tf756 Posted November 17, 2012 Share Posted November 17, 2012 I am trying to get our van (Globecar Campscout) ready for winter and have emptied the water system to the best of my ability. Am I correct in assuming that, once the last of the water has gone through the pump, the pipes to the taps and toilet flush will still have water in them? Is this why the taps need to be left in the open position? If I am correct, what can I do about the water in the toilet flush pipe? No more water will flush through, but I cannot find any way of draining the pipe in the cassette locker that leads to the toilet flush mechanism. If this is clear, I would appreciate any help! Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted November 17, 2012 Share Posted November 17, 2012 Certainly important to open the taps to drain the pipes but ALSO to make sure the tap 'handle' is centred so that both the hot and cold pipes are 'open' and both drain properly. ( I know that from experience ! ) :-| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindiboy Posted November 17, 2012 Share Posted November 17, 2012 Try holding the flush button in the on position and let it run until it splutters a lot that way you should get most of the water out of it,you could cut the pipe and fit a TEE piece and a drain off point, bit drastic I know but in the absence of no other way ??????? Some people add salt to the system also ,this serves as an anti freeze for the residue of water that will always be present after draining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowan Lee Posted November 17, 2012 Share Posted November 17, 2012 In the US, they use "food quality" antifreeze but I don't know what this is. Maybe you could research some of the American RV forums. You could also look at www.keepfloeing.com for the main water system. I did get one of these gizmos and was very impressed with the concept but unfortunately the pipe work in our van is in such a confined space that I couldn't see how I could use it. Maybe your van is different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted November 17, 2012 Share Posted November 17, 2012 Last winter on our Campscout we emptied the system as you seem to have done, blew down the pipes to clear any last bits, then it was left in up to -16c temperatures (IIRC) and it survived ok. Note I also removed the fuse for the pump so that it wouldn't start up whilst the 12v was switched on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tf756 Posted November 17, 2012 Author Share Posted November 17, 2012 Thanks to all for replies from this newbie campervan owner! Removing the fuse is a good idea to save the pump. Is this a silly question - Where do you blow down the pipes from? And do you mean physically blow or with an air pump? What about the water in the toilet flushing pipes ( I mean the pipe inside the toilet emptying flap on the outside of the van - it still has water in it)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted November 17, 2012 Share Posted November 17, 2012 Rowan Lee - 2012-11-17 5:51 PM In the US, they use "food quality" antifreeze but I don't know what this is. Maybe you could research some of the American RV forums. You could also look at www.keepfloeing.com for the main water system. I did get one of these gizmos and was very impressed with the concept but unfortunately the pipe work in our van is in such a confined space that I couldn't see how I could use it. Maybe your van is different.As far as I know food grade antifreeze is Glycerol which is commonly known as Glycerine. There are various grades with different boiling points, but the common or garden food grade Glycerine should do. I used to buy this for work by the 200 Ltr barrel. But it aint cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebishbus Posted November 17, 2012 Share Posted November 17, 2012 If you can drive the van around with all the tapes/valves open, that should shake more water out. If you can not drive around, do what I do on my drive. I rock the van backwards and forwards between 1st and reverse gear, slamming the brakes in each direction helps. A small amount of water left in an otherwise empty pipe should not cause a problem. If it should freeze the ice will go along the way of least resistance, that is along the empty pipe. Brian B ps to protect the water traps, I pour a small amount of screen wash (contains antifreeze ) down the plug holes.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted November 17, 2012 Share Posted November 17, 2012 tf756 - 2012-11-17 6:16 PM What about the water in the toilet flushing pipes ( I mean the pipe inside the toilet emptying flap on the outside of the van - it still has water in it)? I was going to look at disconnecting pipe and blow throu, but forgot all about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted November 17, 2012 Share Posted November 17, 2012 Or how about using a 'Floe' to blow the system out? Link to Floe I've never tried one as I manage to drain ours ok without but seems like a good idea. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted November 17, 2012 Share Posted November 17, 2012 If water has sufficient room to expand as it freezes you should not need to worry too much, everyone has given good advice, I drain all the tanks down, and leave all taps open after going beetroot red from sticking my mouth round them and blowing as hard as possible to help move any standing water, but with our van ( and many others ) due to the sloppy way of routing pipes there is always some stuck in there, one of the reasons we never drink directly from the taps, although I know some do. Probably repeating others advice, but whatever you do locate your hot water boiler drain valve, having that freeze up could cost you big time, this is something I do pretty much all the year at the end of a trip, just in case ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted November 17, 2012 Share Posted November 17, 2012 tf756 - 2012-11-17 6:16 PM Removing the fuse is a good idea to save the pump. Is this a silly question - Where do you blow down the pipes from? And do you mean physically blow or with an air pump? Sorry missed this bit. For the washroom, pull shower head from basin and lower to shower tray to drain water from pipe, them put mouth over outlet and blow down it. For sink take yoga class's :D I'm sure if you wanted you could rig up something with a bike pump and rubber glove or some such thing. p.s. as Mike has said, if the water can expand it fine, at work we regularly have the water pipes freeze and with plastic pipes it's rarely a problem, but have a 3 1/2" gauge loco and it's a bugger to get the water out the copper pipes and most years I have to repair them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliffy Posted November 17, 2012 Share Posted November 17, 2012 tf756 - 2012-11-17 4:03 PM I am trying to get our van (Globecar Campscout) ready for winter and have emptied the water system to the best of my ability. Am I correct in assuming that, once the last of the water has gone through the pump, the pipes to the taps and toilet flush will still have water in them? Is this why the taps need to be left in the open position? If I am correct, what can I do about the water in the toilet flush pipe? No more water will flush through, but I cannot find any way of draining the pipe in the cassette locker that leads to the toilet flush mechanism. If this is clear, I would appreciate any help! Tony Tony You did not say that you drained the holding tank. Even when the pump has pumped all it can out, there will be water left in it. There should be a drain plug or drain down valve in the bottom of the tap that will drain the residue. I also disconnect the pipes from the pump and let any water drain out of it . I have a piece of hose with a rubber tap connector on one end I put the connector ove the every tap and shower point and blow as hard as I can with the tap set in hot, cold and both together. My first winter of owning a MH was 2010 and it was freezing for weeks, down as far as minus 20Deg and two foot of snow on the roof. I was very concerned when I got it back out of storage in the spring but everything was fine so I do what I did the first year and try not to be complacent. Best of luck Cliff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tf756 Posted November 17, 2012 Author Share Posted November 17, 2012 Many thanks for all the advice - I have drained the holding tank but clearly there are 1 or 2 more tasks to complete tomorrow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted November 18, 2012 Share Posted November 18, 2012 Keithl - 2012-11-17 8:05 PM Or how about using a 'Floe' to blow the system out? Link to Floe I've never tried one as I manage to drain ours ok without but seems like a good idea. Keith. Unless a potable antifreeze (eg. "Winter Ban") is employed http://www.motorcaravanning.co.uk/shopuk/water_products.htm using compressed air is probably the most effective way to remove residual water in a motorhome's water system. There's earlier discussion about the Floe system (and 'air-pressure purging') here http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=26046&start=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Losos Posted November 18, 2012 Share Posted November 18, 2012 vindiboy - 2012-11-17 6:38 PMSome people add salt to the system also ,this serves as an anti freeze for the residue of water that will always be present after draining. Why not just put some anti-freeze in the toilet flush tank ? I know my manufacturer (Dometic) doesn't recommend it but I've never seen a reason given by them or on any forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted November 18, 2012 Share Posted November 18, 2012 Losos - 2012-11-18 2:59 PMvindiboy - 2012-11-17 6:38 PMSome people add salt to the system also ,this serves as an anti freeze for the residue of water that will always be present after draining. Why not just put some anti-freeze in the toilet flush tank ? I know my manufacturer (Dometic) doesn't recommend it but I've never seen a reason given by them or on any forum. I don't know what Dometic says about your particular model of toilet regarding antifreeze, but Dometic permits use of potable antifreeze for their marine-type toilets. Such toilets don't have an integrated flush-water tank, of course, so the antifreeze needs to be introduced into the vehicle's fresh-water system.If your toilet has its own flush-tank I can't see any technical reason not to put a suitable anti-freeze in that tank. Obviously, if you put anti-freeze in the flush-tank, anti-freeze will end up in the toilet cassette, so using non-toxic antifreeze would be environmentally sensible to avoid potential contamination problems regarding cassette emptying.I suspect this has come up every winter, so try Searching the forum on "antifreeze". This is a 2005 related threadhttp://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=2710&posts=9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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