# What type of compressor are you using for wints???



## mtmtnman

Just curious if some of the stuff i'm seeing around here is happening around the country. Are you using gas or electric and why? How many gallons?? How many CFM?? After a few responses i will post my thoughts.......


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## Guest

I have gas and electric, big and small but my favorite is a little makita with the big bore piston.


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## BPWY

The more CFM your compressor turns the better of a job it'll do.

Very important in colder areas that get a lot of cold.
Possibly less important in not so cold areas if not all the water is gotten out of the lines.


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## RichR

BPWY said:


> The more CFM your compressor turns the better of a job it'll do.


I will agree the more CFM the better. However most of my winterizations are completed during the initial secure so time is not an issue as I pressurize while doing other tasks. With that being said I use my 6 gallon pancake electric compressor because it’s small and lite weight. It can also run on my small Honda generator if no power is available so it makes it very user friendly to tote around and takes up less space in the truck. While the more CFM is better for good long blasts of air to remove the water, if your filling the hot water tank up with air during the winterization this becomes a giant holding tank for the air and basically eliminates the need for the big CFM compressor. If I’m only there to complete a winterization, then this compressor can be on the slow side but it does the job just fine. Just my thoughts, but you know what they say. Opinion's are like Butt holes, everyone's got one and they all stink. :thumbsup:


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## Guest

I have the max power lite 400 and it's all you ever need. I can run 3 framing guns at the same time, a whole bunch of finish guns and with the inverter it will run on small generator or really bad commercial power. Yes it's pricey but it works in 100 degree or 5 degree temps and as long as you don't park it in a puddle it's built to run forever


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## BPWY

Robs660 said:


> I have the max power lite 400 and it's all you ever need. I can run 3 framing guns at the same time, a whole bunch of finish guns and with the inverter it will run on small generator or really bad commercial power. Yes it's pricey but it works in 100 degree or 5 degree temps and as long as you don't park it in a puddle it's built to run forever





Thats too small and slow for what we're talking about here.

PSI to run framing nailers versus the CFM needed to properly blow plumbing line are two different animals.

Heres an example of what I run (different brand).
And it'll run below 0. Long as the heat is on in the house so the plumbing isn't froze you're good to go.


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## Guest

I try to run 2 compressors when doing a wint. Rather than carry a generator and compressor separately, I carry a gen/compressor combo that runs on gas. The generator is 10K output, but the compressor output is only 3.4cfm @ 90psi, so I then plug in my Rigid 4.4cfm @ 90psi and run it as well. 
Typically I will run one hose to the water heater (after it's drained of course), and another right to the main branch line....blow from the bottom up. Or sometimes rather than the water heater I will go through the washing machine bibs if they are more conveniently located. 
I know many "training resources" recommend you run from the top down, but I simply find this asinine when blowing lines. You can't effectively charge the system through a faucet...not to mention it just takes too dang long.


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## mtmtnman

OK, here's my take. As mentioned above, opinions are like azzholes but i have quite a bit of experience here. This will be a two fold discussion. CFM and pressure. I run one of these:









I have used one from the start as i want to get in and get out NOW not 2 hours from now. I have picked 2 of them up new at local pawn shops for $400 each. It sits in the bed of my truck and i carry 200' of hose. It pushes 12.4 CFM @ 100psi. I regulate it down to 60 PSI. FWIW, 35 psi is what everyone recommends and that is worthless. Most wells and city pressures are around 60 psi.

Just the other night i thawed a house. Found one break that i would not have located with a little electric compressor as the pipe was wide open in a wall and hardly made a sound with 12.4 CFM pushing through it, fixed it and went on to do my pressure test. Charged system to 60 psi and went about other work. Took a look a few minutes later and the gauge was down to 40 PSI. Got a leak somewhere! Finished up packing my heaters and tools and went back down in the basement. Still at 40 PSI! Charged it up to 60 PSI again and could watch the gauge drop to 40 in a few minutes and stay at 40. Now if i would have done a 35 PSI pressure check as required, who would have been liable for the leak when the well was kicked back on pushing 60 PSI??????????? Yup ME! Something for y'all using baby compressors to think about. 

I have a rigid twin tank electric and to charge a house to 60 PSI would take 20 minutes! I do it in 5 minutes.I know a company running around up here using one of these: 









I would venture to guess nearly half of their houses i get on the REO side have some sort of freeze damage even though they have a passed pressure test on file. :whistling:whistling

Oh, during sprinkler wint season i hook both of mine in series to blow sprinkler lines. Works great!


FWIW, the most common freeze damage i find is an expensive one. Frozen shower valves. Little compressors don't have enough UMPF to push out water in 32" of stand pipe on top of the valve. The water settles back on top of the valve and busts it. Most people are in too much of a rush to remember to open the shower valve up after the pressure test to let any existing water out into the horizontal plumbing.......


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## Guest

Robs660 said:


> I have the max power lite 400 and it's all you ever need. I can run 3 framing guns at the same time, a whole bunch of finish guns and with the inverter it will run on small generator or really bad commercial power. Yes it's pricey but it works in 100 degree or 5 degree temps and as long as you don't park it in a puddle it's built to run forever


YOU WIN!
That thing is arguably the best portable air compressor known to man!
BPWY, do some research on the Max compressor, you'll find that it will blow away our compressors, combined!

I only use gas powered "wheelbarrow" type compressors (w/ Honda motors), 100% synthetic Amsoil in pumps & motors. They always start and work, 1st or 2nd pull, regardless of tempature (used one at 20 below to pressure test a winterized house in eastern Montana (West Dakota). 
Flexeel air hose is all you'll find on my truck as well (250' of it).


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## mtmtnman

mt4closure said:


> YOU WIN!
> That thing is arguably the best portable air compressor known to man!
> 
> I only use gas powered "wheelbarrow" type compressors (w/ Honda motors).



It damn well better be good for the price of 2 BRAND NEW gas powered compressors!!!!!


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## BPWY

It only has PSI on its side, not CFM.


I'll blow out a house with a pull behind compressor before I use one of those. Like Matt says, I want it done today, not 2 or 3 hrs from now waiting on it to fill the water heater with pressure.
Regulate the pressure to 50/60 and its a real slam bam thank you ma'm operation!
Last fall while I was winterizing sprinkler systems with my rental unit I got two house wints. I did it with the pull behind just to prove a point. 
Talk about a quickie!


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## david

from my understanding i dont know of any company wanting you to use electric air compressors,they just dont do the job,i also use the wheelbarrow type gas compressor


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## Guest

d+jhomeservices said:


> from my understanding i dont know of any company wanting you to use electric air compressors,they just dont do the job,i also use the wheelbarrow type gas compressor


Most of them don't specify, they usually say 4cfm or more. I've seen guys use a little pancake, hooked it up ran for 15min.


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## Guest

I agree with the bigger the better. While we are on this subject of gas compressors verses electric I had an issue today with my military gas compressor. Since it's gas and needs to run outside, AND being in MN. in the winter, it was 10 degree today and my hose froze up :sad: luck had it that the job was heated and three stories (including the basement) I was able to bring one end up to the top floor and dangle the rest into the basement and reverse my shop vac after it thawed and blow it out... I would have been screwed if this job wasn't heated. An electric compressor could have been inside...
What have you done to get the water out? ( I haven't a heated garage.) :sad:


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## mtmtnman

GaryArf said:


> I agree with the bigger the better. While we are on this subject of gas compressors verses electric I had an issue today with my military gas compressor. Since it's gas and needs to run outside, AND being in MN. in the winter, it was 10 degree today and my hose froze up :sad: luck had it that the job was heated and three stories (including the basement) I was able to bring one end up to the top floor and dangle the rest into the basement and reverse my shop vac after it thawed and blow it out... I would have been screwed if this job wasn't heated. An electric compressor could have been inside...
> What have you done to get the water out? ( I haven't a heated garage.) :sad:



I drain my tanks every evening after i back the truck in the garage. My compressor has not been out of the back of my truck in many years. Sits right behind the cab where it's hard for anyone to get to. Never had an issue with it freezing up in 4 years. You could add a petcock on your manifold to pour Alcohol in the tanks. Just like a semi truck then. If it's military, it should have something of the sort anyways. Military don't have a heated garage in the winter either.......


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## BPWY

I drain my tanks a couple times a year.

No humidity to speak of where I live.
It doesn't add much ice in the tank.


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## SwiftRes

Thoughts on this one? Looking to get a different compressor.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200377763_200377763


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## SwiftRes

If CFM is the most important factor, I may get this:
http://www.amazon.com/Metro-Vacuum-...ZOAW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1328293634&sr=8-3


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## mtmtnman

SwiftRes said:


> Thoughts on this one? Looking to get a different compressor.
> http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200377763_200377763


Shouldn't be bad. I like the V style compressor heads better though. They stay cooler when it's hot out. Don't know where your at in Iowa but i have 2 of these Titans. They are a GREAT compressor. Never an issue with them. One is 4 yrs old and has done over 600 wints without any issues. The other i just broke in this week. It is in my new truck after sitting under the bench in the shop for 16 months. Started 1st pull!!

http://desmoines.craigslist.org/tls/2827757143.html

http://desmoines.craigslist.org/tls/2794749627.html

http://omaha.craigslist.org/tls/2830111492.html

http://sd.craigslist.org/tls/2752130317.html


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## SwiftRes

Thank you much. Just made an offer on the one for 475 in Des Moines, we will see if he takes it.


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## BPWY

SwiftRes said:


> If CFM is the most important factor, I may get this:
> http://www.amazon.com/Metro-Vacuum-...ZOAW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1328293634&sr=8-3







You'll be the fastest wint guy on the block. :laughing:


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## IPS

*Need some input!*

Starting this thread back up! I'm in the market for a new compressor and read through the posts and have searched on line, but the question still prevails. Cfm vs volume! Let's play this game at 40 psi. So Cfm is great because you want to move as much air as fast as you can through the system to move the water out. Now volume is how much air you can put in that space without your compressor having to recharge. While most portable compressor either have a low Cfm and a high volume or high Cfm and low volume. 

In a basic dry two story how much volume can be consumed by the plumbing at 40 psi? Does an eight gallon tank, high cfm become eptied upon hook up? Or will it hold steady and move that water out faster than lighting?

Or does a 12gal low Cfm, say 3.5, hold its own? 
Now let's get tricky and talk about single vs dual stage. So yes the dual stage double compresses the air. So now you have a higher psi. But we are regulating ours to 40psi, so who cares about 175 psi. Why bother two stage then? It would be best to get a bigger engine that can recover quickly correct? I think I confused myself.:vs_worry:


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## Ohnojim

*Volume means nothing when winterizing*



IPS said:


> Starting this thread back up! I'm in the market for a new compressor and read through the posts and have searched on line, but the question still prevails. Cfm vs volume! Let's play this game at 40 psi. So Cfm is great because you want to move as much air as fast as you can through the system to move the water out. Now volume is how much air you can put in that space without your compressor having to recharge. While most portable compressor either have a low Cfm and a high volume or high Cfm and low volume.
> 
> In a basic dry two story how much volume can be consumed by the plumbing at 40 psi? Does an eight gallon tank, high cfm become eptied upon hook up? Or will it hold steady and move that water out faster than lighting?
> 
> Or does a 12gal low Cfm, say 3.5, hold its own?
> Now let's get tricky and talk about single vs dual stage. So yes the dual stage double compresses the air. So now you have a higher psi. But we are regulating ours to 40psi, so who cares about 175 psi. Why bother two stage then? It would be best to get a bigger engine that can recover quickly correct? I think I confused myself.:vs_worry:


zero nadda, nothing, not even a factor worth considering, in fact you wouldn't even need a tank, it's really just an extra hunk of steel to carry around. You really need 9 CFM to winterize efficiently. 11 or more is preferred.


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## IPS

Now that was what i thought too. Then I called a manufacturer and he stated volume was what I needed. Being that he was supposed to be the expert I started to think about how I could convince myself he was right. LOL. I then came to ask the wise owls. :biggrin:Thanks Ohnojim


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## madxtreme01

There are a few issues to consider on this one. All dual stage compressors will run on 220 and probably use up more power than any portable generator. The issue for me is if you have too large of a generator or compressor you are limiting yourself to being truck mounted and help is needed to load/unload the equipment and then doing places like condo's or townhouses where there may not be a driveway, you might have to unload your equipment on site. Best case scenario is a gas powered compressor, but they are expensive so next best option is about a 10 gallon with a decent scfm. Now to push the water out, why would you put the regulator at 40psi if you can push it out at 90 or 125? The pipes can handle the psi until you start to fill them up with air to actually pressurize the system which at that point you would lower it down. I have stated previously that I have a harbor crap unit that does 5.1scfm at 90 and it's a 10 gallon. It does the job pretty well. I recently picked up a 5hp belt driven 110v 26 gallon unit and it would be amazing, but it is too powerful for my 4000 watt generator and also too heavy to load and unload from my truck alone. Maybe if you want the tank size, you could purchase extra tanks and put them with the smaller compressor to make it able to be carried easily. The tanks at harbor freight are only $40 for an 11 gallon and if you ask me a tank is a tank so go ahead and buy a better compressor if you choose and add these onto your existing to hold more air.


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## Ohnojim

*Here is what you don't understand about compressors and*



madxtreme01 said:


> There are a few issues to consider on this one. All dual stage compressors will run on 220 and probably use up more power than any portable generator. The issue for me is if you have too large of a generator or compressor you are limiting yourself to being truck mounted and help is needed to load/unload the equipment and then doing places like condo's or townhouses where there may not be a driveway, you might have to unload your equipment on site. Best case scenario is a gas powered compressor, but they are expensive so next best option is about a 10 gallon with a decent scfm. Now to push the water out, why would you put the regulator at 40psi if you can push it out at 90 or 125? The pipes can handle the psi until you start to fill them up with air to actually pressurize the system which at that point you would lower it down. I have stated previously that I have a harbor crap unit that does 5.1scfm at 90 and it's a 10 gallon. It does the job pretty well. I recently picked up a 5hp belt driven 110v 26 gallon unit and it would be amazing, but it is too powerful for my 4000 watt generator and also too heavy to load and unload from my truck alone. Maybe if you want the tank size, you could purchase extra tanks and put them with the smaller compressor to make it able to be carried easily. The tanks at harbor freight are only $40 for an 11 gallon and if you ask me a tank is a tank so go ahead and buy a better compressor if you choose and add these onto your existing to hold more air.


regulator settings, the tank will compress to the fixed pressure switch set up, you will not develop that pressure in an open system, when you are blowing the lines, the only advantage to using a higher pressure setting is the fact that you can push a larger volume of air through a given size line for a very short time, until the compressor can no longer keep up. Assuming the tank was pre-compressed to its max. 

Harbor Freight is however a good idea get one of these. Best bang for the buck in a compressor for winterizing.

http://www.harborfreight.com/9-gal-212cc-135-psi-wheelbarrow-air-compressor-epa-iii-69783.html

I just realized the heat gun is on the same page. I did not change the compressor oil in my HF compressor, and when its below 20 degrees out, I have to warm up the compressor crankcase or the oil is so thick, it wont turn. Too late in the season to mess with it now, maybe next winter.


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## safeguard dropout

madxtreme01 said:


> Maybe if you want the tank size, you could purchase extra tanks and put them with the smaller compressor to make it able to be carried easily. The tanks at harbor freight are only $40 for an 11 gallon and if you ask me a tank is a tank so go ahead and buy a better compressor if you choose and add these onto your existing to hold more air.


Why would you buy 4 extra tanks to equal the one already sitting in the house?

Force drain the water heater with compression, close ALL valves, charge the water heater to 125 PSI and let it rip. May have to do it twice depending on the size of the house.

There, I just saved you $160...minus 40% discount...you owe me $64 :biggrin:


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## madxtreme01

safeguard dropout said:


> Why would you buy 4 extra tanks to equal the one already sitting in the house?
> 
> Force drain the water heater with compression, close ALL valves, charge the water heater to 125 PSI and let it rip. May have to do it twice depending on the size of the house.
> 
> There, I just saved you $160...minus 40% discount...you owe me $64 :biggrin:



thats a lot harder than it seems, at least here in nj where we have tons of basements. Too much work to force that kind of pressure through the drain and then hook up a hose. I'd rather hook up to the outside spicket with all of the valves in the house closes to force all the water out and leave everything on my truck. I have 100ft of hose and most times it wouldn't reach the water heater going through the house.


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## safeguard dropout

madxtreme01 said:


> thats a lot harder than it seems, at least here in nj where we have tons of basements. Too much work to force that kind of pressure through the drain and then hook up a hose. I'd rather hook up to the outside spicket with all of the valves in the house closes to force all the water out and leave everything on my truck. I have 100ft of hose and most times it wouldn't reach the water heater going through the house.


Think outside your own head a little bit. If you were a roach crawling through the pipes, could you find your way to the water heater from the outside spigot?

:wink:


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## Ohnojim

*You can compress the water heater from the outside*



madxtreme01 said:


> thats a lot harder than it seems, at least here in nj where we have tons of basements. Too much work to force that kind of pressure through the drain and then hook up a hose. I'd rather hook up to the outside spicket with all of the valves in the house closes to force all the water out and leave everything on my truck. I have 100ft of hose and most times it wouldn't reach the water heater going through the house.


hose bib, unless its backflow preventor gives you trouble. I find that to be an issue, in a lot of homes. But, if you have a usable hose bib, you can pressurize the water heater from there in most cases. 

I use the water heater trick to blow lines, if i only have a single wint, and other work at the property, with an electric compressor. But during bulk wint season,there is no substitute for CFM a gas compressor and a couple hundred feet of air line and garden hose. I use air line and garden hose in different configurations depending on the property. 

Its a lot easier to drag 1/4" rubber air line, than it is to drag garden hose, if you need to take it to the washer hook up.


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## safeguard dropout

Ohnojim said:


> hose bib, unless its backflow preventor gives you trouble. I find that to be an issue, in a lot of homes. But, if you have a usable hose bib, you can pressurize the water heater from there in most cases.
> 
> I use the water heater trick to blow lines, if i only have a single wint, and other work at the property, with an electric compressor. But during bulk wint season,there is no substitute for CFM a gas compressor and a couple hundred feet of air line and garden hose. I use air line and garden hose in different configurations depending on the property.
> 
> Its a lot easier to drag 1/4" rubber air line, than it is to drag garden hose, if you need to take it to the washer hook up.



Completely agree on a good gas compressor being faster. I just hear people saying it cant be done properly without one it simply isn't true. I have only done about 300 wints in 8 years of this (the money mostly sucks for wints) and I have done every single one with a 2 1/2 gallon pancake compressor and no issues. Yep, it takes a while to compress 50 gallons to 125 PSI, but most times I hooked it up and did other profitable stuff while it was building pressure. I never did the hose bib, just carried the pancake to the basement and hooked up to the house side of the meter.

I've done a lot of plumbing repair around the midwest, mostly on older 1970s apartments and never once seen a backflow on a water heater. Is that a local thing?


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## Ohnojim

*Generally I can not compress a system to 125, psi*



safeguard dropout said:


> Completely agree on a good gas compressor being faster. I just hear people saying it cant be done properly without one it simply isn't true. I have only done about 300 wints in 8 years of this (the money mostly sucks for wints) and I have done every single one with a 2 1/2 gallon pancake compressor and no issues. Yep, it takes a while to compress 50 gallons to 125 PSI, but most times I hooked it up and did other profitable stuff while it was building pressure. I never did the hose bib, just carried the pancake to the basement and hooked up to the house side of the meter.
> 
> I've done a lot of plumbing repair around the midwest, mostly on older 1970s apartments and never once seen a backflow on a water heater. Is that a local thing?


because the boiler TP valve will blow at about 35 psi., and we tend to have a high percentage of boiler systems, I could islotate the heating loop, but that's another couple steps. Anywhere you can hook it up and it works is OK by me. The best place is always the washer hook up, and is generally my first choice. 

If you are doing bulk wints and want to get 10-12 done in a day, you need the big compressor. If you are doing an initial secure,trash out, etc. any decent compressor will do, agreed. 

I have actually winterized with a really crappy little 2cfm Campbell Housefield $69 piece of crap, using the water heater when I had to.

Backflow preventors (vacuum breakers) are on most modern hose bibs/hydrants made today, and have been code around here for 20 years or so. They are not on the water heater they are on the outside hose bib, and keep garden hose water from backflowing or siphoning into your plumbing system. They sometimes prevent air from entering the system from that point also.

I find it hard to believe they are not the norm in NJ also, since NJ is a CodeNazi state.


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## safeguard dropout

Ohnojim said:


> Generally I can not compress a system to 125, psibecause the boiler TP valve will blow at about 35 psi., and we tend to have a high percentage of boiler systems, I could islotate the heating loop, but that's another couple steps. Anywhere you can hook it up and it works is OK by me. The best place is always the washer hook up, and is generally my first choice.
> 
> 
> 
> Backflow preventors (vacuum breakers) are on most modern hose bibs/hydrants made today, and have been code around here for 20 years or so. They are not on the water heater they are on the outside hose bib, and keep garden hose water from backflowing or siphoning into your plumbing system. They sometimes prevent air from entering the system from that point also.
> 
> I find it hard to believe they are not the norm in NJ also, since NJ is a CodeNazi state.


OK I get what you're saying about backflow on the hose bib...don't know if they're code here or not. I don't think so. We all grew up drinking from a garden hose anyway and we don't care! :vs_smile:

You really have that many boilers in houses? I'd bet it's less than 1/2 percent here. Apartment are a different story, about 50/50. No cold feed shutoffs to isolate the boiler? Yea that would blow the TP a little early. Most boilers I've seen have a shutoff just before the regulator.


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## Ohnojim

*Yeah, you can shut off the boiler fill*



safeguard dropout said:


> OK I get what you're saying about backflow on the hose bib...don't know if they're code here or not. I don't think so. We all grew up drinking from a garden hose anyway and we don't care! :vs_smile:
> 
> You really have that many boilers in houses? I'd bet it's less than 1/2 percent here. Apartment are a different story, about 50/50. No cold feed shutoffs to isolate the boiler? Yea that would blow the TP a little early. Most boilers I've seen have a shutoff just before the regulator.


but if you are doing bulk wints, that means you have to blow the heating side, separately. I like to do everything at the same time, pressure test all at the same time, and get to the next one. 

I have a lot of systems with both a water heater for summer use and a boiler on older homes. 

I would venture a bet, if you were familiar with your local plumbing codes, a majority would require anti-siphon, or BF preventors. No matter where you are.


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## safeguard dropout

So, if Mr Maidextreme is blowing lines from the outside spigot and it has an anti siphon device, then any air enough to blow the lines has also blown up and damaged the anti siphon valve with air pressure, correct?

Did some checking, yes they are required here. My house was built in 2005 and does not have them.....Mmmm.


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## mtmtnman

12 CFM gas compressor and i can have a wint done in a half hour tops if everything is intact. I hook to the washer box and blow both sides at the same time. Have not had a failed one since i started this in 2008.......


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## Ohnojim

*I don't know about damaging them*



safeguard dropout said:


> So, if Mr Maidextreme is blowing lines from the outside spigot and it has an anti siphon device, then any air enough to blow the lines has also blown up and damaged the anti siphon valve with air pressure, correct?
> 
> Did some checking, yes they are required here. My house was built in 2005 and does not have them.....Mmmm.


but you can't get air through them, if they are working properly.


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## bigdaddy

mtmtnman said:


> 12 CFM gas compressor and i can have a wint done in a half hour tops if everything is intact. I hook to the washer box and blow both sides at the same time. Have not had a failed one since i started this in 2008.......


If you are not blowing from the meter, how are you getting all of the water out?
All of you guys saying you are blowing from washer, spigot, water heater, etc...
The ONLY way to get ALL of the water out is to disconnect the meter and blow from there.


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## AceVentura

bigdaddy said:


> If you are not blowing from the meter, how are you getting all of the water out?
> All of you guys saying you are blowing from washer, spigot, water heater, etc...
> The ONLY way to get ALL of the water out is to disconnect the meter and blow from there.


What I always do is just run the hot and cold lines separately.

Usually a good idea to run around the house twice because there is usually a build up of residual water that collects.

It really wouldn't be any different unless the hot or cold side did not open when you are adding pressure, same break point for the hot cold separation.

The exterior hose hookups with antisiphon just don't let the air pressure through.


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## Ohnojim

*It doesn't matter if you blow air*



bigdaddy said:


> If you are not blowing from the meter, how are you getting all of the water out?
> All of you guys saying you are blowing from washer, spigot, water heater, etc...
> The ONLY way to get ALL of the water out is to disconnect the meter and blow from there.


in from the meter end our out of the meter end to get the water out. That is like saying you can only blow the water out of the shower head by blowing air into the slower head.

The main reason for using the washer hook up is because you have access to both hot and cold at the same place, a lot of water heaters only have one valve on the cold side. If this is the case, the water heater will still pressurize from the hot side if that valve is closed and you won't have to make special trip to open the valve.


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## AceVentura

Ohnojim said:


> in from the meter end our out of the meter end to get the water out. That is like saying you can only blow the water out of the shower head by blowing air into the slower head.


Ha!

I have actually seen that on a website, its a fn joke... THe same folks whom I am pretty sure helped start the retaliation against me...

For a good laugh: look at the pictures on this website...

http://www.pinceproperty.com/#!winterize/c1jdn


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## bigdaddy

Ohnojim said:


> in from the meter end our out of the meter end to get the water out. That is like saying you can only blow the water out of the shower head by blowing air into the slower head.
> 
> The main reason for using the washer hook up is because you have access to both hot and cold at the same place, a lot of water heaters only have one valve on the cold side. If this is the case, the water heater will still pressurize from the hot side if that valve is closed and you won't have to make special trip to open the valve.


Sorry for the confusion. I should have clarified.
My comment was directed to the "Experts" on here who claim to blow from the washer and NOT disconnect the water meter because ONLY the water company can disconnect it. Therefore they are NOT getting 100% of the water out of the system no matter what they claim. Around here there is a seal on the street side only, we disconnect from the house side and connect the line and blow from there. I understand that in some states it may be illegal to touch the meter at all, in that case there is no possible way to do a correct winterization so you shouldn't be doing them if you can't do them right!


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## Ohnojim

*Oh no, I disconect the meter after the presure test*

and allow the compressor to run while I'm discontenting the meter and plugging the line, or just left the air in the water heater run out that end, depending. Additionally, if you have a main before the meter saddle with a bleeder, it is best to open that first. The water companies down your way don't generally allow a stop before the meter, to prevent theft and bypass pipes from being installed, but up here they don't care that much.


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## madxtreme01

I am very content with the compressor that I've been using, if all valve are closed in the house, connecting to the outside spigot empties the water heater in under 10 min, then the rest is just taking as much water out of the lines as possible. I believe that there is no possible way to get all of the water out, you really just need to get enough water out that if the remainder freezes it can't expand enough to do any damage. I mean if anyone really gave a crap about these houses, they would be calling in a plumber to do the job the correct way, the way they were trained and would charge probably $400 for the same service these nationals are trying to push on us for $100 if we are lucky. So do the best job you can, and if there are no breaks in the lines, then you are golden. I have yet to have caused any damage that has been brought to my attention, and I've been doing it the same way for 6 years.


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## mtmtnman

bigdaddy said:


> If you are not blowing from the meter, how are you getting all of the water out?
> All of you guys saying you are blowing from washer, spigot, water heater, etc...
> The ONLY way to get ALL of the water out is to disconnect the meter and blow from there.


Like i said, Have not had a failure in 8 years. I end up with most of the ones i do as REO's so i see them through the whole process. Many are also wells. Very few check valves so you can actually blow back to the stop and waste at the curb. Sometimes their is 20-30' of pipe in the crawlspace BEFORE the water meter. As far as WM's go, Most cities here say don't touch. Occasionally i find one frozen. They come out and replace.


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## IPS

*Rolair*









http://www.rolair.net/air-compressors/spec_pages/wheeled_gas/7722HK28.html#specs

Welcome to the family Mr.Rolair. I have decide on this beast for many reasons.
1. American made 2. Running air tools 3. price/Cfm/weight 4. its cool:wink:


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