heated water hose?

[nunya]

So Merry Christmas to all! WHAT kind of hose are you using during the winter to heat tape and insulate. I had a great setup with valterra pvc but the hose split?? Had heat tape, double insulated all the good stuff, no problem last year but blew it twice this last 2 days?? LOOKIN for a solution, Thanks to all for all the info and look forward to more in 09.

[stiles watson]

I just use a standard good grade, white, water hose. I tape the heat tape to the hose at about every 6" and insulate with 1" thick foam tubing and taping the seams. Same setup has worked for two years without change.

[nunya]

Thanks Stiles for the info. I was wanderin if the good ol white hose would hold up to the heat tape, sounds as if it does. I did check out the pricey prebuilt stuff too, decisions! I am just runnin off the tank n pump till I decide what to do.

[rvfirefighter]

One thing to try is the high pressure metal hose they use for clothes washers and wrap with heat tape. I used this set-up in the Ga. Mtns. one winter. I also wrapped with rubber pipe insulation not the foam type. I holds up alot better than the foam. Does not cost that much more either.

[Exnavydiver]

If you are using a large pressure regulator like a Watts whole house unit you need to wrap that very well with the heat tape also. Being all bras it will dump heat fast and freeze. This happened to my unit here in TN when then temp hit 15. Once the regulator froze the hose followed. The hose and hydrant were wrapped with heat tape and insulation but the weak point was the brass regulator. It didn't damage anything as it didn't freeze hard. I brought the regulator inside next to a heater and it thawed right out. Once that was thawed the ice shot right out of the hose. Now it too is wrapped with tape and there is a 100 watt bulb next to it and all is covered by a barrel. It hasn't gotten anywhere near tha cold since but this time I think (hope) nothing freezes...

[sreigle]

I also use a standard RV water hose with heat tape taped to it, then the foam pipe insulation over that. I've been using this hose for several winters.

Like Exnavydiver, I keep our adjustable water regulator inside. Likewise for our water filter. They're both in the basement storage area, just inside the door.

[nunya]

I decided to bite the bullet and built a hose from 1/2 pex tubing with hose ends installed and heat tape and double wrapped with foam/rubber tubes,this should be the last winter hose I need to build, I HOPE! Thanks for the info and help as always! Leavin Pa. sometime in Jan. and headin to S.Carolina, hope its warmer there!

[Bob & Lee]

Steve,

I have the same hose stup as you and put my whole house filter inside the basment door and it has freezen twice, I was going to build a insulated box for it to sit in. any sugestions?

Bob

[sreigle]

I'm glad to know that's a possibility, Bob. This is the first time we've put them inside. In the past I put heat tape over the regulator, along with the foam, and left it outside. But I disconnected the filter.

So, you're saying yours froze, just inside the door. We got down to 17 here one night, but briefly. Otherwise we've only had a few nights in the upper 20's. No freezing but those are not seriously cold temperatures.

Any way you could build a box and install a 110v light socket and have a lightbulb going in there? There'd have to be sufficient ventilation. I'm not an electrician so maybe someone could comment on the safety factor. Next winter we'll likely be in more seriously cold temperatures so I want to figure this out, too. My filter is also a whole house type like yours.

I wonder if heat tape wrapped around that filter and its water lines would work? I wouldn't think it would be hot enough to damage the plastic(??) filter body, would it?

Another possibility might be to fill a crate with loose insulation and put the filter in there with the hoses coming in through the crate openings. You know those crates I'm talking about? Foam insulation on the hoses to and from the filter might be sufficient since it shouldn't get as cold in the basement as it does outside?? Or maybe a lightbulb in the basement? I wonder if leaving the 12 volt light turned on, the one that's on basement wall, would be enough? Probably not.

[Bob & Lee]

Steve,
Ours Froze while we were gone on a cruse for 8 days it was below 0 for several days and lots of ice. It was 5 below the night we returned to no water. I checked and the filter was froze, it is plastic. I am going to try to make a box of that rigid foam and have the foam the lines enter it. I have heat tape line into the RV control center to a brass "Y" no heat tape on it then those spring covered no kink short hoses to the flush the other a longer regular hose W/foam cover thru the wall into the basement to the filter sitting over the tank valves on the floor then another hose from the filter W/foam thru another hole to the water service hook up only the filter froze nothing broke. Still testing may need more heat tape.


EDIT: 2 Jan 09 Well I was wrong the plastic screw on case around the filter cracked, So off to see if I can replace it or buy all new.

Bob

[exav8tr]

When I was in Alaska in -30 and -40 degree weather, I put a drop light with a 200 watt bulb under the hood of my snow machine next to the carburetor and nary had a problem starting it. My dual jumbo filters fit into a milk crate like box that I would insulate and put another drop cord in with a 200 watt, if I was ever in that kind of weather. Don't plan on it but one never knows. Also a cooler with holes cut on each end for hoses would work fine, as long as you put the drop lite in it, These would be fairly easy and quick fixes. I know there are other also, but these would be my choice.....

[nunya]

Happy New Year! Well it got to 12 last night and NO Problem with new setup! I did heat tape the regulator as I installed it at the fill side of hose as always so lets hope for the best! I do not use a filter during winter and I am hooked to good city water now but I think maybe an inside mounted filter is in the future! I do like the cooler idea. Such smart people on the MOC

[Scottyscott]

Just a thought... I installed my water filter and softener under the kitchen sink. I cut the city water supply line going to the pump and installed garden hose fittings in each end... Then simply ran the supply to the in of the filter/softner and the out to the other side of the pipe I cut. The only place there is no soft water is the line comming in from city connection. The rest of the camper has soft water. Hope this helps on the filter freezing! Also, I got a 10 ft white hose and a 12 ft heat tape for my line. Be sire to leave about 1 1/2" of hear tape at the end so you can wrap it around the connection to the camper. I insulated it with both foam and fiberglass. lol...(the hose is about 4" thick). But I have never had frozen pipes. It has got to 5 degree here.

[nunya]

Thats kinda what I was thinkin of doin with an inside setup, sounds as if it`ll work just great. Thanks for another great idea!

[sreigle]

quote:Originally posted by Bob & Lee

Steve,
Ours Froze while we were gone on a cruse for 8 days it was below 0 for several days and lots of ice. It was 5 below the night we returned to no water. I checked and the filter was froze, it is plastic. I am going to try to make a box of that rigid foam and have the foam the lines enter it. I have heat tape line into the RV control center to a brass "Y" no heat tape on it then those spring covered no kink short hoses to the flush the other a longer regular hose W/foam cover thru the wall into the basement to the filter sitting over the tank valves on the floor then another hose from the filter W/foam thru another hole to the water service hook up only the filter froze nothing broke. Still testing may need more heat tape.


EDIT: 2 Jan 09 Well I was wrong the plastic screw on case around the filter cracked, So off to see if I can replace it or buy all new.

Bob

Bob, was your furnace turned on and running occasionally while you were gone? Our basement storage gets some heat from the belly when the furnace runs.

Phil, good ideas. I think I'll box/insulate our filter before next winter.

[Bob & Lee]

Yes, The heat was on set low at 50, gess to low for as cold as it got, Maybe ok if we were not gone so long

Bob

[sreigle]

Bob, setting the furnace on 50 should be plenty. It's going to run frequently at those very low temperatures. Maybe a lightbulb where the freezing occurs would help.