# Snow puddle containment



## guilateen02 (Nov 23, 2014)

Anyone have an inexpensive and affective way of containing all the melted snow off of a blower? I put my all purpose painters blanket under it. It just wasn't good enough.


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## guilateen02 (Nov 23, 2014)

This is the mess im left with.


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## Grunt (Nov 11, 2013)

I have a tray like this one and it does an excellent job of containing the water and preventing rust stains on the floor. You could probably find something cheaper to work. I also use a standard boot tray for my snow shovels. I also brush off all the snow I can with the machine out doors before parking it.

Lisle 19722 Catch-All Drip Pan: Motor Oil, Transmission Fluid & Car Lubricant : Walmart.com


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

guilateen02 said:


> This is the mess im left with.


I think AREINS has a app 4 that also.


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## guilateen02 (Nov 23, 2014)

24 x 36 wont work. Ill have to look for a bigger one. I just measured and i would need 36x36. I am going to look at Granger. I have a feeling this is going to cost me a pretty penny. The 24 inch doesn't allow the wheels to be in the catcher. Also my bucket is 32 inches plus skids about 36.


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## db9938 (Nov 17, 2013)

Could make a frame out of 2x2's, or what ever you have, that outlines the foot print of your machine, and simply drape a plastic tarp or plastic sheet over it. May want to make it a little bigger, so that you could actually elevate the machine out of the puddle, so as not to allow the machine to freeze to it.


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

Are you brushing off as much snow as you can before you park it?
I have minimal meltage..a tiny puddle that evaporates away quickly if
its above freezing in the garage.

Scot


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

a floor squeegee works and they are 20 bucks or so.


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## cdestuck (Jan 20, 2013)

I clean off the machine the best I can out in the yard and then hose my machine after each use. So nearly no water to drip off in the garage. I rest the scraper blade on a 2 x 4 piece and no rust stain on the floor.


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## JerryD (Jan 19, 2014)

I brush the bulk of the snow off then I use the air compressor to blow the rest of the snow off the machine. I get minimal melt off the machine as is sits in the garage.


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## Rockproof (Jan 12, 2013)

hat about one of these in a 3'x4'. 
Waterhog Classic Entrance Mats are Waterhog Mats by American Floor Mats


I am considering one that is 3'x5' for two blowers.


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## guilateen02 (Nov 23, 2014)

sscotsman said:


> Are you brushing off as much snow as you can before you park it?
> I have minimal meltage..a tiny puddle that evaporates away quickly if
> its above freezing in the garage.
> 
> Scot


I cleaned it off but i guess i have to do a better job. Im going to make my own catch basin with 2x4 and either old pool liner or tarp. I cant see myself cleaning it to a satisfactory point. I have many items items in the garage so the squeegee thing is a pain when it get under the fridge gocart etc.


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## Koenig041 (Dec 18, 2013)

How about a washing machine tray. Lowes has a 31 x 36.


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## whimsey (Oct 16, 2014)

Koenig041 said:


> How about a washing machine tray. Lowes has a 31 x 36.


+1

Whimsey


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## guilateen02 (Nov 23, 2014)

Checked out and did some research on the Lowes pans. The idea seems great but wont work do to running over the edge of the pan. They are not rubber but a plastic compound which will break over time. The 2X4 idea was good but the wood made it difficult to roll the blower in and out of tray. Also the sharp edges on the wood and wheels rolling over it would cause it to rip in no time. Ive put together my own contraption out of materials laying around. 

Pipe insulation/ 14 ft. $.98 per 6 ft 
Harbor Freight Tarp/ free coupon 2.99 reg
Zip Ties/ 1.00 for 50 

I folded the tarp as needed for size. Cut and zip tied the pipe insulation into a square. Layed the tarp over and it works like a charm. Foam pipe insulation is light,cheap,and easy to run over with blower. Very easy to maneuver as well. I also bet everything I listed is in your basement now.


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

I would like to know how someone washes his blower down with a hose after they use it?
Do you do that when it is say 20* or 10* or -10* outside?
I would like to do that but I don't see how one would if it is real cold outside? I can see if it over 32* but not anything under the freezing mark?
I brush as much as I can outside and try to blow it off with air before I bring it in.
I then park it inside my garage and most I the time I turn on my propane space heater to do something in the garage. It melts it nice, though I don't direct the heat on it. Just from the warm overall temperature defrosts the snow and ice. Even if I don't turn on the heater it melts overnight, I do get a little puddle but not much at all. I just mop that up with a rag.
I also don't care about the floor right now as the former owner used to work on cars and boats. Rip engines out, weld, do body work, paint, and whatever, there are stains all over my floor. He even used to have some kind of little little hydraulic lift in there. He had a electric hoist hooked up to the ceiling rafters to pull engines out. He also had a big old air compressor hooked up to 220 volts. He had a ton of stuff in there, I forgot all she told me that was in there. 
When they were in the process of selling the house after he died THEY THREW IT ALL OUT! They threw a lot of stuff that would have been cool to still have but they figured whoever bought the house wouldn't want it.They filled a big dumpster up with all the stuff he had! You think they would have tried to sell it!

I was thinking of painting the floor with some of that garage floor paint before I moved in. I should have as now it would take me a month to get all my stuff out of it!

I do get side tracked huh? Sorry.

How many wash their blowers off with a garden hose after each use?
What do you have a warm water hookup? That would be nice.
Please explain to me HOW you do it?

How about if you don't get a ton of water just use a big old bath towel and park the blower on top? They just hang it up to dry the next day, some of them big, old terry cloth bathroom towels sop up a lot of water.


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## guilateen02 (Nov 23, 2014)

Think it should work. I poured a gallon of water and it held it all in. Do you guys see any potential problems?


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

Guila, it looks like the skid on the side of the bucket isn't touching the ground..why is it propped up with a piece of wood? Just curious...
Scot


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## guilateen02 (Nov 23, 2014)

sscotsman said:


> Guila, it looks like the skid on the side of the bucket isn't touching the ground..why is it propped up with a piece of wood? Just curious...
> Scot


I didn't want the bucket to sit in any water. Just in case I didn't have time to vacuum or emty outthe basin in reasonable time. This will be the parking spot all snow season in New England. It make for easy parking alignment as well.


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## hallm (Feb 9, 2014)

These mats come in different sizes to suit the machine you have.


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

hallm said:


> These mats come in different sizes to suit the machine you have.


Nice and they come in an assortment of different colors.
But if you use them in a unheated garage one time wouldn't the water freeze onto the mat?
Unless you somehow dried it out after each use?

$77 bucks plus shipping!


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## Coby7 (Nov 6, 2014)

You only need a tray under the auger because not much snow gathers anywhere else. So you just need a 24" by 36" tray and you'll cover most snowblowers


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## db9938 (Nov 17, 2013)

guilateen02 said:


> Think it should work. I poured a gallon of water and it held it all in. Do you guys see any potential problems?


Ah, the kiss principle in practice. Might consider keeping the wheels elevated, like the bucket. Scrap wood would work for this too. 

Never thought about the foam insulation. Good call, and cheap enough. And if it needs to be deeper, just get larger diameter foam. Heck, you may look out for those foam pool noodles that go on clearance in the fall.


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## cdestuck (Jan 20, 2013)

Big Ed said:


> I would like to know how someone washes his blower down with a hose after they use it?
> Do you do that when it is say 20* or 10* or -10* outside?
> I would like to do that but I don't see how one would if it is real cold outside? I can see if it over 32* but not anything under the freezing mark?
> I brush as much as I can outside and try to blow it off with air before I bring it in.
> ...


 THE WATER COMING OUT OF THE HOSE IS ABOVE FREEZING and I put on a spray nozzle and it just chews away at the snow. I leave the engine running and now and then I'll hit the auger lever to help clear out the snow at the rear of the impeller. Try it, its no big deal to do it


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## Chuck2 (Feb 7, 2014)

cdestuck - How are you able to keep the water in the hose from freezing in-between uses?


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

Chuck2 said:


> cdestuck - How are you able to keep the water in the hose from freezing in-between uses?


I guess that you have to drain it real good after using it.
One problem I would have is that I only have one exit for my water and it is on the back far side of the house. I have a 50' hose running over to my reel with a 100' on it. By the time I could drain all of that it would probably be frozen.
For some reason there is an ordinance saying that you can't have any water outlets on the front of your house. I don't know why.

I have been thinking of adding one myself and hiding it from view with a bush or something. Then I would only need a short stretch of hose.
But in the very cold, freezing weather and with the hot engine I think it might just be better wiping it off the best you can and letting the rest melt.

Mine doesn't see much salt. I don't use any and by the time the plows make it out to me I think they run out of any salt for my street.
I am lucky that they come to plow, I talked to the mayor and asked why I don't see more plows and he said that is because I am on the outskirts of the town and they work from the center out.
I told him that is reasonable explanation, but when I see the local paper 2 days after the storm of the plows plowing the park out and my street still has not been plowed something is wrong! What do they plow the park for the Canadian geese!

Well that must have worked because the last few years I have seen more plows come through.
But that just might be because a councilman moved into the neighborhood.
I am waiting to see what happens this year.


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## JSB33 (Jan 11, 2013)

I use my backpack leaf blower to clean off my Snowblower after every use. Very little snow gets in the garage. I park it on an Ariens mat and 99% of the ensuing water gets caught by the mat. It has to be very, very cold for an extended period of time for any freezing to happen. At worst I just blow the water out of the garage with the leaf blower.

BTW, the leaf blower is a great tool for clearing a couple inched of light fluff off the driveway. It leaves it perfectly clean. And I always use it to clean off the cars.


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## hankster1 (Sep 10, 2013)

I use a "PIG" brand oil absorbent mat intended to be used under leaky industrial machinery. After a few days of dripping I hang them up and let the water drain out into a catch pan. You can buy it by the roll at any Industrial supplier or hardware stores.
Hank


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## guilateen02 (Nov 23, 2014)

Great ideas guys. I especially like the backpack blower. I can't believe I've never thought of that. I have a Redmax eb4300 backpack and It's a power house. Im also considering making a cleaning brush wand for my 74 Ariens since it wasn't equipped with one. Im planning on doing a handlebar mount style so not to drill the bucket for mounting.


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## cdestuck (Jan 20, 2013)

Chuck2 said:


> cdestuck - How are you able to keep the water in the hose from freezing in-between uses?


On all my hose bibs, I have a brass Y connection. The hose goes on the one connector and nothing on the other side. When done using the hose, shut off the water, open the unused connector side to vent, open the end of the hose and slowly roll up. If you wish and not a bad idea, after rolling up on hose hanger, lay entire hose back on drive/ground and roll up again. 

The hose I use is inside my garage and I don't have to be real careful but the one beside the house hangs out in the weather and we have no problem keeping it ready for use when we do the above. Another good thing is to have good rubber hoses and not those cheap stiff vinyl hoses. The ones I get from Sears are guaranteed for life. You might get a hose and cut it to a shorter length just for your blower in the winter weather.


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

I have the ones from Sears too, I ordered 2 and they sent me 2 shipments of 2 hoses.
I got 4 of them and 2 were for free, good deal.
I was waiting for them to see their mistake but I never heard anything about it...thanks Sears.

The guy behind me had one for over 20 years and he uses filters. The filters started picking up fine black rubber bits from the inside.
He ran it up to Sears with the receipt. Yep he had the receipt from over 20 years ago.

They didn't even want the receipt they just gave him a new hose as they could see it was their hose.
Good deal, good hose like you say.


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## hallm (Feb 9, 2014)

*Here is what I have always done.*

My snow blower has always lived in a small steel garden shed which I think is roughly 10’ x 10’. Inside the floor has a hunk of indoor/outdoor carpet on it just to add a bit of class. 

When I am done blowing I would sweep off the machine and then drive it into the shed and then close the doors and let it run for several minutes while the exhaust sort of ‘heats up the air’ the inside of the shed a bit. Then I would sneak back in and shut off the fuel and let it run dry with the doors closed. 

I have always noticed that the machine was clear of any remaining snow the next time I needed it. Perhaps the combination of the blower being warm and the air being slightly warmed helped to clear the remaining snow off of it so it was ready to go. The secondary bonus is that the mice don’t seem to enjoy the rarified atmosphere so much.


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## hallm (Feb 9, 2014)

*Leaf Blower or compressed air???*

Well I don’t own a leaf blower but this year during a recent remodel in my basement workshop I ran a line outside from my large volume shop compressor for inflating the car and bike tires. Max pressure is around 130 lb. psi when I crank it up. I will have to see if this is any help in clearing some of the snow off of the machine when I am done blowing.


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## Davey D (Feb 7, 2021)

guilateen02 said:


> Anyone have an inexpensive and affective way of containing all the melted snow off of a blower? I put my all purpose painters blanket under it. It just wasn't good enough.


29"x47" dog crate tray $40 CDN https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B005OD0AOY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_VS2BNB5EZETZ9N0514H6


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