Water drain down

[hammer]

Hi, we are planning to continue to use our van throughout winter, however I was looking today at how to drain all water out of the habitation systems whilst it is parked up at home in cold conditions.

After draining the water tank and water heater there is still water left in the pipes between the tank and taps. If I open the taps with the water pump switched off nothing much happens. I am wary about running the pump dry, however I did open one tap with the water pump switched on and some resudual water came out the tap but the pump tries to keep running even when the tap is closed again (I guess it is trying to repressurise the system? ) . It switches off again when turning the pump off at the control panel or when adding water back into the tank.

 

What is the best way to drain water from the pipes without damaging the pump?

 

[colin]

All I can advise is my experience on our Globecar, in extreme cold (down to -16c) I have drained tank and truma, then blown down pipes to clear any water from taps, I'm guessing this leaves water in pipes, but no harm has ever come to it.

p.s. I leave control panel off and open taps then blow down them so the pump doesn't run.

[Bulletguy]

 

I did mine yesterday which by the looks of the weather forecast is just in the nick of time though i had emptied my tanks (fresh and toilet) a few weeks ago.

 

What bit of water was left i pulled through in 30-40 second bursts of the pump with cold taps open, then hot until nothing came out. I then leave both taps (shower and kitchen) fully open throughout winter. I also remove the shower head as they are plastic and damned expensive to replace.

 

If your pump tries to keep running, just isolate it by switching the master off.

[Derek Uzzell]

hammer

 

You could fit a “floe’ kit

 

https://www.keepfloeing.1gbx.com/categories/Motorhome/

 

where compressed air is used to blow residual water out of the pipework - or you could DIY an equivalent.

 

(I use a 12V tyre-pump to blow compressed air into the water system through the shower hose via a DIY-adapter. Its startling how much water is expelled from the taps.)

[pepe63xnotuse]

Hi hammer..

When I used to just drain down our vans - leave all/any taps open and centred and removed the shower hose and take if for a drive to shift the last bit etc...and the was was usually enough....

 

However after one, not especially severe or prolonged, spell of cold weather,we had some slight frost damage occur to the taps in our previous, supposedly fully drained down, van I started to clear out the last bit of water by "pressurizing" the system slightly ( using the Floe video as a guide)

http://www.keepfloeing.com/products-motorhome.html

I was able to easily access the feed pipe at the on-board tank, so as to connect a 12v air pump to it (so didn't need any of their fixtures/fittings)

(Be careful not to overdo the "pressure" though, as you may risk dislodging fittings ..)

 

Sorry Derek, I crossed your post ('half way through compiling , when the phone rang) :$

[thebishbus]

When I lay my van up for the winter, I turn the 12 volt supply off , open all the drain valves and mixer taps set between hot and cold, let all the water drain out , rock the van backwards and forwards in first and reverse gear to shake water out of the pipes. My van has water traps below the sinks/ shower base, I had one freeze and crack one winter so I now pour some screen wash (contains antifreeze) into them. Works each year for me so far.

Brian B.