How much faster is the chemical free method of floor preparation than conventional slurry methods with buckets of water and harsh chemical strippers?
It depends on the amount of area you are stripping. Small difficult areas with carpet located close to the floor show huge time savings. Most of our customers report time saving of at least 50%.
Does the EBG-20 strip all the finish or “wax” off the floor?
The EBG only removes the finish on the surface of the floor. The finish or “wax” that is in the pores and cracks of the tile is not removed. This saves about two coats of wax that normally is required to replace and reseal the tile. The coats that soak right in don’t need to be replaced. Your first coat of finish should look about like what your third coat would normally look.
What are the specifications of the EBG-20 motor?
The EBG-20 has a 1.5 horsepower sealed motor and is dust proof. Under normal operation the EBG-20 motor runs with an amp draw of 7.0 amps. The EBG-20/G which is much heavier and uses a higher rpm 1.5 horsepower motor draws more amps. Depending on the work being done it will range from 9 amps up to 14 amps.
How long is the warranty on the motor?
The EBG-20 motor has a 2 year parts and labor warranty.
How long will the rubber isolators last that allow the head to rotate?
It is difficult to answer since everyone uses their machine a little differently. We have users reporting over 200 hours of operation before changing the rubber isolators. The isolators are easy to change and the Square Scrub website has an owners section with a short video showing the process. It should take someone with normal mechanical ability about 20 minutes to swap the isolators. We recommend changing the isolators every year, or every three months if machine is under heavy use.
How much does a set of isolators cost?
We now have an isolator repair kit for every machine we make. Cost for the kit is $40.20 for all 20-inch machines and $67.20 for the 28-inch machines. We recommend always replace them as a set. Don’t just replace the one that is showing to be broken. Think of them as a wear item just like the rubber squeegee blades on an auto-scrubber.
How long is the power cord on the EBG-20?
The power cord on the EBG-20 is fifty feet long and is made of high quality 14 gauge wiring. We do not recommend using an extension cord with the EBG.
Can I use gym floor type screens with my EBG-20 on regular VCT or Terrazzo with normal floor finish?
We get this question quite a bit. We have heard from some of our customers who are already using this method. There are risks associated with using a gym floor sanding screen on a tile floor. A gym floor sanding screen can damage the tile. The gym floor sanding screen has the ability remove all the floor finish and grind into the tile. In skilled, well trained hands we hear this method is very fast and much more cost effective than the SQP pad. The screens cut much faster and last much longer. Customers are reporting that they are getting done twice as fast with gym floor sanding screens and; we have heard reports of double the square footage with a gym floor sanding screen compared to the SQP pad. Caution must be used if you decide to adopt this method. You could damage the floor tile. Using gym floor sanding screens on a tile floor could do severe damage to the floor surface itself.
What about using the EBG-20 on asbestos tile?
The official OSHA answer for how to handle the stripping of a floor with asbestos tile is that the floor must remain wet at all times. The only way to be completely sure that no one is exposed to any asbestos during floor stripping is to keep the floor wet. Many customers have told me they use the Square scrub dry over asbestos tile because they are 100% sure they have plenty of floor finish on the tile. They are only removing the top two or three coats of finish from a floor with many many coats so they feel there is no risk of exposure to the asbestos in the tile. The only way to be completely sure is to keep the floor wet.
