Frost King Electric Cable Heater

[Boozecamp]

I've been reading a lot about the Frost King Heat Tape or Heat Cable, the kind that's sold at Home Depot.
I'm getting mixed messages about using this product on RV water hoses (the white ones). One site for Frost King said, it can be used on metal or plastic pipes, but plastic pipes need to be Schedule 40. Garden hoses are not sch. 40. We are staying in our RV 5 days a week. Temps won't get real low in Georgia, but will be well below freezing many nights.
Question: has anyone used the Frost King product on their hoses? if so, does it work, does it melt these hose, how do you insulate the hose, any suggestions would be appreciated.
If Frost King is not recommended, then what is?

[bstow]

tchil wrote:
I lived in my toyhauler for 3 years in Colorado at 8500ft. We just strung the heat tape along our garden hose and used black electrical tape every 4 inches to hold it to the hose. Then cover the entire thing with 4ft sticks of insulation and make sure each end of those were taped together. Did the same thing to the hydrant. Each year we would get around a week of -15 nights and less than 10 degree daytime highs. Always had water. Even at 5 am in the dark getting ready for work. The hardest spot to insulate for me was where the hose connected to the side of the trailer. For that get a cheap faucet insulator and put the hose through it. Link below. I also got a small roll of fiberglass insulation that is like 4 inches wide to wrap the hose to Hydrant area and handle.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/390733669441?lpid=82

My heat tape was purchased at the local hardware store and had a thermostat built in. Just make sure the sensor that looks like a button is taped tightly against part of the hose so it knows when to turn on and off.

Hope that helps. We were actually quite comfortable in our trailer even in the cold weather.

Did you insulate your sewer pipe as well?

[tchil]

I lived in my toyhauler for 3 years in Colorado at 8500ft. We just strung the heat tape along our garden hose and used black electrical tape every 4 inches to hold it to the hose. Then cover the entire thing with 4ft sticks of insulation and make sure each end of those were taped together. Did the same thing to the hydrant. Each year we would get around a week of -15 nights and less than 10 degree daytime highs. Always had water. Even at 5 am in the dark getting ready for work. The hardest spot to insulate for me was where the hose connected to the side of the trailer. For that get a cheap faucet insulator and put the hose through it. Link below. I also got a small roll of fiberglass insulation that is like 4 inches wide to wrap the hose to Hydrant area and handle.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/390733669441?lpid=82

My heat tape was purchased at the local hardware store and had a thermostat built in. Just make sure the sensor that looks like a button is taped tightly against part of the hose so it knows when to turn on and off.

Hope that helps. We were actually quite comfortable in our trailer even in the cold weather.

[ITguy]

Boozecamp wrote:
Looking for ideas from those that full time thru winter.

I full time through winter in Iowa. Once it gets down to freezing temps, we just run off the tank, for a couple of reasons.

There are two RV parks in the area that are open year round, both charge a flat rate of $300 to repair your hydrant if you freeze it up and it cracks. The guy who was in the spot next to me last winter shelled out over a grand paying for frozen, cracked hydrants.

I watched the people with heated hoses last winter, and they all fought them constantly. I spend maybe 10 minutes out in the cold every 2 or 3 days to fill the tank, the people who stayed hooked up spent WAY more time out in the cold fighting with frozen water.

I definitely understand the appeal of staying hooked up. Especially with my noisy water pump. But all factors considered, for me it's just not worth it.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

It happens ever year in Iqaluit. So much so that it is not even news when it happens.

kellertx5er wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

And then it catches on fire.

Would love to see a pressurized water hose "catch on fire."

[kellertx5er]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

And then it catches on fire.

Would love to see a pressurized water hose "catch on fire."

[sljkansas]

I believe it was frost king, but any one of them should work. The biggest problem you run into is not wrapping the heat tape tight enough to transfer the heat. Make sure you use either foam or foiled fiberglass wrap around the hose and tape. Another thing I did was to put a large plastic trash can over the water supply to help keep it warm, and make sure the heat tape is well wrapped around the hydrent tightly, that's where I made the first mistake, the water froze where the hose screwed to the hydrent.

[time2roll]

You can order custom lengths. Not sure if there is a minimum.

8 watts per foot

[pianotuna]

Hi,

Has anyone seen a heat tape that is three feet long? I want to upgrade from using a light bulb in my fridge compartment. I'd be controlling it with a TC-3.

[time2roll]

If you must wrap a do-it-yourself hose I recommend a self regulating heat tape such as EasyHeat PSR Get 25' for the hose and a 6' or 12' for the hydrant.

I would also put these on a thermostat such as Wrap-On Preset Thermostat - #18800 for Pipe Heating Cable

Some pipe insulation would also help but may not be needed with the mild freezing.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

And then it catches on fire.

Robin1953 wrote:
The Frost King heat tapes, even with a thermostat, get hot. If it happens to move any and gets over lapped it can melt the plastic wiring housing.

[Robin1953]

Boozecamp wrote:

beemerphile1 wrote:

MrWizard wrote:
I would do it the easy way
Fill the water tank
And drain the water hose
Nothing to freeze

My initial thought also.

That's a great idea if your 'camping' for a couple nights. A real PITA to do that every night during winter, many many nights will be below freezing.
Looking for ideas from those that full time thru winter.
Spending north of $100 on another hose when I already have 3. nope! 🙂

I have no idea where you winter in GA but I have been to ST Marys, GA for the winter and I fill water tank and disconnect and drain hose. I think it was 3 or 4 nights from November to April time frame. Like you though I am thinking about a heated hose this year. When I had a mobile home in Charleston, WV I had a heat cable that just stayed warm and did a good job of keeping the water line from freezing. It was just a single cable and I have never been able to find one like it. The Frost King heat tapes, even with a thermostat, get hot. If it happens to move any and gets over lapped it can melt the plastic wiring housing.

[Boozecamp]

sljkansas wrote:
Last year I used 2 25 foot heat tapes on a my 2 white hoses. I wrapped the heat tape around the hose an then covered it all with the black foam insulation tubes and taped around the foam. Temps got down to 5 degrees. I had water freeze at the hydrent . I found that I didn't wraps the heat properly at the hydrent. Re wrapped and all was good. So with the low temps you may face shouldn't get that bad.

May I ask what brand / type of heat tape you bought? And where did you get it?

[Boozecamp]

Boozecamp wrote:

beemerphile1 wrote:

MrWizard wrote:
I would do it the easy way
Fill the water tank
And drain the water hose
Nothing to freeze

My initial thought also.

That's a great idea if your 'camping' for a couple nights. A real PITA to do that every night during winter, many many nights will be below freezing.
Looking for ideas from those that full time thru winter.
Spending north of $100 on another hose when I already have 3. nope! 🙂

Don't want to use on board tank. Want to use city water. My hose is 25' and the pipe stand is 3' tall. Was planning on buying a 30' heat tape/cable and attaching it to the stand at ground and running it full length of hose. There's me and the wife. We use a lot of water as if we were in our house.

[Boozecamp]

Boozecamp wrote:

beemerphile1 wrote:

MrWizard wrote:
I would do it the easy way
Fill the water tank
And drain the water hose
Nothing to freeze

My initial thought also.

That's a great idea if your 'camping' for a couple nights. A real PITA to do that every night during winter, many many nights will be below freezing.
Looking for ideas from those that full time thru winter.
Spending north of $100 on another hose when I already have 3. nope! 🙂

Don't want to use on board tank. Want to use city water. My hose is 25' and the pipe stand is 3' tall. Was planning on buying a 30' heat tape/cable and attaching it to the stand at ground and running it full length of hose. There's me and the wife. We use a lot of water as if we were in our house.