Last week, in Spray Foam is Awesome!, we talked about some of the amazing benefits of spray foam insulation.
This week we are going to talk about some things that happen to applicators in the cold weather.
When spraying foam, regardless of what equipment you use, COLD WEATHER presents challenges that warm weather does not. These challenges can sometimes test the operator’s patience to the max and you can see an increase in equipment expenses. Some of those expenses can be attributed to operator frustration. They want to do a good job but the foam isn’t cooperating.
BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY
Whether you use Graco or PMC, an electric or hydraulic proportioner or a box truck or trailer, the truck workspace should be kept warm at all times. Both insulating and heating the enclosed space will help control temperature. If the temperature is not controlled, the temperature inside the work area will be the same as outside, and this means everything – hoses, chemical, cleaners, grease, hydraulic fluid, black piping, generator, diesel fuel, air compressor, parts, etc. – will be dramatically colder.
Think about these scenarios:
Scenario #1 – Operator gets to work, happy, ready to start his day. The diesel generator will not start. Someone forgot to plug it in. He comes inside where he gets yelled at by his supervisor for not plugging it in the day before, and no matter how long it takes he needs to finish the job today, so before he is started, he is faced with a long shift… That happy employee now wears a frown and the thought of working till whenever, well…you get the picture. You’ve heard the story of the man who kicked the cat! Well, he just became the man who throws the spray gun against the wall! Or mashes gears in the truck. Either way, it’s an expense that wasn’t necessary.
Scenario #2 – Same as number one, now he has finally started the generator. One hour behind schedule he leaves the shop so he can get to job site and start spraying. Once there he realizes, in his haste, he forgot to stop to fill the diesel tank, which he knows won’t last the day. FRUSTRATION… Now at the job site, generator running, he turns on the air compressor, the compressor comes on, but…NO AIR…moisture in the tank from the day before froze overnight, plugging up the airlines…more FRUSTRATION!!!
These are a few of the things that can happen with cold weather. Stay tuned next week and we will share a few more things that can happen in cold weather as we continue to discuss the interesting world of spray foam insulation.
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