Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: john mathers on January 15, 2016, 02:02:40 pm

Title: Leaving electrical equiptment on van in winter.
Post by: john mathers on January 15, 2016, 02:02:40 pm: I live in a 1 bed room flat, living the high life huh ;D

Anyhoo. Ive got a storage cupboard which would fit maybe my carpet cleaner but nothing else, and it would have to be lugged up and downstairs every day im working.

Would my rotary / carpet cleaner / wands & chems be okay on the van, the tabloids keep saying were in for -15c, which to be fair probably means -4c for those of us not living at the top of a mountain in the scottish highlands.

Cheers
Title: Re: Leaving electrical equiptment on van in winter.
Post by: Hilton on January 15, 2016, 03:35:10 pm: In a word no, it will freeze and do all kinds of damage to pumps,seals, jets couplings etc.

Trouble is you will need to defrost on site and most of these burst and splits will only become apparent then.

Why not try hiring a small storage space at one of the local storage centres they are very cheap an and will only be until March or if you live in Scotland until August ;D
Title: Re: Leaving electrical equiptment on van in winter.
Post by: dutchman on January 15, 2016, 09:11:27 pm: I bought a couple of heavy blankets on ebay to keep my machine from freezing. Dog blankets are good. Some chems dont mind being frozen others will be runined. See what will be knackered and take them out of the van. Another plan would be to fill up a 5 gallon bottle of hot water and leave it in the middle of the van last thing at night. Make sure tour wand is covered as well at they can leak if frozen.
Title: Re: Leaving electrical equiptment on van in winter.
Post by: john mathers on January 15, 2016, 10:36:23 pm: So i put a digitial thermometer outside the van for 15 min at 21:30, then put it in the van for an hour. Only half a degree warmer inside the van (-1c)

So ive put a heavy blanket over it tonight, and will be making a two or 3 teir shelfing in my walk in cupboard so i can have the machinery on the floor and my tools and solutions up top. Not enough floor space for everything without shelves.
Title: Re: Leaving electrical equiptment on van in winter.
Post by: davep on January 16, 2016, 03:01:03 pm: Not sure a blanket will help too much as there's no residual heat for the blanket to keep.
Title: Re: Leaving electrical equiptment on van in winter.
Post by: Doug Holloway on January 16, 2016, 05:42:26 pm: Hi Guys

In reality you are going to get 2 or 3 really cold nights unless you live in a very exposed area.

Is it worth taking the risk of not bringing your equipment in ?

Cheers

Doug
Title: Re: Leaving electrical equiptment on van in winter.
Post by: john mathers on January 16, 2016, 09:36:36 pm: machine froze last night, or atleast the water in the tank - oops :-[

Did as i planned and turned my cupboard into two tier storage, all my equipt fits great now.

going to leave it to defrost over night and hope no damage was done.
Title: Re: Leaving electrical equiptment on van in winter.
Post by: Mike Halliday on January 17, 2016, 09:47:15 am: With tools etc you can fit a blank QC onto the tool and blow hard into the tool while pulling the trigger this will blow out the water from inside the valve. Not an ideal answer but it will help
Title: Re: Leaving electrical equiptment on van in winter.
Post by: Kev Martin on January 17, 2016, 11:32:51 am: For £50 you can buy one of these with 28 Gas Cylinders

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PORTABLE-GAS-HEATER-CAMPING-FISHING-OUTDOOR-INDOOR-WITH-GAS-BUTANE-BOTTLES/181265850744?_trksid=p2141725.c100338.m3726&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20150313114020%26meid%3Dc70a714578164cffbe6028c63e77b2a0%26pid%3D100338%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D30%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D331606136516

You obviously need to be careful where you situate it but if you turn them on low they will burn all night and should be enough to keep the whole of the van warm and stop everything from freezing.
Title: Re: Leaving electrical equiptment on van in winter.
Post by: Kev Martin on January 17, 2016, 11:46:24 am: I also found this

http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Heater-F215100-3800-BTU-Propane/dp/B001CFRF7I?tag=wwwcampervanf-20&linkCode=w13&linkID=C7VK2EU6DMHJQNEG&ref_=assoc_res_sw_gb_dkp_crp_t0_result_3&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.camper-van-fun.com%2Fcamping-heaters.html
Title: Re: Leaving electrical equiptment on van in winter.
Post by: davep on January 17, 2016, 03:03:04 pm: Try explaining the fire to your insurance :-[
Title: Re: Leaving electrical equiptment on van in winter.
Post by: Kev Martin on January 17, 2016, 05:10:19 pm: Quote from: davep on January 17, 2016, 03:03:04 pm
Try explaining the fire to your insurance :-[

They have anti tilt devices. A little bit of ingenuity coupled with a bit of common sense and it is sorted. I used to use similar in my van when it was full of Tiling Gear.
Title: Re: Leaving electrical equiptment on van in winter.
Post by: Neil Worsnop on January 18, 2016, 05:02:34 pm: This afternoons little project has been to build an insulated cubby hole for machine, wand, hose & chems.

Wooden frame against an already insulated wall, lined with celotex board and that foil bubble wrap stuff. Leave a gap at either side of the shelf for the air to circulate and to poke the wand through. Door is just celotex board held in place with a bungy though that will be refined in time,
Floor has wooden slats holding foil bubble wrap and further board off the concrete. Have an 8W inspection lamp in there at the moment though a small tube heater is on order.

(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1453136498_IMAG0032.jpg)(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1453136501_IMAG0034.jpg)
(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1453136497_IMAG0037.jpg)
Title: Re: Leaving electrical equiptment on van in winter.
Post by: tim handley on January 18, 2016, 08:01:07 pm: my machine is indoors tonight, it looks like a cold one!!