City Water vs. Holding tank water switch?

[Montana_6099]

Hey everyone. With our recent temperature of -15* our water inlet has frozen and I can not get it to thaw.

So, I got the bright idea to fill my fresh water tank and use the 12V pump until it warms enough for me to fix the other problem.

However, I am wondering if there is any kind of switch I need to flip to change from City water connection to holding tank connection.

I don't see any, but maybe I am not looking in the right area?

Anyhow, we start the pump, we hear it running, but no water out of any of the taps. I am thinking we are frozen inside the Monty and have put a space heater in the basement to try to get things thawed out if that's the problem.

Any tips/ideas?

Thank you!

[bsmeaton]

JennyKraig,

No switch or levers on yours, shoud just start drawing from the tank. Something must be frozen !

[Ozz]

Bummer!
Run the propane furnace and heat that sucker up, it should thaw soon after that. Electric heaters warm insides, but don't do a darn thing for the underbelly.
The space heater is a good idea, but monitor it.

[8.1al]

Sometimes there is air in the pump and it won't prime and pump water. Opening a faucet while running the pump will usually help this.

[Montana_6099]

Thanks everyone! We have the heater cranked to 70 and all but one vent covered.

Hopefully we'll thaw out soon!

[illapah]

I think that air in the line could be a problem as posted above. I would opt for opening a faucet or 2 and run the pump. Had a problem similar to this when I decided to recheck my winterizing. The antifreeze would not pull from the jug. To make a long story short, I had air in the line to the pump and all worked fine after I got rid of it.

[Ozz]

JK,
Be careful about covering the vents, this results in a very high heater plenum temperature, and the fire will (may) cycle on the high limit, if you hear the fire going on and off every few minutes, this is what is happening.
Also, you will have a slower air volume to the underbelly. I would cover only half of them, if you want to cover some.
Good luck!

[Illini Trekker]

Sound like you'er on the right track with the added heat. The line of the tank is a garden hose type line and if frozen you will get that reaction out of the pump.

[bsmeaton]

OZZ is right - it's only a 2" duct going down there compared to 4" above.

[sreigle]

If the furnace runs enough the water lines should not freeze. One area I'm not sure about is around the water pump. The water pump is behind the water connection area in the basement storage area. So your heater in the basement may help, assuming the lines are frozen there. Also, you could pull a few screws out of the vertical white cover on the basement side of that water connection area and use a running hair dryer to pump hot air into the water pump area. Another option that might work is to use a hairdryer to blow hot air into the cold air return slots below the bottom step inside the coach, the steps going upstairs, next to the pantry. That is open to the water pump area, if I recall. If you by chance have blocked those slots to stop drafts then that might be the problem.

The 2007 Montanas have been tested to zero degrees F but I don't know if they'll withstand minus 15 without freezing! That's darn cold!

[sreigle]

quote:Originally posted by sreigle

If the furnace runs enough the water lines should not freeze. One area I'm not sure about is around the water pump. The water pump is behind the water connection area in the basement storage area.

I now know the lines around the water pump, behind the water connection unit, won't freeze at 11 F.

Also, the air return under the inside steps is open to the area housing the water pump and those water lines so heat from the inside of the rig reaches those lines.

[Mudchief]

JK are you sure you have water in your fresh water tank? If your line froze how did you get the water into your tank being it fills thru the same input? I have gone thru my unit and all the lines are inside the unit except 2. One goes under the floor to the hot water tank and the other to the fresh water tank. However both are under the wood floor with the insulation below them for protection.