Heated tanks?

We have a switch for our tank heaters on the main control panel. Should be a switch somewhere.

Jim-Linda wrote:
You might want to change the way you dump. Dump black first, then flush tank, then dump grey. You want to make sure all the "stuff" is gone from the black.

Jim

x2... that jumped out at me as to how he was doing it.

Usmcsousa wrote:
Thank you everybody, I see no sign of any type of electrical source of heating in the area so it must be ducted from the furnace somewhere else. Its about near impossible to inspect the area above or behind the tanks . Maybe when this artic polar vortex shenanigan passes I'll be more willing to try and remove things without my fingers freezing off.

The term "Heated Tanks" is in some cases, nothing more than a marketing gimick. There are varying degrees of tank heat, and, the manufacturers use the same terminology for all of them. They all say they have "heated tanks". Here are some of the various levels:

1. Enclosed underbelly - A small amount of interior heat will radiate through the floor. Very little heat reaches the tanks. If furnace is not runnning, no heat at all.

2. Enclosed underbelly with insulation around the tanks. Here again, it is very little radiant heat through the floor, and, only while furnace is running.

3. Enclosed underbelly with insulation and a heat duct near the tanks. A little more radiant heat. No heat with furnace off.

4. Enclosed underbelly with insulation and heat duct blowing warm air around the tanks. No heat with furnace off.

5. Enclosed underbelly with insulation, heat duct blowing warm air, and electric heat pads on the tanks. This is the only one that heats the tanks with furnace off. Some pads are 12 volt only, some 120 volt only, and some are combination 12 / 120 volt. Some are on / off only. Some are on / off with built in thermostat.

Various manufacturers use various levels and they all call it "Heated Tanks".

When you see or hear that term, first question should be -- How are they heated?

Maybe there is enough heat emitted from the ducts without them actually being vented in the tank area. I have done sme monitoring of temps in the compartments compared to inside temp. When my MH temp is about 70 my wet bay in about 40.

Thank you everybody, I see no sign of any type of electrical source of heating in the area so it must be ducted from the furnace somewhere else. Its about near impossible to inspect the area above or behind the tanks . Maybe when this artic polar vortex shenanigan passes I'll be more willing to try and remove things without my fingers freezing off.

SOME RVs call their system "heated tanks" when there is actualy a furnace vent into the belly to prevent freeze ups and these work just fine but can prevent use of too much electric heat since there is no furnace running much of the time thus no heated tank.

IF your tanks are electrically heated they more than likely have an automatic feature that turns them on when temps ready about 38 degrees and turns them off when above that temperature. They often ALSO have a 12 volt heater that DOES have a switch and this allows heating the tanks while towing in cold weather but this is available only if ordered that way. Using both systems at once usually prevents freeze ups down to well below zero but keeping the house warm would also be necessary to prevent freeze ups in internal water lines.
Good luck / Skip

If it has 'heated pads' there are two types
120V AC....usually controlled by plugging them in to an outlet
12V DC....usually a On/Off rocker switch with a 15A fuse in DC dist. panel. On/Off switch is typically by monitor/level panel. Could be on dash.

They have a temp t-stat that will cycle them with switch in ON position.
Cycle on at 44*F.....off at 65*F (temp of contents).

The other method is a furnace heat duct that just blows warm air down into tank area when furnace is ON

You might want to change the way you dump. Dump black first, then flush tank, then dump grey. You want to make sure all the "stuff" is gone from the black.

Jim

When I read "heated tanks", I have seen three things that salespeople try to equate with that phrase:

1: A vent from the furnace aimed to blow on top of the tanks.
2: A switch that uses battery power on some tank heating pads that are in direct contact with the tanks.
3: A thermostat that turns on #2 instead of having someone flip a switch.

#1 is common. #2 somewhat. I've not run into any #3 options, but I'm sure higher end rigs have that.

Our Gulfstream coach does not say anything about heated tanks, but there are hot air vents running through the floor into the bins where the tanks are located. Of course, they only work if we are running the furnace/