by Dean Dean

PRESSURE WASHER FITTINGS

PRESSURE WASHER FITTINGS

This PRESSURE WASHER FITTINGS video addresses an option you have as it relates to fittings.  That option is either socket in/plug out OR plug in/socket out.  This question arises from customers ordering equipment from us such as modified xjet, pressure wash gun assembly, and even downstream injectors.  This can get somewhat complicated so I like to try and simplify it as best as I can for those who are new in the business.  It’s basically the orientation of or how to set up your inlet and outlet fittings.  I hope this PRESSURE WASHER FITTINGS video helps clear up some of the confusion.

MY FITTINGS PREFERENCE

My preference has always been to set up my system PLUG OUT.  Early in my training years when I first stared in the business, I was taught that “the plug points the way the water flows.”  So for my ball valve set up, the water is coming into valve through the socket.  This might also be called a coupler or the female fitting.  Then the water flows out from the ball valve through the plug.  So my PRESSURE WASHER FITTINGS set up or orientation is PLUG OUT.  So this set up applies to all equipment.  This set up can easily be reversed for a variety of reasons.  But, either way, it must remain consistent throughout the entire system.  At approximately 2:50 into the video, I demonstrate the importance of water flow direction on a downstream injector.  There are small arrows that must coordinate with the direction the water flows.

PRESSURE WASHER IS STARTING PLACE

Your PRESSURE WASHER FITTINGS orientation all starts with the inlet fitting on the pressure washer.  Most machines arrive with a socket as the initial set up.  So most machines have the water coming out with a “quick connect” or female coupler which is also called a socket.  If this is your initial set up, then everything else needs to be set up the same way.  I also refer to this as the “lead fitting.”  For my preferred set up, I remove that quick connect coupler or socket and replace it with a plug fitting.  This might also be called a male fitting.  I also demonstrate the change I make for my preference on a surface cleaner at the 6:30 time stamp.  There’s so much more to learn about this entire issue so be sure and watch the entire video!

ADDITIONAL TRAINING

Our next DIFFERENCE MAKERS CONFERENCE is coming up June 8-9 at Courtyard Marriott in Kingwood, Texas.  We are also looking at bringing the conference in Florida in the Fall of 2023.  I host monthly events featuring hands on training with classroom instruction.  For those not able to get to Houston, check out my online video school.

by Dean Dean

PRESSURE WASHER CONNECTIONS

PRESSURE WASHER CONNECTIONS

Thanks for checking out this PRESSURE WASHER CONNECTIONS video post.  The Doug Rucker Store is both online and also has a physical location.  We are in Porter, Texas where I often tell people: “It’s not the end if the world, but you can see it from here!”  If you are even in the Houston area, we hope you’ll stop by to talk some shop.  This video post is in response to questions about how to connect a pressure washer to the battery and the gas tank.  One of the most popular machines our customers seem to like is the 8 GPM cold water skid unit.  This machine does not come with a battery, battery cables, or a gas tank.

 

BATTERY CONNECTIONS

PRESSURE WASHER CONNECTIONS usually start off with a battery.  You will need a positive wire and a negative wire (red and black) with crimped fittings.  The fittings must properly fit the battery terminals as well as the starter on the machine.  The length of these wires must fit how far the location of the battery will be from the machine.  It should be pretty precise so that you are not short, nor do you end up with extra wire.  This is why custom builds are a key piece of our business and why Doug Rucker Store works so tirelessly with our customers on this.  At about the 2:00 time stamp with clear lighting and pictures, I help you identify the starter.  It can be difficult to locate.  I discuss the various options for grounding this connection.  Apply some sort of grease to each of those connections. I also discuss various battery sizes that you can use.

GAS TANK CONNECTIONS

PRESSURE WASHER CONNECTIONS are not complete until the gas tank is also in place.  I use 1/4 inch clear braid hose for the fuel line connection.  This hose is clear enough that it allows you to see the gas flow.  You could also use standard black fuel line if you prefer for other reasons.  You could install a Y fitting to supply a second machine such as our KINGSLINGER SOFT WASH SYSTEM.  I also discuss oil changes so be sure and watch the entire video for all the details.  I hope this helps answer some questions you may have regarding pressure washer connections.

 

 

by Dean Dean

TRUCK SKID

TRUCK SKID

This is a basic TRUCK SKID system video that explores each piece of equipment available at The Doug Rucker Store.  This particular type of set up is extremely popular and we have built many of these in the past.  Keep in mind all of the rig builds are completely customizable.  You design your own set up, and we’ll build it for you.  But this TRUCK SKID unit is a great template to consider for your pressure washing business.  It is a compact system built on a pallet skid that can be moved with a fork lift.  You can move this from truck, trailer or van and then into storage if necessary.  They are adaptable to you particular space, equipment and transport needs.

SKID EQUIPMENT BREAKDOWN

This TRUCK SKID starts out with a cold water 8 GPM skid pressure washer.  There is a 14 gallon fuel tank, which will allows you to complete an entire day’s work without running out of fuel.  The FLOW PRO down stream remote system is also on board.  The video clearly shows how the bypass mounts between the pressure washer and the Flow Pro remote box.  The three way poly valve allows easily switching from mix to water.  This enables him to rinse out his downstream injector.  Keep in mind that the owner for this particular TRUCK SKID set up will be using it for downstreaming only.

HOSE REELS

There are two 12 inch King’s reels with a 200 foot fierce jet pressure hose and 100 foot of flexilla garden hose.  And finally, there is a 55 gallon water tank which supplies the pressure washer.  Some may suggest that this is too small of a tank.  However, if you are solely providing residential service, the water tank is continually filling.  At the same time, you are on and off the gun so using the water is somewhat sporadic.  This tank also has the Topaz float valve inside.  Don’t hesitate to leave a comment if you have any questions.  We always enjoy an opportunity to build a custom truck, trailer or van rig that you design.

by Dean Dean

Best Power Wash Trailer

BEST POWER WASH TRAILER

Doug Rucker Store features the BEST POWER WASH TRAILER for your business in this video.  While we are in the Houston, Texas area, we work with customers throughout the country on custom rig builds.  This particular build is for a local customer from Katy, Texas.  With the exception of the two tanks, all equipment on this build is from the Doug Rucker Store.  We provide a step by step walk through in this BEST POWER WASH TRAILER video.

POWER WASH EQUIPMENT

First, this trailer has an 8 GPM cold water pressure washer.  Next, you will see three Kings Hose Reels with a Kings Stack Kit.  For soft washing, he went with the extremely light weight and portable SOFT E electric soft wash system.  The Soft E is a 12 volt five gallon per minute machine.  He did a great job painting the floor of this trailer and securing all of the equipment himself.  He then brought it back to us to finish the trailer by plumbing the entire system.  There is something very important I explain at 3:00 into the BEST POWER WASH TRAILER video.  It is great advice for those who are just starting out in the pressure washing business.  This trailer also includes the fierce jet pressure hose as well as the flexilla garden hose.

SURFACE CLEANER

Last but not least, he went with the 24 inch Steel Eagle surface cleaner.  This is especially great unit for doing to commercial work.  Right at 6:00 into the video, Chris actually arrives to pick up his trailer.  For additional training for your pressure washing business, check out our events page and take advantage of monthly hands on training.  My passion is helping pressure washing business owners develop their skills and grow their business.  With over thirty years of experience in this industry, I look forward to helping you any way that I can.  Be sure and leave a comment if you have any questions about this BEST POWER WASH TRAILER video post.

by Doug Rucker Doug Rucker

Pressure Washing School December

Pressure Washing School December

Learn how to start and operate a Pressure Washing and Soft Washing business. Invest 1-1/2 days at school with Doug Rucker. You’ll gain practical, hands-on and classroom training and benefit from Doug’s years of experience as a pressure washing contractor! You will significantly shorten your learning curve. Register for The Pressure Washing School December, located in the Houston, Texas, area, and owned by Doug Rucker. Doug owns PowerWash.Net, a Kingwood, Texas-based Pressure Washing Company.

Any questions please call or text 281.883.3630 use our Contact Form

Feel free to check out my You Tube Channel.

by Doug Rucker Doug Rucker

Pressure Washing School August

Pressure Washing School August

Learn how to start and operate a Pressure Washing and Soft Washing business. Invest 1-1/2 days at school with Doug Rucker. You’ll gain practical, hands-on and classroom training and benefit from Doug’s years of experience as a pressure washing contractor! You will significantly shorten your learning curve. Register for The Pressure Cleaning School, located in the Houston, Texas, area, and owned by Doug Rucker. Doug owns PowerWash.Net, a Kingwood, Texas-based Pressure Washing Company.

Any questions please call or text 281.883.3630 use our Contact Form

Feel free to check out my You Tube Channel.

by Dean Dean

LISTENING TO CUSTOMERS

LISTENTING TO CUSTOMERS

Listening to Customers is one of the most important skills a small business owner must master, and continually build upon.  This is something that I am very passionate about have worked very hard at throughout my life.  And whether its in your personal relationships or professional relationships, the greatest way to add values to others is through good listening skills.  Being a good listener very simply and bluntly means there are times when you just need to shut up and listen.  I heard an old saying a long time again that has stuck with me through the years.  “The person who listens the most wins!”  Conversely, the person who talks the most loses.

 

CUSTOMER LISTENING SKILLS

Listening to customers means making sure you establish consistent eye contact.  While we have a tendency to look down or off in different directions when customers are speaking, this is a turn off to them.  It’s important to train your eyes to remain locked with theirs as they communicate their needs and express their concerns and issues.  It’s always great to briefly repeat back and summarize what they have shared with you.  Show them that you understand whatever it is or was that frustrates them, and then understand precisely what they expect in terms of desired outcomes.

THE BIBLE AND LISTENING

I’m not a Bible scholar or anything, but I do read it and practice it as best as I can.  And the Bible is filled with many verses about the importance of being a good listener.  One of those verses is Philippians 2:4 which says this.  “Look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”  Listening to customers effectively and successfully means you are literally looking our for their interests, not just yours.  Remember that we are in the service business which means we are here to “serve” our customers.  Always strive to listen more, speak less, ask questions and avoid assumptions.  As you continue to build and grow your pressure washing business, let us know if you need website services.

by Dean Dean

PRESSURE WASHING WEBSITE VIDEO

PRESSURE WASHING WEBSITE VIDEO

How is your PRESSURE WASHING WEBSITE VIDEO performing?  If you own a pressure washing business, you know how important is to have an effective website.  At Doug Rucker Store, we have been offering website services for years and enjoy working with fellow contractors on this.  We build new websites from scratch, but we can also provide a complete overhaul and upgrade to existing websites that are not producing the kind of results you need.  In addition, we also provide website service for painting services, apartment complexes and other small businesses.  We build and host websites and would welcome the opportunity to help your business grow and succeed in this crucial area.

WEBSITE FACTORS TO CONSIDER

Our PRESSURE WASHING WEBSITE service begins with helping every person we work with clearly understand how the process works.  That’s what this video is all about.  All of our website builds are responsive design, which means your website will adapt to look great and operate efficiently on any device.  The process begins with a step by step walk through of how you can purchase your domain.  We do not want to own your website, and you really don’t want anyone else to own your website.  You’re the owner of your business, and you’ll own your pressure washing website.  We also offer hosting service, and all of these details can be found in this video or on our website description product page.

WEBSITE COLLABORATION

Your input, ideas, and overall direction is very important as we build your pressure washing website.  So we use BASECAMP to manage the entire project start to finish for effective and clear communication.  You will be in direct communication online and through emails with my staff.  This includes myself, our website builder or backend manager, and the content writer.  This ensures prompt communication and keeps the entire staff on one page as the website takes shape.  In addition, we will provide brief training on how you can add content to your own pressure washing website.  It’s important to blog on a regular basis in order to increase traffic and maximize your S.E.O. results.  We will help you learn and develop this critical skill.  Be sure to watch the entire video for all the details concerning our website services.

Feel free to call or text me at 281-883-3630 or use our Contact Form if you need more info.

 

Winter Season
by Doug Rucker Doug Rucker

WINTER SEASON EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE

WINTER SEASON EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE

This WINTER SEASON EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE video post will be helpful to pressure washing professionals during our slower season.  There are several tips you can be doing to prepare for the busy season to avoid frustration on the job and increase your productivity.  And we hope all of our posts and videos help small businesses grow by expanding skills and saving time, money and effort.  We’re thankful for our students that we provide lifelong mentoring to as well as our loyal YouTube channel viewers.  Thanks for watching this WINTER SEASON EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE video and be sure to give us a like and leave a comment!

CHANGE JROD NOZZLES WINTER SEASON

One of the first things I do is go through all my JRODs and change all my nozzles.  I always do this annually at the beginning of busy season.  We have brass and stainless steal nozzles, and I predominately use brass nozzles for soft washing.  Brass is a less expensive option and lasts about the same as stainless steal.  This is due to the bleach continually running through them.  I do use stainless steal for high pressure work.  As a reminder, we use the KINGSLINGER soft wash system for all vertical surface cleaning jobs.  So check out the 1:50 time stamp of this WINTER SEASON EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE video.  This is where I explain how I actually use a three nozzle set up.  It eliminates the rinse high nozzle.

REPLACE ALL O RINGS WINTER SEASON

You will need to make sure you have a good dental pick set or something similar for this WINTER SEASON EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE item.  You also will need bags of O Rings in both 1/4 inch and 3/8 inch.  From the top of your pressure washing gun going forward, everything is 1/4 inch.  This includes the ends of things like nozzles, wands, lances and so forth.  From the bottom of the gun going in reverse, everything is 3/8 inch.  This applies to things like the machine, hose reels and everything moving toward your equipment.  At the 5:30 time stamp, I demonstrate precisely how to change O RINGS, what they look like, and the importance of seating each O RING properly.  There is a particular sound you can listen for that is most likely the result of an O RING that is bent, deformed, torn or has become unseated.  Allowing faulty O RINGS to continue functioning could result in damage to your equipment so it’s best to change them as part of your WINTER SEASON EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE plan.

OTHER WINTER SEASON ISSUES

I go over what needs to happen with your downstream injectors and what we use to keep everything well lubricated.  It’s just so frustrating to get our there on your first spring job.  You’re all ready to make some money, but then your downstream injector won’t draw water.  You’ll want to make sure you have plenty of teflon tape and loxeal thread locker.  There is a pressure test gauge that will come in handy when you’re wondering whether you’ve lost pressure or flow volume.

by Dean Dean

Hose Management Video

HOSE MANAGEMENT VIDEO

A few years ago, I did a video on this same subject simply using an extension chord.  So this HOSE MANAGEMENT VIDEO is an update with new content on how this will work well with hoses too.  This would not work with pressure washing hose because the makeup is too stiff and too restrictive.  But this will work with softer more pliable hoses and extension chords.  I actually learned this technique using microphone chords as part of set up and take down for church worship services.  So hopefully this HOSE MANAGEMENT VIDEO trick will help save a lot of time and effort on every job.

EASY UNRAVELING

This HOSE MANAGEMENT VIDEO trick will help keep chords and hoses organized so that you save time and effort on the job with easy unraveling.  It prevents the hoses and chords from becoming a tangled mess, taking up more space, causing more frustration, and costing more time.  At the 1:40 time stamp in the video, I show and demonstrate the unique wrapping or winding up secret that few people know about or use.  It two step process during the wind up that is essentially reversing the circle wrap every other roll.  It’s a one-two or a-b rhythm that results in the chord or hose stacking in a different way than the standard procedure most people use.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

This is not something you will be able to easily master right off the bat.  The HOSE MANAGEMENT VIDEO trick I provide here will take some time, some getting use to, and some practice.  Once you need to throw it or open it back up again for use, there will be no twists, no knots, and no kinks.  If this video is helpful, keep in mind I have an online video school with over 250 videos.  And I have monthly schools in Houston for hands on training with equipment demos and classroom instruction.