BX Hosepipe Ban

Anything about BXs
Post Reply
User avatar
Way2go
Over 2k
Posts: 7279
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2006 3:15 pm
Location: RCoBerkshire
x 2

BX Hosepipe Ban

Post by Way2go »

Was going to give the BX it's intensive spring clean and polish only to find that Thames Water has just introduced a hosepipe ban . :x

Normal washing can be done by hand but for tackling the muck and degreasing wash off underneath I think the hose and pressure wash is a necessity. :?

No mention of course how long this ban is likely to last! :evil:
1991 BX19GTi Auto
Stewart (oily!)
1K Away
Posts: 1604
Joined: Wed May 18, 2005 6:23 pm
Location: North Wales

Post by Stewart (oily!) »

Here in North Wales we have water everywhere, I was listening to news of your hosepipe ban the other night whilst driving back from my mates place, the road was running like a stream and I was thinking "Well that will wash the winters salt off!" It is possible to use your bathwater to clean the BX, soo you might want to consider using car shampoo in the bath :D
Stewart
TZD 19 TD one of the few
Xantia Td estate, going soft
User avatar
Way2go
Over 2k
Posts: 7279
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2006 3:15 pm
Location: RCoBerkshire
x 2

Post by Way2go »

On an everyday level there seems to be plenty of water lying about down here too! A group of us met up in Henley on Sunday and ironically remarked that the flow of water going under the bridge almost looked like a tidal flow.

It's about time these water companies sorted out their leaky pipes. :!:
1991 BX19GTi Auto
AlanS
BXpert
Posts: 841
Joined: Mon May 16, 2005 9:53 pm
Location: Queensland, Australia

Post by AlanS »

An interesting thing here is that in some places, "Power washers" can still be legal even when hosing bans are in place.
You suds up the car with a sponge and just blow it off with a Karcher or Gerni or similar.
Reason being that they only use a fraction of the water of a standard hose and it all happens so quickly.

As an example, where I live there's no reticulated water supply so we have to collect and store our own water (currently around 11,000 gallons storage but used to be only 5,000 for a family of 5 prior to installing second tank) so it goes without saying we soon became expert at conserving water. The Karcher is always used for any volume washing, such as cars, boats and walls and windows in the house. In your cases, it should be a good way of washing the salt off the undersides too.

This is worth a read:

http://www.karcher.com.au/aus/Watersaving.htm


Alan S
By the time you're old enough to know it all, you can't remember why you were learning.
User avatar
Way2go
Over 2k
Posts: 7279
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2006 3:15 pm
Location: RCoBerkshire
x 2

Post by Way2go »

Alan, you are right the following is an extract from the Q&A of the UK Karcher site:

Q: Can I still use my high pressure cleaner during a hose pipe ban?

A: By connecting your high pressure cleaner to a hose pipe you will be contravening the water authorities advice. However, certain Kärcher pressure washers can be used without being connected to a hose pipe. With a suction kit accessory it is possible to draw water from a water butt, bucket or static water source. The suction kit is also fitted with a filter to remove any unwanted particles.

(A laborious solution though and extra accessory kit to buy.)
1991 BX19GTi Auto
jeremy
Over 2k
Posts: 2112
Joined: Fri Jul 01, 2005 2:58 am
Location: Hampshire UK

Post by jeremy »

Some washers will in fact draw from a bucket. Pressure is a bit reduced as the input pressure in effect drops by about 75 psi or so. When I've used them that way I've found that a bucket lasts a bit longer than you'd expect - and probably could be fed by employing the family to continually fetch water for you.

jeremy
User avatar
Cornishbx16v
BXpert
Posts: 403
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2005 3:41 pm
Location: Cornwall
Contact:

Post by Cornishbx16v »

you can still use a hose pipe or pressure washer etc as long as it doesnt draw of the mains water system so if you happen to have a nice full waterbutt or twon in the garden then you can draw ofthem without the water authorites getting narky!
there's major discussions about this on many of the car cleaning forums!

are the water companies going to reimburse the local valeting companies that rely on on the useage of hose pipes etc??? hmmmn, doubtfull!
Timmo.

After all I AM CORNISH!!!!

www.bx16v.com
www.bx16v.co.uk/forum
www.bx16valve.co.uk
finishthat
New Member
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Mar 28, 2006 12:21 am
Location: Reading

Post by finishthat »

Handy tip, well its my first post so it may as well be of use!

get one of the pump up garden spray units, a 5 litre version is great,
saves water and you can carry it easily, with the spray wand you can
adjust it to be a reasonable cleaning device, and good for washing clean after using Gunk or something like that, perfect to have ready in the garage.
User avatar
ken newbold
Over 2k
Posts: 4408
Joined: Sun Aug 14, 2005 10:53 pm
x 5

Post by ken newbold »

If water is so short in the SE corner, I wonder what the landlords are putting in the beer tonight. :lol:
User avatar
Philip Chidlow
Over 2k
Posts: 11594
Joined: Fri Oct 07, 2005 1:08 pm
Location: Chelmsford, Essex
x 25

Post by Philip Chidlow »

Northern beer :wink:
• 1992 Citroen BX TZD Turbo Hurricane
• 2006 Xsara Picasso 1.6 16v
Post Reply