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Keep Apparatus from Freezing Up?
We are a rural volunteer department, with 24 members. While shuttling water to the scene, the valves and dumps often freeze up during harsh Wisconsin winters. I was just wondering if anyone knows of anything, that's not too expensive since we are on a tight budget, that we can spray on or apply to our valves, dumps, doors to keep them from freezing up between filling and dumping? Any help is appreciated.
Casco Fire Dept
Casco, Wisconsin
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Gale W. Jordan on
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Hey Guys, I know you all have a more harsh winters up there in the Badger State than we do here in N.W. Ohio, but we still get down below 0 many times in a winter!! We have had Fires in the 35 yrs. that I've been on the dept. that was Way below Freekin' ZERO!!! Never had the tank valves freeze but we have taken some old turn out coats and wrapped them around the valve to help protect them from the cold going down the road!! One way on Christmas Morning, house fire, and it was -22 below that morning!!! Its was a Cold B....ch that morning!!! The only other thing that I can offer is after you dump your tank and you can do this on a meeting night is to go get some White Lithium Grease in a spray can.Open your valves up ,spray this on your ball valves and work it in REAL Good!!!! The grease is non petroleum bases and will stick around in the valve and not get washed out.I f you have a valve hangin' up, this will also make it work more free!!!
This is an idea for ya'll to try!! Hope it works for you!! Winter is about over!! I HOPE We've had a long winter down here also!!! I am , besides a Fireman, Transportation for our local school system. Also Mech and what ever hat they want to through at me!!!!! We Are a rural Dept. like you are up there, and Yes we Pinch a Buck till it bleeds ,also!!!!!
You guys take care up there,Stay Safe and think before you go into any place that might put you in Harms Way!!!!
We All Love the BrotherHood!!!!
Gale Jordan, Capt. Antwerp Vol. Fire Dept.
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Permalink Reply by Carl Charles on
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Adding anything to the tank is out of the question since when we shuttle water, we will haul multilple loads. Our dump valve, which I don't know what kind it is, does not freeze up, but the door that we have to open to access the dump does freeze after the first dump when the door gets closed to travel to and from the fill site. Also the dogs on the quick connects freeze which will not allow us to connect our hoses to fill.
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EXACTLY!!!! I couldn't have said it better! Thank You!!!!!
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John,
I like your idea of thinking spring, but that still don't help for the following years, lol. Which fire house are you at? We work ALOT with station #2. Without saying our company name (starts with a p and ends with a g) cause I don't want to start another topic of discussion, I've been on the company ERT for 15 years now. I know alot of the guys down there by face, but few by name.
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
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Carl,
Right now I'm at 5's so we don't really go to the "company" too often, but we tend to shift around from station to station. I was also at 1's for a year and spent a lot of time that year on the roof of your neighbor. You guys do a good job with the ERT, not too often the FD has to stay around there for a fire. If the tones drop for your place, we figure we will be back in service soon enough.
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Permalink Reply by Jonathan Halverson on
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Okay, so its not like the manufacturers could have really done much about it. Thanks for the concise answer.
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Permalink Reply by Trainer on
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Funny you mention snowpocolypse, when they asked the head of streets and sanitation in Chicago what he would call it if it happened to him..."Tuesday".
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Permalink Reply by Bud on
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I lived in northern Vermont for over 50yrs. was an active member of a F.D.for 35 yrs and engineer for 15 yrs. I read an article in Firehouse mag. about a F.D. in Alaska they had used biodegradable antifreeze so I tried it on ball valves on pumpers, dump valves on tankers, hard suction couplings and anything else that might freeze and I never had a problem with anything and also it is a good lubricant.
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Permalink Reply by Loyd Dittfurth on
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I cant do much to help here I would say bring a torch
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For Josh Whitten,
From one of your posts: i talked to the officer who did it and we have never had problems with it. you aint got to follow it but maybe it will work for him
I'm going to try and help you out here. The technique your officer did and what you are describing does nothing regarding the issue of exterior valves and dumps on a tanker to keep from freezing up. In fact what you are describing is called "batch mixing" for foam operations. Batch mixing is basically the adding of a surfactant (foam/detergent) to a water extinguisher, but on a larger scale. In theory when at a fire the water stream contains foam, thus increasing the effectiveness of the water for suppression.
The problem is that foam and other similar products (Dawn dish soap) can and has affected seals, valves, pumps, etc. The other issue is there is no way to gauge a correct proportion of concentrate (foam) to that of the water in the tank, especially after use. Replenishing water and foam can be an issue because there is no way to gauge how much foam was actually used compared to water. A good engineer will fill the booster tank once a water supply is secured.
The majority of foam systems on an apparatus are located on the discharge side of the pump, so that the foam does not interfere with pump components or seals. After using foam, it is recommended to thoroughly flush handlines where foam was used so that concentrate does not affect seals/lining of the handline.
Basically, batch mixing as you described is taking on a risk and is not recommended (contact any pump manufacturer...not just "we never had a problem"). The use of a detergent or foam on the inside of a tank does nothing to prevent exterior valves and dumps from freezing up from exposure to cold.
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Permalink Reply by Cassie on
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We also carry a small torch of some sort that we use to heat up and melt ice that sometimes freezes connections between hoses and engines/tenders, etc. It's small, portable, and easy to use. As long as the issue is ice on metal, the torch works very well.
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