Question on UltraHeat tank heater systems
Greetings. I have a 2011 Carri Lite 37' fifth wheel with double walled black/grey tanks heated by a 4" duct from a 40,000 btu LP furnace. I'm outfitting the trailer for 15-25 degree winters in the ...
Forum Discussion
Great info. I saw two points:
1. Yes, my tanks have an exterior wall (shell) that allows fiberglass insulation in about a 7" space around the entire inner tank. A 4" duct from the furnace blows into this insulated space from directly above where the suburban 40K btu furnace is.
A preclusion from using utltraheat would be unfortunate due to double walls, but I can see they wont' work as I'd planned. What if I had the double wall removed, which can be lowered by taking a billion screws out (which I've done to replace a valve), then I could pull down the insulation and stick the heat pads right onto the inner tanks? Then, I'd repack the insulation and screw the outer shell back on. I wonder if this would work or whether the pads would overheat?
2. My Carriage trailer has about 14" between the finished carpeted floor and the insulation below in the underbelly. Under the insulation, there is a typical mesh nylon membrane of some kind. Last winter, I left a 1,500 watt space heater in my basement, which seemed to warm everything above the belly insulation. The cold spot is in the rear living room. Thus, I planned to put a "Y" on the duct going to the tanks and two valves, where I can run an alternate hard 4" duct and push it through the sub-floor back under the living room and I'd lust leave that open on the end. A mechanical contractor who full times suggested this to me and he's seen it done. If I ran the space heater and this living room subfloor 4" open duct, I "assume" that using the electric heaters on the tanks would not result in freezing pipes, as someone mentioned, but I'm not sure.
1. Yes, my tanks have an exterior wall (shell) that allows fiberglass insulation in about a 7" space around the entire inner tank. A 4" duct from the furnace blows into this insulated space from directly above where the suburban 40K btu furnace is.
A preclusion from using utltraheat would be unfortunate due to double walls, but I can see they wont' work as I'd planned. What if I had the double wall removed, which can be lowered by taking a billion screws out (which I've done to replace a valve), then I could pull down the insulation and stick the heat pads right onto the inner tanks? Then, I'd repack the insulation and screw the outer shell back on. I wonder if this would work or whether the pads would overheat?
2. My Carriage trailer has about 14" between the finished carpeted floor and the insulation below in the underbelly. Under the insulation, there is a typical mesh nylon membrane of some kind. Last winter, I left a 1,500 watt space heater in my basement, which seemed to warm everything above the belly insulation. The cold spot is in the rear living room. Thus, I planned to put a "Y" on the duct going to the tanks and two valves, where I can run an alternate hard 4" duct and push it through the sub-floor back under the living room and I'd lust leave that open on the end. A mechanical contractor who full times suggested this to me and he's seen it done. If I ran the space heater and this living room subfloor 4" open duct, I "assume" that using the electric heaters on the tanks would not result in freezing pipes, as someone mentioned, but I'm not sure.
