Hey Anita,.. Assuming it's all going to be outside,....drain hoses and anything with water in it,.. You need to get some pink anti-freeze in your pumps. I actually prefer the green. But either one will work. Windshield washer fluid is used by some,..but the cost between that and the pink is only a few dollars.
How ever you get the antifreeze into the PW,..make sure you also hit the trigger to to force antifreeze into the unloader valve.
Or,..take what you can inside where it doesn't freeze. Basement works.
Bring any batteries inside and keep on trickle charger if possible,..if not,..don't worry about it. But,..cold can ruin batteries that are being used.
*I actually prefer something conditioning like antifreeze in pumps anyhow if they are gonna sit very long,..no matter what the temp would be. My little 12V are brought inside,..but I still put antifreeze in them.
Jeff
-- Edited by Jeff Wible on Sunday 18th of December 2016 07:01:17 AM
BlueRidge said
Dec 18, 2016
Although it seems like an easy answer, it depends on your equipment and are you going to stay shut down.
I have my truck set up with a schrader valve on a female banjo fitting that goes to my SH intake fitting. By turning different valves, I blow the lines out into each tank and then blow the hoses out individually. As to the PW... I have a reservoir on the wall that has a hose that goes to a T in the PW intake. I close the valve before the filter, open the valve from the reservoir and pour in the antifreeze until it comes out the end of the PW hose. When it's time to work I reverse that process.
For now, since we have at least one job this week I only blow out the plumbing under the truck and set a kerosene heater with a thermostat inside the box to keep things from freezing.
Brett
-- Edited by BlueRidge on Sunday 18th of December 2016 07:01:55 AM
All Kleen Softwash Systems said
Dec 18, 2016
So just poor some antifreeze into my tank, and run it into the pump, and valve?
Jeff Wible said
Dec 18, 2016
The important thing is to get the antifreeze in the pump and unloader. Unhook your hose and simply drain it. But yea,.it's not a complicated concept and is as simple as it sounds. (Although getting a pump to pull small volumes of liquid can sometimes be hard,..depends on your setup)
*And when doing this,..remember to ALWAYS use as low as throttle as you can when getting the pump to suck in the antifreeze. Pumps will pull better at low RPM than at high RPM.
Jeff
All Kleen Softwash Systems said
Dec 18, 2016
Ok thank you guys. Sounds easy enough.
Bryan P said
Dec 18, 2016
I've got to figure out how winterize my skid without taking it apart. Right now it's in my sorta heated garage but my wife wants her parking place back. 🙄
Jeff, when you say you blow out the lines, are you blowing them out with air and then adding the antifreeze? Or using the antifreeze to push the water out?
waxman18324 said
Dec 18, 2016
For those that like to blow out their lines and or pumps we use this. I believe Art has a neat set up as well.
Hello all, Happy Winter 2016/2017! There was a similar question on another site, and this is what I posted as a response. The same goes for this great forum and cast of professionals. Thanks for all of your input and helpful topics! My rig is now in my yard, on pallets with a tarp covering the tanks.
Not sure what I can add, but figured I'd try since this BB has helped me considerably. I have SWS Gen II skid and just pulled it off to winterize last weekend. I don't have a garage and the rig sits outside all winter patiently waiting for spring. I live south of Boston. I only operate on the weekends and was straight out from March-November.
Last year (winter 2015) I used 5/6 gallons of -25 windshield washer fluid and run it thru all tanks, valves, all combos of to and from, reels etc., and took the pump off and brought it to the basement. When I fired it up this spring there were no issues, leaks, burst line or plastic connector issues.
Last year I bolted U shaped supports from Lowe's onto the 4 vertical ladder rack supports just above the tanks height, out of the way and slide 2x4s under /thru to lift the rig off the truck. The ends of the 2x4s extend out past the sides of the truck and are used as lift points. Sort of a King tut chariot. This makes it easier to lift up, get the weight off the bed rails, and move. I placed 4 pallets stacked at the tailgate on the ground and off it went. I did take off the reels and booster pump to bring inside this year, I wanted to do some maintenance and the weight taken off adds up for a lighter easier lift. we did it with three this year VS four last year.
There were some booster pump topics:
I have the SWS booster pump setup running to a 275' hose reel of the back deck. Use it on every job as SOP. One hose from the HO bib to the booster pump, and can either fill the buffer tank or run from the bib straight. We put another hose out at the rear of the house bib if they have one as SOP in case needed and to sped up the wrap up using plant wash. There are times when there is not enough water pressure to run both straight from the bibs, so we fill the buffer tank and use the booster from there, while the back house hose is running. When we run from the buffer tank to booster, we get average pressure at the hose end VS from the house bib to booster which is higher. It definitely save time for plant wash, final wash application, rinse etc.
I don't have a blend or proportioner but have been looking at both for cost comparison, best application for me . I like the concept to save time, bleach, surfacant etc. but with a Gen II it's all about retro fit compatibility.
Always keep a spare pump, pressure gauge, wand parts etc. on board! We got good at swapping out!! Long winded, hope it helped some and good luck!!
v/r Jeff
Diamond Roof Cleaning said
Dec 18, 2016
Jeff the proportioner is definitely the better buy and is easily retro fit for the skid.
Brian C Jackson said
Dec 20, 2016
I put 3 way banjo valves at my my tanks. I just close off the supply from the tanks and use a small whip line and suck TV anti freeze into the system and through all the hose reels.
Jeff Wible said
Dec 21, 2016
Bryan P wrote:
I've got to figure out how winterize my skid without taking it apart. Right now it's in my sorta heated garage but my wife wants her parking place back. 🙄
Jeff, when you say you blow out the lines, are you blowing them out with air and then adding the antifreeze? Or using the antifreeze to push the water out?
Hey Bryan,..when I mentioned blowing any lines out I meant any hose that was disconnected from the unit. Everyone doesn't have hose reels. So without knowing everyone's situation I gave a generic answer to anyone listening. But no,.when I add anti-freeze to my PW,.it goes into the hose through the hose reel and hit the trigger to force anti-freeze into the unloader. Or If you have a ball valve on your hose,.you can just close it after the anti-freeze comes out the hose on the reel.
The main goal is to get anti-freeze in the machine,.however you find it easiest. Hard to tell anyone in particular how to do it with their rig. Many are designed differently to some degree.
*Blowing lines out with compressed air is an option for other things though ,..like with your supply hoses and things like that. Or just let gravity drain them.
Jeff
-- Edited by Jeff Wible on Wednesday 21st of December 2016 08:24:05 AM
Maverick Contracting said
Dec 21, 2016
Yeah a frozen pump can be a $700 headache.
One season when I was running another company no one winterized and following spring first PW job 2 of 3 PW's were down on site. Took me a few hrs to fix one. The other the pump was cracked bad. Was quoted $700 just for the pump for a machine I paid $850 for.
Had 4 guys standing around holding their junk while I fixed others mistakes.
Art O said
Dec 21, 2016
Here's what I use. I blow everything out and then fill the tube with antifreeze. Give it 2 shots and I'm done
For 12v pumps: 3 way valve at the inlet (one to pull soap and one thats a quick connect inlet) use the quick connect inlet to run RV antifreeze thru the pump.
HP hoses: Blow air thru the lines
Pressure Washers: I have those General Pump filters on my pumps with the swivel. Undo the inlet from the tank and have a poly braid hose with a GH adapter attached to run RV Antifreeze thru the pumps
Tanks: SH tanks will be fine down to 19 degrees, most water tanks will be fine if half full+ or if you don't have constant freezing temps
Filters between Tanks and PWs need to be removed/unscrewed. If you have your equipment in say a enclosed trailer or box truck/van, you could use a electric space heater on a timer to only heat during freezing hours.
What all do you guys do to winterize your rig?
Hey Anita,.. Assuming it's all going to be outside,....drain hoses and anything with water in it,.. You need to get some pink anti-freeze in your pumps. I actually prefer the green. But either one will work. Windshield washer fluid is used by some,..but the cost between that and the pink is only a few dollars.
How ever you get the antifreeze into the PW,..make sure you also hit the trigger to to force antifreeze into the unloader valve.
Or,..take what you can inside where it doesn't freeze. Basement works.
Bring any batteries inside and keep on trickle charger if possible,..if not,..don't worry about it. But,..cold can ruin batteries that are being used.
*I actually prefer something conditioning like antifreeze in pumps anyhow if they are gonna sit very long,..no matter what the temp would be. My little 12V are brought inside,..but I still put antifreeze in them.
Jeff
-- Edited by Jeff Wible on Sunday 18th of December 2016 07:01:17 AM
Although it seems like an easy answer, it depends on your equipment and are you going to stay shut down.
I have my truck set up with a schrader valve on a female banjo fitting that goes to my SH intake fitting. By turning different valves, I blow the lines out into each tank and then blow the hoses out individually. As to the PW... I have a reservoir on the wall that has a hose that goes to a T in the PW intake. I close the valve before the filter, open the valve from the reservoir and pour in the antifreeze until it comes out the end of the PW hose. When it's time to work I reverse that process.
For now, since we have at least one job this week I only blow out the plumbing under the truck and set a kerosene heater with a thermostat inside the box to keep things from freezing.
Brett
-- Edited by BlueRidge on Sunday 18th of December 2016 07:01:55 AM
*And when doing this,..remember to ALWAYS use as low as throttle as you can when getting the pump to suck in the antifreeze. Pumps will pull better at low RPM than at high RPM.
Jeff
Jeff, when you say you blow out the lines, are you blowing them out with air and then adding the antifreeze? Or using the antifreeze to push the water out?
For those that like to blow out their lines and or pumps we use this. I believe Art has a neat set up as well.
Hank
Not sure what I can add, but figured I'd try since this BB has helped me considerably. I have SWS Gen II skid and just pulled it off to winterize last weekend. I don't have a garage and the rig sits outside all winter patiently waiting for spring. I live south of Boston. I only operate on the weekends and was straight out from March-November.
Last year (winter 2015) I used 5/6 gallons of -25 windshield washer fluid and run it thru all tanks, valves, all combos of to and from, reels etc., and took the pump off and brought it to the basement. When I fired it up this spring there were no issues, leaks, burst line or plastic connector issues.
Last year I bolted U shaped supports from Lowe's onto the 4 vertical ladder rack supports just above the tanks height, out of the way and slide 2x4s under /thru to lift the rig off the truck. The ends of the 2x4s extend out past the sides of the truck and are used as lift points. Sort of a King tut chariot. This makes it easier to lift up, get the weight off the bed rails, and move. I placed 4 pallets stacked at the tailgate on the ground and off it went. I did take off the reels and booster pump to bring inside this year, I wanted to do some maintenance and the weight taken off adds up for a lighter easier lift. we did it with three this year VS four last year.
There were some booster pump topics:
I have the SWS booster pump setup running to a 275' hose reel of the back deck. Use it on every job as SOP. One hose from the HO bib to the booster pump, and can either fill the buffer tank or run from the bib straight. We put another hose out at the rear of the house bib if they have one as SOP in case needed and to sped up the wrap up using plant wash. There are times when there is not enough water pressure to run both straight from the bibs, so we fill the buffer tank and use the booster from there, while the back house hose is running. When we run from the buffer tank to booster, we get average pressure at the hose end VS from the house bib to booster which is higher. It definitely save time for plant wash, final wash application, rinse etc.
I don't have a blend or proportioner but have been looking at both for cost comparison, best application for me . I like the concept to save time, bleach, surfacant etc. but with a Gen II it's all about retro fit compatibility.
Always keep a spare pump, pressure gauge, wand parts etc. on board! We got good at swapping out!! Long winded, hope it helped some and good luck!!
v/r Jeff
Hey Bryan,..when I mentioned blowing any lines out I meant any hose that was disconnected from the unit. Everyone doesn't have hose reels. So without knowing everyone's situation I gave a generic answer to anyone listening. But no,.when I add anti-freeze to my PW,.it goes into the hose through the hose reel and hit the trigger to force anti-freeze into the unloader. Or If you have a ball valve on your hose,.you can just close it after the anti-freeze comes out the hose on the reel.
The main goal is to get anti-freeze in the machine,.however you find it easiest. Hard to tell anyone in particular how to do it with their rig. Many are designed differently to some degree.
*Blowing lines out with compressed air is an option for other things though ,..like with your supply hoses and things like that. Or just let gravity drain them.
Jeff
-- Edited by Jeff Wible on Wednesday 21st of December 2016 08:24:05 AM
One season when I was running another company no one winterized and following spring first PW job 2 of 3 PW's were down on site. Took me a few hrs to fix one. The other the pump was cracked bad. Was quoted $700 just for the pump for a machine I paid $850 for.
Had 4 guys standing around holding their junk while I fixed others mistakes.
Here's what I use. I blow everything out and then fill the tube with antifreeze. Give it 2 shots and I'm done
I got caught, Time to start winterizing
HP hoses: Blow air thru the lines
Pressure Washers: I have those General Pump filters on my pumps with the swivel. Undo the inlet from the tank and have a poly braid hose with a GH adapter attached to run RV Antifreeze thru the pumps
Tanks: SH tanks will be fine down to 19 degrees, most water tanks will be fine if half full+ or if you don't have constant freezing temps
Filters between Tanks and PWs need to be removed/unscrewed. If you have your equipment in say a enclosed trailer or box truck/van, you could use a electric space heater on a timer to only heat during freezing hours.
I used RV anti freeze.
Perfect choice! So much cheaper!