Keep Ice in your Freezer, Not your RV Water Lines
03-05-2018
Author: in Henley's Happy Trails
One of the biggest dangers of RVing in subfreezing temperatures is having your water hose freeze. Not only does a frozen water hose prevent water from flowing, but once the freezing starts, the ice can continue to form all the way up in your RV water lines until everything is frozen solid.
Most Rvers attempt to avoid temperatures cold enough to freeze everything up.There are times when delayed travel or sudden storms can make staying in cold weather unavoidable.
How does one prevent their hose from freezing in these climates? We have found three ways to prevent this problem from arising.
A Self-Heating Hose
There are RV drinking water hoses on the market that have a heating element built into them. We have heard mixed reviews about these hoses.
Some people have said that they didn’t last very long as the heating element broke or the hose wore out or started leaking. If that is the case, the $100 price tag for these hoses may be tough to swallow. On the other hand, many people have stated that their hose has lasted quite some time, and the same people say they would not purchase a different hose.
The usage of these hoses is quite simple. Just hook up the hose and plug the electrical component into an outlet. Most of the time, additional insulation on the hose is not needed with the exception of prolonged periods of extreme cold. If you are the set-it-and-forget-it traveler, this route may be the way to go.
DIY Heated Hose
If a $100 drinking hose sounds pricey to you, you can always make your own heated hose with supplies that can be found at most home improvement stores. All you will need is heat tape which can be purchased at various lengths and pipe insulation.
To hook it up, you simply wrap the heat tape around your hose, about one wrap every foot. Cover the hose with pipe insulation; then plug in the heat tape. As long as you make sure the heat tape is wrapped around any exposed areas or metal parts such as the spigot, that should keep you from freezing up. Most heat tape has a built in thermostat that will enable it to only turn on when temperatures get close to freezing.
This method takes a bit more effort, but you end up getting a heated hose for around $50 or less which is half the price of the first method. Also, if your hose eventually wears out, you can always wrap the heat tape around a new hose.
The following YouTube video gives a detailed account of how to set up your hose with heat tape.
http://www.henleyshappytrails.com/keep-tip-keep-rv-fresh-water-hose-freezing/
No Hose, No Ice
This last method would not be preferable as a long term solution when staying an entire winter in a cold climate, but it is useful if you accidentally find yourself in an area that may get below freezing temperatures. The method includes unscrewing your hose after filling your fresh water tank.
Large quantities of water such as that in a freshwater tank of an RV take a long time to freeze, especially considering that many RVs have heated compartments below which would keep the water in your tank from reaching freezing temperatures. If you are only planning on staying a few nights in a place that may freeze, there is no need to go out and buy extra supplies from the store. Simply fill up your tank, unscrew the hose, making sure the water is drained out of the hose, and you shouldn’t have a problem.
Most Rvers attempt to avoid temperatures cold enough to freeze everything up.There are times when delayed travel or sudden storms can make staying in cold weather unavoidable.
How does one prevent their hose from freezing in these climates? We have found three ways to prevent this problem from arising.
A Self-Heating Hose
There are RV drinking water hoses on the market that have a heating element built into them. We have heard mixed reviews about these hoses.
Some people have said that they didn’t last very long as the heating element broke or the hose wore out or started leaking. If that is the case, the $100 price tag for these hoses may be tough to swallow. On the other hand, many people have stated that their hose has lasted quite some time, and the same people say they would not purchase a different hose.
The usage of these hoses is quite simple. Just hook up the hose and plug the electrical component into an outlet. Most of the time, additional insulation on the hose is not needed with the exception of prolonged periods of extreme cold. If you are the set-it-and-forget-it traveler, this route may be the way to go.
DIY Heated Hose
If a $100 drinking hose sounds pricey to you, you can always make your own heated hose with supplies that can be found at most home improvement stores. All you will need is heat tape which can be purchased at various lengths and pipe insulation.
To hook it up, you simply wrap the heat tape around your hose, about one wrap every foot. Cover the hose with pipe insulation; then plug in the heat tape. As long as you make sure the heat tape is wrapped around any exposed areas or metal parts such as the spigot, that should keep you from freezing up. Most heat tape has a built in thermostat that will enable it to only turn on when temperatures get close to freezing.
This method takes a bit more effort, but you end up getting a heated hose for around $50 or less which is half the price of the first method. Also, if your hose eventually wears out, you can always wrap the heat tape around a new hose.
The following YouTube video gives a detailed account of how to set up your hose with heat tape.
http://www.henleyshappytrails.com/keep-tip-keep-rv-fresh-water-hose-freezing/
No Hose, No Ice
This last method would not be preferable as a long term solution when staying an entire winter in a cold climate, but it is useful if you accidentally find yourself in an area that may get below freezing temperatures. The method includes unscrewing your hose after filling your fresh water tank.
Large quantities of water such as that in a freshwater tank of an RV take a long time to freeze, especially considering that many RVs have heated compartments below which would keep the water in your tank from reaching freezing temperatures. If you are only planning on staying a few nights in a place that may freeze, there is no need to go out and buy extra supplies from the store. Simply fill up your tank, unscrew the hose, making sure the water is drained out of the hose, and you shouldn’t have a problem.
Comment
No comments found! Be the first one to write a comment!
Author: Levi and Natalie Henley
