Put a tap on it

The use of a tap to stop the flow of precious pure water just when you want it to has been a long and tortuous road.

When I first started with water fed pole system there really wasn’t much on the market or many DIY idea’s about to solve the problem of turning off the water in a convenient way. I had a Freedom trolley system to begin with which was very well made but there was no sign of a tap of any kind. I would try to keep the trolley close to me and when I had finished a run of windows, I would rush over to it and just switch it off.

This is fine until you can’t quite get your trolley past that wheelie bin or up them steps lad! So you find yourself rushing about trying to beat the flow and getting in all sorts of bother. And just then the customer comes out and wants to pay you. Then the water runs out and you have to change the barrel – again. I say barrel because it’s typically in this situation that you want to save water because you have a very limited supply. If you are using a van mounted system with a large tank, then you may not need to worry as much about saving water and a full tank might just last you all day. But what about the water bill? If you are using a DI (deionising tank) to purify your water, then the amount of resin you will use might make your system uneconomical. Not only this, it is more convenient and faster if you don’t have to top up those barrels or big tanks as often.

This is when I got to thinking about putting a tap into the pole hose somewhere. Great but it dragged on the ground and got caught on everything. Then there was the great idea of having the tap on your belt. It sort of worked but if you had any leaks at all, you had a wet leg all the time. Not only this, it tended to be like some sort of alien umbilical cord which would forever marry you to your prize pole so you could never leave it. “Excuse me, can I pay you?” “Er...... no”

Some people would just kink the pipe and this worked quite well but the results would depend largely on what type of hose you were using as to whether or not the water would completely shut off and the pump would cut out as it should when it senses that the flow has been restricted. Then again, you would be stood there with that kinked hose in your mitt with nowhere to go again. Some would bolt a small eyelet onto their pole and this would be a place where it could be wedged until required once more. This would seem a good idea but it is still just that little bit awkward and unreliable.

There was always the high tech method. This seemed promising apart from the price. It was and still is a device that transmits a message to your pump/flow controller, you can turn off now. It’s like a remote central locking key fob. It is very good but has some downsides. The first is that you have to fumble for the thing in the first place. The batteries run out and worst of all its “line of sight” meaning that sometimes the signal that you are trying to transmit to tell the system to stop the water won’t get there so you run round the corner and aim it at your van and hey........

Alright the new versions are much better and there are some that can use the aerials of people’s houses to “bounce” the signal off. I’m not well up on this but I’m sure it’s getting there. This system might just be more appropriate for when you are doing commercial work rather than domestic houses. Not only this but it will cost more than that second hand back pack you are using....

The next thing I decided to do was to use the tap I got with the leather holster and just tape it to the pole. Now we were getting somewhere. It worked really well and it was close to hand all the time. It was almost instant too and all it took was a quick flick of my hand or thumb and it was done. The water was no more.

The only downside to this was that the tap was a bit heavy so it made the pole heavier but not noticeably so. The other downside was that you needed to route the pole hose internally and of course this meant that you had a big trailing loop to contend with but once you got used to it, it was pretty good. All I used for this was tape to secure the tap onto the pole in the best place near the bottom.

Then Unger came out with a tap that you could just trap the hose and it would shut off the water. At first glance this seemed to be the ultimate answer. It was light, it was cheap and it was effective....but there was a small problem. This came in the form of when lowering the pole, unless you wanted a massive trailing loop in front of the tap instead of behind it, you had to literally pull the pole hose which had to be external, through the tap again to get everything tidy before starting over again.

                                                             

Then we had the Aqua-dapter invented by window cleaner Steven Jones. This was truly a revelation and indeed it worked well. This works on a mechanical principle of pulling your internal hose which activates a small lever which in turn switches on/off the water - genius.

There are not many drawbacks to this system except that it adds a little weight to the top of the pole and if the pole is fully extended and heavy at the time, you do need to let go of the pole with one hand and pull downwards to actuate the mechanism although you could just stand on the hose and pull it that way. I never tried it myself. Normally this is not a problem and these taps are used extensively by many window cleaners throughout the world. I am not sure if this tap can be used with the hose externally yet so if you want to split the pole, then you can’t.

After this came the magical simplicity of the Aquatap invented by Scotsman Peter Fogwill.

This is light and again resides at the top of your pole. It works by twisting your pole. Twist one way and it comes on, twist it back the other way and it stops. Magic! The beauty of this is that you can have your pole hose internally or externally and it will still work regardless. Now that I like. The downside to this type of tap is that if you have a brush that swivels, then it becomes very hard to apply the twisting leverage required to actuate the tap but to be fair, not everyone is sold on swivel brushes. Personally, I would probably die without one but that’s another story.

Another downside is that because of the natural ergonomics involved in actually cleaning a window with a pole and brush, some inadvertent actuation of the unit will take place either switching on the water when not required or the opposite. I didn’t find this too much of a problem and a little change of technique generally sorted this out.

I have other idea’s which are at present being evaluated and tested but these are very basic idea’s and are already well tried principles that have been used before and not the perfect solution. In fact I don’t think there is a perfect solution but I would be very happy to be proved wrong.

Everyone will have their favorite method of cutting off the water supply and many will be satisfied with what they have at the moment because they have not tried anything else or that they have become expert at doing what they do. Some will wonder what all the fuss is about as their squeegee glitters in the sunlight.

Time Travel Book - "Inside the Clock"

"Inside the Clock"
My book "Inside the Clock"  is doing remarkably well for a first time novel. This is a book that is based on a true story. When I was sixteen, I met a girl who I fell in love with. One day, I really mess up and do something that ruins the relationship and she ditches me for my best friend.

Virtually everything in the book is real and actually happened but some things are not. These are blended together seamlessly and you will have to decide what is real and what is not. Dates, places, people and locations are correct even down to what was in the newspapers on that day. I have changed peoples names but nothing else.

As I look back into my past, I yearn to go back to a certain day in my life but when I get the chance it can never be as I want it. If I change too much, will it affect my future? Will certain loved ones cease to exist when I return if I make the wrong move?

The clock featured in this novel is an antique that still exists today and is a strong player in the conclusion of "Inside the Clock".

In the writing of this book, I have had no training, no publisher and no help whatsoever. It just goes to show that if you try and keep on trying, then you can succeed.

You get quite a long free preview of this book by clicking on the "look inside" feature when you visit the Amazon Kindle page that features my book "Inside the Clock".

Above is  a screen shot showing you just how you the public have helped me in ranking "Inside the Clock" the time travel book.

Window Cleaning For Beginners - Get started here!

I have a site which I have been working on for 5 years now. It's on YouTube and I have compiled over 300 video's on window cleaning and some on how to use certain tools like the rivet gun which is handy in mending stuff including window cleaning gear.

All these video's will give you an idea on how to get into professional window cleaning and help you especially in the equipment side of things. I show you how to get into the business the cheapest way for using water fed pole and pure water so you don't need any ladders at all.

If you find all the vids a bit overwhelming, then I am always on hand to help you out personally if you want. It really isn't as complicated as it looks and most of what I recommend is cheap to make adapt and modify so you don't have to pay out a massive amount of money when you don't need to.

Just visit my YouTube channel for Window Cleaning Tips and Idea's

Make Money from Window Cleaning - Free Video Guide

I can show you how to make more money from your window cleaning business by improving your technique, increasing your speed, improving the quality of your work and what is the best DIY methods to do it.

My video's cover many subjects involving window cleaning, special techniques and what sort of equipment to use and in some cases, where to get it from. I don't favour any particular manufacturer but instead try to stay neutral and choose the tools that are most cost effective and those that I can use simple DIY techniques that will enhance, improve and speed up your work. By doing this, you will undoubtedly increase the amount of money you earn.

Visit Window Cleaning Tips and Idea's today

If you clean windows traditionally using ladders, then my video guides will help you to transition to a safer, more productive and superior cleaning experience using the cheapest yet most effective equipment.

Discover trade secrets to speed up and simplify your cleaning technique and at the same time make your investment pay for itself.

Compiled over 5 years, this series of video's will help both the novice and professional window cleaner alike. Everything is free with the intention of improving the the reputation and quality of the industry. Visit Window Cleaning Tips and Idea's today .
 

Window Cleaning Tips and Idea's

Here is my YouTube channel on which I have 300 instructional video's all for free. These give tips and idea's in order for you to be able to get the most out of your business or to be able to start up your own business without paying too much for the equipment.

I show you all the shortcuts and easy ways to achieve a good window clean the professional way. Take a look here to get some good information on window cleaning

Amazon Book Ranking

I originally wrote my autobiography and though I did not expect much when I published it on Amazon as an e-book, it did better than I thought. It certainly won't make me rich unless something extraordinary happens but that's not why I wrote it.

Having realised that I could actually write a book and get it published with all that it involves, I was encouraged to write a novel. The subject I chose was one of time travel. I would base it on real life experiences which I could draw on from my autobiography. It would contain as much real life scenario as possible and this is what I did. All the characters in the novel called "Inside the Clock" are real although I have changed all the names. Any locations, dates and animals on the other hand are real and actually fit into a real life setting.

It is a short book but I have found that many people appreciate the shorter novel rather than have to wade through a long and arduous read. Some of course will like the opposite. I have never written a novel before but found it easier in many ways than my autobiography "Running for Home". This was mainly because it was much shorter and I had to do very little research whereas the research for the autobiography was extensive.

So now that my novel is published, how is it doing? Well being an Indie author is going to be a bit of a gamble and if you get the odd sale here and there, you are doing well. Much of the advice given so you can be successful as an author is to promote yourself on social media. Not necessarily easy especially if you are older. The other advice is that you keep on writing books and get a following. Again not easy. I don't feel I could write another book but who knows, I might once again get some inspiration from somewhere.

Also everyone needs a bit of luck thrown in for good measure and this is something that you have no control over at all. Once your book is published in the Amazon Kindle Store and you have done as much to promote your book as you possibly can, then you must hope for the best but don't give up.
Here is a screen shot of my book on Amazon. It is doing reasonably well for an unknown author

Don't expect too much and you will be happy that you know someone somewhere is reading your book, your creation.

How to write a Novel - Secret Tips

In this short essay, I give you some tips on just how to write a short novel. If you have never attempted to write a book before, please don't feel that it will be too much for you to cope with. At first, this is exactly how I felt but there is a secret to writing and it's not as difficult as you might have been led to believe.

I have written two books now, one an autobiography and the other a short novel. The hardest was the autobiography for sure but this was only because I had to do a lot of research for it. Writing your autobiography is in some ways easier than writing a novel since it is about your life and you can't change that. You just start at the beginning and go through your life although you will not be able to remember everything, you will remember the most vivid parts of your life and all those interesting stories that accompanied them.

With an autobiography, the whole plot is there already and all you have to do is write it all down. The computer can be really helpful here and if you set it correctly, it will in most part be able to correct your spelling as you go along. After you have finished the book, you can go through it and correct all the grammar to a good standard too by using the program set in the computer. This has been a great asset in my writing.

Break your writing up into chapters by choosing different points in your life such as how you did in school, your first job your marriage etc.

Writing a novel is going to be a little different but all you need is perhaps an event in your own life that has some potential. This could be anything like an interesting experience such as in your job or travel or tragedy. My novel came about by using an experience with my first love, a girl I knew a long time ago and how I messed it up because I was so clumsy and naive. I always wished I could go back and change what I had done and so was born my novel about time travel called "Inside the Clock" published on Amazon. You can view the first few chapters of this for free if you click on the link. This will give you some idea of what I mean.  Again it was not too difficult to write because it was based on true life events which I could remember well so the basic framework was there in the first place. So it was a true story but sprinkled with a little fiction.

As for the characters within your book, these can also be real so you already know them and will be more confident about writing about them. Of course you should change their names but as a consequence of being real people, your writing will convey more conviction and honesty. The locations within your book can also be real but can retain their real names such as in my own novel "Inside the Clock" and by clicking on the link you will get some idea of how I wrote it.

So if you've been planning to write a book but never got around to it, then these simple idea's might just give you the confidence to get started with it. You don't need a publisher either as you can publish your finished book for free on Amazon Kindle Store which is an amazing thing to be able to do. You never know, you might just surprise yourself and everyone else as well."Inside the Clock"