Winterization...sort of

This will be my first winter with my upgraded system, GX630 with an Udor 5.5 pump. I have heated storage for my enclosed trailer so I’m not worried about freezing temperatures but is there anything I need to do to my pump to store it for an extended period of time? Should it be drained of water? Or do I simply turn it off after my last job and let the water sit in it for 5 months until spring?

Even with heated storage I would still either drain the water completely or pull antifreeze through. If power goes out or, the furnace breaks down, you risk ruining your pump. Be sure to blow out all water from your pressure washer hoses, supply hoses, etc. Steel fittings rust so you’re better off getting all of the water out of everything.

As far as the engine I would unhook the gas line, pull some Seafoam through it and, and then shut the engine down. Some people just turn the gas off, run the engine until it dies, and then drain the carburetor bowl. This is works but the Seafoam will help keep and rubber in the carb or fuel pump from drying out. Get rid of whatever fuel is left in your fuel tanks. It’ll be garbage by next season. The oil can collect condensation over winter so be sure to change it again in the spring.

I would also get a battery tender and keep it on the battery all winter. You might have to pull the battery and take it home if you don’t have outlets in your storage unit.

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Good outline. Never used the Seafoam, when you say “pull it through” I assume turn off the gas and crank the engine. Do you have a hot water water machine? If yes do you run a cleaner through it as well?

Do you use Seafoam products in your car also?

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We run sea foam in everything, And I’d follow @marinegrunt advice to a T. we run antifreeze all year long for fleet washing as needed. As for pulling it through he means take you buffer line off and have your antifreeze in a five gallon bucket then start engine on idle and pull it through till you see antifreeze coming out the hose end. Takes about 5 gallons of antifreeze to do a hot machine with 200’ of line

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I’m good with getting antifreeze in the pump etc over the winter, I was referring to: “As far as the engine I would unhook the gas line, pull some Seafoam through it and, and then shut the engine down.”
I was also looking on You Tube, people running a cleaner through their hot water heater, something to keep the heating coils clean. I have a product used for cleaning outdoor air-conditioning condensers, I assume it’s mildly acidic, if something like that would be effective. Clean it, rinse it and then add anti-freeze.

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@marinegrunt what Seafoam product are you referring to? Just the Seafoam Motor Treatment? Good idea to run antifreeze through the pump just in case of a rare freeze. I just wasn’t sure if there was a product that would keep the internals of the pump lubricated like Seafoam products lubricate an engine. Or if that was completely unnecessary…

I was planning to use up fuel before storing so I wouldn’t have any sitting all winter. Plus blow out all the other lines that would have water that won’t have antifreeze. My main concern was the pump and engine. Just trying to make my investment last. It has been a good setup for me this year with very few issues other than a stuck unloader about a month in. Which was a quick fix.

Thanks for all the advice and recommendations!

Yeah we put seafoam in our tanks and run um 5 minutes or so then drain out fuel, as far as coil cleaning goes you need coil cleaner and run it through your coil using a recirculating pump for around an hour to remove all scale. Mostly and outside coil cleaning on the coil is our problem, soot builds up. thats a big job to remove coil then clean and install new insulation.

Wouldn’t even mess with all of that. Just light er up and get it done.

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Same question here.
Are we talking about SeaFoam Motor Treatment in a can or SeaFoam Fuel Injector Cleaner? Or SeaFoam Cleaner and Lube? :flushed:

SeaFoam Motor Treatment will work fine.

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