Frozen Hot Water

[214skier]

We have a Grand Design Reflection 308BHTS TT and have lost hot water while camping in 10'. Does anyone have any ideas for short term remedy? Interested in permanent fixes after we get home as well.

Thank you

[amandasgramma]

Just an added fyi here. We thought our hot water line froze the other day. Turned out the annode was burned up......cold water ran, ansolutely no water in the hot water. 🙂

[Calicajun]

We just came back from Klamath Falls, OR where tempertures were in the 20s (ok low 20s) and 3' of snow. Our water lines froze up once. Turned out the low end drain valves froze but with a little heat on the valves water was flowing again. Added installation to the valves and everything was fine, until the TT heater stopped working but that is another story.

[RoyB]

I know in my off-road POPUP trailer I have wrap around storage areas from the all the way around the front of one bed under the wrap around seating and down the other wall all the way to the other bed.

I installed those small 2-inch round vents from LOWES between each compartment and then next to the entrance door I flush mounted a 12VDC axial fan. I can turn this on and pull air through all of my wrap around cabinets on the floor. This includes where the hot water heater and water lines run that run under the sink etc as well... I can open the shore power cable access door and pull in outside out air as well...

Roy Ken

[214skier]

beemerphile1 wrote:

matt_r wrote:

MFL wrote:
Normally you have an access door inside the trailer. If you leave this open to circulate warm air to the heater and pipes, it should help. You can use a fan forced electric heater, or hair drier aimed at the heater and pipes from the inside to thaw.

Jerry

Found it. I out an electric heater inside. I am guessing the issue is where the hot water line goes into the belly.

The system is designed for the pipes to be protected by the furnace. If you are using an electric heater the pipes will freeze because there is no heat circulating underneath.

Understood. We have been running the gas furnace continuously since arriving here. The electric heater which is now under our bathroom sink is entirely suplimental.

I am doubtful the electric heater will do much assuming the frozen spot is in the basement-- the hole is pretty small.

[beemerphile1]

matt_r wrote:

MFL wrote:
Normally you have an access door inside the trailer. If you leave this open to circulate warm air to the heater and pipes, it should help. You can use a fan forced electric heater, or hair drier aimed at the heater and pipes from the inside to thaw.

Jerry

Found it. I out an electric heater inside. I am guessing the issue is where the hot water line goes into the belly.

The system is designed for the pipes to be protected by the furnace. If you are using an electric heater the pipes will freeze because there is no heat circulating underneath.

[WNYBob]

You can try "instant hot water solutions" by adding a circulatin pump, which moves water from the hot water tank through the HW tubing and back to the HW tank via the cold water tubes.

Pump control could be thermostatic or timer.

[214skier]

MFL wrote:
Normally you have an access door inside the trailer. If you leave this open to circulate warm air to the heater and pipes, it should help. You can use a fan forced electric heater, or hair drier aimed at the heater and pipes from the inside to thaw.

Jerry

Found it. I out an electric heater inside. I am guessing the issue is where the hot water line goes into the belly.

[MFL]

Normally you have an access door inside the trailer. If you leave this open to circulate warm air to the heater and pipes, it should help. You can use a fan forced electric heater, or hair drier aimed at the heater and pipes from the inside to thaw.

Jerry

[Triker33]

Hot water freezes faster then cold

[beemerphile1]

Hard to know where it might have frozen. Are you running the furnace and is the water heater turned on?

You might want to also post in the Grand Design forum.