For the last few years window cleaning with a water fed pole has gained in popularity, and is now the preferred way of cleaning outside windows. The time saving over the traditional method of window cleaning with the squeegee can be as much as 50% faster. So what is involved, and what equipment would one need??

The brush is a good place to start as it is the part of the system doing the cleaning. There are many types of brush on the market, but the main part of the brush for cleaning windows are the jets that spray the water, and the bristles that are in contact with the glass. There are two types of jets, and are usually referred to as fan jets, or pencil jets. Fan sprays usually have the water coming out under pressure, and usually cover the whole width of the brush. Pencil jets have water flowing from two places in the brush only, and the water is not under any pressure. People who prefer the fan spray jets usually rinse with the brush on the glass, and people who prefer the pencil jets usually lift the brush off the glass to rinse. The next important part of the brush is the bristles, they come in all lenghts, shapes, and density, but as a rule you don't want them flocked(bashed at the ends)as they trap dirt, you also don't want them too dense, as the dirty water won't flow down the glass, and you want them crinkled, so that more of the bristle is in contact with the glass which aids scrubbing.

The pole, the first window cleaning water fed pole to come on the market were very heavy constructed mostly of fibre glass, and were quite conveniently made by the manufacturer not to be taken apart, meaning all different sizes were needed, to reach different heights of window. Now thankfully there are many types of pole on the market, which have been developed for window cleaning, by window cleaners. These poles are getting lighter stronger, and much less expensive.

Water treatment, the dissolved solids need to be taken out the tap water so as the glass dries spot free when the water evaporates. If you used ordinary tap water to clean the windows, when the water evaporated the dissolved solids would be left behind, showing up as dirty marks on the glass. Deionization, and Reverse Osmosis are the two ways of purifying the tap water, and the one you need can be determined by how hard your tap water is, Reverse Osmosis for hard water, and Deionization for soft water.

Other equipment needed, a pump to transfer the water from the holding vessel to the window. You also need a means of carrying water to the work site which can be a van or trailer with a tank fitted, or a trolley with water containers on it. A hose reel is needed to transfer the water from the tank to the pole. You also need a 12V power supply to operate the pump.

There are many good window cleaning suppliers selling systems, and the three main questions you ask before you buy is, what sizes watter treatment system is supplied (measured in GPD) How high does the pole reach, and is the tank baffled and secured in the van.

Cost alone should not only be considered when purchasing a water fed pole window cleaning system. The environmentally friendliness of the system should also be considered? How efficient is the system?

Copyright (c) 2008 Peter Fogwill