Detailed Instructions

Watch a video of how it’s done. New video coming soon.

TIP: Every time you unfold the Water Winger, check to make sure the wing nuts on the mast support are tight. A 5/32” wrench and / or needle nose pliers may be required to tighten or loosen the wing nuts. They shouldn’t spin at all when twisted by hand. We snug them up with pliers so they don’t loosen.

Why are there wing nuts? You can lean the mast forward or backward so that it remains more vertical on a roof without a peak, like a shed style roof, a roof with a different pitch on each side, or any sloped surface. You can move one of the mast support arms to another hole in the mast support to adjust the mast angle. Impact sprinklers work best when they are vertical especially at lower water pressures.

Deployment

1. Find a location where nothing will get in the way as you pull the Winger up the roof, like vents and other protrusions. The Line and Winger will often slide up and over some things like snow slide stops.

Be aware of potential line snags like loose shingles, open ridge cap overlap gaps, overlaps in gutters and tin roof sheets etc.

Pull line over in such a way that you don’t pull the line under a ridge cap shingle overlap. Take care on shake roofs and roofs with older shingles that are loose.

TIP: A straight pull or a pull on a slight angle away from the ridge cap overlap direction reduces the chance of a snag. If the line gets snagged, stop and investigate why.

See Snags section at the bottom.

2. Make sure there is nothing the ball and line will get tangled in over the roof like wires, branches, antennae etc.

3. Decide which side you will chuck the ball over. Usually it is from the side closest to the hose tap.

Deployment Factors to Consider

Where is the water source?
Where is the best location on your roof for your Winger?
Where will it be easiest to throw or chuck the ball and line over from?
Where will the pull be easiest from?

You can often pull your Winger over balconies and outcroppings. As long as the ropes are untwisted up to the roof edge.

TIP: You can also launch from a balcony. It’s easier to get the ball over the roof from the ground first then head to the balcony and from there pull your Winger up to the balcony to launch it.

If you can’t get the ropes untwisted all the way up over the edge, a person can manipulate the Winger by holding the hose and keeping some tension on the hose loop side to rotate the Winger until it is the proper way to go over the roof edge.

4. Get the line over your roof

Throw the ball over by hand where possible. For many smaller roofs this is easy and accurate.

Using the included Ball Chucker

The ball should be very loose in the Chucker Ball Cup so it releases easily. It should fall out or almost fall out on its own.

TIP: Bend the ball cup open more to loosen it. It’s easy to step on it with your foot and push the handle forward to stretch the cup open until the ball almost falls out on it’s own.

Aim high! Stop your Chucker swing at the angle you want the ball to leave.

TIP: A good way to practice is to try to chuck the ball and line straight up a few times. You will get the feeling of what a high angle release feels like.

You often only have to get the ball over the peak and it just might roll down the other side.

If you miss, pull (flake or drop) line into a pile and try again.

Never coil any of the lines or they will likely tangle.

Other Ways to get the line over the roof

Any way you can get the line over the roof!
Fishing rod and weight
Tennis racquet
Long distance Chucker setup. A Chucker with a fishing reel attached can get you 150′. (We sell them or you can make one up fairly easily yourself).
Drones. Even a small inexpensive drone will easily carry your line over your roof. We have a camera drone to better see the roof features as well. It’s a great way to justify getting a drone to play with!

Pulling the lines over

TIP: Pull the unweighted lines over rather quickly and the seams tend to float over the potential snags easier.

Notice the ridge cap shingle overlap direction and pull in such a way that the line won’t get under an overlap.

TIP: Pulling straight or from a very slight angle away from the overlaps is best, especially if there are large gaps like between shakes, tiles and older loose shingles.

You may have to flick the line or move over or pull from an angle to avoid snags on some roofs.

Watch as the flat web and final rope “V” section is pulled over large gap ridge shakes, thick tiles and shingles especially where they overlap on the peak.

If the rope or line wants to get stuck under a shingle overlap, you can change the angle you are pulling from so the rope slides out. You’ll see the direction you’ll need to pull from if this happens.

If the rope gets stuck under a ridge shingle, just pull the Winger back a bit from the hose side until the rope slides out then pull the rope again on an angle in the direction of the ridge cap shingles until it is situated over the peak.

Don’t pull harder if the rope gets wedged. Just pull it back and try again.

See Snag section at bottom

When all the line is pulled over, stop before you lift the Winger.

The twists in the ropes need to be removed between the Winger and the roof edge so the Winger doesn’t spin and reach the edge backwards.

Remove Twists by rotating the Winger to unwind them.

Or Stand between the ropes, separate them while flicking the twists up over the edge.

TIP: Often a person can manipulate the hose from the ground to help ensure the Winger reaches the roof edge the correct orientation as the other person pulls it up.

5. Attach the Hose if not already attached

Route the hose through the hose loop on the rear ski.

Lay the extra hose off to the hose loop side of the Winger for the pull up. The hose tension to the side helps the Winger stay properly oriented.

TIP: Always connect the hose before you hoist the Winger onto a roof! Without a hose there is no way to get it down easily.

How to get it off the roof without the hose attached. If you accidentally pulled it up without the hose, depending how high and steep the roof is, you might be able to put a ladder up under the line that is over the roof, with the ladder extending up over the roof edge a foot or so. The ladder is there to catch your Winger before it falls over the edge when you pull it off of the peak. From the ladder you can grab the Winger.

REDUNDANT TIP: Just make sure you connect the hose every time.

6. Lay the Winger back with the front ski up under the roof edge where it will be pulled over.

The lines should be straight up to the roof edge.

TIP: Using the Rope Clips

The ropes must be within the skis to deploy. See the sticker on the front ski. Use the rope clips to hold the ropes temporarily between the skis when the Winger is laid back ready to launch. This is most useful for one person deployments. A second person can make sure the ropes are within the skis on liftoff.

Put the ropes from between the front skis out the front and over the top ski and clip into the clips to hold them tight so they won’t slip out over the outside of the skis.

If a rope slips out the Winger will not get over the roof edge.

7. Pull it up until it is over the edge and the pull becomes easier.

TIP: If it’s a shake roof or roof with loose shingles or for some vented ridge cap designs, at this point you can move over a few feet and pull from a slight angle in the direction of the ridge cap shingle overlaps so the rope doesn’t slide under.

When the Winger reaches the roof edge, it’s best not to stop but to continue with a firm steady pull so the Winger will articulate smoothly over the roof edge.

A little momentum over the edge makes the pull over easier. You will be surprised how easy the Winger gets itself over the edge. Once on the roof, the pull becomes very easy up to the peak.

TIP: If you are alone and the Winger gets stopped below the roof edge and doesn’t easily pop onto the roof, most likely a rope is out. Just lower it back down and re-set the ropes into the clips and try again.

TIP: It’s good if you can see the peak as you are pulling so you don’t pull it right over! Stand back away from the structure while pulling for a better view and you will see when the Winger clamps over the peak.

When you get used to the pull feeling and sound you will know when the Winger has clamped over the peak without a visual.

For some big roofs a having spotter is a good idea.

8. Check to see if the Winger is sitting straight on the peak. Check the mast is vertical. Pull the line or hose to adjust your Winger and mast angle on the peak.

9. Tie off the line

It is not always necessary to tie off the line to keep the Winger situated straight and mast vertical.

It’s a good idea to tie off the line with higher pressure operation and taller roofs where the weight of the hose becomes significant.

Always tie the line with high water pressures and high pressure pumps.

TIP: There may be a situation where you want to pull your Winger a bit to one side of the peak or the other to angle the mast so the stream clears a nearby chimney or split level or to get more height one way or the other.

TIP: Tying off the line

Use a railing, shrub, doorknob, planter, rock etc. or use the included ground spike on soft ground.

The bag is designed so you can put rocks etc. in the bag and tie the line to the handle. You don’t need much weight, a couple of pounds will usually do.

Tie as close to the structure as possible, right against the wall if possible.

Heavy winds can blow untied lines off the side of the roof over the gable when the winger is positioned close to the end. It makes retrieval easier if the lines don’t get blown over the gable ends.

Part 2

Getting your Winger off your roof

1. Drain the Hose.

You will take your Winger down from the Hose Side most times.

Observe the ridge cap shingle overlaps like always. The person letting out the line may find that holding the line off to the side on a bit of an angle keeps the line away from the cap overlaps so the line won’t get under a shingle and snag.

One Person Removal

If the roof is steep, you just have to untie the line and re-tie it leaving about 4 feet of slack. Then when you go back around and pull the hose the Winger will release from the peak and stop sliding once the slack is gone. Then go back around again to untie the line and lower the Winger as usual. It feels very light as you lower it.

If the roof isn’t steep, you will untie the line and go back around and pull the hose so the Winger comes off the peak and continue pulling it carefully right to the edge… but not over!

Then, go back around and re-tie the line leaving the 4′ of slack. Make sure it is tied well! You will now go back and pull the hose so the Winger drops over the roof edge. It will stop and remain hanging when the slack is taken up. Now go back to untie the line and lower as usual.

Removal with 2 people is faster.

2. Untie the line.

One person pulls on the hose while the other person feeds out the line. There is very little weight on the line. Land the Winger gently.

Remember: Be aware of shingle overlaps and to pull and release line in such a way that the line doesn’t get under a gap. Straight is often best, but you can move over a bit so the line is on a slight angle away from the ridge overlaps if the line wants to get pulled into a gap.

3. Unclip the Ball and pull the lines back over

Again, be aware of ridge cap overlaps and shingle gaps as usual and pull the line in such a way that it won’t get dragged under the shingles etc.

4. Load the Lines into the Bag directly off the roof

Pull the lines into the Bag directly from the roof to keep the lines clean.

The bag can be adjusted to hang around your neck.

You may find loading is easier if you hang the bag over one shoulder like a guitar.

Rope or webbing stuck under a ridge cap shingle?

Check the direction of the ridge cap overlaps and pull from one side of the building or the other on an angle to release the line.
Try more angle on your pull.
Pull the line back to see if it loosens, then pull on an angle again to see if it will slide out.
You should be able to release the snag if it didn’t get jammed too tight.

Did the orange throw line with the ball attached get stuck under a ridge cap shingle?

You can undo the orange line at the connection to the black webbing and attach the spare ball to this other end of the orange line so you can throw or chuck the spare ball back over the roof dragging this line with it.
Throw the ball over towards the open side of the ridge shingle overlaps so the line will get yanked out as the ball flies over and hopefully release itself.
If the line didn’t get yanked out, then now that the ball is on the other side of the building, you have a better angle to pull the line out.

The Ball got hung up, stuck?

The split rings on the ball are a weak link and will release if you pull hard enough depending how the ball is stuck.

The orange line is very strong and is unlikely to break. When the line releases from the ball, pull the line back over and use the spare ball.

TIP: There is a spare split ring (and other parts) in the Spare Parts Pouch (clipped to the rear bag pocket) to fix the stuck ball if it is retrieved.