Community Forums

azwiz · 11-01-2014, 06:51 AM

I have a chateau class C, after draining the fresh water tanks there is about an 1" to 1 1/2" left in the bottom of the tank. Will this be a problem if it freezes or how to get it out? any ideas ?

Thanks in advance
Steve

Firebug5 · 11-01-2014, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azwiz

I have a chateau class C, after draining the fresh water tanks there is about an 1" to 1 1/2" left in the bottom of the tank. Will this be a problem if it freezes or how to get it out? any ideas ?

Thanks in advance
Steve

If you have leveling jacks, simply raise and lower your coach to assist with draining as much water as possible. If you do not have the jacks, use whatever you have for leveling at a campground instead.

Some will say as long as there is room for expansion, the water left in the tank will be OK. How do you get the water out of the rest of your coach?

Bruce

Bumps · 11-01-2014, 07:44 AM

Drive uphill ... then downhill ... on a winding road with all the drains open. Repeat as necessary. \ken

pcurt23 · 11-01-2014, 07:53 AM

You can blow it out with air. It will be ok as long as the water lines themselves are empty or have rv antifreeze in them. Freezing breaks things due to the pressure of expansion and in a big tank the ice will just expand into the open air of the tank without creating pressure on the tank.

Healeyman · 11-01-2014, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azwiz

Will this be a problem if it freezes or how to get it out?

Leave it alone!

That small amount of water will NOT cause any damage if it freezes,

Water must be constrained while freezing and expanding to cause a problem.

Think of your 1"-2" of water as one cell of a BIG ice cube tray. Ice cube trays work because the water is not constrained.

Tim

azwiz · 11-01-2014, 08:32 AM

Thanks for the replys

Steve

NITEHAWK · 11-01-2014, 08:41 AM

If there is water in the tank there well might be water in the drain valve. I would play safe and dump a couple gallons of RV antifreeze in the tank. Better safe than sorry. It will cost a lot more for labor and material to replace the valve than the cost of the antifreeze.

HRvindeb · 11-01-2014, 08:47 AM

From what it sounds like, as long as water lines are blown out and water tanks have room for expansion then anti freeze may not be necessary.? Also , valves opened and clear of water...?

azwiz · 11-01-2014, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NITEHAWK

If there is water in the tank there well might be water in the drain valve. I would play safe and dump a couple gallons of RV antifreeze in the tank. Better safe than sorry. It will cost a lot more for labor and material to replace the valve than the cost of the antifreeze.

the fittings are 1" off the bottom, so how would you get the antifreeze out in the spring ??

WDW · 11-01-2014, 10:22 AM

If you have a black tank washer don't forget to give it a few puffs of air to dry it out. Advise our regional service tech gave us.

Old Radios · 11-01-2014, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azwiz

the fittings are 1" off the bottom, so how would you get the antifreeze out in the spring ??

I wind up with about a quarter inch of antifreeze in the bottom of the tank. In the spring I open the drain valve and flush the tank with a hose for a while. Eventually it's all out of there. Then I fill the tank to almost full and put in a quarter cup of bleach. I drive it around a bit so it's stirred up good, let it sit for a couple of hours, and drain the tank again. I then fill it again and then drain it again and then let it sit overnight.

Once thats done I fill it again and run all the lines for a few minutes after I see the last pink come out. I use a white plastic cup to see if there is any pink left. We don't usually use that water for drinking anyway but we have a filter if we want to.

NRR · 11-02-2014, 03:20 PM

I have always used the fresh water for everything. I have never put pink stuff in the fresh water tank and have never had a tank problem on four RV’s.