What's new
By:
Car Wash Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Anti Freeze in Oilers???

E

Earl Weiss

Well-known member
I have a system at some of my places where I have a ?T? in the air line at the compressor and vertically from there a small nipple, a valve, a 6 inch long ? inch nipple and another valve.

When we have some air line freezing issues, we close the bottom valve, open the top, fill the 6 inch long nipple with automobile anti freeze, close the top valve and open the bottom. Traps by the air operated pumps catch the antifreeze but enough seems to get atomized and bypasses the traps to keep cylinders and lines to them as well as exhausts from freezing for several hours.

I have one place with a conveyor chain tension cylinder located 20 feet outside the building. This system has not solved the problem, particularly when we are looking at single digit high temperatures. Perhaps because the Antifreeze is eliminated from the system by going to all the other equipment first and this is over 100 feet away. I have had to remove the line which is only 30 feet from the cylinder and pour in some anti freeze to thaw it out.

I could do another ?T? system like I have by the compressor, but putting an oiler filled with anti freeze at this location would inject the anti freeze for many days or weeks without further attention. Does anyone see any potential problems or issues with this?
 
Do what I did in Reno, go buy a heat tape ( used for gutters on the roof ) wrap the pipes and insulate with foam, plug it in..... Will also work for chemical lines.
 
Last edited:
Keep-it Kleen said:
Do what I did in Reno, go buy a heat tape ( used for gutters on the roof ) wrap the pipes and insulate with foam, plug it in..... Will also work for chemical lines.
Click to expand...
<<<

For some reason Reno is not the place we in Chicago would consider as having cold weather.
 
For some reason Reno is not the place we in Chicago would consider as having cold weather.

Reno, gets very cold...... Take it from someone who lived in Michigan for 34 years, on Lake Huron.
 
Worked for PDQ, out of Rancho Cordova, Ca. use to service the Reno area. Lets just say freezing is freezing. The thing is the heat tape worked, and fixed the problem. It's a cheap way to go.<<<<

Heat tape may work. I have concerns about 110 Volt electricity and water mixing. While "Freezing is Freezing" it is much harder to thaw something and Keep it thawed if it is 3 degrees versus 23 degrees. There is oftne a delicate balance at that point between heating the ice to a melting point and keeping it there and not inadvertantly melting something else like a hose or seal. Guess how I know this;(
 
The newer self regulating silicone heating tape is great and as far as water and electricity, they are built for that, worry about something that could happen like Hilary being elected :)
 
Earl, would it be possible to install an air over oil system inline with the aircylinder and fill it with antifreeze instead of oil??
 
I have two oil/water separators inline before all equipment, the second separator almost never needs draining. Perhaps that, along with a dessicant dryer or the FloJet filter at problematic points would be a worry-free alternative.
 
Not sure wht you mean by air over oil. We have something like that on some wraps, but it seems overly comlicated for this system. Just an in line oiler filled with auto anti freeze was my idea. My concern was possible adverse effects on the cylinder seals.
 
PECO uses air over oil on there top washer and if I remember right the techs that installed it used antifreeze in it instead of oil. you're right it would be too much for a chain tensioner I think your idea will work fine and the antifreeze should not hurt the cyl at all.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top