Stopping tank freezing

[Davidpatrick1978]

How do u stop ur water tank freezing in the winter months some have told me put a blanket over it others have said leave a oil filled radiator in overnight switched on and someone said insulate it what are ur thoughts guys sorry with so many questions and daft ones just want to prepare myself all round and get good feedback 

 

[Part Timer]

Depends how cold it gets, mine's never frozen with an oil filled rad

 

[Dave B]

Rad has never let me down.

20 quid from b@m stores and has been perfect.

 

[AW Services]

How do u stop ur water tank freezing in the winter months some have told me put a blanket over it others have said leave a oil filled radiator in overnight switched on and someone said insulate it what are ur thoughts guys sorry with so many questions and daft ones just want to prepare myself all round and get good feedback 

If you use the search bar you'll find tons of tips and hints on equipment winterisation...

Such a common seasonal question 

 

[Crystalalan]

yep. A cheap oil filled rad will do the job plus I put lagging around my hoses and pipe work.

 

[dazmond]

oil filled radiator overnight should stop any freezing.....i have frost stat  on my hot water system which comes in handy on the really cold nights as it kicks in a few times to stop the hoses,system and tank from any ice damage 

 

[ks789]

How do u stop ur water tank freezing in the winter months some have told me put a blanket over it others have said leave a oil filled radiator in overnight switched on and someone said insulate it what are ur thoughts guys sorry with so many questions and daft ones just want to prepare myself all round and get good feedback 

previously i have put oil filled rad in and works fine. Where I am now I cant always park close so have to take a chance. I turn the tank outlet tap off, then run the pump fully to try and splut out (splut? sounds ok) any remaining water. Though when Ive checked there has still been water in the strainer bowl at the pump. So I cover pump and bit of hose up with an old quilt. bring in your hose reel if possible, as this can end up full of ice and take ages to melt. Some water froze in the tank, but not much. A long harsh spell would be worse. I reckon those hot water scarves would be handy in some cases. In a long harsh spell I will bring the hose reel and anything else possible indoors.

 

[AllGleam]

How do u stop ur water tank freezing in the winter months some have told me put a blanket over it others have said leave a oil filled radiator in overnight switched on and someone said insulate it what are ur thoughts guys sorry with so many questions and daft ones just want to prepare myself all round and get good feedback 

May seem strange but i use a large tropical fish aquarium heater only £24, i can set a temp of up 30.deg submerge into water through tank cap leave over night and stays relatively tepid warm throughout day i do also have the tank covered by double thick duvet.

 

[Iron Giant]

The tank freezing isn't much of an issue, it's water in the hoses and pump that cause the biggest problems if a small amount of water freezes you are going nowhere for a good while the next morning so an oil filled rad for me as well, even if they are forecasting no freeze but a low of 1-2c my rad goes on to avoid any issues.

also one of the other issues is moisture inside the back of the van on the roof through the colder months I use some of that foil bubble wrap which I tape to the van roof it works a treat, I also wrapped my tank in it as well. 

 

[Jonny 67]

Oil filled rad....

 

[AW Services]

Ensure your pump is insulated and your hose reel are protected 

If you have an onborad RO DI system with prefilters that's a massive concern and insulation is paramount 

There are plenty of previous posts along with many various tips and hints from myself listed if you read through the forum or use the search bar

 

[Dave B]

Also unscrew the bowl off the pump filter and empty it at night. 

Screw it back on but there is no water to freeze in it and crack it which I have done.

 

[dazmond]

previously i have put oil filled rad in and works fine. Where I am now I cant always park close so have to take a chance. I turn the tank outlet tap off, then run the pump fully to try and splut out (splut? sounds ok) any remaining water. Though when Ive checked there has still been water in the strainer bowl at the pump. So I cover pump and bit of hose up with an old quilt. bring in your hose reel if possible, as this can end up full of ice and take ages to melt. Some water froze in the tank, but not much. A long harsh spell would be worse. I reckon those hot water scarves would be handy in some cases. In a long harsh spell I will bring the hose reel and anything else possible indoors.

i used to faff about doing this in the cold winter months...glad i dont have to anymore......basically i dont have to do anything apart from run an extension lead to my van to charge batteries every night (which i do all year round anyway).....

 

[AW Services]

If your van is ply lined then carefully remove it and add 100mm rock wool or pink panther loft insulation then reline the van.

If you have a wire mesh bulkhead cage simply cable tie a duvet to it which breaks up the cold air sump that occurs in the cab area 

Same with a solid steel bulkhead by lining it with a duvet with save you a few degrees 

If you are really worried about a hosereel then get a toolstation or screwfix loft header tank cover kit and blue Peter a warm jacket using gaffa tape 

It's a very simple approach and the sake as when you get cold. You add a layer system