Answers To Your Questions ... We have compiled a list below of the most frequently asked questions about the Vortex machine.  If you have a question that was not answered here let us know! Email your questions to adamh@bluelineequip.com or call us toll-free at 1-866-445-3030.

Typically, people who buy Vortex machines are entrepreneurs. They come from all walks of life. Al Bradham was an engineer at a nuclear power facility. Paul Schmedeke is a professional fighter. One of our customers retired from the FBI just before he bought his Vortex last year and has his sights on 5 more trucks! The Vortex is a cash machine. It attracts attention and it commands respect. “I want my house cleaned with THAT” will be ringing in your ears! Many people assume that the Vortex is just for the big companies and not the “one man shows”. Nothing could be further from the truth! The majority of companies that own Vortex machines have two trucks or less. Some larger companies, airports, and universities own Vortex machines also. Some companies do strictly large commercial jobs, some companies do strictly residential and some companies actually purchase their Vortex just for tile and stone cleaning. It does not matter what size company you have, what services you offer or if you don’t have a company at all yet. Be creative. The Vortex machine cleans faster, uses less fuel, lasts longer, and best of all, you look good driving it! The truth is, when you own a Vortex you really don’t have any competition. Spend a few minutes reading our success stories section and find out for yourself! The field is ripe and ready for harvest.

Question:  What Are The Advantages Of A Diesel Engine Over A Gasoline Engine?

Diesel engines are much better suited for constant-duty stationary use than gasoline powered engines. Over 80% of all industrial equipment worldwide is powered by diesel engines. Generators are a prime example. Any industrial generator designed for longevity and constant-duty use is diesel powered. The armed forces also use diesel almost exclusively because men’s lives depend on their equipment. Conversely, Gasoline engines require convection (air movement) to operate efficiently. If you have ever placed your hand on the hood of a fan belt direct drive machine that uses a gas engine after it has been run a few moments you will feel an enormous amount of heat being radiated. This heat is very destructive. It causes damage to electrical systems, computers, and plumbing very quickly. Diesel engines have no spark plugs and do not generate this destructive heat. Diesel engines derive their power from compression not the explosion of a spark plug.

Diesel engines also produce their torque at low RPM’s and subsequently don’t require as much fuel to produce the equivalent power of gasoline engines. The UD engine found in the Vortex truck is also currently being used on generators at water treatment facilities. These engines are run at 2600 RPM for 5 ½ months constantly before they ever shut them down to do servicing. Cab forward diesel trucks are used very commonly in the medical supply industry, furniture delivery, and fleet rentals because of their reputation of reliability and the ability to be driven 500,000 miles without any significant repairs.

Question:  What Kind Of Fuel Consumption Can I Expect?

The Vortex machine will produce more heat and vacuum running three wands than typical style PTO machines on the market can produce running only one wand!  And it burns only 1.6 Gallons Per Hour of fuel!  Under full load, the Vortex machine requires only 1700-RPM engine speed. Diesel engines produce their torque at lower RPM’s than gasoline engines.  If the Vortex machine were powered from a typical Ford, Chevy, or Dodge V8 gasoline engine they would need to be run at almost 3,000 RPM to power the enormous size of blowers and pumps we use! Most direct drive fan belt gasoline powered machines burn over 2.5 GPH of fuel because of their inefficiency, and they run blowers only half the size of a Vortex! More Profit Per Gallon        Survival Of The Fittest: Vortex Is The World's Most Powerful Cleaning Machine. Fuel prices are climbing and, according to analysts, could reach $4.00 per gallon before things level off. If you're operating a one-wand machine, that's going to make a sizable difference every time you tank up. While the Vortex machine is famous for its stunning heat, power, profitability and prestige - don't leave dramatic fuel economy off the list. Vortex owners aren't feeling the same pinch as their competitors because with Vortex patented technology, the fuel savings are built in. For starters, there's no need to leave the truck engine running on cold weather days to keep the heat exchanger warm. This means a more environmentally friendly machine, less engine wear and lower fuel bills. And when you consider that the Vortex can run three wands for the same gallon of fuel it takes other machines to run just one, the benefit to your business and your bottom line become obvious. More clean for less cash. Suddenly our legendary fuel economy isn't just a handy side benefit.

Question: Why Use Commercial Trucks Instead of Cargo Vans?

Passenger or cargo vans were originally engineered and intended to haul around people—not equipment and tools. The suspension, engine, transmission, and brakes of commercial trucks are made for much more grueling applications than passenger vans. Cab-forward diesel trucks are used very commonly as tow trucks, furniture delivery trucks, and commercial rentals because of their reputation to stand tough even under the most stressful applications. Comparatively, light-duty cab-forward diesel trucks are about $7,000.00 more expensive than V8 gas powered cargo vans, and have double the life expectancy. It is not uncommon to see cab-forward diesel trucks with over a half a million miles still running strong! Another advantage to commercial trucks is that the bodies are perfect as huge “traveling” billboards. The Vortex truck is an incredible way to advertise your business! Most Vortex owners will agree that the income and referrals produced from their "traveling billboard" far exceeds their monthly Vortex payment! Click on "Sucess Stories: and give them a call! If you need some help designing the graphics on your new Vortex truck let us know! Rumor has we're pretty good at it!�

Question: Will The Vortex Fit Into My Garage?
	The length of the Vortex is 24’4” from front to rear bumper. The maximum width of the Vortex is 8’0”. The total height from the street to the top of the truck is 8’6”.

Question: How Many Feet Of Hose Can You Run Off Of A Vortex?

Claims about how many feet of hose a truckmount machine is capable of running is a common way that manufacturers market their machines. This is a subject that is very confusing for shoppers. Some companies will even claim that their machine will run thousands of feet of hose, or that a machine can run as many as 4 wands at a time. This is a very subjective topic. There is nothing that prevents any manufacturer from making any claims they deem necessary to promote their products. Test standards for performance capabilities on carpet cleaning equipment do not exist as of yet. There is really no way to make a reliable claim about a how many feet of hose a machine will run. A machine with a small #3 blower can run 10,000 feet of hose if you want it to. The question then becomes about how much vacuum is at the end of the hose.   There are some common sense ways to compare what a machine is capable of, but so many variables exist in the way a machine is constructed that these guidelines can only serve as a starting point. Here are some questions that you should investigate when shopping: What size blower does the machine have? What is the dry weight of the blower? What is the blower manufacturer’s optimum performance speed according to blower manufacturer specifications and what speed is the blower actually being run on the machine? Does the size of the piping leading into and out of the blower match the inlet and outlet size of the blower? Are there any sharp angles in the piping that may cause air and vacuum restrictions? Does the engine have the necessary horsepower and torque to run the blower at its optimum performance speed without RPM fluctuations under load? These questions are one way to judge how many feet of hose a machine is capable of running, but placing your hand on the end of a 50’ length of hose is actually more scientific! Carpet cleaners who have used different truckmounts can tell very easily how much a machine is capable of by doing "simple real world" testing.

Question: How Fast Will The Carpets Dry With A Vortex?

As with claims about heat and vacuum this is also a very subjective topic. Many manufacturers will actually claim drying times of less than 30 minutes. 30 minute dry times can actually be accomplished on jobs with the truckmount you are currently using! All you have to do is turn your water pressure down below 200 PSI, make sure that the relative humidity on the day you do the job is below 20%, use no more than a 50’ length of hose, and do at least 5 dry passes!     Vortex customers typically find that their drying times have been cut almost in half. This means that if you are typically getting 6 hour dry times with your current truckmount, you can expect 3 to 4 hour drying times. If your drying times are typically 3 hours you can expect 1 ½ to 2 hour dry times with your Vortex. In a recent national survey it was found that the biggest complaint from homeowners is how long it takes for their carpets to dry. Fast drying times are essential to the success of your business. Customers are much more likely to continue using a specific company if they notice that their carpets dry faster than other companies they have used in the past.

Question: How Much Vacumm Does the Vortex Have?

All major textile manufacturers are in agreement that “hot water extraction with maximimum moisture and residue removal” is the right way to take care of their goods. This is where brute power comes into play. More vacuum means a better clean, faster drying, faster cleaning, and much happier clients than your competition has. More vacuum means more money in your pocket. There’s no two ways about it. Blowers 101:  Many people assume that if the model number of a truckmount machine is the “405” this means that the machine produces 405 CFM. This is not always true. In order for a 4LL blower to produce 405 CFM it must be run at its optimum performance speed. The optimum performance speed of a 4LL blower is 3,650 RPM. In actuality the machine should be named the “275” because the speed this manufacturer runs their blower is only about 3000 RPM. Manufacturers do this for several reasons. This is sometimes done to decrease the noise level of the machine or because the engine does not have the necessary horsepower to run the blower at its optimum performance speed. Other manufacturers will actually run their blowers at optimum performance speed, but they do so as a necessity because the tubing that is connected from the waste tank to the blower is smaller than the inlet connection of the blower or because sharp angles must be made on the tubing to make the machine more compact. This restricts airflow so much that they must run the blower at higher speeds to compensate for the air restrictions of the tubing. This type of engineering will dramatically decrease the life of the blower. The Vortex machine operates within 15% of optimum performance speed. The Vortex machine always uses tubing that matches the exact size of the inlet of the blower, and is never installed with sharp angles that decrease airflow. We have no need to do this because we have no need of making the machine “compact” for space considerations that arise when trying to install a machine in a smaller cargo van. Smart shoppers should not follow claims and advertisements regarding performance, but should test the machine themselves under real-world conditions at a job-site. You may also call people who own the machines and ask them specific questions about what machines they have used in the past and how they compare. We urge you to contact as many Vortex owners as you can, and ask them questions regarding their experience with their Vortex. This is sound advice when shopping for any piece of equipment. Requesting a list of names from any manufacturer is a great way to investigate anything. The vast majority of Vortex owners made their purchase decision because they investigated thoroughly and asked other owners about their experience. The blowers shown from left to right are #3006, #4007, #5006, and #6008.  Click here to read more about the 7000 HAT blower.

*Claims are based on customer testimonials and their own internal accounting and maintenance reporting. Your results may vary. For a more complete view of customer claims and testimonials visit our "Success Stories" page on the scolling menu to your left. . ** Survey conducted in June 2003 from a sample of Vortex owners who currently own, or have owned the equipment compared. Figures have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Participants were asked to rate equipment on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 = Poor / 10 = Excellent. *** Average working temperatures claimed were achieved with a "6 jetted" wand. (six jets with jet numbers ending in "01") The flow rate of a "6 jetted" wand is considered the industry standard. V - Owner Tip:  Most Vortex owners do not operate their machines with "6 jetted" wands but instead use "12 jetted" wands (six jets with jet numbers ending in "02"). "12 jetted" wands will show significantly lower water temperatures on your water temperature gauge than "6 jetted" wands because of the higher flow rate. "12 jetted" wands increase the amount of water applied to the textile by 75% - to 100% more water depending upon the use of anti-drip check valves and/or 3/8" solution hose instead of typical 1/4" hose. Increasing the jet sizing on your wand will significantly reduce the temperature of the water shown on the water temperature gauge on your Vortex contol/instument panel. Increasing your wand jet size will also increase the flow rate of water through the solution hose and the amount of energy at the head of the wand. Textiles can be cleaned more effectively with three gallons of 200 degree water than with one gallon of 300 degree water. There is more energy contained in three gallons of 200 degree water than in 1 gallon of 300 degree water. Increasing your wand jet-sizing will increase the amount of energy applied to the textile or surface, and at a faster rate of speed. This will allow for a more thorough washing and rinsing of the textile, and will reduce the amount of energy and time required from the operator and from chemicals. If you haven't already done it, try increasing the jet sizing on your wands to "12 jetted" wands. You'll be amazed at the results! If you thought you could clean fast with a V before, wait until you move your jet sizing up! Try this experiment: When cleaning with a 6 jetted wand, hold your left hand (If you use your right hand to push the wand) on the tube of the wand and feel how hot the wand tube gets while you pull it towards you on a "wet pass".  Then try it with a 12 jetted wand. What you'll find is that although the temperature gauge on your instrument/control panel will show lower temperatures when using a "12 jetted" wand, the wand tube will feel MUCH hotter. This indicates you are applying much more energy to the the textile you are cleaning. Running 12 jetted wands may require some adjustments in your cleaning technique. You should not notice any significant difference in your already "lightning fast" dry times. Some Vortex owners have even reported an improvement in their dry times after increasing their jet sizing because they are now doing less "wet passes" over the textiles. Many Vortex owners refer to this as "High Speed, Fast Dry, Carpet Washing". Non-Vortex Owner Warning: Do not increase the wand jet sizes on any cleaning machines with small, (#4 or lower) vacuum pumps. Vacuum pumps smaller than a #4 do not have the ability to remove this excess water expelled from a 12 jetted wand and you will overwet the textile.