Frozen Hoses......Marty, Don't Read

[R W]

OK...not the pressure hoses, but the vacuum. We've been working on an empty, unheated building the last 2 days, cleaning up ceiling tiles and extracting water from the carpets. The temp around here has been in 20's at night, maybe 30-35* during the day. The problem today was water freezing in the vac hoses. The worse blockage was at the 2.5" to 2" aluminum GG adapter. Had to unplug it maybe 3 times in 2 hours. There was no running water in the building to flush out the blockage, so what a PITA it was. I was actually sticking the hose under my jacket to try to pull some body heat into the hoses. I ain't that hot.

So for you scientists....what is the temp drop in a vac hose....the temp in the building was probably 35*, and the Genesis was probably drawing 400cfm? With the Venturi effect??...how much does that temp drop in the air as it races through the hose to the TM? There was 50 foot of 2.5, and 200 of 2".

Screw all you warm weather cleaners......

 

[hogjowl]

I don't see how it could freeze while it's moving.

Puddles forming in you vacuum lines?

 

[R W]

Marty....you wouldn't understand.....it get real cold here in O-HI-O. But there are pig farms here. When you drive through the counrty here, you can spot the pig farms by the steam rising from the barnyards on a cold day. I'm assuming they like it.

I would say that the temp drops in the vac line as the moist air speeds through the hose....kinda like "wind chill".

 

[hogjowl]

At 30 to 35 degrees?

 

[Mark Saiger]

I have had the same on water damage water extraction. I have sometimes had my hose in 25 foot sections so I can just keep cycling them from a frozen plugged up state, to a warm area to thaw out. Have only had to do this a couple of times. I have even had the bottom of the water claws freeze up. Just kept going to a sink and thawing out with hot water or use a hand held sprayer to quick thaw hooked up to the fresh water line at the van. It is a PITA! Even have had the filter in the waste tank freeze up. Just got to a point of pulling that and going without. I find that the 2.5 inch hose has more room, but I really don't have a solid answer. It is a tough gig and worth every dollar you are paid at that point.

Mark Saiger

 

[Desk Jockey]

It will freeze at the metal inlet, a little bit at a time and eventually it restricts it enough that we have to stop and knock all the ice out with a screw driver. It doesn't do it with the plastic connectors, just the metal.

I suppose you could redirect your exhaust flow to pass over the metal, if you had marine hose that fit the outlet. A few degrees would keep it from doing it.

 

[Lyman]

I have only had it happen once. I thought about a handful of rock salt in the hose and let it find the clog. I don't think it would hurt waste tank. Or switch to plastic on cold days.

 

[R W]

All good ideas. It usually won't happen if your extracting in a heated building, no matter what the temp outside is. The air temp in the building keeps the vac hoses managable. I didn't try the rock salt, and no water was available in the building. I did have a water connection to the van to keep the APO primed for pumping, and that water was from a building 250' away. I got through it, but just wondered what you full time WD guys do. I also had my inline filter up near the wand and kept a pile of knee-high stockings nearby to kept the guk close by and not have to run down to the van to change out the filters. There was alot of ceiling tile crap laying on the floor, after we cleaned up the big pieces.

 

[maker]

Maybe hook up your pressure line and keep enough flow of hot water to keep it above freezing.

 

[R W]

Maybe hook up your pressure line and keep enough flow of hot water to keep it above freezing.

Steve....I probably could have ran out the pressure lines and run hot solution through them, but we were in the middle of downtown, and the logistics were tough. Many pedestrians, and street people of course, walking around our work area. I was trying to keep the hose clutter at a minimum.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Robert fortunately we only a dozen or so when it's that cold that it causes us to shut down for ice. We just suffer through it.

As far as debris, we clean up as much as we can with scoop shoves and broom and dust pan. That dry wall debris is a pain no matter what the season and it will clog your basket, inlet and hoses if you try to suck it up.

 

[Doug Cox]

Marty - Keep in mind that the water Robert is extracting is probably close to freezing and a little movement of that water through a vac hose causes it to freeze.

 

[Desk Jockey]

some times all that works is you just have to WHACK YOUR HOSE

If I do, and I'm not admitting to anything, I'm sure not going to use a HOCKEY Stick! :shock:


:mrgreen:

 

[maker]

Maybe hook up your pressure line and keep enough flow of hot water to keep it above freezing.

Steve....I probably could have ran out the pressure lines and run hot solution through them, but we were in the middle of downtown, and the logistics were tough. Many pedestrians, and street people of course, walking around our work area. I was trying to keep the hose clutter at a minimum.

If you strap your hoses together you could strap the hot quick connects right to the aluminum connectors to even further reduce ice build up at that point and it would eliminate clutter at the same time. More set up and break down but I would guess that it would be worth it.

 

[The Magician]

Hey RW, i had the same problem with the plastic Y. I used the heat from the blower exhuast and a screw driver to loosen up the ice. If it happen that often don't use the Y, too much downtime and restrictions in the hose and not gaining any cfm.
Did you get my PM?

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