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JC2 · 10-04-2009, 08:44 PM

We finally sold out stickhouse after 6 months and will have to live in our MH during the months of Oct, Nov, Dec while our new stickhouse is built. The combo mobile Home/Rv park where we're at has full hookups but the water line comes out of the ground about 1 ft and will have to be heat taped and wrapped. I am running about 10 ft of the white RV hose to the MH from the spigot and was wondering if heat tape can be applied to this hose and then wrapped with insulation. If it were to get in the teens or lower during this (3) month period, I would possibly disconnect the hose from the rig and run off the tanks.

RV Wizard · 10-05-2009, 04:17 AM

You certainly can use heat tape and armoflex refrigeration and plumbing insulation to prevent freezing of the water line and hose. You may even want to put a box over the top of the hose bibb that stands out of the ground. On the coldest of nights you could fill the fresh tank, disconnect the hose and drain the water out. Good luck with the new house!

JC2 · 10-05-2009, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RV Wizard

You certainly can use heat tape and armoflex refrigeration and plumbing insulation to prevent freezing of the water line and hose. You may even want to put a box over the top of the hose bibb that stands out of the ground. On the coldest of nights you could fill the fresh tank, disconnect the hose and drain the water out. Good luck with the new house!

Thanks Mike for the reply. Looks like I'll be busy tomorrow as this weekend is supposed to be a little tingly in the temps.

I've used heat tape in the past on copper/hard plastic but wasn't sure about water hose. I had planned to fill a plastic bucket halfway with insulation and place over the top of the bib.

photoadjuster · 10-05-2009, 09:26 PM

I used a heat tape and pipe insulation all winter in Kentucky. Temp down to 12 degrees for 5 nites in a row.

Just continue the tape and insulation onto the hose bibb.

Be forewarned that heating the water hose makes the water tastes like the south end of a north bound mule.

Wayne M · 10-05-2009, 11:22 PM

I watched a show that showed heat tape being applied with a couple wraps around the faucet. Then everything was encased in the plumbing insulation. Looked good to me.

JC2 · 10-06-2009, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by photoadjuster

I used a heat tape and pipe insulation all winter in Kentucky. Temp down to 12 degrees for 5 nites in a row.

Just continue the tape and insulation onto the hose bibb.

Be forewarned that heating the water hose makes the water tastes like the south end of a north bound mule.

You must have partially wrapped the tail maybe?

JC2 · 10-06-2009, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wayne M

I watched a show that showed heat tape being applied with a couple wraps around the faucet. Then everything was encased in the plumbing insulation. Looked good to me.

BTW how's the recovery from surgery going.

If we could locate Baby Dunkette, maybe she could assist in your PT so your Bride would get a break.

Wayne M · 10-06-2009, 09:57 AM

How does one know what the South end of a North bound mule tastes like?

JC2,
Doing well. Surgery is a piece of cake, but the PT is worse than teeth pullin'!

More people need to be lookin' for Baby Dunkette, and take pictures.

photoadjuster · 10-06-2009, 10:51 AM

<< How does one know what the South end of a North bound mule tastes like?

>>

Anyone who grew up in West Texas is well trained.

wa8yxm · 10-06-2009, 12:37 PM

I would suggest you use what I call a Farm Hydrant, or frost proof hydarant,, This does down into the ground blow the frost line, it has a lever pull up to get water, Put a vacuum breaker on it,

Also get a blow out plug

Wrap your heat tape starging below ground

Now if it's going to get real cold. You can switch to "Quick fill" and blow the hose to clear it..(Remove hose, hook up blow out plug and blow compressed air throught it till the water in the storage tank bubbles nicely, then cap the plug and leave it dry)

close the hydrant (BEFORE removing hose) and let it drain down

Air, we hope, will not freeze this winter.

JC2 · 10-06-2009, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wa8yxm

I would suggest you use what I call a Farm Hydrant, or frost proof hydarant,, This does down into the ground blow the frost line, it has a lever pull up to get water, Put a vacuum breaker on it,

Also get a blow out plug

Wrap your heat tape starging below ground

Now if it's going to get real cold. You can switch to "Quick fill" and blow the hose to clear it..(Remove hose, hook up blow out plug and blow compressed air throught it till the water in the storage tank bubbles nicely, then cap the plug and leave it dry)

close the hydrant (BEFORE removing hose) and let it drain down

Air, we hope, will not freeze this winter.

Unfortunately the park we will be at for (3) months does not have the freeze proof faucetts that you speak of, just has about 12-15 inches of spigot sticking out of the ground. Other temp stays in the future have mostly been ok by using heattape then covering with a plastic bucket with insulation.

wa8yxm · 10-07-2009, 11:22 AM

Ah, I had assumed (And yes I know how to spell that -u-) you were going to park "on site" where the stick house was being built and thus would have control.. Sorry.

You are at the mercy of the park, they may well turn off water and force you to lug water to the rig's on-board tank. In fact I'd be surprised if they don't.

Portable RV Fresh Water Tank: 45 Gallon - Item - Camping World

May be a handy product for carting water from the one working faucet to your rig.

Some folks seem to think a pump would enhance this, I'd use eitehr a standard 12 volt RV type pump or Harbor Freight sells both 12 volt and 120 volt pumps that would speed the transfer of water from the bag to the rig's tank.

John Hilley · 10-07-2009, 12:35 PM

Here is a Heated RV Potable Water Hose, kind of expensive but a nice solution. The water in model also provides heat to the faucet.

Clay L · 10-15-2009, 12:45 PM

Based on local advice in Grand Junction CO where they have a lot of oilfield workers in RVs and sell a lot of heat tapes, hoses, etc, I bought a black polyethylene water hose and a heat tape at a True Value hardware store.

Be sure to check the instructions with the tape, because some specify that the tape should not be spiral wrapped, but simply taped along the length of the hose.
I used sections of foam pipe insulation with sticky edges - there is a plastic strip that keeps them from sticking until you are ready - to cover the hose with after installing the heat tape. I covered the butt joints with duct tape.
At a place in CO where we spend Oct and Nov I use a five gallon bucket filled with fiberglass insulation. I cut a fold-out slot to let the hose come out.