air bags in the winter

[Lejusti]

for those of us in the cold winter states or canada what does everyone do with the noids? do you keep them in? or will they freeze? if i was to store my car with bags, what do i need to do so that they will not be damaged over the winter months?
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thanks.

[SpArX]

Just drain your tank when it' s stored so that no condensation or water freezes up. Other than that you should be fine with winter storage. No different than laying up anyother kinda compressor system. I always drain my tank in intervals summer or winter anyhow, and keep the tank depressurized while stored for more than two weeks. Seems to work good for me. I' m not sure what Semi' s use when they operate on the road for winter use?

[1badPT]

I' ve had my system on my daily driver for over 2 years and have never had any problems with the noids freezing up. One thing you want to do if you want it even in the winter months is to install a water seperator between the compressor and the tank. This will eliminate almost all the moisture from even reaching the noids...and make the noids the highest part of the system. This way, even if some moisture does get in the system with a water seperator installed, it will not accumulate at the valves to freeze them in the first place. The only problem I have encountered in extremely cold weather is that if I allowed my water separator to accumulate too much water before I drained it down, it will freeze shut the passage from the tank to the compressor, so the compressor will try to run constant because the tank will never reach pressure. You can hear the compressor because it sounds different in this situation. To remedy this, you can pull the fuse for the compressor and drain the separator when the engine heat from under the car melts the separator, if you have it mounted under the car, or the heat from inside the car if the compressor is installed inside the car, or even use a blow dryer. This has only happened twice to me in over two years and the dryer is mounted under the car, so I usually drain it if I have been driving an hour or so which the engine heat from under the car thaws the separator and I can drain it then. I could just make sure the separator is drained daily in the cold winter months though, and/or insulate it! But I have never had a problem with the valves freezing, just keep them the highest point in the system.

[WestCoastImpalas]

I' m not sure what Semi' s use when they operate on the road for winter use?

I have a fleet of Water Trucks and in the winter we drain the air tanks every night. I also use a special lubricant in the air lines that keeps the air valves and belt driven air compressor from freezing up. The lubricant may not work with the air valves sold at ART. That is something that ART would have to advise on.

[SpArX]

Thanks, good to know. Worst part is my uncle is a heavy duty mech for a large company with a fleet of water and chemical trucks(vac trucks) and I always forget to ask him what they do on those trucks too? We do run them down to -40 up here too! I' m sure that' s cold enough! haha

[darren@ridetech.com]

I have heard of guys using that air brake anti-freeze. Haven' t used it myself, but as long as it won' t hurt the O rings it should be OK.

[CustomChevS10]

I daily drive my s10 as well. I live in New England so it' s always tons of snow and freeeezing out. Many of us use air brake antifreeze but as long as you have a good water trap and drain your tank you will be ok.

[1badPT]

I' ve heard of air brake antifreeze, but, cusomchevs10, can you tell me a little more about it, I know nothing. ie; like how much and how you introduce it into the system and how often,...and so on, even as to where you buy it. Thanks for the info!

[1badPT]

Anyone???

[CustomChevS10]

you can buy it from your local big rig/semi truck store. Some people put in a cap full some people put in 2 cap fulls. It' s not really a science to it. Since i' m assuming your dumps are open you' ll want to do it every month we' ll say. I usually toss in a cap full every month. Usually i' ll start in late oct or nov then go to about the end of feb so a few capfulls. It' s only a couple bucks.