbing from valve to jet?

3/8" from TM to wand, steel braid.
1.5" vac "cheater hose" last 25', rest is 2".

The line from valve to jet is 1/8" I am pretty sure at least. Steamways run only 1 flood jet at the wand.

Brother, I've run Powermatic/ Legacy for over 13 years.
The ONLY thing you benefit from with 3/8 sol line is longevity over 1/4" steel braid CRAP.
The flood jet wand was good in it's day, but it's antiquated technology now

do yourself and your biz a favor, and try some of the better designed wands on the market.
You'll get carpets just as clean and dry times will decrease quite a bit.

I know some of the "true blue" crowd still chant the mantra, and i can assure you I LOVE my big loud legacy, but the 3/8 hose and flood jet wand is in the past and been been surpassed by better mouse traps


..L.T.A.

 

[esquireservicesinc]

You use 3/8" steel braid to the wand?
Are your wands running 1.5" vac hose?

What size is the line on your wand's plumbing from valve to jet?

3/8" from TM to wand, steel braid.
1.5" vac "cheater hose" last 25', rest is 2".

The line from valve to jet is 1/8" I am pretty sure at least. Steamways run only 1 flood jet at the wand.

Brother, I've run Powermatic/ Legacy for over 13 years.
The ONLY thing you benefit from with 3/8 sol line is longevity over 1/4" steel braid CRAP.
The flood jet wand was good in it's day, but it's antiquated technology now

do yourself and your biz a favor, and try some of the better designed wands on the market.
You'll get carpets just as clean and dry times will decrease quite a bit.

I know some of the "true blue" crowd still chant the mantra, and i can assure you I LOVE my big loud legacy, but the 3/8 hose and flood jet wand is in the past and been been surpassed by better mouse traps


..L.T.A.

I agree with you on the longevity of the 3/8" line, that is why we use it. Any particular wand you may recommend? We outclean many of our competitors all day long. It works for us. I guess I am a bit partial to the "Protection Shield" that the Steamway wand provides.

 

[Dolly Llama]

The previous owner has been using this set up for years and we are considered the best in our area. .

Chris, the previous owner is the past.
Now you can take an already great biz to the next level into the future

you can start by buying an aftermarket flow switch that's RELIABLE when (not if) your FS starts giving probs....again
No monkeying around cutting coils of the stock FS, "maybe" the heater will cycle with low flow uphl tools, maybe not...

when your ready, buy the aftermarket switch from Steamway Express in Zoar of Oiho.
Jeff will know exactly what you need.
It's also a direct replacement....mo mod, pull the old one out and throw it as far as you can, then install the new on


..L.T.A.

 

[Dolly Llama]

I agree with you on the longevity of the 3/8" line, that is why we use it. Any particular wand you may recommend?
[/quote

solution line... Parker 1035HT for carpet cleaning.
Wand? I'm partial to our pimped Prochem Ti.
I hear nothing but good about the Greenhorn wand too, but honestly I no personal experience cleaning with them.
(though I might borrow Chris Adkins new GH and take for a test drive)

We outclean many of our competitors all day long.

[/quote]

and you will continue too, only BETTER than before, I promise

2" hose all the way to a 2" wand with 14" head.
Your guys won't notice weight difference cause you'll be using Parker sol line and it will like air compared to the 3/8 stuff

I'll sum it up like this;
your biz will be cleaning better than ever with the improvments

..L.T.A.

 

[esquireservicesinc]

I'll talk to Jeff about the switch and get some feedback from him. I will do some more research into this and maybe do a test drive on 1 of the units next year. Thanks for the info.

 

[Dolly Llama]

I'll talk to Jeff about the switch and get some feedback from him. I will do some more research into this and maybe do a test drive on 1 of the units next year. Thanks for the info.

that's a great idea.
Just do one truck and see .
Jeff is one of the most helpful, honest , knowledgeable Steamway guys you'll ever know.



..L.T.A.

 

[esquireservicesinc]

I'll talk to Jeff about the switch and get some feedback from him. I will do some more research into this and maybe do a test drive on 1 of the units next year. Thanks for the info.

that's a great idea.
Just do one truck and see .
Jeff is one of the most helpful, honest , knowledgeable Steamway guys you'll ever know.



..L.T.A.

No doubt. I talk to him at least once a week. Always willing to help. Great guy.

 

[Able 1]

Do you think I am not getting enough vacuum? I can assure you I am getting enough vacuum. The previous owner has been using this set up for years and we are considered the best in our area. We do lare commercial buildings with over 100,000 SF of carpet on a regular basis. Run our hoses up to the 5th floor and go to town.

OK

 

[Steve Smith]

meAt,

What makes your pimped Prochem Ti preferrable to your Steamway scrub wand?
(flushing, heat retention, streaking, durability, etc?)
How fast (rpm) do you spin the blower on your Powermatic?

Thanks.



esquireservicesinc,

We use 3/8", and 1/4" solution hose.
The first 75 feet of solution hose is 1/4", the rest of the solution hose are 50 footers of 3/8".
I don't know if you are using 3/8" qd's, we just use 1/4" qd's on both the 1/4" and 3/8" hoses, and all cleaning tools.
I would never get rid of 3/8" solution hose, it's a must on setups over 100 feet.

 

[Sticky]

Green Horn Wand try that....

 

[Dolly Llama]

meAt,

What makes your pimped Prochem Ti preferrable to your Steamway scrub wand?
(flushing, heat retention, streaking, durability, etc?)
How fast (rpm) do you spin the blower on your Powermatic?




.

blower...we run in the 3000 to 3100 range, Steve
On runs in 125ft and up range well spin a little faster at 3200 to 3300

as far as the wand comparison;

durability wise, they're both "forever wands" that will last an operator his entire life.
I was never nutz over the paraplate valve though. Seems I could never keep them leak free for very long.
Always leaked/dripped out of the valve stem when triggering with in a few weeks to a month of rebuilding.
And I flat out LOATH that steel line from valve to jet...been "skin fried" too many times from it

streaking/jet distortion.. the 6 jet Ti blows it away in that regard.
As you know, many cut piles get jet distorted with the SW wand because the flood jet blows heavy in the middle.

as far as flushing, an 09 jetted wand flows more water than the 07 equiv flood jet. It's also a more even spray from one end of the wand to the other compared to the FJ. Vee/Tee jets just give more consistent spray patterns
Further, the SW jet blows straight down instead of an angle.
The backing doesn't get "injected" at 400+ PSI..dry times are decreased w/Ti

heat retention...I never measured temps at the fiber with our SW wand, so i really don't know.
But our pimped Ti has jet extenders that put the jet nozzle about the same distance to the fiber as the SW wand, so i suspect they're pretty close in heat ATF.
I'd "guess" because of the enclosed chamber and nature of flood jets, the SW might have a slight edge.
The draw backs like streaking and injecting the backing don't give that slight heat edge enough of advantage for us to ever go back to the SW wand.
Especially since Powermatics can make screaming heat anyway ...as you know

about the only place I can think the SW wand would be an advantage over the Ti would be in a joint with lots of gum on the floor.
Peg the thermostat and COOK the gum out with the flood jet's heavy flow in the middle


Here's a little tid bit you may not be aware of..
Regardless of what we think of the Seal of Approval debacle and their ratings..
The Powermatic didn't fair so well in the tests compared to other TMs..the ONLY reason is because they used the SW flood jet wand.
Cause we all know the PM doesn't take a back seat to ANY single wand TM on the market and will blow most of them away in every aspect.
It was the wand...

It took me awhile to arrive at these conclusions Steve.
If you would of asked me 6-8 years ago, I'd of told you nothing beats the SW wand for raw screaming power.
And if you're an unglided "wand scrubber" that relies on chop stroke agitation to bust out ratties, it's still a formidable weapon.

just not near the best choice over all for day in and day out cleaning


..L.T.A.

 

[The Magician]

Waldo's missing the picture here. Larry belongs in the top 25 cleaners. He knows his machine,wand, Chemicals, suppliers and how to get carpets really clean.

 

[Dolly Llama]

Larry belongs in the top 25 cleaners. He knows his machine,wand, Chemicals, suppliers and how to get carpets really clean.

Thanks Jimmy

I'll never make the list though.
Wal-DOH black balled me years ago cause I make fun of his grEEzy hair and lack of hygiene....

he knows I belong in the top 10


..L.T.A.

 

[Greenie]

Here's a little tid bit you may not be aware of..

Regardless of what we think of the Seal of Approval debacle and their ratings..
The Powermatic didn't fair so well in the tests compared to other TMs..the ONLY reason is because they used the SW flood jet wand.
Cause we all know the PM doesn't take a back seat to ANY single wand TM on the market and will blow most of them away in every aspect.
It was the wand...

..L.T.A.

 

[Jason Whaley]

1/4 is the best in my opinion.