jimjr
Weekender RV’er
Posts: 57
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Post by jimjr on Dec 16, 2023 7:37:48 GMT -5
Does anyone have a way to keep the discharge pipes that hang down through the underside insulation from freezing while boondocking? I put 1/2 gallon RV antifreeze in each tank after I dumped last but I still couldn’t open the discharge valves in the morning at the dump station.
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Post by rsmittyb on Dec 17, 2023 7:14:53 GMT -5
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Post by WrkrBee on Dec 17, 2023 10:47:36 GMT -5
That works, if you run a generator 24/7 to have 120vac available for the heat tape. A lot of this depends on how many hours the temperature drops below freezing and the temperature difference. Water transfers heat poorly, so it takes a while to freeze (like putting a 2-liter bottle in a 0-degree freezer which takes a couple of hours to start freezing).
One option may be to build a cardboard box around the dump valve area and insulate inside it. What you are trying to prevent freezing is the thin layer of water that is in the dump valve slide area. The morning you leave, a 12vdc heater could be aimed in the cardboard box to thaw anything that may be frozen.
Two weeks ago at a campground, we had a 26-degree night that dropped below freezing for 5 hours. I took a tarp and "underpinned" the camper in the low point drain areas. Then placed a small electric heater on low (using the 20 amp pedestal circuit), under the camper. The underpinning could have been extended to include the dump valve area. If the temperature never gets above freezing, I stay home.
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