Winterizing a CDS 4.8 (Is this possible?)

[gimmeagig]

I live up in Northern Idaho and it's supposed to be a really severe winter this time.
My truck has a Hydramaster CDS 4.8 with a waters oftener and a freshwater tank in it. I insulated it really well it's parked in the garage( not heated and not insulated) but I've got a heater in it. I think I'll be OK as it is, it's worked the last year and the one before as well. But I really wish I wouldn't have to run that heater all the time.
I have never winter proofed the truck with antifreeze and I'm not sure how that is done. I know I'd have fill up the 5 gal jug that usually has the rinse in it and run it through the solution line until I guess it comes out of the wand.Should I fill up my pressure lines with the stuff too? Would I also have to run antifreeze through the water softener as well? Can that even be done?
I'm not doing a whole lot of business yet but I'd like to be able to be up and running in case a job comes up, without having to flush all the antifreeze out of everything and maybe running into problems at the customers house..
I was wondering if it wouldn't be easier to just use an air compressor f( the ones that are used for or a nail gun) Can I generate enough pressure with that to blow out all the water in my machine like they do it on sprinkler systems? Then there would be no water in the system and nothing could freeze, right? :mrgreen:
What do you guys think? Is that possible?
If that is not an option, could somebody please talk me through the best winterization procedure for my truck?
Thanks

 

[Art Kelley]

I would focus on winterizing the machine only. Take the solution lines and tools out and bring them into your house. I put the ti wand in bed with me.
First, drain the fresh water tank, and try to empty the fresh feed line to the machine. This has always caused a problem for me when it is frozen upon restarting. It can take hours to thaw. If you drive to Florida and turn around it will work.
I have always used windshield washer solvent to winterize. Put 2 gallons in a 5 gal bucket and draw that into the machine, pumping the water out into another bucket until it runs blue and also draw from one gallon of solvent to winterize your chemical feed line. Then circulate the w/w solvent through the bucket for a few minutes, turning off the pump for a few seconds and starting it again so the w/w solution can also go through the bypass.

 

[TimP]

You should use heaters unless you're going to not use the machine for a while. That's what winterizing is for in my opinion. But I don't live in a very cold climate so what do I know.

 

[bob vawter]

yor pressure gauge will freeze FIRST....and BREAK...depending how long the capilary tube is.....you may get away wit hanging a lite bulb near it......but i predict problems..........

 

[charles]

I always run a heater in mine because I use it everyday.
For me winterizing is a big hassle.
Last January we went on vacation for a week so I winterized it
because no one was going to be home to moniter it.
Like Bob said, the pressure gauge froze and broke.
This year when we go on vacation I will put a light bulb right
behind the pressure gauge.
Hopefully that will work.

 

[Warren Wallace]

Dont you guy's have a warehouse, that would save a lot of headaches,

 

[gimmeagig]

What about blowing out the lines, has anybody tried that?

 

[ronbeatty]

Blowing out the lines with an air compressor won't work, you can't blow air through the cylinders in the pump. Running the anti freeze is the best way to winterize. After you circulate the anti freeze through the machine and chemical system, pump the machine dry, if it gets really cold it could freeze too.

 

[rwcarpet]

I can't understand. If carpet cleaning and your TM is your main source of income, you gotta find a warm storage area. Make a deal with a local garage, oil change shop, car dealership??? Get them to allow you to store your vehicle at night, at least, and over the weekend.

It's great getting into a warm vehicle when it's 15* outside. Even if you have a storage area that's secure from the wind, get a small torpedo kero heater with a thermostat, and keep it set at 40*. That will be enough to protect your investment.

 

[John Watson]

Hey Roxey, Yore hair is gonna git thinner an thinner till you look like Baab V.

With your van insulated, in an unheated garage. I would get two electric heaters, two heavy extension cords 12 or 10 amp, 2 thermo cubes ( They auto come on at 34-6 degrees and auto off at 42 I believe.) Plug cords into different elec. circuts so each heater has it's own circut or breaker. Plug the heater into the cube and the cube into the extension cord. You can then set the heaters on MEDIUM, Tape the on switchs on so it dosent accidently get switched off, Place one of the thermo cubes under your machine, place the other in the rear of the van on the floor to protect your pressure lines and wands. Get a Taylor Digital Thermometer with wireless remote and alarm (Radio Shack 19-29 bucks) put the remote on your dash (I keep saying I am going to put velcro on mine to keep it in place but havent for the past 4-5 yrs. and for desert get a bottle of grecian 49.. I wouldnt flush and back fill with anti freeze even the RV type unless it was going to set for months... Have fun John

 

[Jimbo]

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=35850&p=394922&hilit=heater#p394922





Oh yeah...one more thing...






If the folks giving you advice have never operated a carpet cleaning business north of





the 45th parallel....









disregard their advice.

 

[gimmeagig]

Hey Roxey, Yore hair is gonna git thinner an thinner till you look like Baab V.

.... and for desert get a bottle of grecian 49..

Hey John,
I know my hair is getting pretty thin, but you totally lost me on that one who is Baab V and what is grecian 49?
Anyway, I followed your advice and ordered a couple of those thermo cubes.
My CDS is located between the seats of my van and there's a fiberglass cover over it. I think it might be better if I removed that cover so that the heater would blow directly onto the machine. If I took the passenger seat out( I don't need it anyways) I could get even closer to the machine with the heater. I was even thinking I could wrap an electric blanket around the machine and hook it up to the thermo cube. Sounds a little off the wall but that might keep it warm without having to heat the whole van, right? The heat exchangers are back behind the seats in front of the tank and there might be enough heat to keep them from freezing as well.
I understand now that blowing out the machine itself with a compressor is not going to work, but I was still thinking I could buy a couple of adapters for my compressor and blow out at least the solution lines,my wands and my hydroforce with it.
Then the only other thing to worry about on the truck that holds water would be the lines that go from the freshwater inlet through the water softener to the freshwater tank and it's pump, and secondly the freshwater line that goes directly into the machine. I know I keep coming back to that compressor, but could that work? Or is there a reason why that would not be an option? If that worked I would only have to heat the machine and not the whole van. One heater instead of two, and I would save money and the environment too. somewhat amus
Does that make any sense at all? I'm just thinking out loud here.

 

[gimmeagig]

http://www.mikeysboard.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=35850&p=394922&hilit=heater#p394922





Oh yeah...one more thing...






If the folks giving you advice have never operated a carpet cleaning business north of





the 45th parallel....









disregard their advice.

Thanks for that link.A lot of great info there.I looked for heating wire on e-bay. It comes in rolls, but what would I do with it? Are there heating wire kits that are already assembled and ready to plug in?

 

[John Watson]

Roxey, Never met im, but the pics I saw ol Baab Vaughter show he didn't only rub the top off on the headboard, he got the sides back an all. That there grecian 49 stuff turns the gray back to brn..

Only reason I tol u to get two(2) and put on seperate circuts was so you could sleep at night. Next you were going to ask what if that one diddn't work... Most only need one ,but with 2 thats your failsafe. With the thermo cube they are only on just before its freezing in the truck, they go off when the temp warm up so it only costs while needed not running all the time.. I liked heating the whole van cause it was semi-warm starting off on those frozen mornings to do our jobs. Kept my windshied defrosted when parked outdoors at night. I only put it in when it was going below 20 or had no work the next day.

A blanket works greatbut use like a stove pipe or something to direct your heaters blower to it. Most heatexchangers are filled with your trk engines coolent or anti freeze but the lines to andfrom, put your blanket over them. A big moving blanket works great for this.. or for a more permenent fix wrap with pipe insulation, with the other heat in the van they should be fine.

Jimbo has great advice in his post..

 

[bob vawter]

You can NOT freeze proof a pressure gauge...you can blow wit an air compresser...
run anti-freeze thru yor machine.........and you can NOT clear the capilary tube that runs to it.....it'll freeze EVERY TIME!
The ONLY answer is to make it quick change so's you can remove it at nite!