WFP Tank has ice in it

Haven't worked since the 23rd so today I decided to go and get my van cleaned and fill up my tank, swap out my filters etc ready for work next week but as I was driving it to the car wash place I could hear the lumps of ice cracking and smashing about in the tank - oops.

Got it cleaned and had the heating up full whack and the ice turned back to sloshing around like normal but when I got home the RO housing was frozen solid to the tank so I can't swap out my filters. I gave them a good rub down with a scrim and switched on my pump and water started coming out of the hose and the waste flush is pouring out whilst the tank's filling up (so the system is functioning). But I still can't get the housing off. Fortunately they probably have a few more days life in them and my TDS is only 1ppm when I tested it pre membrane flush, but I imagine this is going to be a problem next week too as the temperatures don't look to be getting much above freezing for the next few days.

I've ordered some Isopropyl to put in the tank tomorrow when it arrives to stop that freezing over but obviously that's for the already filtered water.

What can I do to defrost them?

Oil filled radiator in the back, plus a blanket over hoses?

I went out to my van this morning (no intention of working untill next year) and noticed my hoses were frozen solid. I've put a blanket over the pump and hoses just incase it gets so cold that they spring a leak.

had a 3 covers over mine still got into it had same issue as you can here all ice in tank...time for a oil rad

I use old pillows around my pump and hoses . Seams to ok . Mind I always bring my pole inside.

I got the system running and filled it fine. Will stick ISO in it tomorrow but it's all working ok after a few splutters at the beginning. I have to park out on the road so I can't really have anything in the back that requires electricity so heaters are out of the question.

Didn't manage to get the RO filters off though so that's a battle for another day!

I use old pillows around my pump and hoses . Seams to ok . Mind I always bring my pole inside.

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My hoses are in now and I will bring my poles in the night before I go back to work

Haven't worked since the 23rd so today I decided to go and get my van cleaned and fill up my tank, swap out my filters etc ready for work next week but as I was driving it to the car wash place I could hear the lumps of ice cracking and smashing about in the tank - oops.
Got it cleaned and had the heating up full whack and the ice turned back to sloshing around like normal but when I got home the RO housing was frozen solid to the tank so I can't swap out my filters. I gave them a good rub down with a scrim and switched on my pump and water started coming out of the hose and the waste flush is pouring out whilst the tank's filling up (so the system is functioning). But I still can't get the housing off. Fortunately they probably have a few more days life in them and my TDS is only 1ppm when I tested it pre membrane flush, but I imagine this is going to be a problem next week too as the temperatures don't look to be getting much above freezing for the next few days.

I've ordered some Isopropyl to put in the tank tomorrow when it arrives to stop that freezing over but obviously that's for the already filtered water.

What can I do to defrost them?

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You need to find another way to prevent freezing as Isopropyl wouldn't help you according to this website.

Isopropanol (2-Propanol) based Freeze Protected Water Solutions

I have a fan heater with a frost protection setting on it. Compare the electric it uses to a lost days work. It's well worth it.

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IMHO Iso doesn't work I haven't used it for years now and back then when I used a trolley system ice still formed in containers overnight , Better off buying 2-3 cheap duvets and wrapping RO up really well with bubble wrap and/or a blanket as well as duvets . And drain off what water you can from your system each night .

Insulation won't prevent freezing, it only slows heat loss down. So over an extended period those items are going to freeze no matter how well insulated they are.

Somewhere along the line heat has to be added to keep things from freezing up.

We have a second fridge and deep freeze in the shed outside. When we had that bad winter in 2012 the wife came in and told me the fridge had packed up as the vegetables were all frozen.

The problem was solved by putting an electric heater into the shed and leaving the fridge door open to thaw out. The fridge is still working today.

We have an 800 watt heater on a froststat and a duvet over the tank in the van. That combination worked even during that very bad winter of 2012 when we hardly worked for 6 weeks in the North East. I have never had a layer of ice form in my tank although we have in my son's tank. That was probably due to not heating his van and about 2" of water left in his tank.

When we first started wfp I processed water directly into my trailer. It used to take all night. My r/o was outside next to the back tap in overnight minus temperatures without any protection. It was fine working this way for 3 winters. As long as water was being processed there wasn't a problem. The r/o was brought inside during the day and stored in a plastic container.

Now the r/o is in a cabinet in the garage heated by a tube heater on a froststat. The box is kept at 8 degrees.

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