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  1. #16
    ShaneB's Avatar
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    Re: Commercial steam vacuums

    Quote Originally Posted by allenk4 View Post


    "I can only use one tool at a time anyway..."


    My Steamer takes 15 minutes to heat up, and I plug it in right when I get the the Customers home, but the heating element kicks on frequently to maintain


    On a typical interior I use the following tools as I work my way thru the vehicle:

    - Shop Vac with Tornador Vac attachment

    - Tornador

    - PC with carpet brush

    - LED lights

    - Compressor


    At any given time the heating element on the Steamer and or the compressor will kick on


    What is your process for working around these type of limitations?
    Adjust my process around it. I don`t use a compressor

    Start by vacuuming the interior, using a combination of my shop vac and brushes (PC and hand brushes) one tool at a time. Vac then brush then vac, repeat as needed. Clean the carpet and upholstery during this process using blue coral foaming upholstery cleaner, folex for spots. Or switch to using OPC or CG fabric clean and my mytee tempo IF needed depending on how bad it is. Work a section at a time and move around the vehicle. This process usually leaves me with dry upholstery by the time I move around the vehicle and get back to where I started (unless I extracted, in which Ill put towels down under my a** as needed lol).

    Fill and turn on steamer (mytee firebird), takes 10-15 minutes to heat up. Use this time to either clean door jambs or clean windows (no power tools needed for glass).

    Steam interior panels/dash starting at driver seat and moving around the vehicle. Use soft interior brushes for intricate areas combined with steam to blow everything out. Follow up with microfiber towels to clean up. Use OPC as needed for the dirtiest areas and rinse with steam. Clean door jambs at this time as I move around the vehicle if not already done (assuming I got lucky and the glass didn`t take forever)

    Dress all interior surfaces with my favorite Detailers Interior Protectant

    Go back over the interior one last time with the vacuum to pickup the stuff blown out by the steamer or may have fallen out when moving things around

    Quick final inspection and return the vehicle to the client.

    Im very limited by what tools I have available and the power im provided. As well as limited by how much space I physically have in my car (I make this all work out of the back of a 5dr chevy sonic). So im forced to adapt my process to what is available. While it may be more efficient (and possibly wasteful) to have everything going at once, its simply not an option. I have just found a process that works for me with basically zero down time unless I manage to run out of steam, in which ill find other things to wrap up while I wait for that headache to pass. You may think its crazy, but I have been told by multiple clients that I have provided a much higher quality service than the fixed location shops in the area.

    Im sure you can see thru my process though, that a unit like that Daimer Kleenjet 500v, could be massively beneficial to my process and quality. To be able to combine the vacuuming and steaming parts, as well as an ability to steam extract on some level, I could potentially save HOURS on a detail. Not to mention the space I could save by needing to carry less equipment. Ill have to share some photos sometime of my car all loaded up. And believe me when I say LOADED up. Yet I found ways to do it neatly and quite organized, as well as being able to go from backs seats folded up with 2 kids car seats in the back, to rear seats down, fully loaded and ready to go detailing within maybe 10 minutes. All about adapting to whats available
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  2. #17

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    Re: Commercial steam vacuums

    Quote Originally Posted by ShaneB View Post
    I can only use one tool at a time anyway...
    I find that I generally *do* tend to run other devices while I have the steamer "percolating"...I use it, then find a need to use something else, or I`m using something else and find I need the steamer (after all). Sorta surprised me when I realized how often I have more than one thing going, but that`s just me.

    And I do understand about the whole issue of involving the homeowner when it comes to powering your equipment.


    AllenK4- That`s a good point about the compressor kicking on! Mine`s on a dedicated 220v circuit so I never even thought about that. I *have* had the heater in my extractor kick on at the wrong moment and trip the breaker though....I *tried* to tell my builder`s electricians how I wanted it, finally threw them off the job after too many arguments.

  3. #18
    ShaneB's Avatar
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    Re: Commercial steam vacuums

    I`m sure if it was possible I would find myself in that position as well needing more than one tool. But knowing that it`s almost a sure thing that I`ll pop a breaker, I`m very cautious with what I have turned on

  4. #19

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    Re: Commercial steam vacuums

    All this being said...there are some 15 amp breakers that seem "weak" and some that seem "strong"

    I have run a steamer, compressor and vacuum pulling powerat the same time, which should have popped the breaker and didn`t

    At another house the 15 amp breaker blew repeatedly with the same gear

  5. #20

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    Re: Commercial steam vacuums

    Quote Originally Posted by allenk4 View Post
    All this being said...there are some 15 amp breakers that seem "weak" and some that seem "strong"...
    Yes indeed! I have that situation at my place, never got around to swapping out the weak one.

  6. #21
    ShaneB's Avatar
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    Re: Commercial steam vacuums

    Quote Originally Posted by allenk4 View Post
    All this being said...there are some 15 amp breakers that seem "weak" and some that seem "strong"

    I have run a steamer, compressor and vacuum pulling powerat the same time, which should have popped the breaker and didn`t

    At another house the 15 amp breaker blew repeatedly with the same gear
    Thats kind of scary knowing that load didn`t pop the breaker. When a circuit is overloaded, the breaker should pop to prevent a fire that could potentially burn the house down. Id say that you are quite lucky something didn`t happen.

    i had a room in my house lose power once, when the roofers started their table saw when my roof got replaced. Family room and outlet in garage were on the same circuit and I thought the breaker poped. Turns out it didn`t because someone made a MASSIVE MISTAKE. The circuit was protected with a 20 amp breaker, but the switches and outlets were rated for 15 amps. What happened when they started the table saw was that a switch controlling my outside light caught fire briefly. Lucky being contained in a box, it went out immediately. This could of very easily been MUCH worse though
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  7. #22

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    Re: Commercial steam vacuums

    I do not know about the Damier, but one place I can tell you not to deal with is Dupray. I bought a Carmen Inox 220v steamer from them. I paid to have my house wired for 220v in my garage and my home. A man by the name of Derek told me that they offer 100% refund if you return within 14 days.
    I returned mine becasue I am old and sick and it was just too heavy to hold up to steam my walls, mirrors, etc.
    I used it two hours and sent it back. They kept $400 of my refund claiming damage in shipping. But....the photo they sent me showing me the damage was not the steamer I sent back. They used another photo to steal my refund so I filed a ripoff report on them at Scams, reviews, complaints, lawsuits and frauds. File a report, post your review. Consumers educating consumers.

    As for their steamer, it did a great job, but the company.....NOT SO MUCH! I had insured the steamer but Dupray refused to let UPS pick it up. UPS called them with me on on the line and told them they could come to the steamer if Dupray felt uncomfortable letting them pick it up. Dupray refused to let UPS come and do an onsite inspection as well. So....even though I paid $171 to insure it, UPS would not honor my claim because Dupray refused them an inspection.
    Their steamer works good and as long as you never had to return it, you would probably be happy with it, but they are going to get you if you return it. The steamer ended up costing me about $1045 and all I got was one 8 x 10 rug steamed.

  8. #23

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    Re: Commercial steam vacuums

    Raven2017- Sorry to hear about that awful experience, but glad you posted about it so we know how they roll.

 

 
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