Using the sprayer in freezing conditions.

[Aceface]

Does anyone have experience or views of taking advantage of it being frozen under tyre and putting Fox (or Kerb etc) on OSR and using liquid urea in the mix as an anti-freeze to prevent the spray lines being damaged by frost. If so, what % solution is adequate for possible -5c protection.
Many thanks in advance.

 

[Clive]

don't bother with the urea - it will be fine without unless extreme cold, have done this in the past without issue

 

[Mdt]

I haven't added anything to the mix in the past, I find its the travelling to field that starts the freezing up.

 

[Adeptandy]

Be careful if rain is forecast, heard of a chap who did this, it rained before it thawed, kerb ended up in the river EA tracked it back, was quite expensive for the farmer I'm led to believe

 

[Laggard]

MDT spot on, it's the windchill on the booms that will make them freeze.

 

[Will 1594]

MDT spot on, it's the windchill on the booms that will make them freeze.

Will this happen with boom recirculating or will jets freeze up we have rape to spray on heavy land

 

[Cjm]

Have used liquid fert at 5% which seemed to work well down to -5. Only thing to watch out for is windchill on airlines cutting out boom sections/nozzles!

 

[Clive]

work form a bowser filled and kept in a insulated shed the night before - fill at field, its wind chill on road that freezes booms

 

[Mdt]

Will this happen with boom recirculating or will jets freeze up we have rape to spray on heavy land

Yes as mine has recirculation but it's more in the nozzle/valve/holder mainly. Have you far to travel as that's where it starts freezing?

 

[Will 1594]

Yes as mine has recirculation but it's more in the nozzle/valve/holder mainly. Have you far to travel as that's where it starts freezing?

5/10 mins from water tank

 

[Mdt]

5/10 mins from water tank

Are you able to fill up in field? I know more hassle but less time to freeze up. You might be ok but I can be nearly half frozen after 5 min sometimes but it does depend on the temps of the frost at the time.

 

[Will 1594]

Yes can bowser if need be. Of to bed Hopefully a good day

 

[Mdt]

Yes can bowser if need be. Of to bed Hopefully a good day

Me too. Hope you succeed in getting the job done.

 

[T Hectares]

I find if you spray N out of the lines the night before the nozzles will have N in them and will not freeze, the lines are normally ok around the -2℃ mark with recirculation going and N in the outlet side of chem saver and nozzle body.

This works for me but I wouldn't be able to fill my tank at -5℃ as all my tanks are exposed and I doubt I could keep the bowser warm enough to stop it freezing.

 

[yellow belly]

water out the tap will be about 10 c but water in a tank or bowser will have cooled to air temperature

a stated above it is wind chill that will freexe up

done kerb on to snow before then it melted the next day and ran off across a wheat field killing the wheat

 

[FarmyStu]

water out the tap will be about 10 c but water in a tank or bowser will have cooled to air temperature

a stated above it is wind chill that will freexe up

done kerb on to snow before then it melted the next day and ran off across a wheat field killing the wheat

Wind chill has been mentioned a few times on this thread. Is it not the case that the only things affected by wind chill are animals? Wind chill just makes it "feel" colder. The actual temp is exactly the same. So if it's +1 degree on the thermometer, but the windchill factor makes it minus 5 degrees, your spray lines will not freeze. But YOU will feel colder if exposed to the breeze. Water freezes at 0, no matter how windy it is.

 

[Chalky]

It is usually the drop in pressure at the nozzle tip from 2/3 bar to unpressurised droplets(a process that loses energy & hence causes cooling) that at low temps causes the nozzle tips to freeze, rather than the lines freezing per se.

 

[Brisel]

Wind will reduce the temperature to the ambient level more quickly than it would without any wind.

It is usually the drop in pressure at the nozzle tip from 2/3 bar to unpressurised droplets(a process that loses energy & hence causes cooling) that at low temps causes the nozzle tips to freeze, rather than the lines freezing per se.

You can't compress a liquid - how can it be losing energy i.e. Heat? The speed actually increases as it gets to the nozzles.

 

[Chalky]

Was also going to mention the evaporative cooling at the tip in transport- airflow over wet plastic nozzle tip.

Losing energy obviously wrong choice of phrase(Newton's conservation of energy)-changing energy type obviously. Pressurised fluid is caused to be warmer, atomises and creates Increase in kinetic energy(speed)balanced by a reduction in thermal energy(it gets colder)- it also makes a bit of noise.

You cannot compress a liquid-but it is pressurized-and as it atomises it speeds up & cools.

 

[Brisel]

Ok, I'm with you now. The atomisation will certainly cool it down quickly.

I have told my operator to add 1-2% Nuram N37 to the mix to prevent freezing up. The fertiliser has a crystallisation point of around -15 so it should be enough. I'm sure slightly acidifying the water won't cause any harm either.