Frozen Truckmount ?

[Warren Wallace]

What do you guys do when its 0 out with -20 wind chill? Well I went to
work and froze all the lines in the front of my truck So question is what do you
do to prefant this from happing. This is my first year with a tm and what a bad lesson
I have learned here, any help would be apreciated.

PS to busy to just stay home when its this cold.

 

[Doug D]

One thing I do is to bring in everything you need to clean with except your solution line. Bring in the solution lines last and keep the water moving. Put the male coupler in and turn your valve on just enough to keep the line open and put it in the vacuum hose with the machine running and the vacuum hose hooked up. If you have to stop for any reason for a period of time, keep the solution line open again.

 

[John Watson]

PS to busy to just stay home when its this cold.

I used to clean till it hit 20 below, we used 3 men per truck and run like hell during hook up and the wand never quit moving. We had extra sets of water hoses and pressure lines and even with 3 guys runnig froze lines. We insulated all brass fitting cause the seem to freeze and split first. We also had our own mechanic in shop and the cold days were his buzzyest keeping at least 2 of our 7 cleaning rigs thawed out to clean...

For a one man crew, stay home and reschedule till temp is at least 26-30 degrees This is what Helen and I do in Weather like this. In fact we are just heading out on todays jobs..

 

[Desk Jockey]

As others have said hook up solution last
Have on board water
Warm up unit before you get to job (to be sure it starts)
Leave doors closed until you start the unit
Park to block the wind as much as possible.
Never drag your solution line through snow the QD's will freeze up fast.

Rookie mistake, you will be fine once you get the hang of it.

 

[Shane T]

Do as the others have suggested. You can also buy sections of foam pipe insulation and slide it over the hose that is lying on the ground. I have about 20feet or so on the truck for this purpose. It also preserve and lot of heat on these cold days.

 

[Bob Savage]

Park the van in a heated garage overnight and when NOT cleaning, OR, use some type of heater for the inside of the van when it is not being used.

If your concerned, get a wireless temp monitor that goes inside your van and you can read it inside where you are warm and toasty.

Today it was 19º F, with a wind chill of 3º F. We were running dual wands on both jobs today, and needed fresh water. We had to use our fresh water hose from van to the outside faucet.

Today it was the outside spigot. Sometimes we hook up in their laundry room if they have a laundry sink.

Always carry a set of faucet adapters for those times when that's all you can find for fresh water (we have 110 gallon fresh, but it does run out).

Steam line - LAST thing IN, FIRST thing OUT.

 

[Jim Martin]

Move to AZ........................

 

[Nate The Great]

Move to AZ........................

My thoughts exactly..... Why even put up with that sh!t? You'll never see me working in 40 degree weather.........

 

[bob vawter]

BTW...you can MAKE an adapter that goes to undersink AND toilet shutoffs....

 

[rwcarpet]

What do you guys do when its 0 out with -20 wind chill? Well I went to
work and froze all the lines in the front of my truck So question is what do you
do to prefant this from happing. This is my first year with a tm and what a bad lesson
I have learned here, any help would be apreciated.

PS to busy to just stay home when its this cold.

You'll learn with experience. I did 3 jobs today, and it was in the teens, with colder wind chills.
1 Park with least exposure to the wind.
2 Start unit and keep all doors closed except for the exhaust.
3 Run vac hoses first, then your solution to the door.
4 If no fresh water tank, look for water source. (allways check for leaks inside the house when hooking up to outside spigots!)
5 Finish running your solution line to truck, hook up, and run like hell to get the water flowing at the wand.
6 When finished, roll up your solution lines first, keeping the vac hose inside to suck up the warm air in the house.


Or.....



Move South or West.

 

[Jerry]

I had the same thing happen a few years ago, don't sweat it. i cleaned in -20 below wind chill today in fact. The wind blowing in directly will freeze the QD's real fast, gotta close up the doors as much as possible and move like crazy, you will get the hang of it.

 

[BLewis]

Doug. Please explain the male coupler thing. What purpose would it be to turn the valve slightly on and stick it in the vacumn hose? I feel stupid here, but how would any water run if something were not hooked up to QD?
Today it became really cold while I was doing some upholstery, then customer ask me to do an area rug and some tile. After spraying rug the water started to freeze up, so when it came time to do the tile I ask him to keep keying the wand every 15 seconds or so to keep the line from freezing while I scrubbed the small area of tile and grout. Made it through the rest of this job, however @ 7am in the morning I have a commercial rest and will put the rest of the advice here to use.

 

[Farenheit251]

Billy,he means to carry an extra qd opposite of theone on the end of the hose or the same as on your wand. Plug it in and open the shut off valve and you have an open hose. Also great for mixing chems or flooding urine spots for Waterclaw extraction.

 

[Warren Wallace]

WEll the warehouse is 50 to 55 thats not a problem we also have 225 gallon freshwater tank.
14 ft box truck.

 

[Jim Morrison]

I think it is easier for the cds guys in cold weather. We can pretty much seal our units up while they are running. I use a couple of pillows and 2 big bath towels to seal up the side doors.

It was -20F here yesterday, the ti wand was left outside for a little too long and when I went to start cleaning it was froze up and wouldn't flow, borrowed the kitchen sink for a minute to run some hot water over the plumbing and was back in business.

 

[Dolly Llama]

Doug. Please explain the male coupler thing. What purpose would it be to turn the valve slightly on and stick it in the vacumn hose? I feel stupid here, but how would any water run if something were not hooked up to QD?
Today it became really cold while I was doing some upholstery, then customer ask me to do an area rug and some tile. After spraying rug the water started to freeze up, so when it came time to do the tile I ask him to keep keying the wand every 15 seconds or so to keep the line from freezing while I scrubbed the small area of tile and grout. Made it through the rest of this job, however @ 7am in the morning I have a commercial rest and will put the rest of the advice here to use.

as Brian said, Billy.

That technique would of also allowed you to scrub as long as you needed today without having to stop and trigger the wand every 15 seconds.
You don't have to open the valve wide open either and possibly filling your waste tank prematurely .
Just a little flow will keep it from freezing


..L.T.A.

 

[joe harper]

Larry.

The TM that I am giving Josh..Avenger 210...Had a simalar set -up ..Designed in the wand..

It had an extra ball valve on the wand...When you were NOT cleaning with the wand...
"for any extended period"...You had to "crack the ball valve open"...Or it would POP a HX..!!
The "BY-PASSED" water was recovered in the waste tank...

It was to relieve Heat & Pressure on the HX...

Could'nt you have a wand set-up with this type of "by-pass"..for this situation..???

 

[Bruce Humphrey]

[quote="Jim Martin":9dqh38t4]Move to AZ........................

My thoughts exactly..... Why even put up with that sh!t? You'll never see me working in 40 degree weather......... [/quote:9dqh38t4]This is how my day will be, this is from Weather.com , the local weather says the wind chill will never make it above 0.


9 am
8.0°
Feels Like
-10.0°


12 pm
18.0°
Feels Like
2.0°


3 pm
23.0°
Feels Like
8.0°


6 pm
14.0°
Feels Like
-2.0°


9 pm
16.0°
Feels Like
0.0°

 

[Dolly Llama]

Could'nt you have a wand set-up with this type of "by-pass"..for this situation..???

of coarse I could, Harper
don't be stOOpit...I'm a sOOper hErO.....i can do ANYTHING... 8)

seriously though... I've seen one of those wands.
I think it was Jay DeLaughter's (side bar..who'd of guessed he was a surfer BEACH BUM at one time :shock: ) :mrgreen:

Yes that would be an alternative
Keeping the water flowing after set up isn't as big a concern for us as some others though
cause we run 2 man crew 93.72% of the time..which means if the wand stops for more than 15 seconds...there better be a GOOD reason
or I'm chewing some azzzzzzz :shock:

for the single man crew, a by-pass valve would keep from having remove the tool to plug in a naked QD every time there was reason to stop the wand...tabbing/blocking, scrubbing, steaming red spots, etc


..L.T.A.

 

[Jim Martin]

[quote="Nate The Great":2700gtr1][quote="Jim Martin":2700gtr1]Move to AZ........................

My thoughts exactly..... Why even put up with that sh!t? You'll never see me working in 40 degree weather......... [/quote:2700gtr1]This is how my day will be, this is from Weather.com , the local weather says the wind chill will never make it above 0.


9 am
8.0°
Feels Like
-10.0°


12 pm
18.0°
Feels Like
2.0°


3 pm
23.0°
Feels Like
8.0°


6 pm
14.0°
Feels Like
-2.0°


9 pm
16.0°
Feels Like
0.0°[/quote:2700gtr1]

another few degrees warmer and I will have to put my shorts back on.......

 

[BLewis]

Thanks Doug, Brian and Larry. Now I understand what your saying. Why didn't I think of that?

Heck I'm starting to think like Marty, I knew I shouldn't have shook his hand while I was down in Bama!

Kinda funny yesterday I think the customer (construction worker out of work for the winter) was kinda enjoying keying the wand. This was a $90 sofa job that turned into 255 as he kept adding little things on.

 

[Bruce Humphrey]

[quote="Nate The Great":12q2zpnt][quote="Jim Martin":12q2zpnt]Move to AZ........................

My thoughts exactly..... Why even put up with that sh!t? You'll never see me working in 40 degree weather......... [/quote:12q2zpnt]

another few degrees warmer and I will have to put my shorts back on.......[/quote:12q2zpnt]
thathurts

 

[Dolly Llama]

Heck I'm starting to think like Marty,

:shock: :shock: OMG..PUH-LEEEZE NO


..L.T.A.

 

[everfresh1]

I joys of winter :roll: Since I don't have fresh water tanks, I have to hook up to water. Yesterday last job of the day, I normally hook up outside even in the winter I carry a small torch to heat up frozen faucets but since the guy left his hose on the thing it was rock solid The costumer offered to let me hook up inside so I did. I ran hot water through it, I figured it would help keep it from freezing, The damm thing sprung a leak srayed water all over the guys dinning room. By the time I cleaned up and hooked up another hose I was froze up, Couldn't even finish the job :x First time I've ever gotten frozen while in use.

 

[Doug D]

another few degrees warmer and I will have to put my shorts back on.......[/quote]


you suck Jim!!!!carpets that is!!! We won't see that kind of weather now until mid May!!!

 

[rwcarpet]

I joys of winter :roll: Since I don't have fresh water tanks, I have to hook up to water. Yesterday last job of the day, I normally hook up outside even in the winter I carry a small torch to heat up frozen faucets but since the guy left his hose on the thing it was rock solid The costumer offered to let me hook up inside so I did. I ran hot water through it, I figured it would help keep it from freezing, The damm thing sprung a leak srayed water all over the guys dinning room. By the time I cleaned up and hooked up another hose I was froze up, Couldn't even finish the job :x First time I've ever gotten frozen while in use.

Hey, Jamie.....I find a gallon of hot water poured slowly over a frozen spigot will thaw it quickly......plus no fire hazzard from hidden insulation behind the spigot using the torch???

 

[Jim Martin]

[quote="Jim Martin":1u5dq05l]

another few degrees warmer and I will have to put my shorts back on.......[/quote:1u5dq05l]


you suck Jim!!!!carpets that is!!! We won't see that kind of weather now until mid May!!![/quote]


If it makes you feel better..that big storm that is knocking the shit out of Jimmy and a few others came threw here last week and I was forced to plug in the block heater on the UD and put on long sleeves for a few days......Burrrrrrr

 

[Newman]

Hey, Jamie.....I find a gallon of hot water poured slowly over a frozen spigot will thaw it quickly......plus no fire hazzard from hidden insulation behind the spigot using the torch???

This will also prevent damage to the shaft seal packings and any other plastic or rubber parts inside the wall hydrant. Maybe a heat gun?

 

[daniel@procarpet]

I thought it got cold in AZ. Yesterday I worked in shorts and it was around 35 degrees with a low of 24. I dont mind wearing shorts as long as I have a hoodie or good jacket. No matter how cold it is you can count of the inside of the house being 75 with the heat going full blast. I don't like getting hot. I wear pants if it is cold and WINDY or real cold in lower 20's.

 

[bob vawter]

I joys of winter :roll: Since I don't have fresh water tanks, I have to hook up to water. Yesterday last job of the day, I normally hook up outside even in the winter I carry a small torch to heat up frozen faucets but since the guy left his hose on the thing it was rock solid The costumer offered to let me hook up inside so I did. I ran hot water through it, I figured it would help keep it from freezing, The damm thing sprung a leak srayed water all over the guys dinning room. By the time I cleaned up and hooked up another hose I was froze up, Couldn't even finish the job :x First time I've ever gotten frozen while in use.

Hey, Jamie.....I find a gallon of hot water poured slowly over a frozen spigot will thaw it quickly......plus no fire hazzard from hidden insulation behind the spigot using the torch???

I always carried a two litre jug...to fill wit hot water...pour slowly and they'll break loose every time!