We made it until this morning without freezing up. Hubby went out to drain tanks and found he had left a valve open. Blocked everything from draining. Thankfully a man in our park has a 55,000 btu torpedo style heater, another had a couple of sheets of styrofoam insulation and in an hour all was flowing as it should. So thankful for helpful RVers!!! I bet hubby doesn't forget to shut the valve again! He was frozen when he was able to come back inside!
DebbieM said
04:58 PM Feb 8, 2014
Glad all worked out. Live and learn
WestWardHo said
02:37 PM Feb 9, 2014
Bless RVers for being do helpful and so glad you're all right!
Stay warm!
Sherry
cherylbrv said
04:16 PM Feb 9, 2014
Ok, another dumb question from she that does not understand.....
My logic would tell me that you need a valve to be opened in order to drain, and if it's closed it would not drain. Can you please explain (in very simple terms) how draining tanks in an RV works?
GENECOP said
04:58 PM Feb 9, 2014
By leaving the valve open in freezing temps if fluid is left in the dump hose and back into the waste pipe you will,have a blockage that will not let you drain your tanks....in freezing weather you should disconnect your dump hose, close your dump valve, put the cover on, and only when your HEATED tank is full, hook up the hose, dump, then disconnect everything and close again...
Grams said
05:55 PM Feb 9, 2014
Cheryl, Genecop's instructions are correct from what I've read but we leave our drain line connected with all valves closed (normally). We also pour a small amount of anti-freeze into the tanks after draining them as we are in sub-freezing weather right now and I read on this forum this can keep the valve doors from freezing shut. We do have heated tanks.
Our camp host leaves his gray tank valve open but tells us that there is a chance of water freezing in the drain line. They feel since they are a family of 3 adults that hot water usages is sufficient to reduce those odds.
I do know that black tanks should NEVER be left open. That allows all liquid to drain away leaving the solid material to harden. Nasty!!!!! And I've read that the repair is not easy or cheap.
We empty as follows: Black tank is emptied first then a flush (I understand that not all RVs have this flush hookup), then empty gray tanks (we have 2) --- this rinses the drain hose. Close all valves and treat tanks. Hubby has even taught me how to do this. It's not difficult, just cold out there right now!
We made it until this morning without freezing up. Hubby went out to drain tanks and found he had left a valve open. Blocked everything from draining. Thankfully a man in our park has a 55,000 btu torpedo style heater, another had a couple of sheets of styrofoam insulation and in an hour all was flowing as it should. So thankful for helpful RVers!!! I bet hubby doesn't forget to shut the valve again! He was frozen when he was able to come back inside!
Glad all worked out. Live and learn
Stay warm!
Sherry
My logic would tell me that you need a valve to be opened in order to drain, and if it's closed it would not drain. Can you please explain (in very simple terms) how draining tanks in an RV works?
Our camp host leaves his gray tank valve open but tells us that there is a chance of water freezing in the drain line. They feel since they are a family of 3 adults that hot water usages is sufficient to reduce those odds.
I do know that black tanks should NEVER be left open. That allows all liquid to drain away leaving the solid material to harden. Nasty!!!!! And I've read that the repair is not easy or cheap.
We empty as follows: Black tank is emptied first then a flush (I understand that not all RVs have this flush hookup), then empty gray tanks (we have 2) --- this rinses the drain hose. Close all valves and treat tanks. Hubby has even taught me how to do this. It's not difficult, just cold out there right now!