Whenever the temperature drops below freezing, one thing is guaranteed: We will get lots of calls from carpet cleaners with broken down machines. Machine damage caused by freezing is not normally covered by warranty and can mean an expensive repair bill.
Common problems include:
Cracked brass connection on wands and hand tools
Cracked brass connection inside the extractor
Failing pump motors
Leaking pump heads
Failing vac motors
If you’re lucky you might just have to suffer a slightly embarrassing wait while your machine defrosts before you can start work.
Most common is a cracked or leaking wand valve, which is fairly cheap and easy to fix, but may still mean a day or more downtime if you have to order the part.
The worst freezing problem we’ve had so far caused the pumphead to warp. This then leaked onto the vac motors below. The carpet cleaner had to replace both vac motors and the pump, which was very expensive, and could easily have been avoided.
How to stop your equipment freezing
1. Bring it in doors
By far the best way to prevent freezing is to bring your equipment into the warm indoors. If this is an option, this is what you should do. Bring inside your machine, wands, hand tools, solution hoses and sprayers. In fact anything with water inside.
This may be inconvenient, but a machine break down and a repair bill is even more inconvenient.
2. Consider using a heater
If you can’t bring your equipment indoors, consider using a thermostatically controlled heater to keep the temperature in the van above freezing. For example a greenhouse heater or oil filled radiator. Ebersprache heaters are expensive, but many truckmount owners swear by them.
If you use a heater, follow the instructions carefully and beware of causing a fire hazard. If you run electrical cables to your van, beware of trip hazards and make sure the cables/extension cables are suitable for outdoor use.
3. Wrap them up warm
Wrap your equipment up warm. Insulate your van and cover your portable extractor with an old duvet or blankets. Beware: Wrapping your equipment up will offer some protection against freezing, but with low temperatures your equipment can still freeze! Much better to bring it indoors or use a heater if you can.
Don’t leave your equipment to sit in an unheated van for long periods – the last thing you need at this time of year is a broken down machine and repair bill.
We expect lots of calls from carpet cleaners with frozen machine problems this winter – please take precautions and avoid being one of them. You have been warned!
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