[zeusjazmin]

hopefully this doesnt sound too stupid but here goes,,,,,,would it be possible to buy an immersion element,hook it up to an extention and dangle it into my tank to stop the water freezing? i will now await the laughter and flack

[zeusjazmin]

so im guessing its not an option?

[NWH]

It’s up to you what you do but I always find the the easiest option is always best and cheaper in the long run,I could be in 3 feet of snow if I was to go out on Monday morning all I’ve got to do is press a button and wait 5-6 minutes for hot water,that sounds better to me than faffing about with heater elements etc electricity and water don’t get on to well last time I checked.

[H2GoKent]

I have fitted immersion elements into tanks on a couple of vans I've had over the years it can work well

You could dangle it but get that wrong and at the very least you'll damage your tank, or at worst electrocute yourself.

When I fitted one I cut a hole in the side of the tank, obviously you need to be able reach inside to fit the washer etc and cut the hole very precisely so your tank is still water tight after you're done! A good grade silicon sealant inside and out and it won't leak. buy a good grade flex, and a good extension lead that can cope.

Advantages:
Cheap option
works ok
Warm water if left on overnight
the tank acts like a big radiator and keeps your van and equipment all toastie.

Disadvantages:
Get it wrong and you'll have major problems
water and electricity don't mix well 
useless if you forget to put it on or there is an unexpected frost.
people will take the mick if you do things yourself instead of paying for someone else to do them (who cares)
additional condensation in the van

I haven't fitted one to my present van I live on the South coast and frost/snow is pretty rare here.

Hope that helps

[Smudger]

Despite ther resident "expert" giving it 🤣🤣🤣🤣

If you just wish to prevent freezing then you can put n an aquarium heater - if you search eBay you will find higher powered ones (around  1kw) and made from Ali rather than glass also you can get heating elements that go into barrels  of water - so yes to answer you sensible question is yes

Remember they is never a stupid question - just stupid answers

Darran

[Smudger]

The safest thing to do would be to hang an electric heater down through the hole in the tank 🤣🤣,there’s no getting away from it I’m afraid you need to get your wallet out and do it safely.

Do you use  a kettle ?

Darran

[KS Cleaning]

hopefully this doesnt sound too stupid but here goes,,,,,,would it be possible to buy an immersion element,hook it up to an extention and dangle it into my tank to stop the water freezing? i will now await the laughter and flack

Portable immersion element is what you are after, just make sure it is fully submerged and kept clear of the walls, base and baffles of the tank.

[NWH]

If I were to go down that route I would get a Plummer to fit it for me,it’s easy you can do it yourself etc some will say something like that for a Plummer with a hole saw would be done in half hour.

[zeusjazmin]

thanks for the sensible advice guys,now have food for thought,much appreciated

[Smudger]

👍

Some of us do like to be helpful 🤩

[AuRavelling79]

You can buy floating pond heaters designed to  float in the top of a fishpond.

A 600w or 1kw one can work but...

As heat rises it will only give good heat to the top of the tank. OK for frost protection but not a great deal more.

Also don't take it out of the water before switching off or the element will blow and it will be useless.

[NWH]

Funny how hot water is a complete waste of time on here 99% of the time isn’t it 🤣🤣

[zeusjazmin]

i wasnt looking to have hot water to clean windows as i can do it fine with cold,problem is cant do it with solid water so was only looking for something to prevent my tank freezing

[NWH]

For about 4-500 you can buy a blower heater that works the same as a frost stat does on my heater,window cleaning warehouse used to sell them.

[NWH]

Most of the NPower vans have them when they come on they sound just like my water heater.

[AuRavelling79]

If I were to go down that route I would get a Plummer to fit it for me,it’s easy you can do it yourself etc some will say something like that for a Plummer with a hole saw would be done in half hour.

Christopher? He's getting up in years for doing that type of work.

Or did you mean Plumber?

[jonny thompson]

Is it possible to just fill with hot water or would this damage the ro

[zeusjazmin]

i only use water in my tank to fill backpack on trolley,basically tank is storage only,fill direct from di,going to get an aquarium heater to try and stop water freezing,i have looked at lots on the internet but unsure as to what kind,anyone who has any knowledge of these  these heaters feel free to offer me advice,thanks

[dd]

I just put an oil filled radiator in the back of the van on high for an hour or two in the morning on the rare occasion it has frozen.