How to keep water and equipment from freezing in winter months????

Reflctn Perfctn

Reflctn Perfctn

Reflection Perfection
What do yuo mobile guys do to keep your water tanks and equipment from freezing in winter months????? This will be my first winter in business and i was thinking of transfering my water tanka dn pressure washer from my trailer to the inside of my bed of my truck and installing aheater in the back and turning it on like 3 hours prior to going to the location where i am goin to work! I am just worried about fire safety.
 
Hi,I have had this problem for years what i find helps is to lag your water tanks .
Even an old blanket or too will do this also cuts down on the condensation on the inside of the roof which cant be a bad thing it wont stop your outlet pipe from freezing up if you can remove these at night when your done befor the next day I would sugest that also dont leave your power washer in your vehicle at night as the hose on that can freeze.
Having had the motor freeze on a jet wash in the past this all makes sense it can happen and they just cook in front of you .
If it gets to the point where my pipes are frozen and the tank has ice its not a good day to wash cars .
I have come tao accept there are some days that you just cant wash cars also you want to avoid spraying water in zero temps we need to consider some one slipping and claiming damages .
hope this helps.
Jay :)
 
I'm not mobile, but my shop doesn't have a drain, so I'm not sure how it'll all work out this winter. It gets a little colder here.
There may be a way of storing your trailer nearby. Put an ad in a local rag. I know car storage here is only $1/day in the winter, and just a little more in the city. I am renting a little space cheap this winter, and a lot of businesses slow down in the winter.
Just an idea. :)
 
Like superior shine said move to florida, lol. Alright I know the conditions up there during the winter. I would just drain your tank all the way at night and fill it up in the morning. That way you'll have no issues with the water freezing over. For your pressure washer/equipment that can freeze up, I would just bring it in the house at night. That would be your best bet.
 
hahaah move to florida! To be honest not alot of peopel think you can make alot of money in the winter in the northeast, but they are totally wrong! My friend owns a hand car wash and as soon as salt hits the next day he does over 700 cars and profits over 5500$$$! in ONE DAY!!!! So I am excited to see what exactly a mobile detailer can do when salt hits...I just want my equipment to hold up.
 
I'm curious to see what solution you come up with, since if you get a freeze, all your equipment could be ruinedddddddd.

I'm going to run a salt/rust awareness program in the winter, but I'm not mobile. Unfortunately, my shop doesn't have a drain.
 
I know of a mobile detailer from Kanas City,MO that comes down every winter and parks at huge office building and leaves as soon as it starts warming up. He told me that his equipment would freeze up just from driving from one appointment to another and he is south of you. I've even heard of detailers as far north as NY come down to deep south Texas to detail RV's for SNOW BIRDS during the winter months.
 
Hi I have a mobile unit and my tanks and pressure washer are bolted in the rear of a mini van . I run an anti freeze solution thruogh my pressure washer prior to shutting down for the day and I drain my tanks at the end of the day. When I set up for work the following day I fill my tank ( using just enough water for the day ) and I flush out my pressure washer and hoses with clean water. i have been doing this for 20 years and the only time my pressure washer froze on me was the time i did not run the anti freeze through it, I have had my pressure washer sit with the anti freeze solution for the entire winter and come the spring it ran just fine. Hope this helps.
 
Karwaxer, one time I was washing a car just before sunrise and it was just above freezing. Besides my hands being cold, everything was fine. Started to vacuum and it must have dropped a degree or two and when starting to dry, there was a sheet of ice on the car. How do you deal with that, just wondering?
 
SA Detailer said:
Karwaxer, one time I was washing a car just before sunrise and it was just above freezing. Besides my hands being cold, everything was fine. Started to vacuum and it must have dropped a degree or two and when starting to dry, there was a sheet of ice on the car. How do you deal with that, just wondering?
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Wow sa detail, it must have been the coldest day on record in san antonio for the water to flash freeze and turn to ice on your car. Water freezes at 32 degrees And even then it doesn't freeze instantly. How cold was it there for the water to do that??
 
Window washer fluid. Run it through your pumps and lines when you are done. As for the tank water itself, generally here we only get into the teens or twenties and my tank won't freeze completely. I did hit a spell a few years ago were it was in single digits to 30 degrees for days in a row. When it finally broke my tank was frozen solid. Best to wait till you get up to fill the tank if temperatures will be that low. Now how do you wash a car when it's freezing. In general if I can't get to 30 degrees I don't bother trying. In the sun you can get away with a little below freezing. I've considered buying one of the heaters that mount to a propane grill tank or the ones that look like a cannon. If for no other reason then personal comfort :) I've never gotten used to working in the winter. I manage and get through it every year but hate it.
 
Hi, Being in NY I watch the weather carefully I have never had the water freeze on a car on me when the temp is going to be low I use hot water to wash the car and dry it right after washing also I dont work in the winter after the first freeze I quit till spring
 
Just add a little antifreeze in your water tank and some in pressure washer. Use the chemical injector hose to put in your pressure washer
 
You may want to look into tank heaters like those used on RV holding tanks! Im not sure what tempreture they heat up to however I know that they are a fairly in expensive solution to the problem! I don't know what size tank you use but you may want to look into a few other options as well!

IE: Make a coat for your water tank! Probably the best thing you can do is to get a sheet of the foam insulation they use on the outside of houses now prior to putting up the exterior siding! Box in your tank! im not sure what kind of heathing value this will provide for you.. However this SHOULD help reduce from some or most of the cold!

Check out fish tank heaters! some of the larger fish tanks with tropical fish need that water heated you may want to check into this! While doing a quick search online i did find some heathing elements however they were a lil expensive!

Your going to need to make sure to bring your chemicals inside other wise you run the risk of them freezing!
 
heat tape,water heater blanket and power inverter plug in to cig lighter. at night get battery tender for truck battery
 
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