Winterising (1 Viewer)

[Vlad The Impaler]

Still being new to this and not experienced a winter yet what's the worst that could happen if you don't drain down properly. Now assuming your tanks are empty and you've just Got a little bit left sat somewhere in the shower area and the pump,when you turned the pump on would it not just fuse . Seeing as its not a system under pressure would the ice not form back in the system where water would otherwise be.

 

[Wildman]

not drained down properly, well the pump would probably be written off, around £70, shower hose split someplace in accessible, other hoses and taps split, then flooding and the following rust, nothing that a few quid, plus another few quid couldn't put right.

I thought winterising was putting the decorations up

 

[Vlad The Impaler]

Wildman I'm assuming I'd do my best to drain down as I've said empty tanks leave taps open lift dump valve .But if I do this is it sufficient or is it necessary to remove shower head blow down etc .remove hoses from pump etc.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[darklord]

Its worth following what is said in the manual, if you hav,nt got one download it. Some you can "blow out" some you cant. For the sake of a couple of hours, you'll save yourself a few quids...and dont forget, same happens in a MH as does at home, its not always the freeze that does the damage, its when it thaws that the nasty stuff happens.

 

[Andrew G M]

The static caravan park company i work for drain down all the vans each year. For the past couple of years, we have used a compressor to fully blow out the water systems.

Even with the recent severe winters, this method has greatly reduced, if not eliminated the problems we used to have just letting the vans drain down manually with gravity.

Not sure if this method can be used on a MH, but no doubt someone will have a view.

Andrew

 

[Vlad The Impaler]

Hi Andy got access to a compressor and was wondering how to go about it.
If I got a good seal at the water filling point left all taps shower etc open and gave it big licks with the air pressure would that suffice .If so bookings now bring taken

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Andrew G M]

Hi Vlad

Not exactly sure how the lads do it, but will ask tomorrow.

Andrew

 

[aba]

i wouldn't think the compressor route in the tank filler would do much good as its probably vented somewhere but blowing down the taps should work ok unless there is a 1 way valve somewhere that would stop the water from returning to the tank.

 

[pappajohn]

Still being new to this and not experienced a winter yet what's the worst that could happen if you don't drain down properly. Now assuming your tanks are empty and you've just Got a little bit left sat somewhere in the shower area and the pump,when you turned the pump on would it not just fuse . Seeing as its not a system under pressure would the ice not form back in the system where water would otherwise be.

in a perfect world, yes.

problem is ice expands and a bit of plastic (water pump body and hoses) aint going to stop it.

a few years ago i had to replace a central heating circulating pump in our holiday cottage which froze to the extent it split the cast aluminium pump body and pushed the two halves apart.
also your boiler would probably freeze and could split...as could your tap bodies.

ice can, and does, split rocks.....

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[pappajohn]

The static caravan park company i work for drain down all the vans each year. For the past couple of years, we have used a compressor to fully blow out the water systems.

Even with the recent severe winters, this method has greatly reduced, if not eliminated the problems we used to have just letting the vans drain down manually with gravity.

Not sure if this method can be used on a MH, but no doubt someone will have a view.

Andrew

I use a compressor on the RV's water system to good effect but you need a relatively low pressure.

try banging in 100psi and chances are you'll pop all the joints.
my normal operating pressure is 40psi so i use the same air pressure to bleed through.

i have the option of running direct off the house mains via a hose pipe so i use that connector to pressure bleed the taps and boiler then switch over to the onboard tank feed and use short bursts of air to clear the rest of the system.

i also put dilute anti-freeze in the waste traps...just the normal car stuff as all my waste plumbing is normal push fit domestic waste pipe.

 

[Bonio123]

I've got alde central heating set at 10 degrees C and left on EHU. Nevertheless decided to drain water system as per handbook so hopefully will be O.K. Have seen a self fit system to blow water out and this advocates 10-15 psi as being sufficient . It was advertised in a magazine recently and utilises a couple of valves, one to close off the system from the fresh water tank and one to connect a small compressor to. Think it was under £50.

 

[Andrew G M]

Hi Vlad

Not exactly sure how the lads do it, but will ask tomorrow.

Andrew

Sorry for the delay (busy week), but this what we do with our statics.

· Make sure all taps (including shower) are closed and toilets cisterns are not empty.

· Turn off mains water supply and connect compressor to mains inlet.

· Pressurise system to about 4-5bar.

· Open each tap individually and drain water until just air is coming through, then close tap and move onto the next one until all taps and shower points have been drained.

· Allow pressure to build back up to 4-5 bar.

· Go round each tap (including shower) for a second time.

· Now flush the toilet to empty cistern.

· When just air is coming into cistern remove compressor.

· Put concentrated anti freeze into all water traps, toilet pans and cisterns.

The central heating systems are closed systems. Bleed a radiator, and use a refractometer to test the concentration of anti-freeze which should be at least –7 °Cbelow freezing point.

Not sure if the above can be modified to drain down a MH, but surely the principle is the same. ie pressure blow all water out of the system to avoid freezing damage.
Presumably there is no MH equivilant to the water inlet of a static, so not clear what the compressor would be attached to. Presumably someone will have an idea.

Regards

Andrew

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}