With the cold weather here, it is time to eliminate the possibility of frozen air brakes. The addition of an ADV will ensure that air brakes perform as intended during the winter months and beyond.
Erik Johnson
Winter has made an early appearance in many parts of the country. Ice and corrosive de-icing agents are here until spring comes with better weather. The de-icers used on roads can wreak havoc on a vehicle’s exterior and underbody. The same two opposing forces, ice and de-icers have similar corrosive effects inside the closed air brake system.
A byproduct of compressing air is moisture. The compression process creates heat, which interacts with the ambient temperature of the air brake system to create moisture. This moisture must be evacuated from the low spots in the tanks where it collects. If the moisture is allowed to remain in the system, the service life of the component parts is greatly shortened; this is true in hot, warm or cold weather conditions. It is especially important to expel the moisture in sub-freezing conditions as the water will turn to ice making the air brakes inoperable. There are a few ways of dealing with this problem: Automatic Drain Valves (ADVs), alcohol evaporators and manual tank draining.
Pull The Chain
Daily manual draining is always an option for removing moisture. This involves pulling the chain on the pet cock to empty the wet tank of the collected water. Unfortunately, this step is often overlooked which allows the corrosive effects of moisture in the system to begin to degrade the component parts of the air brake system. In the winter if the tank is not drained and the water turns to ice, the air brakes will not work.
Alcohol Evaporators
One solution for frozen brake lines is the use of an alcohol evaporator. This is a process whereby liquid alcohol is run through an evaporator and the resulting mist is run through the air brake system as a de-icing agent. This method has been used successfully for years; however, this is not a one-time cost. After purchasing and installing the evaporator, it is necessary to purchase the alcohol solution as needed; this cost does not go away. Of course, manual draining of the wet tank must still be done on a daily basis. Another drawback to the use of an alcohol evaporator is the damage that alcohol does to the petroleum-based parts of the air brake system.
Work Smarter
A heated automatic drain valve (ADV) is the most reliable method for keeping any compressed air system as dry as possible and ice-free. An air brake system free of moisture means that ice will not form in the system. Pneumatic ADVs replace the manual drain and expel water when the compressor cycles on. Electronic ADVs also replace the manual drain and operate on a fixed schedule while the vehicle is running. An ADV is a cost-effective solution to the problem of water in an air brake system. They eliminate the need for daily tank draining and with an ADV there is no forgetting to drain the tank, the valve does the work.
With the cold weather here, it is time to eliminate the possibility of frozen air brakes. The addition of an ADV will ensure that air brakes perform as intended during the winter months and beyond, as these valves not only eliminate freeze up they keep air brake systems clean, dry and corrosion free for the life of the valve.
Erik Johnson is a Product Manager for Expello Air Products, a division of D &D Instruments (Minneapolis, MN). He can be reached at (612) 255-1149, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.expelloairproducts.com.