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Old 01-22-2011, 07:37 AM   #1
TYR
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Frozen Sewer Hose

Okay, we're in southern Missouri for the winter. Our sewer hose is not wrapped and gets no sun. Is it just the hose that is stiff/frozen or is there ice inside?

We opened the bath gray tank and nothing went through the hose. Tanks are fine; we have not had a problem with them freezing.

If ice is inside the hose, anyone have a suggestion for thawing it (ice/hose) out?

We're not excited by the prospect of showering in the park facilities or doing our dishes in the laundry room!

Thanks!

Betty
 
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Old 01-22-2011, 07:53 AM   #2
Art-n-Marge
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First some additional information should help. Do you have a downward slope to your hose? Using guttering or slinky would help. Otherwise, just letting the hose lay on the ground and below the CG sewer hole will cause any liquid to remain in the hose and freeze.

If you do have a continuous downward slope, most of the liquid should have drained out and not remained in the hose to create a frozen clog. I have heard that if it's cold enough and the tank contents freeze, this could cause a problem.

The worse case is if the valve freezes and you can't open it. I've heard some folks put hot water down the tanks to try and unfreeze things. But you better confirm with others because you don't want anything cracking from the temp differences especially since I am not a cold weather expert. I'm just posting what I've read from others.
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Old 01-22-2011, 08:01 AM   #3
grampachet
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Best way I have solved the problem is with hot hot water. I have even sacrificed my coffee to thaw out a frozen valve.
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Old 01-22-2011, 03:12 PM   #4
MAMalody
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If you are using a "stinky slinky" you can freeze the hose unless the angle is quite severe. The water will catch in the ribbing and freeze and then every time you run water over it some additional water will freeze. If you have freezing weather long enough and the angle is very slight you can freeze up the hose. Many people in cold weather only use the valve on the black water tank and let the other tanks drain continually. This will make it more likely to freeze and faster because the water flow will be slight and slow and easier to freeze. Will take a while though. The best way to deal with it is to unhook it and put a new one on. Then you can work on thawing out the old drain hose. Hot water will freeze quicker than cold water so if you try just putting cold water down the drain, it will cool and freeze before you can thaw out a 10 foot section of solid frozen sewer hose. Take the old hose, prop it up at an angle and begin using your wife's hair dryer on it and thaw it out.
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Old 01-22-2011, 03:42 PM   #5
Drifty1
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I would install a heat tape on the hose and wrap with insulation. I would also cover it with plastic to keep rain off insulation. I do not leave my drains open as this helps to prevent ice build up in the hose.
PS you might have to do this to a new hose as your existing hose will break if you try to move it.
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Old 01-22-2011, 04:12 PM   #6
ols1932
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One thing to sure of is to not leave any of the valves open except when dumping. Then after dumping walk the hose down from the output of the rig to the drain so there is nothing left in the hose.

Most of the time (not saying you have done this) when a sewer hose freezes it is because there is some continuous drain (trickle) going through it. The use of running a trickle of water during cold weather is what we used to do when we eventually got running water on the farm. But that's a no-no with RVs. It'll freeze every time.

Orv
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Old 01-28-2011, 02:09 PM   #7
sreigle
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Once had a frozen sewer hose and learned a hard lesson. Don't touch it! It just comes apart in pieces. When it thaws you then have a real mess. A neighbor in a Lawrence, KS rv park had his freeze in December when we were there and his came apart the same way soon as he touched it.

Now I do as Orv said. In freezing weather I open valves only to dump and then close them. Then I walk the hose to make sure it's empty. I also try to arrange a downward slope with no dips, when possible, although walking it will suffice.

In other words, it's full of ice. We've had our sewer hoses down to 5 below zero, fahrenheit, and they've not bee a problem so long as they were empty. No problem touching them then. When we left Lawrence it was around 24 degrees and I had no problem disconnecting and putting away the hose other than my hiney was freezing.
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Old 02-04-2011, 01:58 AM   #8
GRHooper
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Fortunately, my neighbors here in OKC told me I need to insulate the pipes below the coach and the sewer hose. I did as one of the other writers suggested; wrapped in insulation, taped and then covered with trash bags. I didn't use heat tape so I'm hoping what I did will take care of it.
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Old 02-04-2011, 04:28 AM   #9
bob n pam
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And don't touch that freezing heiney, Steve! It will break into a thousand pieces and what a mess when it thaws!
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Old 02-04-2011, 07:36 AM   #10
sreigle
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Cute, Pam! I could lose a thousand pieces and still have plenty left!

Jerry and Lisa, your 2009 model has the water lines in their own insulated channel in the belly, same as ours. There also is a furnace duct into the basement. Your low point drains are inside the water connection center. They do drain below the belly but it's where the valves are located that's important. Those valves and the lines above them are what you don't want to freeze.

The only thing you need to do is to make sure the furnace runs occasionally. We've been to 5 below a couple of times and single digits many times and 14 days where the high was 14 and not frozen up.

As for your water hose, either disconnect it or heat tape it. Insulation by itself will get you down to maybe the low 20's or possibly high teens, at best. With heat tape (plus insulation) we've been in those temperatures we mentioned and still had running water from the park's supply. However, I also had heat taped the park's above ground pipe and spigot head. Others here have been in even colder weather, successfully. If you do not plan to be there long or often, then I'd just fill the fresh water tank and disconnect the hose in freezing weather and use the pump for water. Refill the tank as needed.

But be sure the furnace runs occasionally to keep some heat in the belly. I also have a 60watt trouble light in the water connection center although we've also done fine without that. I only recently started using the trouble light, only because it gives me peace of mind.
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