SolarCleaningBossPro Blog — Tech App

Spigot and Roof Access Notes: Where the Hose Hooks Up and Where the Ladder Goes

A solar cleaning stop has two questions that come before any brush touches glass: where is the water, and where is the safe way up? On a house the tech has cleaned five times, they know. On a house they have never seen, they walk around looking. Spigot and roof access notes in SolarCleaningBossPro answer both questions on the card.

Notes That Sit Beside the Panel Details

The panel count, mount, stories, pitch and extras are covered in Panel Count, Mount, Stories, Pitch and Extras: Reading Every Job Card in the Solar Cleaning App. Right below those details, the card shows the access notes. Two of the most useful are the spigot location and the roof access side.

Like the panel details, access notes are written once on the job and show on every visit after. The twice-a-year house cleaned in spring shows the same spigot note in the fall, without anyone retyping it.

The Spigot Note

Whether the truck carries its own water tank or hooks into the customer's supply to feed a pure-water system, the tech needs to know where the spigot is and whether it works. A good spigot note answers:

• Where it is. “Left side of garage, behind the trash cans.”
• Whether it is reachable. “Behind the side gate, code in notes.”
• Any quirks. “Handle is stiff, turn slowly.” “Front spigot leaks, use the back one.”
• When not to use it. “No spigot available. Bring tank water.”

A tech who knows the spigot is behind a locked gate can text the office before arriving rather than finding out at the curb. A tech who knows there is no usable spigot fills the tank before leaving the shop.

The Roof Access Note

Every roof has better and worse places to set a ladder. The roof access note tells the tech where the safe, approved spot is:

• “Ladder on back patio slab, east side. Firm and level.”
• “Do not set ladder on the flower bed by the front porch.”
• “Go up on the garage side, then step to the main roof.”
• “Commercial: roof hatch inside the maintenance room. Front desk has the key.”

Good roof access notes are about safety as much as speed. A tech who has to hunt for a ladder spot on a steep two-story roof is more likely to settle for a bad one. The note gives them the spot that already worked.

Photos Help

Words are good. A photo is often better. When a tech finds a good ladder spot or a spigot hidden behind shrubs, a quick photo in the app saves the next tech from looking. Photos stay with the job, so the office can see them too and copy the description into the access notes for good. More on photos in Before-and-After Photos: Proof of Clean Panels From the Solar Cleaning Tech's Phone.

Who Writes the Notes

The first version of an access note often comes from the quote. Whoever measured the job or talked to the customer asks where the spigot is and looks at the roof. After the first cleaning, the tech adds what they learned in the job notes. The office reads those notes and updates the access notes on the job, so the next visit shows the improved version.

Ground mounts and carports need access notes too, even though there is no roof. “Ground mount is past the pool fence, spigot on the pool equipment pad” or “Carport array spans spaces 10 to 24, ask the lot attendant to keep them clear” saves the same walking around. A note does not have to be long. It has to answer the question the tech would otherwise ask the office.

Make that a habit. If the tech learns something that would have saved them five minutes, it belongs on the job for next time.

When the Note Is Wrong

Spigots get moved. Patios get torn out. A customer puts in a garden right where the ladder used to go. When the access note no longer matches the property, the tech should do what is safe, finish the job if they can, and write a note: “Spigot moved to back of house. New ladder spot is the driveway side, photo attached.” If there is no safe way up, they tap Skip and explain. The office fixes the access note before the next visit.

Water and a Way Up, Every Time

Spigot and roof access notes are the two notes that save the most walking around on a solar job. Keep them short, keep them current, and attach a photo when words are not enough. To see how they fit with everything else on the phone, visit the SolarCleaningBossPro solar cleaning app page.