When people first think of cleaning or wash drones, they immediately think of a pressure washer like you’d clean your car or patio with – but in the sky. Likewise, many less reputable manufacturers will sell you just that – a basic drone with a pressure washer attached.
There is more to cleaning than that.
Pressure washing is brute force, which to be clear, has a time and a place. Our AC 4 drone is capable of outputting up to an impressive 345 bar of pressure when used with our rifled nozzles.
Does that mean we recommend their use in every occasion? Absolutely not.
Soft Washing is cleaning with a lower pressure but high flow rate, sometimes using chemicals – but at other times, using deionised water with maybe a little warmth to help remove particulates. Then as a preventative or on-going treatment, a fungicide or algicide can be sprayed to keep a surface cleaner for longer.
Regional laws regarding chemical usage vary by location. At Aspira Aerial Applications, we are experts at guiding you through these restrictions to ensure your operating procedures are fully compliant.
So the other question is, why use a soft wash?
First, it’s less aggressive and abrasive. Leading edge protection on wind turbine blades can be damaged with high pressure. The warranty on solar panels is usually invalidated if a high pressure system is used on them. With older buildings, you don’t want to be hitting them with huge pressure either – not when there are alternatives that achieve the same results.
A coatings drone, like our AC Lite is another alternative. Small and nimble, it is designed for residential areas and is ideally for spraying treatments such as Wet & Forget. These you apply and do not have to rinse off as they eat into the algae, moss and greening on the roof or walls. You might not get the instant results that you would with high pressure – but in the long term, the algae and greening is less likely to return and there is less damage risk to the property.
Talk to Aspira today and we can discuss all the wash techniques that are open to you with an Aspira Wash Drone.