I have noticed over the last two months when we use fiber plus pads they tend to shred about mid way thru the job. They leave little bits of the pad all over the carpet. We are cleaning loop nylon and have never experienced this before. I have also noticed the beige and grey pads are thinner out of the box and don’t nearly last as long as before.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Dan Lincoln
Lincoln Cleaning & Restoration, Inc

May be time to clean out your solution lines. Slowed flow may not allow enough solution for what essentially is lubrication. Friction could be the culprit.

CleaningSuperman
alter ego: George Barnett
Owner: G & G Services
http://www.CleaningSuperman.com

Dan, we've seen instances where some batches of pads will have slight variations in the density of the pads. I asked the manufacturer about this and they explained that maintaining absolute consistency between batches is not possible. When I toured their plant I saw how they manufacture the pads and I could better understand what he was saying. The raw fiber gets dumped into a huge hopper. The fiber then gets pressed with other binder materials and is extruded, baked and cut. At the hopper level there can be minor fluctuations in what gets formed into pads. We've observed that the variables are sometimes observable yet they tell me this is is an unavoidable characteristic of manufacturing pads. And I think they're telling me the truth, because we've had our pads made by 3 of the major pad manufacturers and we've had the same experience straight across the board.

However, as George pointed out - another very likely consideration would be the plumbing getting clogged (even partially clogged). As George mentioned, this will reduce the lubrication to the pads and increase friction. That can greatly reduce the life of the pads. Unrestricted flow to all 3 drivers is essential.

Start by cleaning out your plumbing...
http://excellent-supply.com/cimex_flow_instructions.pdf

The plumbing should be cleaned very frequently. I suggest once a month or even more often. Also make sure the filter inside the tank is still in place (they sometimes get lost). Regular cleaning of the minerals and crud that accumulates inside the deck needs to be done on a routine basis for the machine to give you optimum results.

And if if you feel there's a problem with your pads beyond what we considered above, I'll be happy to take care of you. You're a valued customer and I'm happy to do whatever it takes to take good care of you. So please call or e-mail if you need help.

Thanks!




Rick Gelinas
encapman

Rick,

You mentioned frequently cleaning the plumbing which we do at least monthly. On my newer machine it does flow slower than my older unit. Is it possible to run an acid (like the one used in truck mount de-scalers) thru the Cimex? It does not seem to work very well flushing out the system with water only to create better flow.

Just for the record these machines kick butt. You provide outstanding service and it’s always a pleasure to do business with you and your staff.


Dan Lincoln
Lincoln Cleaning & Restoration, Inc

I have only used FP pads on one job,and that was just the other day. I know they are supposed to last for an extended length of time,but for some reason,they didn't.Not looking to place blame,or flame a product,but hope to figure out the cause.

I have used white, beige, and even red scrubs on this job before with no ill effect on the pads.
This was a problem residential carpet(looks like a olefin weave),tough tight carpet,hard to get anything in or out of it. I have tried many different chems,methods etc to no avail.
I tried encapclean and FP pads on it ,and man what a difference. It wasn't doing too great at first,so I boosted the juice to 12 oz/gal,and it started cleaning up great!
The OP was like driving a log wagon on this thing,very hard to control..I noticed a few little balls of pad coming up occassionally,but figured that was normal. By the time I got to the third bedroom,I couldn't control the jiggler at all,so I stopped.. flipped the handle back,and there was no pad..just a one inch ring around the outside..WOW..so I put on another pad,and finished the other BR and hall,and stairs with no problem. At one point the center circle of the pad popped out all balled up,so I checked it,and ran without it,that is when I know the pad fell apart for sure..so it seems I may have a trick or two to learn regarding the use of these pads..any help is appreciated.

OP machines can be really tough on FiberPlus pads. As far as that goes , OP's are also tough on terrycloth pads, bonnets and sometimes even the carpet itself. I don't have a recommendation for expected pad life on an OP machine, but I can say it's definitely less than on a Cimex. BTW olefin tends to be the most aggressive fiber on the pads.




Rick Gelinas
encapman

a rifle cleaning kit does a good job of cleaning out the inside of the housing.


DAnny