Foam Brush Blowdown Mystery Failures When Colder?

[Carl]

This is my second year to use a "blowdown system" which uses air to purge the foam brush hoses to help prevent freeze-ups during colder winter nights. But on the colder, windier nights, this "blowdown system" doesn't work so great and I cannot get the majority of my six foam brushes to work with soap dispensing?

Any idea why the foam brush 'blowdowns' don't work so great during the colder nights when in theory, "blowing out" any liquid from the foam brush hose should prevent "freeze-ups" or so I thought? Will adding "pipe insulation (foam type)" to certain "weak spots" of the foam brush hoses help combat this problem? Any suggestions how to make this "foam brush blowdown system" perform better under colder, windier winter nights? Thanks. - Carl

 

[MEP001]

You probably aren't blowing out all the liquid - this is almost impossible, especially with something that foams because it settles back to the low spots. You might consider purging it with an antifreeze solution, or setting up so that your system switches to an antifreeze foam brush and purges when temps drop.

I do a "manual" freeze protection if cold weather is expected - I mix windshield washer antifreeze and some blue foam soap as an indicator ito the vat and just run all the bays until they're purged. It takes a few hours the next morning for it all to get used up, and by then it's above freezing again.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

If you are the "Carl" I'm thinking of, you are in MO. I don't think you will ever make just a "blowdown" work good enough. As MEP said, the remaining liqiud will settle in the low places and freeze. I think you will have to go with an AF purge or weep system.

 

[Earl Weiss]

If you are the "Carl" I'm thinking of, you are in MO. I don't think you will ever make just a "blowdown" work good enough. As MEP said, the remaining liqiud will settle in the low places and freeze. I think you will have to go with an AF purge or weep system.

Or use AF Foam Brush Soap when it gets cold. As a new operator i suffered for 2 winters and then found out about the AF foam brush soap.