Fresh/Grey water taps - to insulate or not?

[Beryl]

Hi all.

Ms Beryl read on Another Place (yes, heresy I know) that it is advisable to insulate the fresh and grey water hoses and taps.

The hoses I can get behind, bit of lagging from B&Q and Robert's your mother's brother. However, insulating the taps. Essential or overkill? And if essential, what do you use?

TIA for any advice.

Rob

 

[cmcardle75]

Drain them down. Or leave the the heating on.

For a short period, you could turn off the pump and just leave the tap open. This gives room for expansion and reduces chances of tap failure, but your mileage may vary and it might still break if you're not back in time. Draining down is still the better option if leaving unheated in sub zero conditions.

 

[Beryl]

Drained down when not using definitely. But we intend to continue through the winter, so what if you're on site? The fresh water tank is insulated and we have tank heaters, it's just that bit of water that's in the drain hoses/taps that I'm worried about.

I suppose I really ought to check the insulation situation on the grey water tank as well.

 

[cmcardle75]

Drained down when not using definitely. But we intend to continue through the winter, so what if you're on site? The fresh water tank is insulated and we have tank heaters, it's just that bit of water that's in the drain hoses/taps that I'm worried about.

I suppose I really ought to check the insulation situation on the grey water tank as well.

I misunderstood. Thought you were talking about the actual taps inside.

If you've got an underslung grey tank and it starts getting icy, I'd leave the tap open and stick a bucket underneath. Empty after a shower, before the bucket freezes!

 

[Beryl]

We tend to keep the grey waste tap open and stick the waste master under it. Given that theoretically there shouldn’t be any water in the grey water tap itself, it should be ok.

I’ll see what offerings B&Q have for tap insulation for the fresh water drain tap and go from there.

Cheers,

Rob