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.

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 Doug Rucker Doug Rucker

Portable Pressure Washer Setup

Portable Pressure Washer Setup

When starting a pressure washing business, many people chose to begin with a portable unit.  So in this portable pressure washer setup post, we offer a video and detailed, expert advice.  Many ask if a 2-3 Gallon Per Minute machine good enough to start with?  You can certainly start with any unit you choose, but our recommendation is always the Mad Max belt drive 4 Gallon Per Minute portable pressure washer.  So to help those of you just starting out, here’s what we can offer.  We walk through an unboxing and set up for this great starter machine.

MAD MAX PORTABLE PRESSURE WASHER

This unit is a 3500 psi machine and is ideal for a limited budget.  So let this be the minimum machine you would start out with.  While you can get some cheaper machines at a home improvement store, this unit will last much longer.  Keep in mind that home improvement store options are not designed for everyday, commercial use.  They are designed to be used by one homeowner very rarely.  But the Mad Max is an industrial grade, professional model designed with those in this business in mind.

PORTABLE PRESSURE WASHER HOSE REEL MOUNT

One great option that we recommend is to include the hose reel mount.  Because it has wheels, it easily rolls in and out of a truck or van and moves around easily on a job site.  I got my start on this exact type of machine 37 years ago that hauled and roll in and out of with a pick up truck.  As your business grows requiring upgrade to a second machine, this will still come in handy as a spare or as a second unit on the job on to do a second job at the same time.

ACCESSORY KIT

This unit comes with great accessories such as a gun, a chrome plated wand, and connectors.  Of course, you also get the hose and tips.  We recommend using sealant and thread tape on all your connections, but this will be a separate purchase.  If you intend to downstream with this unit, you would want to purchase the JROD nozzle kit.  Don’t miss any part of the video because we provide detailed set up instructions too extensive to go into on this post.  If you are new to the pressure washing industry, you can learn a little bit more about who we are here.

portable pressure washer set up

by Doug Rucker Doug Rucker

PRESSURE WASHER HOSE LENGTH

PRESSURE WASHER HOSE LENGTH

One of the questions many new pressure washing professionals have is how much pressure washer hose length do I need?  Typically, new pressure washing professionals start out with a portable pressure washer.  And one of loyal YouTube channel viewers is inquiring about this very thing.  We always recommend starting out with a BELT DRIVE pressure washer because it is far more reliable for commercial use.  In addition, you can connect to a buffer tank to draw water.

PORTABLE PRESSURE WASHER

When using a portable pressure washer, there is no need for any more than 100 feet of hose.  With proper set up of the portable machine, you can easily get 200 feet of coverage because you are using two different hoses collectively.  You could easily add an additional 50 foot spare hose for larger projects.  But we recommend 100 foot of initial pressure wash hose for portable units.  In addition, our experience is that a one wire hose is much easier to manage because they are lighter in weight.  The two wire hose is heavier, doesn’t last any longer, and costs more.

HOOK UP MECHANICS

Another consideration with portable pressure washer hose length is how you will hook it up.  There are couple different options to choose from.  First, you could use quick connects to connect hoses as needed.  A second option is a 3/8 inch coupler.  This is the best option if you are storing the hose on any type of hose reel.  The quick connects take up more straight space than the coupler which makes the circular hose reel wrapping much more challenging.  So you would need to decide if you’re rolling the 100 foot hose up together with the 50 foot hose for storage.

PORTABLE PRESSURE WASHER WITH HOSE REEL

One great option we offer at Doug Rucker Store is a portable pressure washer with hose reel.  We also remove all the bend restrictors from every hose because they are a huge nuisance to work with.  The bend restrictors trap water which causes rust.  Finally, check out some of the FAQs about the various training opportunities we provide in the Houston area.

Pressure Washer Hose Length

by Doug Rucker Doug Rucker

Pressure Washing Trailer

PRESSURE WASHING TRAILER

If you are starting a pressure washing business, you will be considering how to set up your equipment.  One option is using an enclosed truck or trailer, and you can find an example of this here.  But another option is utilizing an open PRESSURE WASHING TRAILER for your equipment.  With the exception of a few small details, the set up for both an enclosed or open truck or trailer is the same as far as equipment.  There is a greater need for more plumbing aspects on enclosed, and not so much for open.

PRESSURE WASHING TRAILER EQUIPMENT

We have the 9 gallon per minute MAD MAX as well as the 10 gallon per minute KINGSLINGER soft wash system.  I do not recommend the 12 volt electric pumps because there are too many things that can go wrong with those such as electrical components, wiring and so forth.  I’ve used and tested all types of machines and always find that air diaphragm pumps are the most reliable and easy to use and maintain.  Storage bins are great for guns, wands, buckets, cleaning solutions and so forth.

TRAILER SIGNAGE

One of the things we incorporate into the PRESSURE WASHING TRAILER is a moving billboard on both sides.  This helps to advertise your service and provides immediate contact information for anyone who sees it and is interested.  We recommend keeping the information simple and easy to read and see as potential customers get a screen shot or copy the information.  An easy access ladder rack is part of the billboard system.  In this case, you don’t have to have a ladder to get to the ladder!

Pressure Washing Trailer

 

REELS, HOSE, TANKS

Additional pressure washing trailer equipment includes reels, hose and tanks.  Our titan reel features a garden hose on the bottom and a pressure hose on top.  An electric reel is an option.  Two 85 gallon vented tanks hold bleach and water and are connected to the Kingslinger.  We do not see any need to ever meter soap, so we simply add it to the bleach tank as needed.  And finally, we have a schertz box down stream remote system and a 24 inch “little big guy” surface cleaner.  As you consider your equipment set up, I’ve got some deals here worth taking a look at as well.

 

by Doug Rucker Doug Rucker

KINGSLINGER COMPRESSOR

KINGSLINGER COMPRESSOR

For those just starting out in the pressure washing industry, you might be using an air compressor for the very first time.  So we want to take some time to explain some of the mechanics of the Kingslinger Compressor.  So by defining various parts and demonstrating how it all works together, we hope to enhance your experience.  There is an “unloader valve” which controls the pressure going to the tanks and then to whatever tools are in use.  Always make sure the unloader valve is in the up position when starting the machine.  Then turn it down after starting so that pressure build up can begin in the air compressor.

AIR COMPRESSOR GAUGES AND HOSE

We use a quick coupler to connect the hose to the system near the gauges.  There are two different gauges.  One is the reading for pressure in the barrels of the Kingslinger Compressor.  The other is for reading the pressure going to the tool that is in use.  This would typically be the 10 Gallon per minute air diaphragm pump.  This gauge should never exceed 90 psi.  Use the adjustment knob to reach the level of pressure you desire.  Exceeding 90 psi is possible and will result in greater distance, but the risk is causing damage to the pump.  In addition, this unit has a fuel pump which will allow running fuel from an auxiliary tank.  Otherwise, the smaller tank of the unit means you have to fill the tank with gas more often.

BASIC OPERATIONS

Of course, always make sure you have gas and oil before starting the KINGSLINGER COMPRESSOR.  When the unit arrives brand new, it does not contain oil.  One quart of cheap 10W30 oil will be included with the shipment.  However, we strongly recommend using a better grade oil found here so that the machine will last much longer.  The oil will need to be changed less frequently and you will surely save money over the long run.  Make sure the choke is out, the unloader valve is up, and it should start right up on your first or second pull. Once it’s started and running, choke goes back in and unloader goes back down.  Holding your finger on the stop button will bring the machine to a complete stop.  If you are just starting your business and need website assistance, consider this as an option.

 

Kingslinger Compressor

by Doug Rucker Doug Rucker

PRESSURE WASH TRUCK

PRESSURE WASH TRUCK

At Doug Rucker Store, we provide PRESSURE WASH TRUCK and trailer build service.  This is especially helpful for those just starting out in the pressure washing business.  We recently had an opportunity to provide this service for a  pressure washing pro from Austin, Texas.  They purchased a previously city owned vehicle and brought it to us for the build out.  We did make some minor repairs and improvements to the enclosed portion of the truck before installing equipment. This included things like patching holes, installing new aluminum flooring, and sealing all surfaces. This phase is important to ensure maximum protection of new equipment.

 

 

SOFT WASH WITH KINGSLINGER

First, the KINGSLINGER SOFT WASH SYSTEM goes in with plumbing through the floor.  This is because the unit needs to be drained to keep moisture from building up and adversely affecting the system.  When considering a pressure wash truck or trailer build, this is a great way to provide soft wash service.  Soft washing is critical to protect a variety of surfaces from damage resulting from large volume of high pressure water blasting.  It has three different valves to meter mix ratios, usually water, bleach and another detergent.

 

ADDITONAL PRESSURE WASH EQUIPMENT

This particular project was for an existing car detail business that was expanding their service into the pressure washing sector.  So for this pressure wash truck build, we provide him with a new pressure washer also plumbed to an 85 gallon space saving tank.  In fact, two new tanks enable him to store water and bleach.  They are bolted down and firmly secure.  The schertz box remote control for down streaming and a new surface cleaner is also part of this package.  In addition, hoses and hose reels are a great addition to this pressure wash truck build.  It’s important to have pressure hose, soft wash hose, and a garden hose.  For larger projects, you would also want to consider spare hose in order to effectively clean without having to relocate equipment.  If it interests you, check out another post.  The sled is what makes this one really special!

pressure wash truck