photo by Tiana Liggio
Water Fed Poles: Do They Work?
Water fed poles have gained popularity in the world of window cleaning throughout the years and for great reason. If you’ve been a traditional squeegee-slinger and are looking to add something new to your arsenal that will allow you to clean at greater heights, gain higher-earning jobs, and help you scale your company, then you’ve come to the right place.
Do water fed poles work?
Water fed poles not only work, but they often make window cleaners’ jobs faster and easier. Now, we’re not knocking traditional window cleaning because there are many scenarios where using good old soap, water, scrubber, and squeegee is ideal and best for you and your customer. However, water fed poles provide you the versatility to clean residential, storefront, and even large commercial buildings, all with the same equipment. The reason is that some poles are modular, which means their weight can be increased or reduced by adding or dropping pole sections. Depending on the model, you can own a 90-foot water-fed pole but convert it down to 30 feet for those shorter jobs, streamlining the amount of equipment you need to have.
Is this too much information too soon?
Forgive us, we get a little excited about this topic! That’s why in this Window Cleaner University article, we’re going to talk all about water fed poles.
How do water fed poles work?
Water fed poles work by having a thin hose threaded through them connected to a water fed pole brush and streaming out pressurized water that comes from a pure water system. Water purification systems are absolutely essential to gain that streak-free, spot-free, and impurity-free result that this setup is famous for producing. These state-of-the-art machines are designed to not only be ergonomically friendly and easy to wheel around with you while working, but also produce an ideal measure of total dissolved solids, otherwise known as TDS, of 0. There are many kinds of pure water systems on the market because depending on the area you live in, you may only need something like a single-stage XERO DI System that is great for soft water areas or a powerhouse like the multi-stage XERO Pure Revolution MAX System. Depending on your choice, these systems have a variety of filters, like carbon, sediment, chloramine, DI, and RO, which all work hard to remove the impurities that make windows clean and sparkling.
What are water fed poles made of?
On the market today, there are many kinds of water fed poles made of different materials. There are poles consisting of aluminum, fiberglass, or our favorite: carbon fiber materials. There are also hybrid poles made with various blended materials and high-modulus carbon fiber available.
Before deciding on the type of material you need, consider the height you need to reach, the budget you have to spend, and the jobs you need to take. These variables all affect the decision-making on the kind of water fed pole that best suits your needs. Factors such as durability, weight, and cost all make an impact on your choice. Generally, hybrid blends, fiberglass, and aluminum poles are on the more affordable side but can be heavier, lack durability, and be shorter. Carbon fiber and high modulus carbon fiber poles are lightweight, extremely durable, and offer the largest reach possible. These are the highest quality poles available and provide the most bang for your buck. XERO carbon fiber poles even offer leasing or financing options that can suit your budget, plus 6-year warranties on your equipment! This is because they know that carbon fiber poles are the best in the business and want to provide the highest quality options available for window cleaners yet.
What kind of water fed pole is best for me?
In the window cleaning industry, there are telescopic and modular scopic water fed poles.
What’s the difference?
Well, telescopic poles are great to use for residential and smaller storefronts. Generally, standard telescopic poles come with clamps that flip open and closed and sections that extend. What makes standard telescopic poles great options is if you know exactly what you need and are confident that you won’t want to add more length later on. Standard telescopic poles are also generally on the more affordable side. A great example of a standard telescopic water fed pole is the Unger nLite Carbon Composite Telescopic Pole. If you know that you’ll only ever need to clean up to 28 feet, then this hybrid carbon fiber and glass blended pole will be perfect for you. It features SmartLock clamps, a built-in stopper that prevents overextension, and an ergonomic shape for ease of use.
Now, there are a couple of outliers that XERO has created that stand out from your standard telescopic pole. A unique example of a compact telescopic water fed pole that can later on become modular scopic is the 30-foot version of the XERO Micro Basic Carbon Fiber Water Fed Pole. Characterized as the “tallest, shortest pole around,” this water fed pole is telescopic unless you wish to add sections to lengthen it. Sections 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 have built-in end protectors, so you can use them like you would any base section. The XERO Micro can become lengthened up to a 50-foot pole. If you first purchase a telescopic 30-foot, XERO provides the option to purchase a XERO Universal Extension later on to extend the length.
**Quick tip: You’ll want to make sure that your XERO Micro is fully extended before adding on the XERO Universal Extension. Why? Well, the clamps will be too far away from you to control once that extra length is added, so you’ll need to do it at the end once all sections are extended and locked in.
The pole type that is most versatile, and deserves a drum roll, is the modular scopic pole. Modular scopic poles are water fed poles that can have sections added to or removed from them. This means that while you can open and close their clamps to extend the pole to greater heights, you can also add or take away those sections depending on the job at hand. It also means that you don’t have to purchase the highest-level pole right off the bat. If you are not ready to take cleaning jobs that require 70, 80, or even 90 feet of pole access, then you can start off with a 30-foot pole, add on to it later on, and grow your pole when your company does. These kinds of poles give you the flexibility to take all sorts of jobs and make the purchasing process of this vital equipment easier on your budget.
An awesome example of a modular scopic pole that would be great not just for residential but for large commercial work as well is the XERO Destroyer Water Fed Pole. This pole is the longest, stiffest water fed pole on the market and ranges from 30-foot all the way up to a whopping 90-foot pole. Despite its intimidating name, this pole is composed of lightweight sections due to the ultra-high modulus carbon fiber that it is composed of. This pole is an absolute must-have for commercial window cleaners and would be good to have as a residential cleaner, too, because it can become short when needed.
**Quick tip: The XERO Destroyer Add-On Set differs from the XERO Universal Extension in that you can add on the XERO Destroyer Add-On Set at the base when the pole is still collapsed.
How can I get started cleaning by water fed?
Don’t know where to begin? Window Cleaning Resource offers pure water packages that include everything you need to get cleaning as soon as it hits your doorstep. Take Alex’s Revolution Kit, for example. This amazing kit, assembled by a long-time window cleaner and window cleaning top product expert, Alex Lambrinindes, features the versatile XERO Micro Basic pole we mentioned earlier, the XERO Pure Revolution system, and all the fittings you’d need to get started immediately.
If you’re not sure about what level of purification system you’d need, then always feel free to give us a call at 862-266-0677. Our product experts can walk you through all of the options available to you and help you find the perfect setup to increase your company’s revenue in no-time flat.
Still Have Questions?
Don’t sweat it! If there is anything you’re unsure about, want to learn more about, or need advice on, do not hesitate to reach out to us. Window Cleaning Resource is here for you 24/7, with the help of our super-friendly window cleaning experts.
Having owned their own window cleaning business, too, they have tons of information on window cleaning products, business tips, and more, even if you want to talk shop.
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