While the rinse bar is great for large windows and solar panels, it’s also a very useful tool when cleaning hydrophobic glass. Glass coating is generally divided in two types: hydrophobic and hydrophilic. As the name indicates, hydrophobic coating is water resistant and hydrophilic coating is water compliant.
HYDROPHOBIC VS. HYDROPHILIC
To understand the advantageous side of hydrophobic coating, it is important to realize how water droplets affect or intervene with the glass surface. When water falls on an object that is hydrophilic, the angle of its contact point will turn to zero degree. Meaning, when rinsing with your waterfed system post agitation the water will smoothly sheet down the glass giving great coverage during the rinsing. On the contrary, this does not happen with hydrophobic glass because it deflects water, and thus, water drains away. This will appear as if a coat of wax has been applied to the glass causing it to bead up as opposed to cleanly cascading down the window.
Now that we have a better understanding of what the differences are between hydrophilic and hydrophobic glass, let’s dive into how a rinse bar can make a tremendous difference with whatever type of glass you are cleaning.
RINSE BAR PURPOSE
As most of you know, when cleaning windows with a waterfed system, the rinsing process is equally as important as the agitation portion. When cleaning hydrophilic glass, you will notice during the rinsing portion the water will smoothly cascade down the window pane which typically translates to less passes when rinsing. However, when cleaning glass with a hydrophobic coating the water will bead up as opposed to sheeting down. What this means is that you will need to be more thorough with the rinsing to be sure you are allowing the water to rid the window of all the debris you lifted from the glass during the agitation step. This is where the rinse bar can make a tremendous difference.
RINSE BAR OPTIONS
Gardiner Rinse Bar 
Both the Gardiner and Tucker rinse bars have a series of micro pencil jets that extend down the entire length of the brush block. Rinse bars when installed correctly are secured behind the brush socket and sits just above the top edge of the brush. The benefit is the fact that you now have water that’s covering more surface area as opposed to pencil or fan jets which translates to quicker rinsing when dealing with hydrophobic glass.
Something to consider when using a rinse bar is what type of pressure your water source is able to deliver. Most residential and commercial dwellings under city/municipal water typically produces great water flow where the rinse bar will be very effective. However, if you are working in an area that relies on a well pump, it is often found that unless you are using a booster pump, there may not be enough pressure to provide optimal water flow through all the rinse bar jets. Therefore, most contractors prefer using the brush’s pencil or fan jets in these challenging work areas.
TUCKER
The Tucker Rinse Bar is made of high-quality lightweight plastic and is available in 12 and 18 inches. This Tucker Rinse Bar will fit with all Tucker and Gardiner Brushes within 12-18 inches.
GARDINER
Gardiner’s Micro Jet Rinse Bar is made from durable stress resistant plastic and is available in 10 & 14 inches. This version can be used with internal brush jets as well with a 5-way connector. They can also be adjusted to the height level preferred by the technician which adds to its versatility. This Gardiner Micro Jet Rinse Bar will fit with all Gardiner and Tucker Brushes within 10-14 inches.
Gardiner also offers as what’s known as the Overspray System. The Gardiner Overspray System provides an additional rinsing option for either a brush or a pad holder. It attaches to a square lock gooseneck and comes in three different styles:
*Small with 1 fan jet
*Large with 2 fan jets
*Adjustable bar with 2 fan jets
*This Gardiner Overspray System will only fit with square lock goosenecks.
So, whether you are looking to clean several large panes of glass, solar panels, windows with hydrophobic coatings or simply looking to get the most coverage possible when giving the glass surface a spot free rinse, consider these rinse bar options to add to your window cleaning repertoire.
We would love for you to get your hands on some of our products and put them to the test. If you have questions about any of these products or any not discussed, please reach out to us. Our Detroit Sponge team is here for you, we have years of experience working with many professional window cleaning tools.