Fresh Water Tank Freezing
I live in area where it occasionally gets cold enough for freezing damage to be a legit issue - so I winterize the rig every year - which includes dumping the FW tank. But I would really like to le...
Forum Discussion
We live in northern Alberta at the same latitude as Dawson Creek, mile zero of the Alaska Highway.
We experienced some freezing in our first RV trip when temps dropped to -10 C, 15 F in a March blizzard. We stopped at a roadside campsite with no services because driving was hazardous in the snow and enjoyed our new house. I was worried about the water lines and kept checking the freshwater drain. That tap is several inches out from the tank and it did freeze. I put a mitt over it and went to bed with the furnace set to keep the house at 60 F. In the morning the tap was not frozen and allowed water to flow out. No problems with the water in the house, either. We were lucky to learn so quickly that our MH can handle -10 C. We have avoided camping in lower temperatures and carry a gallon of RV antifreeze in case of chilly surprises. Only one other problem - a drain pipe elbow under the floor cracked, possibly due to freezing.
I am familiar with other affects of freezing water. Notably when a steel barrel of water, open at the top, freezes, it pushes out the bottom to form a dome shape. I have several rain barrels that have that problem. It suggests that damage would occur to a half full freshwater tank that freezes. It would, of course, freeze more quickly than a full tank because of the larger latent heat of fusion of the larger mass of water.
We experienced some freezing in our first RV trip when temps dropped to -10 C, 15 F in a March blizzard. We stopped at a roadside campsite with no services because driving was hazardous in the snow and enjoyed our new house. I was worried about the water lines and kept checking the freshwater drain. That tap is several inches out from the tank and it did freeze. I put a mitt over it and went to bed with the furnace set to keep the house at 60 F. In the morning the tap was not frozen and allowed water to flow out. No problems with the water in the house, either. We were lucky to learn so quickly that our MH can handle -10 C. We have avoided camping in lower temperatures and carry a gallon of RV antifreeze in case of chilly surprises. Only one other problem - a drain pipe elbow under the floor cracked, possibly due to freezing.
I am familiar with other affects of freezing water. Notably when a steel barrel of water, open at the top, freezes, it pushes out the bottom to form a dome shape. I have several rain barrels that have that problem. It suggests that damage would occur to a half full freshwater tank that freezes. It would, of course, freeze more quickly than a full tank because of the larger latent heat of fusion of the larger mass of water.
