Winter time

[RCW]

I’d personally like to thank everybody for the help the other day pertaining my motorhome electric/battery questions.
Hopefully this will be my last dumb question of the year, thanks of this bearing with me / tolerating lol.

soooooo, we are going into winter and like a good chap I drained the “grey water” , opened the taps, drained the sink , shower and toilet tap and patted myself on the back after emptying the grey water tank.

As I got on my flight back on Swiss for work (I’m a aviation consultant) I said , oh bugger I didn’t drain the fresh water tank which is 100L / basically full.

I’m back at the weekend on the Swiss/Austrian border but temperatures will be around -4 degrees C. I’m told by a merchant today I purchased “fresh water anti-ice from to add this to my tank.

Image 1, it does have some heating take and is pretty thick and well above ground.

his ,,,, proposal to avoid any damage;

1) turn on the electric oil heater for two days inside the van.

2) Get temps up, use a hair dryer on low around the taps before the fresh water goes on day 3.

3) place a cheap electric night blanket around the water tank under the van and tape it on , or a low Watt heat Light/lamp .

4) add picture one to the water to keep it from freezing. Will treat any light icing in the tank. (Wasn’t cheap at €50 for 5L but treats 2 tanks, I won’t be using the Vans water much whilst on site with facility’s anyhow)

basically don’t want to run the risk of any frozen pipes or messing up the boiler.
Any suggestions very much welcome and I’m looking forward to actually posting some more enjoyable trip posts/pics “and joining as a full
Member of course” as opposed to asking the community about my stupidity.

i’m supposed to be enjoying van life not worrying and turning gray.

With regards from the Swiss/Austrian border.

Rob

 

[saxonborg]

I wouldn’t add that gel to your fresh water tank as the lable says “eau sanitaire” which implies it is for the flushing water for a toilet.

 

[Mr and Mrs Tupcox]

Also I would drain your toilet flush tank. If it has one ..

 

[RCW]

Thanks for the help,

it can be used for both to prevent freezing. It’s non toxic for the use of the fresh water tank to prevent freezing and Thus the grey For emptying . Just don’t want lots of ice in both lol. A friend had a lovely hymer and he had ice issues, was a £1200 repair job :/(

basically antifreeze without the harmful chemicals you’d want to use washing or showering and keeps your water tank from freezing?

 

[RCW]

Also I would drain your toilet flush tank. If it has one ..

Thank you, it does. I need to go on a course for camping cars / motor homes for HQ individuals but no mechanical skills lol

 

[TeamRienza]

Having read the instructions, as I am sure you have, the antigel seems to be fit for purpose. It appears to simply replace any lying water in the system with a coloured solution, proof against freezing. You introduce the mixture (temperature dependant) into an empty tank, fresh, grey, toilet or whatever and run all taps until the water turns red/pink. Leave the solution until spring when you simply rinse the tank and run the taps until the water is clear when the water is safe to use.

Sounds like a reasonable option to me. Our climate probably makes this routine unnecessary. As you state, getting the tank empty in the first instance may be the problem. I hope it all works out ok.

Davy

 

[Mr and Mrs Tupcox]

Thank you, it does. I need to go on a course for camping cars / motor homes for HQ individuals but no mechanical skills lol

We have all been here..my first motorhome and winter cost me £250 fir 2 new taps and a new shower head .didnt drain down and open taps .
When warter freezes it explands .lol I know that now.

 

[Mr and Mrs Tupcox]

I would not add anything to fresh water tank drain it down ,,run pump to empty it .drain boiler from dump valve if one is fitted ..

 

[RCW]

Im
Hoping to spend all winter in it skiing ** and working occasionally but thank you all for your kind support / help. Friday night awaits, oooo the stress haha

** cross skiing until lockdown over

 

[TJBi]

I wouldn’t add that gel to your fresh water tank as the lable says “eau sanitaire” which implies it is for the flushing water for a toilet.

The term "eau sanitaire" signifies domestic water (and is often used for domestic hot water). As others have said, the instructions make it clear that the product is non-toxic and simply requires flushing out before using water system for domestic purposes.

 

[Markd]

Thus sort of stuff seems pretty common on the continent with several brands available they probably know what they're doing.

 

[snapster]

It is non toxic and is suitable for drinking water tanks, so no problems with using it.
Fingers crossed that everything is ok when you get back to the van.

 

[Tidewatcher]

Also I would drain your toilet flush tank. If it has one ..

As I am keeping the van on the road longer this year I do not really want to drain down the loo flush for obvious cold weather reasons.. As the tank is plastic with some rubber pipes etc. I did wonder if adding some of the normal engine coolant to the flush tank would be a reasonable idea? I can think of no materials in the loo flush system which are not in the engine cooling system and I just happen to have some in my shed....

 

[TJBi]

As I am keeping the van on the road longer this year I do not really want to drain down the loo flush for obvious cold weather reasons.. As the tank is plastic with some rubber pipes etc. I did wonder if adding some of the normal engine coolant to the flush tank would be a reasonable idea? I can think of no materials in the loo flush system which are not in the engine cooling system and I just happen to have some in my shed....

You might also wish to consider what happens once the flush water leaves the system.
Engine coolant is a hazardous material that should not be disposed of via sewers; nor should it be put into a septic system.

 

[Tidewatcher]

You might also wish to consider what happens once the flush water leaves the system.
Engine coolant is a hazardous material that should not be disposed of via sewers; nor should it be put into a septic system.

Good point. Maybe not the ideal then. Back to the old “watch the forecast and drain if worried” technique then. Hey Ho.

 

[Mr and Mrs Tupcox]

As I am keeping the van on the road longer this year I do not really want to drain down the loo flush for obvious cold weather reasons.. As the tank is plastic with some rubber pipes etc. I did wonder if adding some of the normal engine coolant to the flush tank would be a reasonable idea? I can think of no materials in the loo flush system which are not in the engine cooling system and I just happen to have some in my shed....

We don't even put blue in our toilet let alone anti freeze chemicals .
And we run for months over winter in spain with out water in toilet flush to make the cassette last longer..

 

[RCW]

Just flushed the system, -5 out but got everything up
And running. One tap still frozen. Guess I’ll have to fix that issue. Maintaining a good 14 degrees c inside.

 

[RCW]

Good point. Maybe not the ideal then. Back to the old “watch the forecast and drain if worried” technique then. Hey Ho.

That’s a very good point. I will investigate further, im
Told it’s non toxic

 

[Mr and Mrs Tupcox]

Poss you should trace all your pipes and put some pipe insulation round them..
My old van had pipes that ran out side the van in some areas ..

 

[Tidewatcher]

That’s a very good point. I will investigate further, im
Told it’s non toxic

OK having done a rainy day Google there are two things which seem to surface. Firstly there are two types of antifreeze, below is a quote from the Mobil advice:


Antifreeze is generally comprised of one of two types of glycol:

• Ethylene glycol antifreeze: Until recently, the most common glycol in antifreeze was ethylene glycol, a toxic material that can cause birth defects, reproductive damage or even death if ingested and requires very specific handling. Ethylene glycol antifreeze has a sweet odor and flavor, which makes it dangerously appealing to animals and/or small children.
• Propylene glycol antifreeze: An alternative antifreeze base is propylene glycol. There is very little difference in the performance of either substance – the advantage is the toxicity level. Propylene glycol antifreeze is significantly less toxic than ethylene glycol. This doesn't mean children or pets can ingest it without harm, but, like alcohol, propylene glycol is not toxic at low levels.

Also many sites including a couple of Council information sites “imply” that the very small quantities involved would be handled by the normal waste systems but all emphasise that it should not be put down waste drains where no treatment takes place thereby allowing the untreated fluid directly into the waterways.

So where does that leave us regarding the very small amounts we are talking about bearing in mind the copious amounts of bleach and the like we happily send down the sinks and toilets of our homes not forgetting the sale of blue toilet additive is still legal if not desirable.

My own take is that it is not ideal but not as serious as many seem to think..it comes down to personal decisions and I, for one, will not do it.