Autoscrubber Battery Dead

Beyond Normal Battery Maintenance on Automatic Scrubbers

Recently I called on a customer who is having battery issues. The runtime on his automatic scrubber is only about 20 minutes to half an hour and he swears he is doing everything right. He has 4, 6-volt wet cell batteries in his scrubber. The water level in each cell is at the appropriate level, the battery terminals are clean, the cables are clean, and everything looks good. The problem is, he has had the machine for a year and a half and now he is not getting any run time. The scrubber runs for a short period of time and then the batteries fail.

From the information given, you could assume that one or more of the cells in one or more of the batteries has gone bad. And you would be right. But why? The batteries are only a year and a half old. Everything has been done properly. The water levels are right and the cables are tight, everything is clean.

I asked the customer how often he charges the batteries. He said that since he only uses it once or twice a year when he has to scrub and recoat the floors, that’s when he charges it. But he checks the water levels every week and wipes down the entire scrubber including the batteries.

I wish this was not a common problem, but it seems to come up more than I’d like. Batteries need to be charged. If you just let them sit there, they will deteriorate on their own. They will lose power and eventually drain down far enough that you will not be able to get them to charge at all. They will not provide enough power to start the charger. Most chargers today used to charge batteries in an automatic scrubber are fully automatic. They need to read the power remaining in the batteries in order to charge them. If you have left them idle for a few months, maybe even a few weeks, there may not be enough power in the batteries to start the charging process.

The moral of this little story is, Charge your batteries. Even if you are letting your floor scrubber stand idle for long periods of time, Charge the Batteries. If you use your machine every day or every week you will probably not experience this problem for several years. Assuming you maintain the batteries correctly, you should get several years of life out of a set of batteries.

If you do experience symptoms like this, please contact us. There are no guarantees, but we may be able to restore some of the life back in your batteries. If you have questions about how to properly maintain and charge batteries, please contact us. We’ll be happy to walk you through the entire process. Batteries are expensive. Maintain them properly and you should get many years of use out of a good set of batteries.

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The Healthy Schools Conference

Every student deserves a healthy learning environment; at least that’s what we were thinking when we decided to put together the Healthy Schools Conference. Taking place March 8, 2017 at Youngstown State University, the event will be comprised of various presentations on issues that are impacting the health of your school. Topics include the future of disinfection, indoor air quality, proper nutrition, physical education, green cleaning and more. We will be releasing the schedule of presentations within the next few week, but still feel free to visit the event website, sign-up for event updates, and you can even register for the event today!

While most people know us for cleaning supplies, we saw this event as an opportunity to bring together speakers on a diverse array of factors impacting school health. These presentations will be 15 to 20 minutes in length so you can get a high-level view of each topic and from there decide what you would like to learn more in-depth. This allows us to focus on the student as a whole and allows you to determine what actions will have the greatest positive impact on enhancing outcomes for your students.

We are very excited to be able to be part of a movement that is centered around creating the best, healthiest, environment in which students can thrive. Visit the event website for more details and we look forward to seeing you there!



healthy schools conference more information

What Does Your Cleaning Equipment Cost You to Own?

When purchasing equipment to be used to clean your facility there are several factors to consider.  This applies to all types of equipment ranging from vacuum cleaners, floor machines, burnishers, and carpet extractors to larger pieces such as battery powered automatic sweepers and scrubbers.  These factors include the Life cycle of the equipment, the Cost of ownership, the Production rate, and How likely your machine operators are to use it.

This is the second in a 4 part series of what to look for when purchasing a piece of cleaning equipment.  We already addressed the Life Cycle of the Equipment in the first article.  Remember, whatever piece of equipment you choose to purchase, don’t cut corners.  Make sure to demonstrate the equipment in the same conditions under which you will use it on a daily basis.  Make sure it performs under the same daily routine so you won’t experience any misgivings about the equipment’s production or performance.

The Cost of Ownership

This concept is also pretty simple to understand but it can become complicated if you don’t do your homework in the beginning.  The premise is pretty basic.  How much will the equipment I purchase, cost me to operate over the Life Cycle of the Machine?  Many people look at the labor savings alone and justify the purchase on how much the equipment will save them over time. For example, if it takes 1 hour to wet mop 5,000 square feet of floor and your new automatic floor scrubber can clean 30,000 square feet in an hour, you can save 5 hours of labor.  The math is pretty simple.  Multiply the hours saved by your wage and benefits program and you get your cost justification for your new scrubber.  The savings can amount to a substantial number over the course of a year.  But don’t stop here.

Now you have to add the cost to maintain the scrubber back in to get a proper judgment on how much the machine will save.   Warranties usually cover the first 3 years of ownership.  Parts and labor are typically covered for the first year and Parts only are covered for the second and third years.  If you choose to supply your own labor if the machine breaks down, you will have to add that in.  If you choose to contract out your repairs that cost must also be added.

Routine maintenance is a must.  Periodic maintenance should be performed either by your in-house staff or a service supplier for every 100 hours of operation.

Normal wear items should also be included in cost of ownership.  Items like squeegees, brooms, brushes, pads, pad drivers, wheels, rubber skirts, dust control devices, filters, casters and hoses are all items subject to routine replacement.  Although usually covered under the warranty period even vacuum motors may fall under this category.  A vacuum motor will hardly ever last the life of the machine if you are expecting a 7 to 10 year life span.

Other items that will be of concern over an expected 7 to 10 year span include brush motors, drive motors, carbon brushes, control boards, batteries, battery connectors,  electrical cords, cord and hose connectors, switches, solenoids and regulators.  This is by no means a complete list.  It is just an attempt to let you be aware of what might need attention over the life of the equipment.

Once you determine which piece of equipment you are going to purchase, calculate the cost of maintenance to keep the equipment in good running order.  Then calculate any labor savings you are anticipating and determine the difference. This should help you decide which piece of equipment to purchase. The savings in labor should still outweigh the maintenance costs.

To reduce the Cost of Ownership, you may find buying a more expensive machine may save you a lot over years of service. If you are purchasing a machine for a cleaning contract, and are only expecting to get the machine through a contract period, the price may be a bigger issue. If you have difficulty calculating the Cost of Ownership, a qualified equipment distributor should be able to help you with the calculations.
In the next 2 articles I will address Production Rate, and Will Operators Use It?

If you have any questions or concerns please contact us at The Rhiel Supply Company, www.rhiel.com.



Choosing the Right Cleaning Equipment

When purchasing cleaning equipment to be used to clean your facility there are several factors to consider.  This applies to all types of equipment ranging from vacuum cleaners, floor machines, burnishers, and carpet extractors to larger pieces such as battery powered automatic sweepers and scrubbers.These factors include the Life cycle of the equipment, the Cost of ownership, the Production rate, and How likely your machine operators are to use it.  I will address these individually in separate articles.  If any of these factors are questionable, you are probably looking at the wrong piece of equipment for your application.

Cleaning equipment comes in many different brands, shapes, and sizes and are designed to be used in many different applications.  Many cleaning equipment manufacturing companies specialize in niche products to be used in specific applications and are unique to specific cleaning challenges.  These have to be taken into consideration when going through the purchasing process.  In any case, in most situations, equipment should be demonstrated in your facility, on the floor surface to be cleaned, by the piece of equipment you are considering for purchase.  Don’t cut corners.  Use the equipment during the demonstration the way you plan on using it once you own it.  This should eliminate any buyer’s remorse that may occur after the purchase. If you carefully plan what type of equipment you need, how it’s going to operate, how much production you will get out of it, how long it will last and ensure that it fits into your budget requirements, your expectations should be met.  Just plan your decision around the following key factors and the cleaning equipment you purchase should provide the results you want and need.

LIFE CYCLE:

The life cycle is a pretty simple concept.  How many years do you expect to get out of a particular piece of equipment?  There is the old adage “You get what you pay for”, and that is certainly true here.  In theory, the more you pay for a machine, the longer it will last.  But this isn’t always the case.  Look at the components of a particular machine. If the components are the same, the life expectancy should be close to the same.  For example, if a floor machine has a metal triple planetary gear box, 2 capacitors, and safety locks on the handles, you’re probably looking at a decent machine.  The prices may vary by $500.00 or more.

Maybe one manufacturer will use plastic in certain areas, where another will use steel or aluminum. This may be acceptable to you, or maybe the cosmetic metal components are worth the extra price.  If you expect your equipment to withstand a lot of daily abuse, the extra money may be worth the heavier metal components.  You have to decide.  But the real question is, “How long do you want it to last?”.

If you are a private company buying an automatic scrubber who watches its bottom line you will probably say you want it to last as long as possible.  You will perform all the daily, weekly, and monthly maintenance necessary to ensure a long life.  You may be willing to pay more for a machine that lasts longer and your biggest concern is getting the best possible Return On Investment you can on the purchase.

However, if you are a contractor who has to purchase a new scrubber for a cleaning contract, price is a major issue. You may want to invest the least amount you can in a machine that has the potential to last just long enough to complete the contract.  This enables you to increase your profit margin, complete the contract, and not have to worry so much about maintenance expense.

So you see, the type and price of a machine are dependent on your anticipated life cycle.  The average life of an automatic floor scrubber is about 7 years.  But this can vary drastically.  Manufacturers who cater to contractors may build more units with a shorter life span while manufacturers who build for private industry may build equipment with a much longer life cycle.  In any event, make sure you know the type of equipment you need and the duration you will need it.

In the next 3 articles, I will address Cost of Ownership, Production Rate, and Will Operators Use It?

If you have any questions or concerns please contact us at The Rhiel Supply Company, www.rhiel.com.

 



It’s Time to Dwell on Disinfectants

True or false? My disinfecting wipes leave my surfaces safe and disinfected immediately after use? …False. In fact, unless you used the wipes to keep the surface visibly wet for somewhere around 5 to 10 minutes then you really haven’t disinfected at all! Let’s dive into this subject a little deeper because the health of your facility depends on it.

Choosing the right disinfectant to use and applying it properly is a critical step in the cleaning process. Important information regarding dwell times and kill claims can be found on the product’s label. These label instructions will provide your staff with explicit information on how to properly use the product. But what are kill claims and dwell times? Helping your staff understand these important key terms will go a long way in assisting them to do their jobs well and ensure proper application of a disinfectant.

A dwell time is the contact time the disinfectant is required to remain on the target surface to effectively kill bacteria and germs. Each disinfectant will have a manufacturer’s recommended dwell time; these times may vary and must be followed closely for the product to perform effectively. These dwell times are established through various 3rd party EPA labs and may differ based on the target pathogen and specific product being tested.

Professionals are less likely to follow the instructed dwell time, especially if they are pressed for time. So, although the stress of janitorial work can be overwhelming, following the requirements of the disinfectant is a crucial part of cleaning for health. If the disinfectant isn’t left on the surface for the suggested contact time, the pathogens on the target surface are less likely to be killed, leaving customers, employees, staff, students, etc.  susceptible to infections and illnesses.

Additionally, disinfectants should only be used when needed. The CDC explains that some microorganisms have an innate resistance to certain disinfectants.  To ensure the safety of your cleaning team, your staff, the environment, and the efficacy of the product, be sure that your team is using these products only when needed and as recommended. Dwell time affects kill claims, kill claims are the key to a successful disinfecting program.


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Kill claims are a list of the microscopic organisms (bacteria, viruses, and fungi) that each disinfectant is effective at eliminating. These lists are provided on the label of every disinfectant on the market.  Additionally, most disinfectants have an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration number.  This number, in combination with the EPA establishment number, indicates that a disinfectant has been proven effective, with a minimal risk to the user.

Every disinfectant is different and the labels are there to indicate which microscopic organism they can kill. For example, disinfectants can kill TB (tuberculosis) bacterium, H1N1 Influenza A virus, MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), and other pathogens. However, the disinfectant that kills MRSA may not work against the TB bacterium. Although this may not always be the case, it demonstrates the importance of selecting the proper disinfectant that is effective against the particular pathogen you want to kill.

Improperly used disinfectants are ineffective, so it’s important to ensure your staff  understands the label instructions before applying the product to any affected surface.  This will ensure that the job is completed in a safe and effective manner.

For more detailed information about our recommended disinfectants, contact us at Rhiel Innovative Solutions.


5 steps to a healthier school ecourse

What Should I Be Using to Disinfect?

Last week I answered the question “How often should I disinfect?” This brought up questions such as, “what should I use to disinfect?” I will briefly give you a quick overview of what you should look for to choose the best disinfectant for your facility.

When I am visiting a customer’s facility and we take a look at what is being used to disinfect we find that the disinfectant either doesn’t have the necessary kill claims to achieve the desired results or that the dwell times are so long that the product cannot achieve the claims it already has. This then leads us into a conversation about what they could be using to disinfect in a safer and more effective manner. Here are a few of the main points that are part of our discussion.

Kill Claims

Selection of the appropriate disinfectant or inhibiting agent should best align with a specific touch point environment at any given time. First consider the categories or types of anticipated pathogens. Certain illnesses and infections are transferred through surfaces every day. In these cases, a preventative agent is usually broad spectrum in design and appropriate. Other pathogens are seasonal in behavior and disinfectants may need to be more specific during these times. In some cases, more than one disinfectant application is required to maintain healthy touch points. Areas can also experience outbreak conditions where special disinfectants are needed above preventative disinfection efforts. With the correct systems and disinfectants in use, both preventative and outbreak conditions are managed more effectively. Many cleaning products are used with the expectation of disinfection properties, but remember you must first clean and then you disinfect. Water can be a viable cleaner when the right disinfectant is applied afterwards. Eliminate the step of wiping to disinfect. Additionally, most disinfectants need dwell time on the surface to perform so if that dwell time isn’t achieved then wiping can render the best disinfectants useless.

How effective is your disinfection protocol? Take our free “5 Steps to a Healthier Facility” ecourse

Dwell Times

To achieve the best result, source a disinfectant with a fast kill claim ( 30 seconds) without the need to wipe it off. This type of product can be sustainable in nature which makes it friendly to people and the environment which in turn helps maintain a healthy chemical free environment. An onsite generated disinfectant is a great source for this type of product which can achieve a 30 second kill claim and promote the healthy and safety of your staff and the environment.

This is not an exhaustive explanation of how you should choose your next disinfectant, but if you focus on the two main factors mentioned above then you will be well on your way to a healthier facility. If you would like more content like this then scroll to the bottom of the page and subscribe to our blog. Also, be sure to check out our 5 Steps to a Healthier Facility ecourse (it’s free so you have nothing to lose!).


5 steps to a healthier facility ecourse

How Often Should I Disinfect?

A question I often get when discussing disinfection is “how often should I disinfect?” The answer is it depends. If you are disinfecting a room daily that is only used twice per week then you are doing more than you need to. If you disinfect a room once a week that is used everyday then you are not disinfecting enough. Below I will briefly explain how you can determine the frequency at which you should be disinfecting by analyzing the touch points in your facility.

The more a surface is touched, the more often it should be disinfected. A protocol unique and best suited to your environment begins here. Touch points, or touch point surface areas can be categorized three ways. Each will receive the appropriate level of disinfection frequency.

Not all touch points require the same frequency of surface disinfection. For example, door knobs, computer equipment, elevator controls, hand rails, chair arms, table tops and many other surface points are designed to be touched and should be considered high touch points. Touch points surrounding points designed to be touched including doors, door frames, locker surfaces and tabletop bottoms are touched less, and may be categorized as medium touch points.

Low touch points are areas that may include any surface mentioned above, yet touch traffic is limited or infrequent altogether. Examples may be walls that are not around areas of heavy foot traffic or floor boards. By reducing how often you disinfect these low touch points you can focus your time and energy on addressing areas that receive more touches.

A proper surface disinfection protocol will become most effective if aligned to the real activity in your spaces. Document your touch points and begin to map out your frequency of disinfection schedule or best practices accordingly. It is important to disinfect your high touch point as often as possible. Many times we look at the cost of labor and product over the cost of sick people in the space.  Productivity and lost work time is a much higher cost then disinfecting . Its also important to remember you will actually save labor and product by identifying the high touch points from the medium and low so that you can maximize your labor and product by not giving equal time to low and high touch points.


5 steps to a healthier facility ecourse

How to Choose a Qualified Floor Scrubber Distributor

Here are 7 questions you should be asking your self when deciding where to purchase your next automatic floor scrubber. All too often people buy their equipment and then are left out in the cold when any issue arise.

Do they know Floors?

It sometimes seems like modern architects and flooring manufacturers are going out of their way to develop new types of flooring surfaces just because they can.  These floors can be marketed as never having to be cleaned or maintained.  They will last forever and never get dirty.  They may have smooth or textured surfaces, anti-slip coatings and they can pose tremendous problems for the facility that chooses to install them.  If you are purchasing an Automatic Scrubber make sure you purchase one from a company that has been educated and certified on the cleaning processes needed to clean the specific floors in your facility.

Floor Pads, Brushes and Chemicals?

Floor pads, Brushes and chemical play a crucial part in the results you will see from your scrubber.  Which pad or brush to use is critical in getting the cleaning results you want.  Make sure the differences are made clear and the type of pad or brush recommended will work in your application.  Chemical can be even more critical.  The wrong cleaning chemical will not give you the results you want and may even damage your floor.  The wrong chemical can leave residue, make the floor tacky, attract dirt instead of cleaning and ruin the overall appearance.  The wrong chemical may even chemically burn your floor and do irreparable damage.    Make sure your distributor knows which cleaning chemical works best in the scrubber with your floor surface and will give you the results you want.

Knowledgeable Sales People?

Do the salespeople have a good overall knowledge of what an automatic floor scrubber is supposed to do and how they operate?  Do they know the nuts and bolts?  Do they know the machine operation?  Make sure you are talking with a representative that knows how the equipment will react with the floor surface, chemicals, brushes and what results to expect.   The rep should have your best interest in mind, work towards meeting your expectations and not just try to sell you what they have.

Parts, Service, Warranty Support?

Many Janitorial Supply Distributors that sell equipment do not service what they sell.  They use sub-contractors to service their sold equipment. This causes extended downtime, warranty issues because the contractor may not be a warranty certified company, and parts availability issues.  Just because a person can turn a wrench does not mean they are certified to buy parts or service specific pieces of equipment.  Long term support is critical.  Anyone can sell you a scrubber but who will be there in 5 years to repair it when the time comes.

Parts Inventory, Quick Turnaround?

Does the distributor you are talking to have a well-stocked parts department.  You will experience extended downtime if parts have to be ordered every time they repair a machine.  Make sure the parts inventory reflects the number of machines they have sold and they are able to support sold machines quickly and efficiently.

Road Tech, Not just In House Service?

You don’t want to have your scrubber picked up and brought back for repair every time your machine needs routine maintenance. Make sure routine maintenance and small repairs; even big repairs can be done at your facility.  Every day you go without cleaning your floors, dirt accumulates and detracts from the image you are trying to present.  Make sure your distributor can perform repairs quickly and easily at your facility so you don’t have to accept downtime and dirty floors.

Training?

Finally, Make sure equipment training is provided with your purchase.  Training should include machine operator training, brush and pad usage, and chemical usage.  It should also include daily, weekly and monthly maintenance schedules, battery inspections, control issues, and cleaning techniques.  Training should be on going and be provided for as long as you own the machine.

If you have any questions about how to go about looking for an Automatic Floor Scrubber and where to buy one, contact us here at Rhiel Supply.  We’ll be happy to guide you in the right direction.

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7 Unhealthy Places in Your School

Schools are full of “hot spots” for germs and bacteria. Keep your school and students healthy by focusing on these 7 places.

1.
Let’s start with the bathroom door, even though the bathroom is cleaned on a regular basis the bathroom door is another story.  Not all kids wash their hands like they should, so when they leave the bathroom it could be hazardous to your health.  A bathroom door should be considered a “high touch point” and should be part of the daily cleaning protocol. When cleaning the bathroom door remember to disinfect the door jam as well, many times students will run their hand across the door jam as they leave a room causing the transfer of germs and bacteria to others.

2.
Another item that gets passed by is the cafeteria tray which rarely gets wiped off let alone disinfected. With a variety of food and students touching them they can be a hot dwelling point for some serious germs.  Kitchen staff should wash and sanitize the lunch trays after each day’s use to keep down the spread of germs and bacteria. Again another “high touch point “ in a school environment.

3.
How about sack lunches? Typically the contents of a sack lunch will spoil before lunchtime. Packed food should be refrigerated in an insulated lunch box with frozen ice packs in the box to freeze any juice boxes. Doing this will reduce the number of food-borne illnesses which in turn will keep the school building safer from the transfer of illness. Typically once a child becomes sick in school the chances of spreading bacteria germs and viruses triple.

4.
Students spend most of their time at their desk and at lunch tables during the day, which means sneezes, coughs, nasal leakage, well, you get it… ends up all over these surfaces. Even though these surfaces are cleaned, very few are actually disinfected with the proper disinfectant and allowed to dwell the proper amount of time to be effective. It’s important that the schools be sure to properly disinfect these surfaces to reduce bacteria and viruses on these surfaces.

5.
Probably one of the most overlooked place for germs and viruses are art rooms and band/music rooms. Most of these classrooms have students sharing supplies which in turns to the spread of bacteria and viruses. The teachers and building maintenance department people do not make these supplies and instruments a priority for disinfection, however, can be a leading cause of the spread of germs in a school building.

6.
Sports equipment, especially wrestling mats are the most likely cause of staph and MRSA infections in a school. These areas although cleaned and disinfected at a high rate are not usually disinfected with the proper dwell time or a disinfectant with the appropriate kill claims and therefore are a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses to spread to the student-athlete. Football helmets, basketballs, and other sports gear need to be disinfected to help reduce the outbreaks of illness.

7.
Finally, school buses rarely if ever are cleaned properly let alone disinfected. This is a very high source of spreading viruses and bacteria to other students. From kids licking the condensation off the window to sneezing and coughing in a closed space, it’s easy to see how the school bus is most likely the most likely place to spread germs and bacteria.

Does your school have a disinfection protocol that is designed to address high-risk touch points and help you achieve your infection control goals? I’d love to spend a few minutes discussing the health and safety of your students and staff. You can book time with me directly or if you would prefer to learn a bit more about keeping your school healthy then I would suggest you check out our free email course “5 Steps to a Healthier School.”

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What’s New and Exciting with Tomcat Floor Scrubbers?

Here at the Rhiel Supply Company we have been selling floor cleaning equipment for about as long as floor equipment has been around.  Industrial/Commercial automatic sweepers and automatic floor scrubbers have been a main part of our product line for years.  One of the best lines we have ever sold is manufactured by Tomcat, a division of the RPS Corporation.  This has been some of the best equipment on the market since it was introduced.  We have been a full service sales, parts, and service distributor for over 15 years and the results have been great for us.  One of the big reasons we have had so much success with Tomcat is the durability and reliability that is built into every one of the machines.  They are built on a solid steel frame, unlike many of their competitors who use lightweight plastic.  This means they can be rebuilt over and over again when subjected to harsh applications.  They make great rental machines and have boosted our rental business significantly.  These sweepers and scrubbers are hard working machines that last longer than any I’ve seen in the market in the 35 years I’ve been selling and servicing commercial floor cleaning equipment.

Recently Tomcat has undergone a bit of a face lift.  They committed to a redesign of their top automatic floor scrubbers and the results are even better than I expected.  The new models have more features, more labor saving devices and are simpler to use. All these models perform extremely well while maintaining the high quality, reliability and durability standards we have come to expect from Tomcat.  Let’s take a look at some features that I think make these new models the best on the market.  I’ve been doing this for 35 years and these are the improvements that I believe make these the best there are out there.  This is not an exhaustive study, just a few of the notable features that make these scrubbers the best option to clean, scrub, and prep your floors, no matter what type of facility you may have. Not all of these features are new but they do make Tomcat one of the best floor scrubber lines I have ever used.  Let’s start at the front of the Scrubbers and move to the rear.

Scrub Brushes

All the scrubbers have multiple scrub head options depending on your application.  They all have protective corner rollers and up to 250 lbs. of down pressure.

The standard rotary brush head that incorporates standard pads or rotary brushes have Heavy Duty Motors and the standard Metal Plate Frame.  Aluminum Brush decks resists corrosion.  Gimbal Mounted Brushes insure optimal cleaning on uneven surfaces.

Cylindrical brush heads are great for areas where you need to pick up a lot of debris while you are scrubbing.  This eliminates the need to sweep before you scrub in many instances.  These brushes turn at 750 rpms and do a great job with uneven surfaces like cleaning tile and grout.  They can eliminate the need to dust mop before scrubbing.

EDGE Flat Surface Scrub Heads are great for cleaning relatively flat surfaces on a regular basis.  Full contact pad presser allows you to scrub your floor and gives consistent results without swirl marks.  These scrub heads use 70% less water, allow you to strip floors without chemicals, prep and screen gym floors, reduce slip and fall incidents, and earn LEED Credits.

Vacuum Protection System

This new system provides optimal protection for your vacuum motor.  This means vacuum suction is maintained and water pick-up remains good at all times.   When the dirty water is picked up from the floor it enters the recovery tank through a vacuum hose.  The new Tomcat System runs the water through a drain saver basket before it hits the tank.  This traps any large debris from filling the dirty water tank.  There is also an oversized filter screen and a white vacuum filter cleaning the air of foam and debris.  The air flow then enters a baffling system that eliminates any water or moisture left in the lines from getting to the vacuum motor. This protects the vacuum motor and reduces the risk of premature failure from moisture buildup inside the vac motor.

Solution and Recovery Tanks

Increased tank sizes mean less time stopping to drain and refill.  Tomcat has increased the size of the tanks without reducing the maneuverability of the scrubber.  Tank sizes can be ordered on a new walk-behind scrubber as big as 37 gallons.  This is a significant labor reducing feature when coupled with an EDGE Scrub head which uses 70% less water.

Squeegee Replacement

Squeegees can be a hassle to remove or change.  Now, with a new quick change feature, changing squeegees takes only minutes.  One lever removes the squeegee retainer bracket.  You can then remove, replace, or change squeegee sides and replace the bracket quickly, efficiently, and the squeegee assembly will be level and ready for use.

Wheels

Drive wheels, tires and casters come in a variety of options.  Solid, Non-Marking, Pneumatic and Foam Filled are available.  The proper tire will depend on your floor surface.  Caster wheels are also available in different materials depending on your application.

Frame

The frames on Tomcat Scrubbers are all steel plate.  They are coated in corrosion resistant material.  But the frames can also be completely undercoated for more protection or constructed out of a stainless steel plate if you application requires.

Control Panel

The operator’s control panel can be configured in a variety of choices.  Key switches, Lock out Devices, or rocker switches can be used to manage water solution usage, brush down pressure, brush speed, chemical usage, clean out spray jet pumps and a variety of other options to make your scrubber more productive and efficient in your application.

To see one of the new Tomcat models is to believe what they can do.  They provide a better choice for cleaning floors with less labor, less chemical and water usage, reduced brush and pad wear, and less downtime.  Contact us at Rhiel Supply and we’ll demonstrate the appropriate model in your facility.  You can see for yourself how they have earned their reputation.


Tomcat Automatic Floor Scrubbers