# Pressure washing wands



## CApainter

I need to access a height of approximately 40 ft. to clean bird crap off of a metal sided parpet wall that I recently painted. I plan on using an electric powered kerosene fueled heating unit that has a maximum pressure of 1100 psi. I want to get right up on the crap because I'm not certain I can affectively remove it at a distance by just flooding it with water.

So far my plan is to use a wand made of 1/4-3/8 inch O.D. stainless steel tubing rated at 3800-5100 psi, with stainless compression fittings of the same rating. I will attach this to a ball valve, and then attach the hose. I'll do what I can to insulate the heat at the gripping areas. My concern will be stability and length restrictions. Has anyone made something like this, or do you know if they sell it somewhere?

Thanks


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## PressurePros

How long are you thinking of going. I have mandrel bent 6' wands that are great. Longer than that they start getting unwieldy. They make 20'+ telescoping extension wands. In the business we call them yellow noodles. Do shoulder shrugs, traps and arm work in the weeks leading up to using. The things are a pain to control.

I think Depot carries these now too?

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200223174_200223174?cm_mmc=Google-pla-_-Pressure%20Washers-_-Pressure%20Washer%20Accessories-_-22824&ci_sku=22824&ci_gpa=pla&ci_kw={keyword}


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## CApainter

Thanks Ken. I saw some 24 ft. telescoping ones at Grainger. I think that size will realistically be my limit. I'm still going to build the wand to see how it handles.


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## PressurePros

Here is one we use.. make sure you bend the top so that you can hit the surface. I have insulators on mine for the rare times we may use hot water. Here is an example of one of my guys stripping a wall that needed even pressure. You'll see the 25-30 degree bend.

http://youtu.be/8pE3WQ9ZMb8


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## CApainter

Thanks Ken! I owe you at least a video of my success or failure.


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## PressurePros

lookin forward to it.. who knows.. you may revolutionize the wand world.


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## clevegoddard

I have Super Heavy-Duty Long Wands. Fit any standard pressure washer hose that has a 3/8" quick connect at the discharge side. This is an outstanding addition to any professional power washing system.
____________________
Emergency document drying service Florida


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## CApainter

Update: I abandoned the home made contraption and purchased a General Pump 24' telescoping aluminum wand. I think it's being sent to me by mule because it's been about three weeks since I ordered it.


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## finaltouch0

That telescoping 24' is a PIA in my opinion. It is hard to truely control. First time I put the curved gutter cleaning attachment, the whole 20' almost took me completely backwards.


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## CApainter

finaltouch0 said:


> That telescoping 24' is a PIA in my opinion. It is hard to truely control. First time I put the curved gutter cleaning attachment, the whole 20' almost took me completely backwards.


I just purchased one. It does seem awkward. I got the support belt to help stabilize it. This accessory is definitely for a younger and stronger man then myself, but it's good to have around.


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## PressurePros

I bought one of those 24' wands ten years ago. After the first year, it has not seen the light of day. They are not practical to use and not needed for really anything.


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## CApainter

PressurePros said:


> I bought one of those 24' wands ten years ago. After the first year, it has not seen the light of day. They are not practical to use and not needed for really anything.


My partner at work laughed at me when I showed him the new wand. I may have to mount it on some sort of rolling tripod. I'm back at square one trying to Jimmy rig everything.

Note: Contractor removed most of the bird crap on the metal siding with almost the exact same telescoping wand. Even they had a hard time controlling it. There are still worm trails everywhere. I wish they would have washed the siding more uniformly.


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## PressurePros

CApainter said:


> My partner at work laughed at me when I showed him the new wand. I may have to mount it on some sort of rolling tripod. I'm back at square one trying to Jimmy rig everything.
> 
> Note: Contractor removed most of the bird crap on the metal siding with almost the exact same telescoping wand. Even they had a hard time controlling it. There are still worm trails everywhere. I wish they would have washed the siding more uniformly.


I am pretty strong from doing this for awhile. i can hold a 6'f wand over my hand with one hand and spray. That yellow noodle.. forget it. It owns me and I end up dodging electrical wires and plate glass windows.


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## PressurePros

CApainter said:


> My partner at work laughed at me when I showed him the new wand. I may have to mount it on some sort of rolling tripod. I'm back at square one trying to Jimmy rig everything.
> 
> Note: Contractor removed most of the bird crap on the metal siding with almost the exact same telescoping wand. Even they had a hard time controlling it. There are still worm trails everywhere. I wish they would have washed the siding more uniformly.


I am pretty strong from doing this for awhile. I can hold a 6' wand over my hand with one hand and spray. That yellow noodle.. forget it. It owns me and I end up dodging electrical wires and plate glass windows like a drunken painter.


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## Pro Pressure Washing

If you decide to get a yellow noodle get one with a 3/8 hose in it. Most of them out there have 1/4 hose. The 3/8 hose will allow you to downstream whereas the 1/4 will not. BE makes one that is called the BE Super Heavy Duty. It's 24' long but like Pressure Pros said...its no where near effective using it fully extended and you will feel like you got whipped the next day.


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## CApainter

Pro Pressure Washing said:


> If you decide to get a yellow noodle get one with a 3/8 hose in it. Most of them out there have 1/4 hose. The 3/8 hose will allow you to downstream whereas the 1/4 will not. BE makes one that is called the BE Super Heavy Duty. It's 24' long but like Pressure Pros said...its no where near effective using it fully extended and you will feel like you got whipped the next day.


I got the GP 24' aluminum with the clamps verses the twist locks. I've yet to use it because I'm all ascared and stuff!


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## spotco2

Get a taller ladder.


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## RaleighPainter

All you had to do was downstream a hot bleach mix with a good soap on the surface. Rinse and repeat if needed. May have had to get on a 6 foot ladder if it were really windy.. I don't know why people fight this method it is tried and true.


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## CApainter

RaleighPainter said:


> All you had to do was downstream a hot bleach mix with a good soap on the surface. Rinse and repeat if needed. May have had to get on a 6 foot ladder if it were really windy.. I don't know why people fight this method it is tried and true.


I was considering this given that I have access to a 1400 psi hot water pressure washer. The problem was the amount of parapet wall I had to clean. These seagulls crapped all over my newly painted surface. And there's a lot of surface. Anyway, ladders were out of the question.

Also, I don't know what the digestive process is of a seagull, but their crap is like mortar when it's been drying on a hot surface, and I thought I would have to get right up on it. I just need to man up and post a video of me using the ball buster just to demonstrate my brilliance at problem solving..:blink:


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## mpminter

Speaking of wands, I have a 24' aluminum extension, but what I really need is a really short wand that I can use from the top of an extension ladder. I am aware of the inherent dangers of using a short wand, but do any of you use them?


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## TERRY365PAINTER

They make a surface cleaner for just the gun . 

Like 12 inches around .


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## RaleighPainter

Downstream. Cold water would suffice or X-jet. Those 24 ft extension wands are rediculous and dangerous.. Let the chemical do the work


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## mpminter

down streaming is great for cleaning, but not so much for stripping exterior stain. I typically have one or two strip jobs a year (3 this year) and you need pressure for that.


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## RaleighPainter

Who is talking about stripping? I thought we were talking about poop.

You don't need high "pressure" with the correct chemicals, depends on what your stripping.. oil based stain? Oil stains can be stripped without too much pressure.


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## RaleighPainter

Short wand - www.pressuretek.com buy a decent gun and put a quick connect directly in the gun or a short 12" wand. Trigger Gun - Suttner ST-2305


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## Roof Cleaning

I purchased one of those yellow 24's also when I first started out. I sold it at my neighbors garage sale hehe...

We get a few bird poo calls and I have found that strong bleach eats it right up. Understand your problem is 40 ft up! I would have tried to shoot it with our roof pump. But when you are spraying strong bleach 40 feet up your going to spray everything....

Two guys, one with fresh keeping all other surfaces wet, the other with an X-jet or roof pump.

ty for the painting forum and info folks, I'm a newly licensed contractor on the curve and I have been reading this site word for word the last few weeks. Any way I can contribute back (10 yrs roof cleaning, pw) I will...I can clean damn near anything perfectly and fast....

ty Thomas


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## Truckee Painter

I strip a lot of two to three story houses. Unfortunately the best way is to set up a tall ladder and get up above it off of the eve. Use a short straight want. Never a bent one or it makes it way harder to hold on to. Sometimes its nice to tie off the house from the top of the ladder so you dont have to hold the hose weight.


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## Epoxy Pro

PressurePros said:


> How long are you thinking of going. I have mandrel bent 6' wands that are great. Longer than that they start getting unwieldy. They make 20'+ telescoping extension wands. In the business we call them yellow noodles. Do shoulder shrugs, traps and arm work in the weeks leading up to using. The things are a pain to control.
> 
> I think Depot carries these now too?
> 
> http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200223174_200223174?cm_mmc=Google-pla-_-Pressure%20Washers-_-Pressure%20Washer%20Accessories-_-22824&ci_sku=22824&ci_gpa=pla&ci_kw={keyword}




What a work out these things are, I forgot to eat my Wheaties the first time using one man did it kick mu butt.


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## 1camper

I clean mostly vinyl and make my own wands. I use window cleaning poles with 1/4 aluminum pipe on the inside. 16' is my longest. I can clean to 35' very effectively from a ten foot step ladder. Going higher I wear a harness, wrap a daisy chain around the rung of an extension ladder, hook on to it, then just lean back and go to work with the wands. The first time you do it the pucker factor is kinda high, lol.


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