Pump maintenance

After a pump-off and wash, what are you folks adding to the pump to insure it doesn't freeze up on you if you plan on being in freezing conditions in the near future.

I was thinking that I could use a good windshield washer fluid. Once I open the caps and let it drain I wouldn't think there would be enough fluid to contaminate the next load.

 

Pam........

 

I always left all valves open until the next load. It worked fine in -20 weather.

 

I use -40 windshield washer fluid.

Depending on what you put in your tank I may to a mix of windshield washer fluid and oil.

 

Just dry it out completely before you shut the valves and replace the cap & plug. The product should be warmer than the ambient air temperature, so flooding the pump cavity before you start pumping will help warm it up a little.

I loaded crude oil in 14°F weather (from an unheated tank) using a pump that had just been rebuilt, so it was clean and dry inside. All I did was open the inlet valve before starting the pump so that the pump wouldn't start dry.

 

But the bypass inside the pump isn't going to dry out, will it?

 

Unless you have a stainless pump the inside of the pump will rust after washing dry or not.......

it’s best to lube it with something.......

 

But Pam is too large to fit in that little space.

That's TX humor for 'ya.

 

Matlack had a drain piped off the bypass to drain that part, removed the 1/4" plug and piped on a small ball valve.

After washing we used compressed air to dry the pump. The Ropers used to spin a bit and you would see the drain valve spiting...

Cap the pipes and let the drain valve open. always made a point to close it during the next day's pre-trip.

 

Never had a problem with pumps freezing from ice.
After a washout I just spin it for a second, cap them and that’s it.
Normally the product being offloaded will be warm.