Buyers Beware

I am seeing quite a few recently purchased, used pumps coming in.  There are a lot of used pumps on the market these days, due to the downturn in the painting industry.  Most of these pumps haven’t been run for years.  Some were broken when they were stored and some were in working order.  Remember that storing a pump is the same as storing a car.  Taken out of storage, both will need work.

Take the car, for example.  If it wasn’t stored properly, you will need a battery, air in tires as a minimum as rubber stored under weight breaks down, so maybe all 4 tires.  If the engine wasn’t stored dry, you will need to drain, clean and/or rebuild the fuel delivery system and completely drain, flush and refill the engine oil and cooling systems.

An airless is quite the same.  At a minimum; figure filters, screens and a complete repack of the fluid section.  If it wasn’t stored properly, then you may need a piston rod and/or sleeve.  If it had any residue of paint or colored water in it, the prime valve may not open or close off completely.  And if it is a gas powered pump, you will have the additional oil and fuel systems to deal with.

Remember, just because a pump runs, that doesn’t mean that it will pump or pressurize paint.

Bring back from the dead

It seems that with construction still slow, my customers are bringing in old retired pumps to be fixed.  In the past, these were relegated to the graveyard and new pumps were purchased.  Now, these pumps are being called back into service as fixing them is cheaper than buying new.

So. the lesson here is put up all pumps correctly, even if you think that you may never use them again.  If you don’t throw them out, you may call them back into service or even sell them.  Either way, the 30 min taken will pay dividends.  Also, NEVER seal off the pump by covering the siphon or prime or hose outlet with plastic.  By doing so, you guarantee rust will positively set in.  Clean the machine as well as possible and then pump dry.  I am replacing more rusted parts than worn parts.

Successful secondary income

As I have stated many times before, if you are actively working in a profession that is in any way cyclical, you need a secondary income that is consistent.  If you need an additional $100 to $1000 per month,  the same applies.  This should be from a source that only takes from 1 to 5 hours per week.  With exfuze, that is an incredibly simple thing to accomplish.  With an increase in (consistent) hours, the income will increase considerably.

eXfuze now has a new system for everyone to check out the business and the product at no cost.  Simply click on www.prosperityinpurpose.com/hartsuiker and fill out the information.  Your information will not be “shared” or “sold” to any advertising lists or brokers.  It will just allow you to enter our 3 day challenge system.

When you start the 3 day challenge, you will get a short email from me introducing you to the process.  You will then have access to a site where you can watch and listen to 7 segments that will educate you as to our system.  You will then receive 3 days of eXfuze FOCUS with instructions on it’s benefits.  If you are then interested in the products or the business model, you can choose that option at that point.

The products are unique and unbelievably successful at improving your health.  The business model is simple (you will have just witnessed the entire PIP system) and successful.  I have leads coming in from the PIP system every day. 

You can read more about the products by going to my business websites at www.exfuze.com/hartsuiker or www.extractfuzion.com .

Summer is HERE

OK, the weather that we were looking for is finally here.  We went from a high of 76 to a high of 96 in 2 days.  We are still below the average, but without time to acclimate, is seems much hotter than it really is.

Now is the time to get to the exterior jobs that have been waiting for warm weather.  KEEP bidding though.  Even if you are really busy, bid everything that you are asked to look at.  Interior or exterior, small and large.  Maybe bid the extra/not so attractive jobs a little higher, but bid everything.

The bids from last year that come in, let them know that material costs have risen about 4-5% and you need to cover that increase.  Make sure that any extra work that is due to the passing time and seasons will be extra.  Don’t let the customer drive you to doing extra work for free, when it was their choice to postpone the job.  (unless you like to work for nothing)  If you work cheap once, it will be expected that you will always be willing to work cheap.

Out of Storage

Remember to try any and all of your machines before taking them out on the job to work.  This will save time and frustration.

There are quite a few machines that are being sold that have been stored for years.  Buyer Beware of these.  Many will need work before they can be used successfully.  You cannot just see if they will prime.  You must see if they will build up pressure.

Remember the old adage: “If it seems to be too good to be true, if probably is”.

Springing out of Winter

I have seen quite a few pumps come in that were stored for a while.  These pumps come in “not priming” or “no pressure”.  If your pump has been stored for some time (over a month), you should first try the pump out with water.  That way, if it doesn’t work right, you don’t have a pump full of paint that won’t function.  If a pump comes in with any material in it, we charge a “Haz Mat” fee.

If your pump primes but won’t build up pressure, it may have something clogging up the valve inside the fluid section.  I would prime and run Lacquer Thinner through the pump.  LT will break up and dissolve most paints, over time.  If your problem is a small bit of paint holding the piston valve open, it may break it loose.

The best solution for this is to store your pumps dry.  Clean them out as per our instructions, then disconnect the hose and run the pump just long enough to pump out all of the liquid, then shut off immediately.  My customers that do this regularly, do not have any problems with pump storage.

Rough Late Winter

Here it is the end of March and we are now getting our (real) winter weather.  As I sit in the office, the roll-up door sounds like someone is beating on it with a club.  I can hear the rain pounding on the 2nd story roof!

Man, am I glad that I have a secondary income!  This winter, I survived on my eXfuze income.  It exceeded the net income from Airless.  (Not that it took much to do so)  I am also looking at a company called Greenfoot Global.  They have an additive that you put in your fuel tank that is supposed to help catalyze the fuel.  Hence, better fuel millage, smoother running engine, longer engine life, more horsepower, etc.  I am trying it out in the company vehicles.  The cost of the product should be recovered in better fuel millage and then profits will climb from there.  We’ll see.  It is a 3 year old company, but as a network, still in “pre-launch”, so it is a good time to get into the company.

Winter Precautions

Winter has descended with a definite chill.  Make sure that all of your equipment is stored inside, preferably in a heated area.  Any equipment that cannot be stored inside, make sure that it is fully covered and any and all valves are left in the open position.  All spray guns and hoses should be emptied and left disconnected.  Drain all fuel from engines, or run dry.  All wooden ladders should be inside.  Freezing temperatures will dry them out and crack the wood.

Now is the time to make a big push in your secondary business.  You do have one, yes?  If not now, when?

Check out mine at: http://getexfuze.net/keith and http://www.extractfuzion.com/