nightrider Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 When you drain down your tanks for winter, do you have to turn on your pump to drain down the hot water storage tank? I seem to have read that somewhere in the manual. Looking at the pipework under the seat it does not look the ideal set up for draining down by gravity there is a loop in the plastic pipework. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 You should have a valve that will drain the tank down Malc. :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightrider Posted October 24, 2010 Author Share Posted October 24, 2010 Mel B - 2010-10-24 5:12 PM You should have a valve that will drain the tank down Malc. :-S Yep, found that valve Mel, opened the bathroom and sink taps and turned on the pump till all water drained from hot water tank. I also placed a warm air blower on frost control to blow into the tank cupboard just in case there was a residue of water in the pipes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonysmith Posted November 1, 2010 Share Posted November 1, 2010 After draining down,open taps I also put a small amount of antifreeze into sinks. Tony ..... :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightrider Posted November 1, 2010 Author Share Posted November 1, 2010 Tonysmith - 2010-11-01 9:16 PM After draining down,open taps I also put a small amount of antifreeze into sinks. Tony ..... :-D I think you are trying to pull my plonker Tony (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
art338 Posted November 1, 2010 Share Posted November 1, 2010 Remove the water traps under the sinks and clean them, you'd be surprised what collects in them. art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliveH Posted November 2, 2010 Share Posted November 2, 2010 Friends of ours forgot to open the taps last winter when draining down and came back to taps that had been frost damaged and were useless. Quite an expensive repair and a weekend away spoilt because they had no running water the w/e they discovered the damage. I would not put methanol antifreeze in the water system (ITS POISEN!) but could be convinced that an ethanol based one (Brandy would be my preferred choice) :-D One thing that we noticed just in time last year was that our onboard tank was filling when the external pump clicked on. We have outside water containers that we use 95% of the time and an onboard tank we use on the odd occasion we are using the cvan during a frost. I assumed that the internal pump (noisy thing - so don't use it much) had a non-return valve so that when the external pump works the water flows to the in-use tap only. But what I noticed, purely because the internal tank overflow started running water, was that the flow of water split - some to the "in-use" tap and some back up the pipe to the inboard tank past the inboard pump pipe. When I checked this last December when we shut the cvan down for Jan & Feb I found the inboard tank half full. That could have been a disaster with the days and days of frost and cold we had last year. It was easy to drain and I solved the problem of the water going to the onboard tank by fitting a simple "Hose-lock" valve in the flexible pipe. One bonus of so doing was that with this valve closed all the pressure is now directed to the taps and shower - so what I thought was loss of shower pressure due to a pump getting old was wrong - the external pump is fine and my shower is almost a "power shower". So based on my experience - if you have onboard tanks - check they are empty - even it you do not use them - the plumbing on our Bailey is such that the onboard tank filled without our realising it. 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliveH Posted November 2, 2010 Share Posted November 2, 2010 Or even POISON!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted November 2, 2010 Share Posted November 2, 2010 If you use antifreeze you could end up having an ... "POISEIDEN ADVENTURE" .... :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyrider Posted November 2, 2010 Share Posted November 2, 2010 Sounds a bit waterd down to me :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted November 2, 2010 Share Posted November 2, 2010 Run the pump anyway as it will clear some of the water in it and reduce the risk of frost damage by creating some airspace within it - at least I think that's what happens as it has always worked for us. But you might have to reprime the pump manually next spring - which involves either pouring water back down the tap - tricky, or sucking hard on the tap with the pump running - wet! Don't forget to drain the loo tank and run that pump too although that one, being submersible, should reprime itself in case you wondered! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightrider Posted November 3, 2010 Author Share Posted November 3, 2010 The way the pipework is designed not only in my van but all the other vans I have looked at is not designed to free drain like a plumber would do it. You drain the main fresh water tank then the hot water tank via a separate drain off valve, the way the pipework is designed there will always be a certain amount of water in the piperun that could freeze, the handbook says to run the pump till all water is out, but is it?? I always put a warm blow air heater set on frost control to blow onto the pipework just in case, waste water and toilet tanks are no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonysmith Posted November 7, 2010 Share Posted November 7, 2010 knight of the road - 2010-11-01 9:23 PM Tonysmith - 2010-11-01 9:16 PM After draining down,open taps I also put a small amount of antifreeze into sinks. Tony ..... :-D I think you are trying to pull my plonker Tony (lol) Noooo. i put a small amount of antifreeze into the sink plug holes n shower trap.to ensure any water that maybe left does not freeze up. also place tupperwares with small amount of salt around the m/h,works a treat. matterress stood up to allow air circulation. same with removable cushions. remove all lower drawers, last year had probs with mice,so laid traps n bait this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebishbus Posted November 7, 2010 Share Posted November 7, 2010 Hey you lot, where are you living, in the antarctic or somewhere similar??. Just open all valves, drain it all down , leave taps open, any water left in the system will not be enough to break anything. (lol) Brian B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightrider Posted November 7, 2010 Author Share Posted November 7, 2010 thebishbus - 2010-11-07 4:55 PM Hey you lot, where are you living, in the antarctic or somewhere similar??. Just open all valves, drain it all down , leave taps open, any water left in the system will not be enough to break anything. (lol) Brian B. Try living in the north and you will soon change your mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul- Posted November 7, 2010 Share Posted November 7, 2010 Tonysmith - 2010-11-07 11:48 AM snip. also place tupperwares with small amount of salt around the m/h,works a treat. matterress stood up to allow air circulation. same with removable cushions. remove all lower drawers, last year had probs with mice,so laid traps n bait this year. maybe the mice were going into your m/h so they could put salt on their chips (lol) also I'm not convinced that removing your drawers in winter is a good idea? wearing thick woolly ones is a better :D Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightrider Posted November 7, 2010 Author Share Posted November 7, 2010 Paul- - 2010-11-07 7:48 PM Tonysmith - 2010-11-07 11:48 AM snip. also place tupperwares with small amount of salt around the m/h,works a treat. matterress stood up to allow air circulation. same with removable cushions. remove all lower drawers, last year had probs with mice,so laid traps n bait this year. maybe the mice were going into your m/h so they could put salt on their chips (lol) also I'm not convinced that removing your drawers in winter is a good idea? wearing thick woolly ones is a better :D Paul After experiencing the cold winters when I worked in Germany I always wear longJohns when our winters are here, my wife laughs at me and says I look like Max Wall, who cares as long as I am warm (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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