Frozen Sewer Pipe

[Nudels2u75]

Well I did put heat strips on inlet water line, but now I guess I will have to put PVC pipe for sewage pipe with heat strips with insulation....Woke up this morning and sewage drain pipe is froze solid....Not any fun....

I am up in Davenport Iowa for the next several months

[hankaye]

Nudels2u75, Howdy;

I feel your pain. Had that happen to me in 09.
nothin more fun then wrasslin' with a (mine was 10'),
poocicle... :D
First you will need to un freeze the hole-in-the-ground.
I've found a liberal doseing of "Ice Melt" helps.

hankaye

[Nudels2u75]

I ran a 3" PVC Pipe with 2 heat strips on it, insulated it twice, and then put 3/4" foilback board between the hay I have stacked for skirtting, but I am not sure this is going to work either....

Has anybody else delt with these type problems.....

Now I am not able to pull the handle for the sewer drain, and it is almost full, and I am afraid that I will brack the stop inside the pipe....

[hankaye]

Nudels2u75, Howdy;

May I suggest that next warm patch you run into
loose the hay bales. They attract vermin (mice, rats
and other nasty critters), and are very much prone to fire
replace it with some 1/2" ply wood or OSB. Paint it or seal
it some how. I know one person that spread silicone sealant
with a putty knife. This will also allow you to use a heat gun or
high wattage light to help thaw-out the valve. I used to drop a
cup of the ice melt into the tanks after each draining. It sits right
next to the valve and never had a problem.
The one thing I do to help is to ensure that the side of my RV that
has the drains (driver's side), is either faceing SOUTH or SouthWest,
Helps me take advantage of the Sun's warming. Using a dark (Black),
colored pipe helps to a huge extent here.

hankaye

[Bushman512000]

Ice melt down the drain ? The grit does not react to the seals and cause a different problem? Like cut seals? Just asking I never had frozen lines I use the cheep window car anti freeze for flushing if in need.Till We are in the warm temps. that works for Me and is about $1.99 a gallon and left over good for warm weather window cleaning...Bushman says try it ...:D

[hankaye]

Bushman512000, Howdy;

Yep, ice melt down the drain. When droped in just after a dump
it will, when you put some water in with it, settle at the low point
(the drain), and dissolves as more time and water accumulates.
3 years and never a problem. No frozen valves in some -40*F weather
when I lived in Central Utah. Besides, isn't salt a form of water softnener???

hankaye

[Bushman512000]

OK You got Me with this idea next time I have to use the tanks in a freeze I will try that.After all if it works it works..Thanks Hank have a great Xmas Bushman:D

[hankaye]

Bushman512000, Howdy;

No problem, we are here to offer the benefit of our experiences,
aren't we???
Merry Christmas to you an the family.

hankaye

[sandy43]

Why can't you just open the grey water valve, run a small stream of water through it from inside. Works at home, why not in the RV.

[campingcpl]

We had the valves freeze on us once when we stayed in the Dakota's one winter. We went to the local hardware store and picked up a good length of heat tape and some pipe insulation. I wraped it around the drain pipes and valves and it thawed everything out in time for me to be able to dump the tanks. I left it on until we left (about a week in below freezing temps) and never had an issue dumping the tanks. Just make sure after draining the tanks that there is nothing left in the slinky sewer hose and you shouldn't have a problem with that freezing.

[mikell]

I'm a fulltimer and this unit has no problems but my old one had exposed lines so I just taped a heat tape the length of the pipe on the bottom but didn't insulate. It thawed in a few hours and never froze again. I have full hookup so I don't close the valeves on the Alpine and haven't had any problem well below ZERO