Thawing Out

After a long, cold, wet winter, we in Omaha have been teased a several times by temps approaching those conducive to liquid water.  That is as opposed to the solid form most common in the winter months.  With the return of warmer weather a contractor’s heart begins to think of all sorts of Spring joys.

One of the great spring joys is de-winterizing and testing equipment that has been stored for months.  While I try to keep as many small assemblies and attachments like surface cleaners, whip-hoses, and gun-wand combinations in a warm place during the frozen months, there are still plenty of parts that require winterizing with good anti-freeze.  These include the pressure washers themselves, as well as the tanks and plumbing built into the trailer.  Hose reels and filters are especially vulnerable in the cold weather.  In the last winter we had less than ten unfrozen days from mid-December until the first week of March.  We have seen highs over 60 since then, but have spent the last 7 days below freezing, save for a few hours at the height of day.  During most of January, the highs seldom crested twenty degrees, and the lows dipped close to 20* below zero for several weeks.

Last year, I sacrificed a surfacer swivel, several small hose assemblies, and much of the hide on my hands to the cold weather.  I’m about to see how much better I have done this year.  Last winter was as cold as this one, but my method changed this year.  Last winter I heated my trailer electrically, with good but expensive results.  This year I relied upon automotive anti-freeze.  In my first week after thawing, before the most recent cold snap, I had good success, but was surprised that my small, portable hot-water washer had a damaged fitting on the bypass line.  It leaked at a good clip, but the pump and the rest of the machine was fine save for one factor:  Considerable scale.  Enough black scale was thrown, that even after bleeding the machine of antifreeze, and flushing for 15 minutes or more of clear water, it still clogged a filter and the surfacer my father was running.  Time for some Red Devil.

I have come to expect Spring to bring a supply of scale into my life, so I am not so shocked.  I had expected, though, that the anti-freeze would lower the amounts.  Ah, to learn, and to learn anew!  My machines are winterized again today, with an edible, RV anti-freeze, and they will be coming out in the next few days, we will see how they have fared this time.

In the meanwhile, everybody out there just getting thawed out, there is a whole new season before you!  I wish you luck, and good business!

And remember, pressure washing contractors, you have friends wishing you well, and looking out for you.  The UAMCC is gearing up for a spring thaw of its own, be a part of it!