How do you porty guys get your water?

**b18cyacrx** · 08-10-2009, 12:18 AM

I usually set up my porty in the bathroom and get my water by unhooking the showerhead with rubber covered pliers. I have a adapter fitting so I Can hook up a 5 ft hose to it, and place it in the fresh water tank. Then empty the dirty water in the toilet. I also have a faucet adapter kit but haven't had to use it yet.
I remember one guy on here saying he brings his own water in buckets and empties the dirty water into buckets and takes it home with him but for me thats just crazy and too much work.

How do some of you do it?

**SuzukiRider** · 08-10-2009, 12:21 AM

I use a 5 gallon bucket with my portable it does not have solution tank. Sucks right out of bucket. Works great.

**Carpet Cleaning 911** · 08-10-2009, 12:40 AM

I fill my porty holding tank from either the sink or the shower head like you talked about. Have a six foot section of 5/8" hose with a female screw coupling which allows me to attach it to most faucets or showers with the appropriate adapters. Worst case I use a 5 gallon buck and fill in a bathtub then empty into toilet. Commercial jobs usually have a mop/slop sink setup which is the best for both filling and dumping.

**mrpurified** · 08-10-2009, 12:43 AM

When I use my porty I ask the homeowner to use there bathroom and get hot water from the tub useing 5gallon buckets then I have a 5gallon bucket just for dirty water and dump it around a tree

**cosway-canada** · 08-10-2009, 12:48 AM

never use the same bucket for your fresh water and black water.

**Pat Carroll** · 08-10-2009, 12:53 AM

I use a bucket, fill it in the tub empty it in the crapper and rinse it clean when I finish. I always carry a couple towels to wipe up any splash on the floor or crapper.

**floorguy_724** · 08-10-2009, 01:24 AM

Same here, before I would use the bathtub or sink using a sink adapter kit. I would then dump the waste water in the toilet using a 5 gallon bucket.

For 99% of my cleaning I use some older Bane-Clene tanks that have a 65-70 (not sure) fresh water tank and 110 gallon waste tank. The tanks also have reels and is perfect for a portable setup IMO I f you are running it from your van/truck.

**DannyD** · 08-10-2009, 01:39 AM

I do it pretty much like Pat does. I keep reading about the bucket brigade. I find I rarely use more than 6 gallons of water so I'm not sure where the "brigade" comes into play. A few trips yes. Nothing that's not doable though.

**ACC** · 08-10-2009, 09:29 AM

I fill my clean water tank with an adapter and hose to the sink. My porties waste out rolls right over the toilet. So I fill with a hose from the sink and when its time to dump I simply pull the waste water plug and away she goes. I also have a bucket heater in my fill tank getting the water hot while my prespray dwells. With the inline heater and this combo I actually blow some steam from time to time. It is a fairly simple process but I feel some customers dont like the fact that a portable is being wheeled into thier home. That is why an up and coming purchase for a TM is in the works

**b18cyacrx** · 08-10-2009, 10:06 AM

Originally Posted by DannyD

I do it pretty much like Pat does. I keep reading about the bucket brigade. I find I rarely use more than 6 gallons of water so I'm not sure where the "brigade" comes into play. A few trips yes. Nothing that's not doable though.

You only use 6 gals on a job. I use at least 6 gals on one room. I keep the porty set at 300psi and I usually fill my 12 gal tank 3 or 4 times on the average job. Maybe I just rinse more than you.

**kmack3262** · 08-10-2009, 10:22 AM

Have any of you fellows ever tried a steamin demon? constant freshwater supply, and constant pumpout of blackwater. i love mine.

**Carpet Cleaning 911** · 08-10-2009, 11:36 AM

Chad,
6gallons a room and filling three or four times per job seems like a lot. I have a 15 gallon fresh water tank and 13 gallon recovery and can usually finish most homes with only one tank maybe a tank and a half if it's really dirty and I have to rinse like crazy. It also helps cut down on the bucket brigade since I usually only dump once, maybe twice. How many tips are on your wand and what size fresh water tank do you have. Finally I try to pre-plan the house on a walk around so I end up near a bathroom when I think I'll have to dump so as not to move the porty all around the house or hall buckets of dirty water. I also try to end outside with a full tank of waste water so I can dump in the flowerbeds (allowed around here) plus most homeowners are more than happy to let me rinse out in the yard or flowerbed when done. Don't know about you but most jobs I go to have been cleaned by someone before so homeowner is used to letting cleaner use their water, be it to fill porty or TM tanks don't know about you all.

**rjfdube** · 08-10-2009, 08:14 PM

For my EDIC I use a shower cleaner attachment; Haven't seen them in a while. The basically are like a condom for a water outlet in a tub; it slides over and seals real tight then water comes out the other end; most cleaners have one they have like a little shower head on the end.

My Recoil has Auto Fill Auto Dump; so all that is no longer needed.

**PeteHagar** · 08-10-2009, 08:43 PM

hoses auto fill auto dump.

Pete

**DannyD** · 08-10-2009, 10:20 PM

Originally Posted by b18cyacrx

You only use 6 gals on a job. I use at least 6 gals on one room. I keep the porty set at 300psi and I usually fill my 12 gal tank 3 or 4 times on the average job. Maybe I just rinse more than you.

Yea, I use an Edic Power mate rather than a wand. Provides quite a bit of agitation so not as much water is needed. It's another cord though & rather slow. Also very short. Therefore not so great on the back. Which is why on some of the other threads I'm asking about heat and/or vac. Considering going to more heat & a glided wand.

What I've found w/ my various set ups was a 175 & 100PSI rinse did a good job. A 100PSI w/ wand (no 175 prescrub) was terrible. OP is ok at times, but other times brutal. 100PSI w/ Powermate does a real good job. 100PSI w/ Powermate & OP does a bit better job. OP after the 100PSI & Powermate pretty much only gets me gray pads. It takes a long time though. I think after tomorrows job it's going to be either OP or Porty w/ Powermate. Depending on the carpet type. I'm done doing both. OP post pad is usually a case of the law of diminishing returns.

The best set up I've seen is one that includes high heat. Best set up to me = quality of job + time. I do as good a job as Bob Savage & Dave Gill IMO. It just takes me an awful lot longer.

**b18cyacrx** · 08-10-2009, 11:33 PM

Originally Posted by Carpet Cleaning 911

Chad,
6gallons a room and filling three or four times per job seems like a lot. I have a 15 gallon fresh water tank and 13 gallon recovery and can usually finish most homes with only one tank maybe a tank and a half if it's really dirty and I have to rinse like crazy. It also helps cut down on the bucket brigade since I usually only dump once, maybe twice. How many tips are on your wand and what size fresh water tank do you have. Finally I try to pre-plan the house on a walk around so I end up near a bathroom when I think I'll have to dump so as not to move the porty all around the house or hall buckets of dirty water. I also try to end outside with a full tank of waste water so I can dump in the flowerbeds (allowed around here) plus most homeowners are more than happy to let me rinse out in the yard or flowerbed when done. Don't know about you but most jobs I go to have been cleaned by someone before so homeowner is used to letting cleaner use their water, be it to fill porty or TM tanks don't know about you all.

I use a Rotovac 360 which has 3 jets and 3 vac slots. If its really dirty I use the 360 to prescrub and then I like to rinse really well and do as many dry strokes until I see no more water coming up the clear tube.
My porty has 12 gal tanks which I don't fill either one full esp. the recovery tank. I haven't been to a job yet where I had to move the porty. When I'm done I just rinse out into the toilet.

Do you wheel the porty out of the house full of water?

**Rick Imby** · 08-17-2009, 01:06 AM

Originally Posted by b18cyacrx

I use a Rotovac 360 which has 3 jets and 3 vac slots. If its really dirty I use the 360 to prescrub and then I like to rinse really well and do as many dry strokes until I see no more water coming up the clear tube.
My porty has 12 gal tanks which I don't fill either one full esp. the recovery tank. I haven't been to a job yet where I had to move the porty. When I'm done I just rinse out into the toilet.

Do you wheel the porty out of the house full of water?

You don't move your porty? How much hose are you running and what vacs do you have? Are you running two 2 stage or two 3 stage vac motors?

**Ed Valentine** · 08-17-2009, 10:37 AM

I've never really had a problem getting water because we always had what we considered, a very innovative System that would accomidate most any situation.

Any system that depends on "water supply" , including a gasoline TM btw, will eventually experience & confront most all situations. However, the "system" must be uniquely versatile.

The very best to all;
Ed Valentine
Makers of The "Smart-Design" Systems

**b18cyacrx** · 08-17-2009, 12:52 PM

.

Originally Posted by Rick Imby

You don't move your porty? How much hose are you running and what vacs do you have? Are you running two 2 stage or two 3 stage vac motors?

I have 2 25' hoses and haven't had to go farther than that. I did a job last week where it had a big tile floor Bathroom and I did move it near the door after I filled it so I could reach one of the rooms without having to put the 2nd hose on. If and when I ever have to go further than 50' then I would move it before I would put any more hose than that on.
The mytee 1003dx I'm using has 2 3 stage vacs in it.

**rugslayer** · 08-17-2009, 12:56 PM

I have been carrying water with me. I have a frejie descaler for my household water source, and my water supply is filtered. I top off my tank after each job so I am heatig from summer temperatures of about 80 degrees. Weather the machine (recoil) stays in the van or I use my regular Porty (galaxy pro) or encap porty (CFR) I try to fill from my supply. I have run into cases where the homeowner's water smells or has been chemically altered so as to affect PH values and render some detergents less potent. When fomerly filling from the custy's supply, some residences have such poor water pressure as to make me appear a fool while filling a bucket, forgeting all about it, and wasting water. MJ