why do things go wrong on rainy days?

[Cleanworks]

Get to my first job this morning, hook up my water hose, fire up my propane heater, bring in the hydra-force and hook up the pressure hose, try to start the engine and the blower is stuck. Have to disconnect everything, go back to the shop and get my back up hydramaster, which I have been using the past week. Guess, I had a little moisture in the blower last time I used it. Has to disassemble the silencer, the belt guard, loosen off the motor mounts and back off the belt tensioners, remove the belts and put a pipe wrench on the pulley to move it. Luckily, it moved easily. I got some wd40 in there put the belts back on and fired it up and ran a little more wd40 through it. Real pain in the ass to have to do so much work just to be able to turn the stuck blower, As I am reassembling everything, I think, if only there was a nut on the blower pulley. I am going to have my next door neighbor weld one on. If it ever happens again, I should just be able to reach in with a large wrench and work it loose. More importantly, at the end of the day, don't forget to spray some wd40 or other lube in the blower port. Usually a 10 second burst is good, let the blower run a couple of minutes to burn it off.

 

[Small town janitorial]

Funny, the guy I bought my million billion hour old spitfire 3.2 from said he ran 10 seconds of wd40 in the blower every single day and more when he ever sucked water through blower. Never had a blower problem. I've read other threads where other people say not to. Nice to hear your input.

 

[Cleanworks]

You don't want to overdo the wd 40. It doesn't lube your blower. Your blower is lubed by oil in the crankcase and grease zerks. The wd 40 is for displacing any moisture that has accumulated on the lobes. Once at the end of the day is all that's required. If your waste tank overflows and you have water coming out of the exhaust, dump the tank and run the blower until it's dry. Spray wd 40 and let it run for a couple of minutes and it should be ok.

 

[Sierra Clean Care]

That sucks Ron. Were you able to finish the job? Guess if nothing else, you could have brought out that monster porty....

 

[Andy]

Do you ever run water through your blower to clean it out. Sometimes you get dirt build up on the lobes more so than rust. The lobes don't really touch so for their to be that much rust on your lobes for it to sieze your blower is half trashed.
Occasionally through the blower lube port (always after a blow over) run clean water through the blower untill it comes out clean. Continue running the blower untill it is dry then spray your wd40 in it.

 

[Cleanworks]

Do you ever run water through your blower to clean it out. Sometimes you get dirt build up on the lobes more so than rust. The lobes don't really touch so for their to be that much rust on your lobes for it to sieze your blower is half trashed.
Occasionally through the blower lube port (always after a blow over) run clean water through the blower untill it comes out clean. Continue running the blower untill it is dry then spray your wd40 in it.

I've heard of people doing that, never done it myself.

 

[Cleanworks]

That sucks Ron. Were you able to finish the job? Guess if nothing else, you could have brought out that monster porty....

Had to use the back up TM. Nice to have back ups. Could have used the porty or even the Cimex or sprayborg.

 

[BIG WOOD]

Do you ever run water through your blower to clean it out. Sometimes you get dirt build up on the lobes more so than rust. The lobes don't really touch so for their to be that much rust on your lobes for it to sieze your blower is half trashed.
Occasionally through the blower lube port (always after a blow over) run clean water through the blower untill it comes out clean. Continue running the blower untill it is dry then spray your wd40 in it.

If that’s needed on a blower...one of three things:
1 you don’t have a shut off switch on the waste tank
2 you never clean your blower filter
3 you don’t even have filters in your tank.

 

[Andy]

If that’s needed on a blower...one of three things:
1 you don’t have a shut off switch on the waste tank
2 you never clean your blower filter
3 you don’t even have filters in your tank.

Wrong, wrong, wrong it can and does happen. If you don't believe me, since you obviously have all of those things. Do what I said and run some water through your lube port untill it blows out the exhaust and see how dirty the water is.

 

[Cleanworks]

I have no shut off switch.

 

[Small town janitorial]

Nice rainy day here. 50+mph gusts of wind. Power has been out for an hour or so. Of course I had spend half hour filling out mikeys scholarship questionnaire when the power went out. You know how it feels when you spend half hour typing something then it all gets erased? Awsome.
I have a townhouse to clean carpets at later this afternoon. Should be fun.

 

[Dolly Llama]

I've heard of people doing that, never done it myself.

I thought Bob was plumb nutz when I heard him mention water thru the blower to clean them.
Til I tried it on a hot blower.
steam, fizz and black brown soapy crud came out thru the silencer

after the water, the blower speed increased by 100-150 rpm (never touched the engine throttle)

Made a believer out of me .

1 you don’t have a shut off switch on the waste tank
2 you never clean your blower filter
3 you don’t even have filters in your tank.

wrong
It lives a moist, damp, soap film life .
"nano" layers of moist air hit hot lobes and dry on contact
After hundreds and thousands of hours, those "nano" layers build up enough to effect lobe tolerances

a gush of clear water on a hot blower "steams" them off


Here's the deal though...If I had a blower HXer, I wouldn't do it
Cause I damn sure wouldn't blow all the cruddy gunk water into any HX'er

..L.T.A.

 

[Sierra Clean Care]

I thought Bob was plumb nutz when I heard him mention water thru the blower to clean them.
Til I tried it on a hot blower.
steam, fizz and black brown soapy crud came out thru the silencer

after the water, the blower speed increased by 100-150 rpm (never touched the engine throttle)

Made a believer out of me .






wrong
It lives a moist, damp, soap film life .
"nano" layers of moist air hit hot lobes and dry on contact
After hundreds and thousands of hours, those "nano" layers build up enough to effect lobe tolerances

a gush of clear water on a hot blower "steams" them off


Here's the deal though...If I had a blower HXer, I wouldn't do it
Cause I damn sure wouldn't blow all the cruddy gunk water into any HX'er

..L.T.A.

What about H20 with a bit of iso in it? I wonder if the iso would help to clean/dissipate the dirty water?

 

[Dolly Llama]

What about H20 with a bit of iso in it

no clue what "ISO" is

.L.T.A.

 

[Sierra Clean Care]

no clue what "ISO" is

.L.T.A.

Isopropyl alcohol. Rubbing alcohol...

 

[hogjowl]

Except for that Prochem from hell, I never had problems with blowers locking up.
Until, Brady’s Cleanco. Not my Cleanco, just Brady’s. We had to start leaving his dump valve open to let his blower air out before it would stop locking up.

 

[Sierra Clean Care]

Except for that Prochem from hell, I never had problems with blowers locking up.
Until, Brady’s Cleanco. Not my Cleanco, just Brady’s. We had to start leaving his dump valve open to let his blower air out before it would stop locking up.

Does he lube it everyday, or every 2-3 days?

 

[hogjowl]

I’ve never noticed him not doing it.

 

[Sierra Clean Care]

Does he lube it everyday, or every 2-3 days?

AND, what does he use for lube? Cleanco recommendations are to use LPS TKX....

 

[hogjowl]

We’re not talking blower oil

 

[Sierra Clean Care]

Uh

We’re not talking blower oil

Umm, MaRty, LPS-TKX is the SPRAY LUBRICANT THAT CLEANCO RECOMMEDS FOR LUBBING YOU’RE BLOWER.... check you’re manual or their website.....

 

[Hack Attack]

my blower locked last night was going to do a large tile demo

slid the engine back this morning so I could get purchase on the coupler, rocked it free after pouring jug of hot water down it..

1st job this morning it kept bogging down.. must be a blockage somewhere.. couldnt find it??

then discovered I'd somehow pulled 1 the sparkplug leads off and it was running on 1 cylinder

 

[Cleanworks]

Ben's Amtex Prowlers pass the dirty water right through the blower. It's filtered for debris first but he recommends to run it dry, spray wd40 or equivalent and your good to go.

 

[Andy]

@Sierra Clean Care isn't ISO flammable or explosive when put near a heat source?

 

[hogjowl]

Uh

Umm, MaRty, LPS-TKX is the SPRAY LUBRICANT THAT CLEANCO RECOMMEDS FOR LUBBING YOU’RE BLOWER.... check you’re manual or their website.....

I use WD-40

 

[Sierra Clean Care]

@Sierra Clean Care isn't ISO flammable or explosive when put near a heat source?

Andy, of course it is. I’m talking putting an ounce per gallon-type-amount. Not running pure rubbing alcohol....

 

[Sierra Clean Care]

I use WD-40

Maybe, JUST maybe, that’s WHY Brady’s, AND Ron’s blowers locked up?

 

[hogjowl]

Research it and let me know

 

[Sierra Clean Care]

Research it and let me know

WD-40 was created a LONG time ago for putting on the leading edge of BOMBS to keep the sensor/camera from getting condensation. Technology has changed ALOT since that time. This includes LUBRICANTS....

 

[Dolly Llama]

Isopropyl alcohol. Rubbing alcohol

never used it ...don't know if better or not
a thin stream of water thru the blower lobe lube port always did the trick

I did it every week or so
I've never used WD-40 unless I was shutting it down for a week or three
Then I saturated it w/WD and shut it down

isn't ISO flammable or explosive when put near a heat source?

don't think it matters really
Blower will blow it out
..and WD40 used regular like many (most?) do, is flammable too

..L.T.A.