Winterizing gadget

Pat Norman

Pat Norman

New member
Yesterday I updated my pump blowout gadget. Previously I had a tire stem type blowout valve between my pump and unloader but this wasn't blowing out my pump because of the check valves. With this setup I can blow out the pump, heater coil , hoses and hose reel. Also with the open air plug air really pours in and isn't restricted like a tire valve. With the ball valve hard plumbed right behind the air intake I don't subject my supply hose and fittings to high air pressure which could encourage leaks or rupture the hose. I also still have a hose tee'd in that I can pull antifreeze in from if needed. Hope this helps some of y'all.
 

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That is a good idea Pat.
 
I'm using an electric 5 horse on about a 30 gallon tank I guess. I was using a thread sealant called Gripp that's supposed to be the bomb but I'm not real impressed with it on the high pressure side. I'm sure it's fine on the low pressure supply side.

One thing I noticed I blew out my system a good while and thought it was pretty dry. I also was working on a jumper line from my pump to unloader and mounting block because I've had a small leak where the K7 goes into the mounting block. After I removed the high pressure hose from the pump I blew it a moment again and I would say a couple or so ounces of water blew out that didn't blow out with everthing hooked up. I would have thought with the amount of blowing I did that the pump would have been bone dry but I guess all the heater coil and hose caused enough resistance to keep it from clearing out. I don't know if enough water was in it to do any damage or not. But this certainly tells me to keep blowing longer and use as much air pressure as you can. On another board some scoffed at me about my concern of the supply hose taking a lot of pressure and just said cut the psi down. But I definitely see now I want a lot of air and with the valve where it is I don't have to put any high psi on the supply hose.
 
Pat, why don't you just run anti-freeze or winter washer fluid through the system first? Afterward You can blow it out and capture to re-use. That way if its not "bone dry" it doesn't matter because it won't freeze.

I do this on mine and can usually capture about 75% of it.

Also, how are you blowing out your unloader and bypass line? They still freeze too
 
Keep in mind the maximum inlet pressure on most pumps is 125 psi, many of those compressors do 150 psi, just adjust them to not overdue the psi.

That inlet hose should easily be able to handle 150 psi, wouldn't be too worried about it. Only thing I would be worried about freezing from that picture is the inlet hose and any bypass hose on the system. You still have water in those two that are subject to freezing.

The setup is a lot better then a bicycle valve though, never really had much faith in those. What you could also do is just put a quick connect off the pump and make a simple connector between an air hose connector and a pressure wash connector. I have one made to blow out hoses that won't be used for awhile. I just hook the compressor up to the connector and stick the hose and let the water blow out.
 
Johnson said:
Also, how are you blowing out your unloader and bypass line? They still freeze too
Click to expand...
bingo! that's why I stopped blowing them out and using antifreeze after I lost a few unloaders from freeze damage. Blowing out is a good short term protection for temps that stay in the high 20's to low 30's.
 
Johnson said:
Pat, why don't you just run anti-freeze or winter washer fluid through the system first? Afterward You can blow it out and capture to re-use. That way if its not "bone dry" it doesn't matter because it won't freeze.

I do this on mine and can usually capture about 75% of it.

Also, how are you blowing out your unloader and bypass line? They still freeze too
Click to expand...

I think this is the best option, especially when it's really cold!
20131204_084552.jpg
My house today....
 
With mine I just crank the ball valve on the end of the hose closed and it blows out the bypass line. That is with a k7 unloader.
Before I ran K7s All the air blew out the bypass line and I put a ball valve in the bypass to force it through my coil and hoses. The air is going to go one way or the other. Just control it with spray guns or ball valves.
 
Pat Norman said:
With mine I just crank the ball valve on the end of the hose closed and it blows out the bypass line. That is with a k7 unloader.
Before I ran K7s All the air blew out the bypass line and I put a ball valve in the bypass to force it through my coil and hoses. The air is going to go one way or the other. Just control it with spray guns or ball valves.
Click to expand...

That makes sense. I just don't trust the air method 100% but I don't know how cold to gets in your area.
 
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