[thewaterwizard]

hi all
just thought this may help someone going into their first winter wfp

last year mine froze solid tracked inside van right through pump
and just started to freeze tank outlet took ages to thaw out with a hair drier

solved this by cutting all four pipes fitted  hoselock connectors (stop ones on top flow through on bottom)
and joining bits (cant remember wot they call them)

now at the end of the day after filling tank i can just disconnect them and blow the pipes out
after that i had no problems even on the coldest nights
just re connect in the morning and away you go simples!!!

Ive got two 200w frost protection hearters fitted in the van and on realy cold
nights i put an oil filled radiator set on frost

oh its a high roof lwb transit sooner be safe than sorry


   hope all this helps somebody       (taken me ages to type this )


       robin

[Pole 2 Pole]

Am i seeing double? Well if it took that long, it's worth posting twice 

[South Coast Cleaning Services]

Cut the hose and put a ball valve inbetween

[lyndy]

wizard im still not sure what you mean,you cut the hose near the back of van? or front.and put stop hose locks on?

[thewaterwizard]

my ports are under my side door i cut the pipes inside van

[leapstallbuildings]

I just pull the feed pipe out of the tank, then run the piece of hose that I connect  to the reel into the tank, and run air through the system.  That way there's no water in the system.  I've never had trouble with airlocks.  Just have to run the system for a couple of minutes to start up but at least I don't end up with a cracked pump.  I believe that you're not meant to run pumps dry but hopefully a short period at the end of the day won't hurt.

[concept]

i have taken matts advice, and am running anti freeze through the system at the end of the night, so thats all thats left in the system overnight, then in the morning, run pure through it.

can't be leaving heaters in van overnight.

[paulben]

What sort of anti freeze do you use is it the same as winter screen wash

[concept]

engine anti freeze, not screen wash, although i am sure that would be just as good.

[ian1972]

wont that take ages flush out?

[concept]

no, from before pump, through 100m and pole hose, wont take long at all. even if its 5 mins each night, and morning, if it saves freezing, happy days.

[Window Washers]

no, from before pump, through 100m and pole hose, wont take long at all. even if its 5 mins each night, and morning, if it saves freezing, happy days.

5 mins per pump and hose reel so about 10 mins each hose and reel per day
then 5 days a week then again by lets say 12 weeks of real cold weather at max (hope)

10 min per pump and reel times 5 equals 50 mins a week, times 12 weeks equals 600 mins per van (new pumps £80 ish) thats 10 wasted hours per van in twelve weeks 

and thats on one hose reel and pump.

Just say there was 2 vans and 2 hoses and pumps in each

thats 2400 mins 

if I counted anymore vans I would be seeing the doctor in the morning.

There has to be something or someone should come up with a failsafe way to cure this problem that is not time wasting or to costly.... Slumpbuster the floor is yours

[matt]

i have taken matts advice, and am running anti freeze through the system at the end of the night, so thats all thats left in the system overnight, then in the morning, run pure through it.

can't be leaving heaters in van overnight.

dont forget to get a 25 L barrel and run the antifreeze back into that, it can be used them again and again

[matt]

no, from before pump, through 100m and pole hose, wont take long at all. even if its 5 mins each night, and morning, if it saves freezing, happy days.

5 mins per pump and hose reel so about 10 mins each hose and reel per day
then 5 days a week then again by lets say 12 weeks of real cold weather at max (hope)

10 min per pump and reel times 5 equals 50 mins a week, times 12 weeks equals 600 mins per van (new pumps £80 ish) thats 10 wasted hours per van in twelve weeks 

and thats on one hose reel and pump.

Just say there was 2 vans and 2 hoses and pumps in each

thats 2400 mins 

if I counted anymore vans I would be seeing the doctor in the morning.

There has to be something or someone should come up with a failsafe way to cure this problem that is not time wasting or to costly.... Slumpbuster the floor is yours

thats a touch negative, 12 weeks of really cold weather, thats 3 months, its more like a few weeks of sub zero temps

and 10 mins per day is still better than a few hours off when your system is frozen solid ( well the pipes are )

[Window Washers]

no, from before pump, through 100m and pole hose, wont take long at all. even if its 5 mins each night, and morning, if it saves freezing, happy days.

5 mins per pump and hose reel so about 10 mins each hose and reel per day
then 5 days a week then again by lets say 12 weeks of real cold weather at max (hope)

10 min per pump and reel times 5 equals 50 mins a week, times 12 weeks equals 600 mins per van (new pumps £80 ish) thats 10 wasted hours per van in twelve weeks 

and thats on one hose reel and pump.

Just say there was 2 vans and 2 hoses and pumps in each

thats 2400 mins 

if I counted anymore vans I would be seeing the doctor in the morning.

There has to be something or someone should come up with a failsafe way to cure this problem that is not time wasting or to costly.... Slumpbuster the floor is yours

thats a touch negative, 12 weeks of really cold weather, thats 3 months, its more like a few weeks of sub zero temps

and 10 mins per day is still better than a few hours off when your system is frozen solid ( well the pipes are )

Is true, was Negative sorry , bad day, who sells new bodies ?

[concept]

we're not all as busy as you ian, so a few minutes of time isn't an issue at this stage, hopefully someone will come up with some alternatives for next winter! 

matt, got my 2 x 25l containers ready to roll! will give it a trial run over the w/e and time it all for you, then you can work out, 5 mins on van not freezing, or 5 minutes more on ciu, your call!

[paulben]

just worry that engine antifreze is a bit agressive . it always finds weak pipes in cars . Changed van antifreeze last weekend and now its leaking from thermostat housing so was worried about pump

[rg1]

just worry that engine antifreze is a bit agressive . it always finds weak pipes in cars . Changed van antifreeze last weekend and now its leaking from thermostat housing so was worried about pump

Was going to post similar comment. Those small 'O' rings in the couplings etc would not last long with anti-freeze.

[paulben]

Draining hose reel never gets all the water out then it all collects and freezes was wondering if it would help to blow through pipes with a 12v compressor for a few mins

[matt]

i didnt realise concept was using anti-freeze

my option was the antifreeze screenwash

i might have mentioned antifreeze in the past, though i guess diluted enough it would be fairly weak