# jammed salt hopper-help



## Kathy (Jan 28, 2009)

*jammed salt hopper-help-clumping salt*

Any suggestions on how to prevent the salt my V box (gas engine)from clumping up? Right now I have one of my men shoveling one of them completely empty of salt. The other one is one the way back to the shop jammed too. We can hear the motors running but no salt is coming out. We have heavy sleet and rain predicted for the next several hours followed by snow. We have them tarped but there is still a lot of moisture in the air. Anything that can be added or sprayed on the might help?


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## no lead (Dec 10, 2008)

post make and model of spreader. electric motor or gas engine?


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## 31050 (Nov 20, 2008)

Are they steel boxes with steel conveyors in the bottom? I have had luck with a big torch heating up the bottom or if iI am on site I keep fire starter logs in the truck to place under the box after about ten minutes they break loose.


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## CityGuy (Dec 19, 2008)

BFH works good from inside box if little or no salt and sttel box


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## Kathy (Jan 28, 2009)

*clarification*

I think I asked the question improperly. Hopefully this is clearer.


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Are you dumping right into the hopper? Is there a screen on top to break up the lumps?


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## CityGuy (Dec 19, 2008)

Kathy;733501 said:


> Any suggestions on how to prevent the salt my V box (gas engine)from clumping up? Right now I have one of my men shoveling one of them completely empty of salt. The other one is one the way back to the shop jammed too. We can hear the motors running but no salt is coming out. We have heavy sleet and rain predicted for the next several hours followed by snow. We have them tarped but there is still a lot of moisture in the air. Anything that can be added or sprayed on the might help?


Ahh I see now, nothing that I am aware of. best advise I can give is leave them empty if you can, load right before you leave and drive on salt to break up as best you can before loading. You can tarp the sander if its empty to keep snow/rain out . Keep your bult pile tarped as well.


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## Kathy (Jan 28, 2009)

We have a screen. We are looking for a product or additive. We understand there is some chemical that can be ordered from Colorado. We want to find somethng we can get locally.


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## no lead (Dec 10, 2008)

does the lower chain move? the one in the bottom? does the spinner move?
45247 helps us none. were are you.


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Soak it down with Fluid Film.


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## Crash935 (Sep 3, 2003)

45247 would be Cincy Ohio there kip.

I'm guessing they pre loaded the spreaders or didnt finish emptying them out after the last run and let them sit and now have a salt block in the shape of a v-box spreader going.


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## no lead (Dec 10, 2008)

aaww jeez crash, your so geographically intelligent. the salt block was my next question.

the dream team rides again eh?


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## Kathy (Jan 28, 2009)

Sorry, I am new to this. We are in Cincinnati. I can't find any Fluid film dealers in the area. Any other suggestions? All parts of the V Box are working. The jam is occuring after we have done some spreading, not as we start. There is so much ice and freezing rain now that one of our plastic huts is coming down. Just a tremedous amount of moisture. Thanks for all your suggestions.


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## Crash935 (Sep 3, 2003)

Its just that i have to right down the city state and zip for all the freight i pick up, getting good at remembering areas.

And im not riding anywhere with you, ive seen you drive!!!!


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## Crash935 (Sep 3, 2003)

Kathy;733643 said:


> All parts of the V Box are working. The jam is occuring after we have done some spreading, not as we start.


Are you running a inverted V in the spreaders?


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## no lead (Dec 10, 2008)

sound like it is clumping up. is the salt rock hard clumps? if not how is the tension on the belly chain? is the clutch slipping on the drive chain?


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## sparky8370 (Nov 26, 2007)

I remember reading here once how some guys dumped a bunch of windshield washer fluid in there when it froze up.


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## gene gls (Dec 24, 1999)

Crash935;733606 said:


> 45247 would be Cincy Ohio there kip.
> 
> I'm guessing they pre loaded the spreaders or didnt finish emptying them out after the last run and let them sit and now have a salt block in the shape of a v-box spreader going.


I second this guess. Been there done that. You can not leave salt in a hopper or you end up with a big chunk.


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

When you say clumping is the shoot bunging up? Or is everything turning and nothing coming out? You need to explain better? Tarped salt will go hard in a V Box if left outside for more then a day, even faster when very cold and salt is wet.


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## Acmemechanic (Aug 27, 2005)

Kathy;733643 said:


> Sorry, I am new to this. We are in Cincinnati. I can't find any Fluid film dealers in the area. Any other suggestions? All parts of the V Box are working. The jam is occuring after we have done some spreading, not as we start. There is so much ice and freezing rain now that one of our plastic huts is coming down. Just a tremedous amount of moisture. Thanks for all your suggestions.


Sounds Like The Material Was Allowed to Get To Wet.The Bigger Municipal Spreaders Use Vibrators on The Box But They are Not cheap.I Think That The Material Quality or storage is The Issue.


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## mc1 (Mar 2, 2007)

first off i never leave anything in the hopper for more than 2-3 hours we have been tossing a bag or two of road runner on the the top of the full salter seems to help lower freeze point


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## NICHOLS LANDSCA (Sep 15, 2007)

I'm not going to make any friends but, who cares where she is she could be on the moon and it could be powered by a nuclear reactor the vbox is jamming up. The most readily available stuff for you to use would be a few bags of -20 dump on top and then dump 10-15gallons of washer fluid over the top. I think what you were looking for was liquid calcium/mag chloride but you will make your own above. Now to prevent this make sure it's empty after each use and tarped to keep out snow/water. Don't preload more than a few hours before use. I used to keep mine in the shop and still emptied it each time rinsed it out and lubed the chain.


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## Longae29 (Feb 15, 2008)

Geo Melt aka Beet Juice, or washer fluid, or lots of heat.


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## no lead (Dec 10, 2008)

NICHOLS LANDSCA;734291 said:


> I'm not going to make any friends but, who cares where she is she could be on the moon and it could be powered by a nuclear reactor the vbox is jamming up. The most readily available stuff for you to use would be a few bags of -20 dump on top and then dump 10-15gallons of washer fluid over the top. I think what you were looking for was liquid calcium/mag chloride but you will make your own above. Now to prevent this make sure it's empty after each use and tarped to keep out snow/water. Don't preload more than a few hours before use. I used to keep mine in the shop and still emptied it each time rinsed it out and lubed the chain.


i care where she is because she asked "can i get anything locally" thus i would be curious as to the location of said unit.


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## Runner (Jul 21, 2000)

Kathy, Check the bottom of the conveyor (underside). It sounds like you may also have some binding going on. Many times, they will bind from the bottom (toward the front), and many times the salt will get under the conveyor, and will lift it enough that the track will bind up against the front side plate on the hopper. Other than this, also check all your chain tensions and ake sure everything is in optimum tune. Hope this helps!


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## mmaddox (Dec 13, 2006)

If we make the assumption the the mechanical parts are all functioning correctly, then the problem is that the material is bridged up, or will not flow. This is a long running problem with both salt and lime, both materials that will draw moisture can clump. We and others have tried lots of things, heating the box/material all sorts of ways. Heat tapes, engine coolant running they the box and materials, as well as outside of it, same thinking with the exhaust. Vibrators, powered by lots of different things, additives, V- dividers, hammers, driving over big bumps, hanging chains in the box, installing powered augers in the box (to mix the material) and I am sure several others that I am happy to forget. Most of the efforts have been towards solving the problem after it happens. We have had better luck trying to avoid them. Some of the things we have done that we think helps; storing material to keep it dry and as flowable as possible, screening the box, and keeping it covered, making sure the box is cleaned out, scraping it and spraying diesel fuel on most parts, and storing trucks in a heated shop as much as possible. Having the boxes loaded as short as time as possible is also very important.


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