| Services for cleaning carpet is one of the most | | | | used for tile or grout cleaning), these higher |
| popular small businesses in the country. It's reasonable | | | | temperatures are not recommended as they can |
| to expect a lot of discussion and opinion on what are | | | | damage the carpet. For this reason, I'd have to say |
| the best methods or equipment. The discussion for | | | | the portables are comparable to the truck mount |
| using portable vs. truck mount carpet cleaning | | | | equipment. |
| equipment is ongoing simply because one is not | | | | Water Pressure |
| always better than the other. Let's take a look at | | | | Water pressure is a little more difficult to compare. |
| how they compare in a couple of key areas to | | | | Truck mount carpet cleaning equipment can provide |
| determine which is the best solution for fitting out | | | | more pressure, sometimes up to 1200 psi, but that is |
| your carpet cleaning van. | | | | mostly used for tile and grout cleaning. Too much |
| Water Temperature | | | | water pressure can soak the pad underneath the |
| Truck mount carpet cleaning equipment can easily | | | | carpet and promote mold and bunching of the |
| produce heated water for the carpet steam cleaning | | | | padding. Most good portables can provide 500 psi |
| (or steam extraction) process in the range of 200 - | | | | which is just right for carpets so I'd have say both |
| 212 F. Some of this heat will be lost as the water | | | | can perform this task equally well. |
| travels from the truck so lets say 175 to 190 F. at | | | | As you can see, the discussion is not so black and |
| the wand tip. The smallest, portable carpet cleaning | | | | white as it might have appeared. The larger size |
| machines were only able to use water from the | | | | portable cleaning equipment can hold their own |
| customer premise and thus were limited to 120-140 F. | | | | against truck mounts with respect to water |
| from the faucet with correspondingly less at the | | | | temperature and water pressure because there are |
| wand tip. | | | | limits beyond which these features do more harm |
| The newer more powerful portables have inline 2000 | | | | than good. These aren't the only considerations on |
| watt heating systems that can generate 200-215 F. | | | | whether to use portable vs. truck mount cleaning |
| at the wand tip because the water does not have to | | | | equipment but understanding these differences |
| travel thru several hundred feet of hose. While | | | | should help you make a better decision when |
| truckmounts could produce hotter water (sometimes | | | | configuring your carpet cleaning van. |