Help FROZEN california

[Mr Brightside]

I busted a line last week on my everest due to freezing temps ( i am in socal)

This week it is supposed to be in the thirties and I am worried about my vans being damaged.

How hard is it to prevent them from freezing?

It has to be less than 32 degrees to damage the units? I can't recall its been that low but it will be very close.

Thanks guys

 

[FB19087]

I don't know exactly where you are located but you usually need sustained temps below 32 to have freeze damage. I don't see that in your forecast. Obviously, that happens quicker at much lower temps. Most things aren't going to freeze (in a closed van) if it is just below freezing for a few hours.....but better safe than sorry I guess

If you're concerned.

Thermal blanket /small heater.
Winterize and bring liquids in.

 

[Mike J]

I used to do a space heater if it was even a threat. Also got lucky before and no damage if it was under 32 for not too long. And if you are just flirtiing with a freeze, just go out and start the van and heat it up around 12 or 1 am. And if you think y0u froze, wait until evertthing had time to thaw for sure before you start the machine. I am a bit of a hack.

 

[Kenny Hayes]

As has said many times here, the safest way is winterize them even for only a day. Too easy.

 

[BIG WOOD]

If you want to take the winterizing route, just suck out all the water in your water box (with the water pump OFF), then put some low temp windshield washer fluid in the water box (4-5gallons), put an open hose on your QD and turn the pump on until you see the fluid coming out of the hose. Do the same with the chemical pump.

But at your temperature...I think a decent space heater in the van will be enough.

 

[Kenny Hayes]

I do both in Oklahoma. I don’t want to have the space heater in the back of my mind.

 

[Mr Brightside]

Ok my forecast is 32* at the lowest problem is I park my vans outside and too many to bring home

All this global warming is killing California

 

[Kenny Hayes]

I figured!

 

[Mikey P]

Let 3 homeless folk sleep in it.

Problem solved

 

[Cleanworks]

Ok my forecast is 32* at the lowest problem is I park my vans outside and too many to bring home

All this global warming is killing California

You're forecast may change depending on your elevation. The higher up you are, the colder it will be. Good to take an air compressor and blow out all of your lines and tools, drain your water box, refill with windshield or RV anti-freeze and circulate through your machine. Remember to flush it out before your next job.

 

[Mr Brightside]

Let 3 homeless folk sleep in it.

Problem solved

Well

You're forecast may change depending on your elevation. The higher up you are, the colder it will be. Good to take an air compressor and blow out all of your lines and tools, drain your water box, refill with windshield or RV anti-freeze and circulate through your machine. Remember to flush it out before your next job

ok no problem I am going to busy it appears all night lol

little drops of this white substance is starting to fall from the sky not sure what to think

 

[sassyotto]

I had to park my van outside for a few nights in December 2021. (wisconsin) Just clamped a moving blanket across the back of the seats, across the side and back doors. inserted a space heater in the middle of the back of the van and was all good.

No way am I going to drain my water tank, machine and empty all my spotters.

BTW the van is not insulated either. I never got people insulating their van. Absolutely not necessary

 

[Dwain Ray]

Im in n. Calif and when my vans sat out side(there in the shop now)i only worried when temperatures forecasted 29° or lower i just put a space heater never had any problems but at 32° just covering with a blanket should do .it takes a shit load of btu's to turn 32° water to 32°ice

 

[Dwain Ray]

Im in n. Calif and when my vans sat out side(there in the shop now)i only worried when temperatures forecasted 29° or lower i just put a space heater never had any problems but at 32° just covering with a blanket should do .it takes a shit load of btu's to turn 32° water to 32°ice

 

[Mr Brightside]

View attachment 121160

hey thanks a lot this makes me feel better... I think Ill be good then...

I was gonna just run them at midnight untill up to operating temp and then cover them with a blanket but I think I am good no matter what

 

[Clean Response]

I would just get a heater in leave it in there over night assuming you live somewhere you can do that and don't have to worry about someone messing with it.

 

[Dwain Ray]

Did ya make it thru the night allright?

 

[Mr Brightside]

Did ya make it thru the night allright?

Thanks for checking yes I did just light snow on the vans nothing I know of happened lol

 

[Jimmy L]

Perhaps next time you can drape your body over the machine and use your body heat to warm it

 

[SamIam]

I busted a line last week on my everest due to freezing temps ( i am in socal)

This week it is supposed to be in the thirties and I am worried about my vans being damaged.

How hard is it to prevent them from freezing?

It has to be less than 32 degrees to damage the units? I can't recall its been that low but it will be very close.

Thanks guys

It has to under 32 for minute to do damage.

I have a small electric heater I plug in and leave to be safe.

 

[Dwain Ray]

Thanks for checking yes I did just light snow on the vans nothing I know of happened lol

Cool, but if it drops much more consider a heater, when i put um in i used the ceramic heaters or the big oil filled radiant heat ones i stayed away from the ones with the glowing heating elements because of the possibility of but at 32° a blanket should be fine. Got a little cold here last night and im within sight of the ocean

 

[Nomad74]

Snowing in Redding now.

 

[sassyotto]

you dont know what snow is.

 

[Dwain Ray]

I know what snow is , i make a point to visit it at least once a year , its a 3 hour drive from the

 

[Living The Dream]

I live in Montana and for my first 5 years owning a TM mounted in a trailer I winterized every night. @BIG WOOD is correct with his advice. I can winterize my setup in under 5 minutes.

1. Suck all water out of water box. (I use my 1.5" cheater house, that I just stick into my vacuum port directly on my waste tank.)

2. Fill water box with windshield washer fluid. Usually at least 3 gallons. There's a way to cheat the float to get by with less, but 3 gallons usually does the trick.

3. Run an open ended solution line until you see washer fluid coming out.

4. Stick your rinse line into a a jug of washer fluid, and prime until you can see it in the sight glass of your meter. I'll often continue to run about a half gallon through while running more fluid out my open ended solution line.

5. If you wish you can run remaining fluid through tools and lines.

6. Suck remaining fluid out of water box.

Even after following these steps there is still potential for frozen gauges and anything that is brass can crack with even the slightest amount of water left. I would often also run 2 heaters with a thermostat set to 39° on different breakers.

Best of luck.

 

[BIG WOOD]

We had a big freeze through here on Christmas Eve last year and so many people were calling all the WDR businesses for busted pipes

I prepped the best I could to prevent any freezing EXCEPT leaving my supply hoses on the floor. It froze from my supply hose reel to my supply pump.

I had a minor freeze while driving to a job for water extraction.

I still learn lessons after all these cold winters. So when the temp gets down in the single digits, pull any hoses with water in them off the floor.

 

[sassyotto]

two days ago we had no snow...

 

[Kenny Hayes]

The day I told y’all to pray for me, you didn’t.
Even with all the freeze prep I had done, I get on that job after spraying, hooked up my wand and bam, trigger valve had frozen of course, planet earth!

 

[Dwain Ray]

two days ago we had no snow...View attachment 121170

All 4 seasons are around to visit, No one should have to move their weather

 

[Mr Brightside]

Wow we got like 5 inches of snow today