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Hello – the recent newsletter reminds us to make sure we keep our power sprayer and UM from freezing. Great advice. However, just the thought of lugging these two pieces out and in to my van every night/morning makes my back ache! I’m thinking of leaving a small portable space heater in my van with the idea of keeping it plugged in on cold days/nights while my van is not in use. Obvious safety precautions would need to be followed.
What are you guys doing to avoid damage due to freezing?
Thanks,
Marc in NJMarc,
I bring my stuff in every night as soon as we get below freezing. I had been using a portable electric heater in the van at night during the winter. Until I slept through a power outage and froze up all of my equipment. It’s only happened once in six years but I sleep better at night knowing the stuff is in the house. I bring the portable heater with me during the day when it gets in the single digits and plug it in at the customers house if they have an outdoor outlet rather than running the van. I have a cooler big enough to keep all of the product (I use smaller bottles for the product during the winter, so they don’t take as much room) so it won’t freeze. The cold weather is a pain, but it only lasts 5 or 6 months!
Thanks Guys – Hadn’t even considered the power outage scenario, thanks for the heads up. I wonder what the HWE guys do. Don’t truck mounts carry their own water supply?
I use a heater in my van without any issues. Just make sure it is large enough to heat it and circulate the air so there are no cold spots, which may be caused by poor door seals. Don’t ask me how I know!
I have a heated shop, but I used to use a heater in the van.
I know I’m not an operator, but do be careful with a plug-in heater in your van. I know of a man that used one to dry his mini-van’s carpet. His van caught on fire and almost started his house on fire.
So, do what you need to do, but be very careful!
Portable heaters have become much safer. They make some that have a thermostat you can set so they only turn on when it gets below a certain temp in the van. Many also now shut off if they tip over. I park my van in my garage, but also run a heater in the garage itself on colder days as that’s where I keep all my spare equipment/solutions too.
Last year we built a makeshift 8x8x7′ tall structure in the garage, since the van will not fit. With little or no additional heat, the plastic covering kept everything from freezing. We did he van heater thing for 5 years and hated throwing money away for no good reason…It works well in hoding the heat inside as it is enclosed and I think I only turned the space heater on one or two times when it got to 5 above or so.
Of course the van heater will work in NC or any place south of the Mason Dixon.it doesn’t get that cold that often down there…but i do remember one time when I woke in the middle of the night since it was cold and power was off and it was near zero outside and our fire was low…I brought everything inside at 2 AM or so and stoked the wood burner and no damage….
I would not risk the damage due to laziness…and err on the side of caution.
For what its worth
There is a whole other thread on this subject in cleaning suplies under cold weather i think. it has alot of good ideas there as well.
yes it is very helpful – here is the link in case anyone wants to view that thread…
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