There are various types of water fed poles, and these offer some versatility for various cleaning applications.
What Are Water Fed Poles?
When cleaning an elevated window, there must be an easy way to feed water onto it in a controlled manner. A water fed pole is a tool used often in window cleaning to support this need. It is also known as a window cleaning pole and consists of a long extendable pole with a soft bristle brush at the end. Various materials can be used in water-fed poles, and these are looked at in the next section.
During cleaning, water moves up the pole and comes out at the brush end. Besides windows and other glass surfaces, water fed poles can also be used to clean building facades, fascia, soffits, gutters, UPVC, and conservatory roofs. They are often combined with a water Fed trolley system or van mount system. The water quality is crucial to this l application.
Different Types of Water Fed Poles
There are different types of water fed poles, and the choice depends on what you intend to clean. They vary by type and material. As far as material goes, the most common types of water fed pole are made of carbon fibre, glass fibre, alloy, carbon composite, or aluminum. Telescopic and modular designs are the most common pole types. Each of these is discussed next.
Carbon Fibre Water Fed Pole
This type of water fed pole is suitable for cleaning up to a height of 70 feet. The benefits of water fed poles made from carbon fibre are that they are lighter and more rigid than other types. You can use these for greater heights. They are also more resilient than other materials such as fibreglass, for example. The downside is that the carbon fibre pole are much more expensive than the alternatives. They are also ideal for cleaning at lower heights using daily with no fatigue.
Glass Fibre Water Fed Pole
These are suitable for cleaning heights of up to 30 feet and work very well at these lower heights, especially in residential settings. The challenge with the glass fibre water fed pole options is that they are not as durable and resilient as other types. Above 30 feet, they also tend to be too flexible, which means being harder to control. Although they cost far less than the carbon option, they do need to be replaced more often because they start thinning with continued use.
Hybrid Water Fed Pole
The third type of material that can be used in a water fed pole is a hybrid material or carbon composite. Hybrid water fed poles are best suited for heights of up to 45 feet. They have excellent performance and are superior to glass fibre. These poles are heavier than carbon fibre water fed poles, so they are not the best options above 45 feet.
Some of the other benefits of a hybrid water fed pole are that it is hard wearing, rigid, and comes at an affordable price. As new carbon composite technology has been developed in recent years, the prices of these poles has also gone down.
Alloy Water Fed Pole
The fourth material that can be used in water fed poles is an aluminum alloy. These poles have an optimal height of up to 30 feet. They offer great value and high rigidity, making them an excellent option for residential cleaning. In recent years, the alloy water fed pole option is becoming less popular and harder to find. Aluminum tends to be heavier than other pole material, and it is also a major drawback and safety concern that they conduct electricity.
Pole Type
Modular and telescopic poles are the two main options. In the former, the pole is built from a combination of separate sections that are manually added and removed for the required height.. The latter features a single unit that can extend and compress as required. The choice depends on the application, but telescopic poles are more portable and used more often.