Cold weather on way, protect your precious money maker!!! Call me if needed!!!

Hi everyone,

I have been receiving a lot of phone calls today because I have been in cold weather cleaning situation.

Some of you are going to experience WAY unusual cold temps. Just so you know, the governor of the state of MN just had schools closed for this coming Monday due to the unusual cold weather. Quite unusual as we think we are pretty tough in MN!

Here is my first initial thought after talking with a lot of people today (and with the guidance of my wife in the background on most phone calls)

First and foremost I want to say relying on a space heater in your un-insulated van is really taking a chance of costing you a lot of money and the most precious part of making you money.

My initial thoughts after conversations:

Try if you can to find a heated shop maybe from your local mechanic to get that truck and truckmount unit into for the weekend or each night of cold. Give them a $50 dollar bill and a great bottle of scotch! (or send the scotch to me )

If you can't get a heated garage, do you have anyone with a small garage that will at least reduce the temps about 20 degrees just getting your truckmount out of the elements.

If in a garage, I would suggest using the pink RV winterization solution to run through all hoses of the unit, the cat pumpicon, water heater (heat exchanger) and take all wands, chemicals and anything that could be frozen or effected by cold weather out of your van to heated environment.

If you have to at last resort REPEAT AT LAST RESORT! get a ceramic heater to get by your water pump, heating unit or heat exchanger and in the entire van cab to help prevent freeze up. This might not still protect everything and is very risky. Really consider calling in your best friend (or new best friend) with a heated shop or garage and get the money and scotch. It is seriously going to be WAY cheaper that trying to winterize or buy extra heating units.

AND if you have questions (I don't care what time of day it is SERIOUSLY) you call me at 218-259-9099. This is my cell phone. Please leave a message if I am unable to answer and I am serious. I will return a call ASAP!

I don't want any of you to lose your livelihood. I have been cleaning in cold weather all my life and I want you to call me!!!!

Here is also a link to my youtube video page with a lot of cold weather cleaning.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi9...xJPGgxWPTnEUhg

I am also going to post this on every chat board I know of to make sure others are taken care of. I am also including my link to cold weather cleaning from Mikey's board. Now is not the time to be picking lines in the sand when it comes to making sure you do not incur major costly expenses to keeping your livelihood.

http://mikeysboard.com/2013/12/18/su...-cold-weather/


I am cutting and pasting this from other posts, so if this does not appear from the board I mentioned, email me from my web contact page and I will get the link to you. www.saigers.com

Again, please call with any questions. I am here to give back to everyone in this great industry!

Mark Saiger
www.saigers.com

My contact me page is in the upper right hand corner of my web page as well.



Mark Saiger
Saiger's Steam Clean, LLC
Grand Rapids, MN
www.saigers.com

The link doesn't work Mark. Let me see if I can get that link to work

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi9UefjEixJPGgxWPTnEUhg

Sorry

Here's your Cold Weather Survival Guide in PDF Format

Great help Mark, you may have saved a few cleaners out there.

I worked without a heated shop last year and despite running 2 space heaters in an uninsulated garage, sufferred some freeze damage.  Like Mark said, you are taking a risk running that way.  If you can't find a heated shop, try what I did and ask the local boat shops for space.  Around here, this is their "off-season" as well, but their empty shops are heated to protect their inventory and equipment.  I have my van snuggled in the back of a shop this year for about the same cost of running 2 space heaters...a huge win for me.

I also would recommend buying a little propane heater from "Mr. Heater" to help pre-heat the interior before your van starts producing heat.  It also does a good job of maintaining temps. in the van when you shut down for lunch.  No odors, no carbon monoxide issues, and will keep 200 sqft of space quite toasty.

Mo wrote:Here's your Cold Weather Survival Guide in PDF Format

Thanks Mo,

And again, to go with that article, go to my youtube page for the videos that could be of help with all of this too.

Best wishes everyone. I wish everyone the best!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi9UefjEixJPGgxWPTnEUhg

Mark Saiger
www.saigers.com

Now that the link is working, I see that Mark already covers the portable propane heaters...excellent article on survivng the cold. Lots of great proven information for people new and old to cold temps.

Mark, I know you get wicked freezes in MN. What kinda weather is blowing in?? Here in central WA it will get down to 10° for a week to 10 days-thats usually the worst of it. Space heaters does the job in my vans.

-so how bad is the forecast??
-I tip my CC hat to you for offering help and to great lengths you are willing to be available!

Matt

Wonder if he'd be mad if I called him at 3 am his time and wanted help for our cold CA temps........43f.   

I don't know what Mark has for his forecast, but it must be bad. I was up there in Dec. when it was single digits all week and it was -7 here yesterday and that air was on its way.

Might see people setting fires under their vehicles like in the 1940's when their oil would freeze up. Seriously, don't set fires under your vans.

Seriously

Man, I can't imagine being in your guys shoes, I have no idea!

Mad Props!!

My carpet cleaner wrote:Mark, I know you get wicked freezes in MN. What kinda weather is blowing in??  Here in central WA it will get down to 10° for  a week to 10 days-thats usually the worst of it. Space heaters does the job in my vans.  

-so how bad is the forecast??
-I tip my CC hat  to you for offering help and to great lengths you are willing to be available!

Matt

Suppose to get down to -51 degrees Sunday night. I have cleaned in those temps, but the older I get, the less I want too!

But I might just do some cleaning at my house just to say "I did it again"!  

Mark Saiger
www.saigers.com

Davey Cracker wrote:Wonder if he'd be mad if I called him at 3 am his time and wanted help for our cold CA temps........43f.   

I would expect it from anyone who needs help actually

No problem and I would totally understand. It's hard for people who have never experienced this and when it hits, the panic is crazy.

Just got off the phone at 6 am from someone and now I just got a broken pipe call I am going to go suck water (hard surface basement no problem)

Anyway, be safe everyone!

Mark Saiger
www.saigers.com

Thanks Mark! I get nervous around the carolinas when it gets in the 20's space heaters in the van pointing over the pumps, and hx. One day the insulated shop will happen.

The only good thing about extreme cold is that once it warms up again, boken pipes are rampant. Well, that is not a good thing, but for business it is at least. I had a grocery store flood last week after the sub-zero temps.

I am always tempted to buy an old refrigeration truck at this time of year...it would be an awesome truck as far as insulation goes. Wouldn't take much to keep one of those warm.

Just got in from 2 busted pipe calls and look at 2 VERY large upcoming carpet jobs. Water losses small and perfect! Easy in and out money which is all I am going to do anymore.

Just in the office trying to get a bunch of work caught up.

Can't believe how much I am behind and this is suppose to be the slower season...Lol

Mark Saiger
www.saigers.com

Hey Mark, Does anyone use a Cigarette lighter plug in air compressor to blow out all the water after each job so there would be no water to freeze?

beeclean wrote:Hey Mark, Does anyone use a Cigarette lighter plug in air compressor to blow out all the water after each job so there would be no water to freeze?

Nope...we just reel in the hoses to the warm van, and get going to the next job.....no time to waste (to dang cold...LOL)

Just had a call from a cleaner in St. Louis who is really taking precautions to winterize and protect his cleaning van. He got me thinking and it might have been mentioned, but make sure if you are using ceramic or oil filled radiator units, make sure they are on separate circuits.

Also, here is a cheap little $23 safety warning unit that you can use. I have one in my shop in case the main heat goes out (but I also have 220 volt 8 foot electric baseboard back up heaters installed all around the shop).

Here is a link to the unit which is a Honeywell winter watchman: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Honeywell-Winter-Watchman-Temperature-Signal-CW200A/100476732#

Here are my pics of it's set up on a RED spot slight and my unit is set to go off at 42 degrees in my particular application.







Plugged into the wall socket:


Front of unit:


Back of unit:


View from my home office window (through the screen too) and easily seen if it goes off (even our Schnoodle sees it and let's us know....good dog!)


Be safe and be warm!

Mark Saiger

Looks like you have your bases covered Mark. The only thing missing is a backup generator (wish I had one), but that is why I keep a couple of kerosene heaters on-hand ready to go if needed.

I like the flood light idea...could also go with a freeze alert that calls your cellphone when it gets close to freezing, but I like your way as it it is simple and less expensive.

Someone tell me why we live in this region again?

milspec6 wrote:Looks like you have your bases covered Mark.  The only thing missing is a backup generator (wish I had one), but that is why I keep a couple of kerosene heaters on-hand ready to go if needed.

I like the flood light idea...could also go with a freeze alert that calls your cellphone when it gets close to freezing, but I like your way as it it is simple and less expensive.

Someone tell me why we live in this region again?

I actually have things set up for backup generators as well....LOL. And I am having a new security system installed with cameras and heat and cold sensors in the home and shop. Will also be able to view off my cell phones, tablets, computers....

Yep, I am just trying to stay prepared for anything! Zombies don't scare me either....LOL

Mark Saiger
www.saigers.com

Mark Saiger wrote:

Yep, I am just trying to stay prepared for anything!  Zombies don't scare me either....LOL

Mark Saiger
www.saigers.com

Now there's something useful to us here in CA too, and a topic for a whole 'nuther thread, the ZOMBIE Apocalypse!!    

I won't complain. It's supposed to be 14 here tomorrow night in south Alabama but that's a lot better than -56 below....95 to 100 here I can withstand in the summer but these temps you all endure in the winter....forget it. In the high 60's today and around 28 tonight. I just drained all of the water out my system and blew the water out of my tools and still have a heater in the van.
Hope all goes well for you guys in the colder climate.

What I find amazing is that people still want their carpet cleaninged when its negative 51 degrees. I take it the door covers are mandatory in your area. Which one are you using Mark?

There is no way I would be able to clean in that weather. Hats off to you cold weather cleaners

Mo wrote:What I find amazing is that people still want their carpet cleaninged when its negative 51 degrees. I take it the door covers are mandatory in your area. Which one are you using Mark?

There is no way I would be able to clean in that weather. Hats off to you cold weather cleaners

I had 2 call today trying to schedule work on Monday....evening as well!! I think they just want to see a floor show, didn't schedule it until later in the week.

The wind is blowing hard right now, already had a branch bust out a window upstairs...I hate winter, yet I still have to get up at 4 am tomorrow and work all day outside. Oh well, I didn't need my fingers anyway...I have a calculator now