• Physical Conditions You “Have To Have” To Clean Carpet

1. Hot Water between 160° and 200°. (Optimum Performance: 185°)

Many Truck Mount manufacturers advertise extremely high water temperatures to make their system(s) seem more appealing. The fact is, water boils at 212° and begins to produce steam. And I know, we all call it “steam-cleaning” but, the truth is, carpet cleaning is done with extremely hot water and not steam. Steam is a gas, you can’t retain any pressure with steam, you can’t clean carpet with steam and you can do real damage to your equipment and carpet. Most truck mount systems today can produce extreme temperatures or steam if you turn the heat up higher than it should be. If a unit can produce heat at 160° to 200° consistently, then it can do the same or better job as a system that promises to produce 240° or higher. Many manufacturers don’t tell you that you can’t or won’t clean with 240°, but simply attempt to mislead you with overblown numbers. Be a wise shopper by knowing what the specifications should be. After all, even if you could, you wouldn’t wash your clothes inboiling water because over time it would damage the material, just as it will damage carpet fibers, backing and glue. But, you would wash them in hot water. Think about it . . .

2. Pressure between 100psi and 650psi. (Optimum Performance: 600psi)

Water pressure forces hot water or hot water and cleaning agent into, over or through the carpet. Too much pressure and you force dirt and cleaning agent through the carpet fibers and backing and into the pad, putting down too much moisture to pull up, extending drying time, introducing malodors and/or possibly causing mildew. Not enough pressure and you can’t penetrate the fibers enough to break the dirt loose. The optimum pressure allows you to penetrate the fibers, mix with and remove the dirt.

3. Vacuum at 15Hg, 240cfm. (Optimum Performance: 15Hg, 240cfm)

Vacuum is measured in two ways “lift” and “air flow”.

“Lift” Most systems can produce 15Hg of lift. 15Hg stands for 15 inches of mercury. This is how much lift it takes on average to efficiently pull water from ground level or lower, up and into your system recovery tank. If you set your system too low below 15Hg you may not have enough lift for extraction, set it too high above 15Hg and you run the risk of doing damage to your system.

“Air Flow” is measured in “cubic feet per minute” and is the amount of vacuum power it takes to clear or pull the water through your wand and vacuum hose and up into to the system recovery tank with consistent performance. The optimum amount of air flow for single floor wand cleaning is 240cfm. So it only goes to follow that the optimum air flow for dual or two floor wand cleaning is double that or around 480cfm. Rather than use two floor wands, many cleaners prefer to take advantage of the “dual-wand” configured system by having one technician cleaning with a floor wand and another using a furniture or detail tool at the same time, achieving optimum performance at around 380cfm.

• Heat Exchange VS Propane Heated Machines

Most Truck Mount systems today heat the water one of two ways, “heat exchange” or “propane heat.”

“Heat Exchange” Also referred to as “heat exchanger” systems are available in two configurations, “air-to-water” or “water-to-water”.

In “air-to-water” systems the water is heated by the truck mount engine exhaust or in the case of a dual or two stage air-to-water heat exchange system, water is first pre-heated by the blower exhaust and then heated for use by engine exhaust. This is accomplished by letting the water flow through a metal (usually stainless steel) tube or coil surrounded by an outer metal tube or shell which is filled with hot engine exhaust (air). There are two things to look for with an air-to-water system. One, the system should have a diverter-valve to allow you to divert the engine exhaust away from the water flow and through the normal engine exhaust path when doing water extractions and not cleaning (using water). Two, a “needle-valve” or available mechanism, that assists in regulating the water temperature to the wand. This is done by adjusting the water flow through the inner heat exchange tube. The more water flow the less heat. The less water flow, the hotter the water coming out of the wand. But, since there is no way to regulate the heat of the exhaust air in the outer tube it is better and safer to be able to divert the hot exhaust air away from the inner water exchange tube when not cleaning.

With “water-to-water” systems the water is run through a tube that is surrounded by a tube with flowing, heated coolant from your vehicle’s coolant system. Since the temperature of the coolant (water) in the outer tube can be regulated by the vehicle’s thermostat, there is no need for a way to divert the coolant away from the outer heating tube or regulate the water flow in the inner heat exchange tube.

Both systems do a fine job of heating the water. But, since it is a simple fact that water heats (anything) faster and more consistently than air, the system to use depends on the type of cleaning you are doing. If you are cleaning residential homes, moving from room to room, moving furniture and cleaning detailed areas at a time, then an “air-to-water” system will deliver enough heat to do the job. On the other hand, if you are cleaning large commercial areas or apartments with a lot of non-stop wand work, then the “water-to-water” system will deliver more consistent heat.

“Propane Heat” Is overall the hottest and more easily controlled heat available for truck mount systems. The only negative in comparison to heat exchange is that you have to purchase propane gas to run the heating system. In most propane systems the propane gas is stored in a “belly tank” outside the vehicle. A hose is run from the tank to feed a hot water heater inside the van. Pressurized water from the system pump flows through the hot water heater and is delivered to the wand for cleaning. The temperature of the water is thermostatically controlled by easily adjusting the temperature control knob on the heater thermostat. Other than having to purchase propane gas, there are several positives to be aware of with a propane heated system. Besides the thermostatic control of the water temperature, propane systems are extremely versatile and simple to operate and maintain, and with built-in emergency gas shutoff and venting, can be operated with a high degree of dependabilityand safety.

• PTO Machines VS Slide-in Machines

Truck mount carpet cleaning systems are built in two designs, PTO (Power Take Off) or Slide-in systems.

“PTO” Power Take Off systems operate by taking power from your vehicle’s transmission or drive-train system to run the truck mount’s drive system to turn the vacuum blower and pump. Generally these systems are “water-to-water” heat exchange systems so they also harness the heat of the vehicle’s coolant system to heat the water. The advantage of the PTO systems is that they can be very easy to operate. However there are some disadvantages. Generally PTO systems are much more expensive than Slide-in systems. This is because the PTO truck mount system is permanently built-in as part of the vehicle. In other words your vehicle is your truck mount system and your truck mount system is your vehicle. This means that if you want to run your truck mount system, you must run the vehicle at the same time. Ultimately, this will substantially increase the otherwise normal wear and tear on your vehicle’s systems. If the unfortunate circumstance occurs that your vehicle is wrecked or totaled, unlike a slide-in system that you could remove from the wrecked vehicle and place in a new one, with the PTO system you not only wrecked or totaled your vehicle but also your truck mount system. With PTO systems as with some hugely overblown slide-in systems the cost of maintenance and replacement parts can be outrageously high. Also, be aware that many PTO systems incorporate large vacuum blowers and the vehicle’s power does not turn the vacuum blower at enough RPMs to operate at the blower’s optimum performance. There are also systems (PTO and Slide-in) that incorporate large blowers that are built correctly. So just look out that you aren’t purchasing components that will never reach or be used at their peak efficiency.

“Slide-in” Slide-in systems come in an array of configurations, from very economical yet powerful, simple designs that are easy and cheap to maintain, to extremely expensive, large, over compensated systems that, much like PTO systems, can be very hard to work on and very labor intensive and expensive when you have to get them serviced. The thing about slide-in systems is that they all operate using the same three components, an engine, a vacuum blower and a water pump. Yet, some systems are made to be more appealing by incorporating giant housings that display lots of extra controls and gauges that you don’t really need and are just going to present you with down-time and extra maintenance expense. Some systems promote big horse power engines to give the appearance of added power to your overall system, when after all that is not the case. In a truck mount system, the vacuum blower is turned at the safest, maximum RPMs to obtain the blower’s optimum “lift” and “airflow”. Ifan eighteen horse power engine accomplishes this task, then anything larger has been installed either out of ignorance or with the goal of misleading the buyer. The best slide-in systems are honestly built to meet all of the optimum specifications required to do the job and provide you with a tool to make money with, not an albatross that is designed to take back as much of that money as it’s high purchase price and maintenance cost can. If you think about the fact that all slide-in systems use the same three components to operate, then it is easy to see that they all produce the same results, no matter how they are “packaged.” The real advantage to the simpler slide-in systems is that they are just as powerful, yet much easier and cheaper to maintain with less down time, since much of the maintenance can be done by the operator. Also, they are extremely versatile, allowing you to install them in a variety of configurations and vehicles.

• The Bottom Line

The bottom line is, BE AN EDUCATED BUYER! Some systems are advertised as simple, some as large and therefore giving the appearance of being more powerful, some are promoted to be easier or safer to operate. Make no mistake about it, easy and safe operation, no matter what the system, is only determined by the common sense of the operator. If you know what the optimum performance is that you “have to have” to do the work you want to do, then use that knowledge to obtain an economical and easily maintained system that is going to be of service to you for years, making you money, rather than one that you spend years of money servicing.

About The Author

Cleaning Technologies, Inc. has over thirty years experience, in manufacturing carpet cleaning equipment, carpet cleaning, dying and water extraction.

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What Does ‘Ski-In, Ski-Out’ Really Mean?
 by: Henry Schlee

When you are booking a vacation rental property in a ski resort there is an indisputable magic to the phrase ‘ski-in, ski-out’. It conjures up images of a loving restored log cabin on the edge of an immaculately groomed piste, of watching fellow skiers carve elegant turns from your living room window, with the occasional spray of snow against the window pane. It suggests stepping out of your front door, clicking on your skis and gliding down the slopes to the lift. You may anticipate avoiding the crush of people waiting for a lukewarm and soggy pizza in the mountain restaurant by using your own chalet as … a mountain restaurant. And, perhaps best of all, you may look forward to skiing back to your own front door at the end of the afternoon and forgetting about trudging along paths and the indignity of crowded shuttle buses.

The reality may be very different. Knowing the power of the term ‘ski-in, ski-out’, vacation rental providers are quick to use it to cover a myriad of different arrangements and a range of proximity to the slopes. Here are a few things to watch out for:

1) The ‘ski-in ski-out’ home that is really ‘hiking distance’ to the slopes. The economics of housing development on mountainsides mean that when an area is developed next to the slopes, only some of it is actually next to the slopes. There is almost certain to be a hinterland of properties that have access to the slopes…via pathways, steps, roadways etc. The pathways may be short, or they may not. Make sure you ask exactly how far a particular property is from the actual ski slope, and what the path is actually like: is it a level walkway or a series of dozens of icy steps?

2) The ski-in, ski-out home that is reached via an ungroomed trail through the woods. When these homes were originally built the developers cut a trail to them so that they could be sold as ‘ski-in, ski-out’. However these trails are very often too narrow for a snow-cat to use; furthermore, they are very likely private property and the lift company which grooms the slopes may have no responsibility for them. Only if the owners of properties served by that trail get together and make private arrangements for grooming will you find the trail in good enough condition for safe usage.

3) The ski-in, ski-out home that offers good ski-in, ski-out access…if you’ve chosen one of the 2 weeks of the year when the snow is down to that level. Many resorts that offer ski accommodation are down in the valley, and global warming has led to a raising of the snow line and a decline in the number of weeks that snow is on the ground at given elevations.

4) Finally, there is the nirvana: a ski-in, ski-out home that is what it says it is: situated right on slopes which are snow-covered throughout the season and groomed by the lift company’s snowcats daily. This is what is often now referred to as ‘true ski-in, ski-out’. However, you may find that because this real estate is so scarce it is also very pricey, or alternatively it is developed with rather high-density and charmless accommodation. The Aspens in Whistler is a good example of this. The situation is perfect, right on the slopes, but the accommodation is mostly fairly spartan.

The lesson here is simple. When you are booking ski-in, ski-out accommodation, make sure that you know exactly what you are getting. If you are booking a resort such as Whistler,, where there are many gradations of ski-in, ski-out accommodation, consult one of the local property management companies like Holiday Whistler, and question them very closely on its exact location before you book yourWhistler accommodation.

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About The Author

Henry Schlee is the owner of Holiday Whistler, which offers a wide choice of great vacation rental properties in Whistler, BC, North America’s #1 ski resort. Try this link Whistler accommodation for a great choice of rental properties.

Henry also operates several other travel websites which actively engage in link exchange with legitimate, high-traffic travel-related websites. If you want a link from a high PR URL, go to on of these sites: Travel link exchange, or Free travel links.

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A 1620 Plymouth Pilgrim transported in time to the future in 2009 would be pleasantly surprised to find – not the all-purpose Betty lamps lighting up homes, but lights that not only seem to issue from nowhere, and which become brighter or darker as if by magic, but lights of many kinds illuminating rooms in a variety of tones and intensities. Indeed, there’s so much available in the market today that the Pilgrims of five centuries ago might be, in a sense, lucky. Having only the Betty lamp, they have a much easier task lighting their homes than any modern man.

In spite of that, it remains doubtful whether anyone would exchange places with the Pilgrims and their Betty lamps. In the area of home lighting, as in probably all other areas of endeavor, modern man never had it so good. Here are a few more things you, the modern home decorator, needs to know about lighting:

Entrance

Wall-mounted bracket lights should be enough to illuminate the area outside the door to enable those inside to see the person outside. Back entrances should be similarly lighted.

Entry Halls

A 15-watt floodlamp recessed into the ceiling should be enough to light up a 75-square foot space.

Hallways

The average hall can be lighted using 40- to 80-watt incandescents recessed into the ceiling every 10 feet.

Living Rooms

The average-sized living room must have at least four table or floor lamps of between 100- and 150-watts for table lamps, and between 150- and 500-watts for the floor lamps. To give enough background light and to eliminate shadows when using task lighting, each wall must have around 200 watts. Lamps tasked with lighting up an entire corner should deliver at least 200 watts.

Dining Rooms

Incredibly, chandeliers are best placed in dining rooms. The chandelier and the dining table are a veritable visual feast and are the piece de resistance in some homes. Of course, the chief piece of furniture, the table, has to be lighted. Do this by having low-wattage recessed downlights on either side of the chandelier or pendant. Round everything off to perfection using candles on the table, placed high enough so that the diners don’t have to look through the flame. Often, the dining table doubles as a study table or a work surface, so illumination from either the center fixture or other lamps must be increased. Pendants must be 30 to 36 inches from the table top, and must have at least 150-watts.

Bedrooms

A relatively low-watt, glare-free ceiling fixture is recommended for the bedroom which is used not only for sleeping, but also for reading, writing, and sewing. Small bedrooms should make do with 40-watts, while bigger ones need 100-watts. Mirrors and dressing tables might have bracket lights. A wall candle holder on each side of your mirror or dressing table would also be perfect. It’d also be good to have retractable 100-watt reading lights on a three-way switch. This reading lamp should be installed 12 inches from the bed , level with the reader’s shoulder. Use a 100-watt recessed in closets.

Kitchen

Have a central light of at least 150-watts for general illumination. To avoid the potentially dangerous shadows a single central light brings, the stove, sink, and counter tops have to be illuminated separately with at least 40-watts each.

Laundry, Workshop, Garage

In the laundry or home workshop, either fluorescent or incandescent light may be used over the work area or workbench; same with the garage.

Bathrooms

The mirror is an important lighting center in the bathroom, and is illuminated using either bracket lights or encircling light of 60-watt incandescent. Often this should be enough in a small bathroom, although recessed ceiling lights of 100-watts should be had as well. If yours is a big bathroom, consider a pair of wall candle holders bracketing your bathroom mirror.

Study Rooms or Dens

These receive the same lighting provisions as the living room if as big.

About The Author

Find dozens more articles like this at Wall D5cor and Home Accents, where you can also find also abstract canvas painting sets (http://www.walldecorandhomeaccents.com/abstract-modern-canvas-wall-art.html)and art (http://www.walldecorandhomeaccents.com).

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I hope you’ve been enjoying my posts lately. I thought I might do something different today and rustle up a few bits of info from around the WWW. These are some of the news items and blog posts that have been popular over the last few weeks. Leave me your thoughts.

Faithful Progressive: Wall Street Reform: It’s The Derivatives, Stupid

And the contracts are inspected by and guaranteed by whoever owns and manages the clearing house or the exchange.So what it essentially does is prevent these private back-room deals where it is not absolutely clear that both parties to …

Kate would swap fame to be home with kids – msnbc.com

DailyFill.com Kate would swap fame to be home with kids msnbc.com Fame isnt all its cracked up to be or so claims reality TV regular Kate Gosselin. Despite securing a new show and a series of specials to fill the gap Jon and Kate Plus 8 …

WANTED: House swap Israel-Chicago or Guest apartment

My family and I (two adults and four kids) will be coming from Ramat Beit Shemesh, ISRAEL to Chicago for my brother's wedding from Wednesd…

Hope you enjoy the read as much as I did and please if you have something to say, use the comments form below to let everyone know your thoughts.

Have a great day!

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I have a foreign exchange student from korea at my house, problem?!?

I'm not sure how to handle this problem.
We are both around the same age, 16. But it's kind of awkward to bring up. My parents want me to handle it since she feels comfortable with me.

About a few days ago, we noticed an increasing amount of used paper in our trashbin in the bathroom. We think that when she uses the restroom, she doesnt flush the toilet paper, but instead throws it away.
Anyone from korea know if this is typical there?!

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Technorati Tags: house swap

Timeshare Ownership: The Pros And Cons Of Timeshares

The pros and cons of purchasing a timeshare should always be considered in a rational way before making a decision. It is important to consider your choice of lifestyle, as well as your financial condition and giving weight to the advantages and disadvantages. For instance, if you are quite wealthy. The purchase price will be easier to pay that if it represents a substantial amount of your savings. The cost will also affect how you evaluate the pros and cons of other aspects of the investment. In either case, it is always wise to thoroughly research your decision.

First, we’ll look at some of the advantages to timeshare ownership. To start with, timeshare properties can be quite economical when contrasted with buying standard real estate that you would only occasionally use. For instance, you could buy a piece of real estate for $200,000, or you could purchase a timeshare property were only $10,000 and pay an annual maintenance fee of $500 per year. Assuming you own a the timeshare for a period of 30 years, the total cost will be as follows:

(30years x $500)+$10,000 = $25,000 total.

Compare it with buying the real estate property; you will save $175,000. Isn’t that a lot of money? Is it wise to invest that much extra money for once a year use?

Consider instead, that you spend $1200 a year to stay in a hotel during your vacation. To be fair, we need to consider that cost for the same 30 year period.

30 years times $1200 equals $36,000. This is still $12,000 more than the $25,000 you would pay to own the timeshare property for your lifetime.

Apart from saving money you get the comfort of your home. In a hotel you might get only a suite. But a typical timeshare condo has two or three bedrooms, one or two bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining room and even a laundry room. Also timeshare units are usually fully furnished. Most of the timeshare properties have an indoor or outdoor pool also these days. In addition to that you also get resort facilities. What more somebody might want when they get all these facilities and comfort of home?

If you have a timeshare you don’t have to worry about the upkeep and maintenance of the condo. It is taken care of by the developer. Now co
1000
mpare this with buying a real estate property for the life, you have to do all the maintenance.

A somewhat overlooked advantage of owning a timeshare is that it almost forces you to take a vacation each year. If you have a timeshare, you definitely make it a point to go for a vacation at least once a year so that you can take full advantage of the property. Also, you are also saved from the hassles of planning a vacation every year since you know where you’re going and when well in advance.

Most of the timeshare companies are associated with other timeshare companies. This allows the exchange of timeshare. This is one of the many reasons why people prefer timeshare.

Let’s quickly examine some of the cons of timeshare ownership. One of the common complaints people have with timeshares is the use of high-pressure sales techniques during a sales presentation that an unknowing customer is lured into after receiving a free gift from the timeshare company. It is wise to thoroughly research the company before going into the presentation and ensure that they have a good reputation for being honest and easy to deal with.

You’ll lose some of your free capital when you have to pay a large fee upfront. Also, when you finance the cost through a loan you will be paying extra money in interest costs. Lastly, don’t forget about the annual maintenance fees and any association fees.

Timeshares are one of the most difficult types of real estate to resell. Furthermore, they typically depreciate on the resale market vice appreciate. These facts are cons to timeshare ownership.

A final consideration is the flexibility of your timeshare property. You might have a floating week and an exchange program to take advantage of, but you’ll have to plan your timeshare vacation months in advance. Remember that you are on a first come, first served basis with the other timeshare owners. If you have a fixed week, the lack of flexibility is an even greater con.

By: Eric King Frey

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

If you are interested in timeshares a good place to learn more is in aTimeshare Forum. We Own Timeshares.com is a new social network full of Timeshare Information and it has a great forum too. It is free and easy to join this timeshare social network. Create your own profile in minutes, share experiences and reviews of different timeshare locations and start asking questions in the forum today.

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