Below Freezing Temp...What Do You Do?

**Carlos** · 11-03-2009, 07:15 PM

Okay Fleet Washers...when you are out washing do you put in clause in your contracts about washing in below freezing temps? I have often wondered during the freezing time of the year what you do when the mercury dips below freezing.

If you can't wash do you have something in your contract that addresses this?

**PressurePros** · 11-03-2009, 07:47 PM

Carlos, my one and only fleet account is 38 50 passenger busses. Its in the contract to make sure the doors do not freeze. We downstream polypropylene glycol in the final rinse down. Freezing temps slow everything down dramatically.

**Carlos** · 11-03-2009, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by PressurePros

Carlos, my one and only fleet account is 38 50 passenger busses. Its in the contract to make sure the doors do not freeze. We downstream polypropylene glycol in the final rinse down. Freezing temps slow everything down dramatically.

Thanks Ken...I was just thinking about PA weather when I lived there and was wondering what you all do when the snow storms hit and stuff. When the crews are working a fleet wash do you throw snow salt around the rig and work areas as a safety precaution?

If a guy slips and throws out his back...what protection do you have if he sues for a "unsafe" work environment? ...just saying

**Indy Power Wash** · 11-03-2009, 10:59 PM

We don't do them unless it's going to rise above freezing at least for a few hours to evaporate the water. We worry mainly about slip and fall by the drivers. The fleet lots have snowplows with ice melt chemical spreaders and hit it before we show up so that helps.

The school busses we do we won't do below 38 degrees. Once they are underway and the windchill kicks in it will freeze the stop arm diaphragm on the buss. Not good.

Cold weather isn't fun for fleets.

**Carlos** · 11-03-2009, 11:19 PM

Originally Posted by Indy Power Wash

We don't do them unless it's going to rise above freezing at least for a few hours to evaporate the water. We worry mainly about slip and fall by the drivers. The fleet lots have snowplows with ice melt chemical spreaders and hit it before we show up so that helps.

The school busses we do we won't do below 38 degrees. Once they are underway and the windchill kicks in it will freeze the stop arm diaphragm on the buss. Not good.

Cold weather isn't fun for fleets.

Thanks for the insight Rick...

Has anyone used snow/ice salt as a way to keep the crews safe in and around the rigs while on a job?

**Sunshine** · 11-03-2009, 11:29 PM

We have an agreement with our contracts that we will not wash when it goes below -20 Celsius. As for ice issues we will be washing the trucks in a separate area. Jerry has done this in the past and the companies have no problem with this.

**PressurePros** · 11-04-2009, 12:18 AM

Originally Posted by Carlos

Thanks Ken...I was just thinking about PA weather when I lived there and was wondering what you all do when the snow storms hit and stuff. When the crews are working a fleet wash do you throw snow salt around the rig and work areas as a safety precaution?

If a guy slips and throws out his back...what protection do you have if he sues for a "unsafe" work environment? ...just saying

That's a good point. By the grace of God we have had mild winters since I picked up this account. We also wash them during the day so the temp isn't ridiculously cold. You bring up a very valid point I hadn't thought of about the surrounding area. I wouldn't wash when the temp was below 32. Not only my own employee liability but I can't imagine the trouble of leaving an ice rink in the bus lot. The addition of the alcohol is a safety precaution because lock and assemblies, especially metal ones freeze faster than the ground.

**Carlos** · 11-04-2009, 12:24 AM

Originally Posted by PressurePros

That's a good point. By the grace of God we have had mild winters since I picked up this account. We also wash them during the day so the temp isn't ridiculously cold. You bring up a very valid point I hadn't thought of about the surrounding area. I wouldn't wash when the temp was below 32. Not only my own employee liability but I can't imagine the trouble of leaving an ice rink in the bus lot. The addition of the alcohol is a safety precaution because lock and assemblies, especially metal ones freeze faster than the ground.

One bag of salt in the van/truck...takes a guy less than a minute to throw it around the rig and the cones....your covered.

**Tom DeFrancesco** · 11-04-2009, 08:10 AM

We generally wash when the temp is as low as 27 deg. We only do this if the sun is shining. In my experience even though it is below 32 deg, the sun will still prevent the water from freezing. If it is windy then it is a totally different story. We will not wash them.

If the water does freeze we throw down Calcium Chloride. A lot of people here are not fans of Rock Salt. Damages concrete over time.

As Ken said, we have been fortunate the last few winters. They have been mild. Does not look good for this winter. They are predicting a cold one.

**Aspen Contractors** · 11-04-2009, 02:29 PM

Last January was the only month we have not did anything. No snow but the temps were below freezing way too much. We have done parking garages while it was snowing outside however. We have some clients who will pay their salt down tonight trying to prepare for the snow and when it doesnt they call us tomorrow to come clean the salt off the concrete...got to love the great state of Maryland for its weather haha. I once asked why they did that and as Tom stated one response was because rock salt will damage the concrete but I also learned that it can and will ruin the carpet and tile floors as well...Not sure how true that is but that was their response.