Clean It Up

UK General Cleaning Forum => General Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: drive surgeon on December 21, 2009, 08:36:52 pm

Title: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: drive surgeon on December 21, 2009, 08:36:52 pm
my machine has water frozen inside it. i did not take it out of van and get water out of it before freeze came.  the suction hose from my tank is frozen solid going into my machine.  will this damage my machine?? or shall i just wait now till it thaws before doing anything??
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: thewaterwizard on December 21, 2009, 08:46:16 pm
i would take it out and put it in your garage or shed somewhere above freezing
but not too warm let it thaw slowly 
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: thewaterwizard on December 21, 2009, 09:05:57 pm
surely you haven't got a full tank !!  they split !
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: BDCS on December 21, 2009, 09:25:08 pm
Roger O  wrote a full procedure for winterising your equipment. I have a wall mounted frost watch £19 from machine mart. I bet you were caught out and never thought things would freeze this weather ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: drive surgeon on December 21, 2009, 09:32:16 pm
my equipment has never froze before so this is my first time. i still have work lined up so cant put machine away?
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: drive surgeon on December 21, 2009, 09:32:56 pm
no tank is only a bit of water in bottom about 8 inches deep/
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: thewaterwizard on December 21, 2009, 09:46:13 pm
tank should be OK
this time of year i have 25ltr drum of 50/50 mix antifreeze
draw it through machine  then when you start next time
drain it back into the drum don't waste it !
and drain your tank
do this every night and you wont be caught out
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: Roger Oakley on December 22, 2009, 07:56:55 am
Roger O  wrote a full procedure for winterising your equipment.

Cheers BDCS it is most proberbly way down in this section now  :(

DS
You are going to have to let your machine de-frost naturally, don't be tempted to pour boiling hot water over the pump as this could do damage, IE split seals etc. Run an anit-freeze soultion through it every time you finish using at this time of the year and you shouldn't have any problems.
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: drive surgeon on December 22, 2009, 09:53:11 am
ok rog. thanks again mate. should i mix it 50 50 with water or less?  have a great christmas. :)
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: thewaterwizard on December 22, 2009, 10:19:58 am
50/50 be safe don't scrimp
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: drive surgeon on December 22, 2009, 10:53:37 am
cheers water wizard.  you busy mate?  i was meant to be cleaning a grave this morning but cant as frozen up.
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: thewaterwizard on December 22, 2009, 11:02:11 am
still got 2 patios one has a pool house so all paths to do plus one driveway
to clean and re-sand but all in the new year so no panic
have a good one

  robin
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: trevor perry on December 22, 2009, 12:12:26 pm
my machine has water frozen inside it. i did not take it out of van and get water out of it before freeze came.  the suction hose from my tank is frozen solid going into my machine.  will this damage my machine?? or shall i just wait now till it thaws before doing anything??
i will be surprised if it hasnt damaged the valves in your pump but if it hasnt then you have been very lucky.
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: Roger Oakley on December 22, 2009, 02:35:41 pm
my machine has water frozen inside it. i did not take it out of van and get water out of it before freeze came.  the suction hose from my tank is frozen solid going into my machine.  will this damage my machine?? or shall i just wait now till it thaws before doing anything??
i will be surprised if it hasnt damaged the valves in your pump but if it hasnt then you have been very lucky.

If he leaves it to de-frost natually he might get away with no damage, but if some valves have broken easy enough to change.
You do carry spares don't you DS
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: drive surgeon on December 22, 2009, 03:20:26 pm
no i will have to get some rog. are the easy to relace? i have the tech clean 250 machine like yours.
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: Roger Oakley on December 22, 2009, 03:31:39 pm
If you have to change all six should only take 30 mins.
How long you had your machine?
Have you never had any valves changed or replaced?
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: drive surgeon on December 22, 2009, 05:44:13 pm
i have had my machine for 3 years and someone had it before me. i have never persoanlly had to change anything. the only thing that has gone wrong since i have had it was the seals in the pump went and it took in water so had to have new pump seals.
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: BDCS on December 22, 2009, 05:47:48 pm
Here is the past thread on this subject
 ;D ;D ;D

http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=66526.0

DS It amy be worth printing this off for future reference,  3 years and no valves or unloader change ? Do you not use it much?
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: drive surgeon on December 22, 2009, 06:40:21 pm
i use it every day for at least 5 hours. its been a cracking machine so far.  ;)
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: thewaterwizard on December 22, 2009, 06:47:21 pm
 ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: thewaterwizard on December 22, 2009, 06:50:40 pm
no put it in a 25ltr drum mixed then run it through machine
just empty your tank out
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: drive surgeon on December 22, 2009, 07:25:19 pm
 ;D i knew that  ;)  ;D    thanks anyway water wizard
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: Roger Oakley on December 22, 2009, 07:56:04 pm
Here is the past thread on this subject
 ;D ;D ;D

http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=66526.0

DS It amy be worth printing this off for future reference,  3 years and no valves or unloader change ? Do you not use it much?

That thread should have been sticked but alas not on this forum ;) ;) ;)
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: mark.laycock1@ntlw on December 22, 2009, 07:59:09 pm
i know someone who as a 10 grand set up lefted out in the front ,rain,snow.
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: drive surgeon on December 22, 2009, 08:16:28 pm
is it rusted up and he cant move it  ???
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: mark.laycock1@ntlw on December 22, 2009, 08:20:45 pm
no he uses it every week. but i went to lock up the other day the place was like a skating ring god knows what that machine is like.
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: drive surgeon on January 07, 2010, 12:59:59 pm
is it just the valves that go if your pressure washer freezes with water in it?  what else can go wrong/?
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: Roger Oakley on January 07, 2010, 01:20:21 pm
First things I would look for is valves, 'O' rings broken for starters.
It really is going to depend how much water was left in the pump and how cold has it been where you have the machine stored?
I said before let the machine thaw-out naturally and you might get away with no damage.
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: drive surgeon on January 07, 2010, 01:23:23 pm
cheers roger i will just wait for it to thaw out then.  i have never opened up a pump before though.
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: Roger Oakley on January 07, 2010, 01:31:46 pm
Once it has thawed out, and a way to tell is, try pulling the pull-start very slowly (with nothing switched on) so that you should be able to hear the pistons going up & down, if the pull start won't pull then the pump or maybe the engine is still frozen. If it does pull ok then when you start it up keep it at lowish revs to start with till warm, as the oil's are going to be a bit thick and need to warm up.
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: drive surgeon on January 07, 2010, 01:38:32 pm
cheers roger. happy new year too!!

Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: mark.laycock1@ntlw on January 07, 2010, 02:09:57 pm
hav nt you put anything over it like blankets etc???
Title: Re: my tank, machine and pipes are frozen solid
Post by: drive surgeon on January 07, 2010, 02:25:29 pm
no but i will next time. i usually keep the machine locked up but i left it in the van and got caught out.,