Please Help!! Fresh water tank not unfreezing

[stonetribe6]

Hello, I have a 2014 Vengenance V396TH. We are fulltime RVing and in PA for the winter for some reason. My fresh water tank started to get frozen I think because it woulnt give any water only sputtered. Went to camping world in Harrisburg, PA and bought tank heater pad. I have a 106 gallon tank and they only had a 60 gallon pad. So I put it on and worked good for 1 night and now its back to sputtering and stopping and no water. Filled my tank so I know I have water in there. PLEASE help we need water and camping ground wont let us connect hose other than to fill tanks, then have to disconnect. I have even tried using hot water in the winterization tube of the pump to try and defrost things and not helping. I think it is the pick-up tube in the tank. Any thought or ideas are very welcome. When connected to city water everything works great only when off city water.

[Phil57]

You might get another tank heater and run two 60 gallon pads.

[Phil57]

Also a small space heater or a light bulb in that area might help.

[stonetribe6]

Thanks Phil57, I already have 2 heat lamps under the belly of TH with belly skin still on. Along with skirting around outside of TH. Also my underbelly is fully heated from forced air furnace.

[BiigDaddy]

Heat wrap tape on your feed/inlet lines??

[Phil57]

Head south.

[stonetribe6]

One more question. While hooked up to shore power. Should my battery disconnect switch inside be on or off? Still not sure about water situation. No water again this morning not even a dribble.

[Still Kickin]

Leave it on so your batteries don't discharge and become subject to freezing. Try flexing you feed tube you suspect, if accessible, and see if you can determine if its frozen. Be gentle on it.

[stonetribe6]

Will try. I'm gonna remove some underbelly this morning to get access to fresh tank again and check everything, especially the heat pad. Do you know where the suction tube is located at?

[Rstrahan]

Sounds like a feed line out of the tank is frozen as opposed to the tank itself.

Solution 1-buy some foam board from the home improvement store, wrap the under-carriage area, sealing it tightly. Then put a couple of heat lamps in the under-carriage area to heat the whole area.

Solution 2 -road trip south.

[arpipeliner]

Mine line right at the pump froze up like you originally describe. I would check there.


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[stonetribe6]

Thanks, I do have 1" foam board nailed to 1/2" plywood around outside plus 2 heat lamps in tank area

[stonetribe6]

I am gonna check suction hose this morning I see where it comes up to pump at. Just confused because when forced air heater on all the hoses in the area are REALLY heated up

[Flybob]

Hot water in the winterizing tube will only help if the problem is after the pump. If the problem is a frozen feed line, it will not help. If you can get to the feed line wrap some heat tape around the line.

[stonetribe6]

Shouldn't the heated underbelly and heater pad keep the suction hose from freezing?

[arpipeliner]

My water pump is in the basement and the small heater in the basement was off. Now I have a piece of foam board to help block out the wind drafts. My hose was partially frozen coming from the underbelly to the pump. I could see a little frozen water under the fitting at pump. Was lucky to not have a busted fitting. Hope u can get it going.


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[Phil57]

How cold is it there? It's hard to keep everything working when it really cold. We thought about trying MI in December for Christmas but couldn't find a CG open and didn't want to risk freezing the pipes. They may have a polar package on but the weather gets down to 0 and you are going to freeze. Maybe have it set up to blow out the lines when it gets real cold and work out of water jugs until it warms up a little. You might have to do this several times. It sounds like you have done everything you can but still freezing.

[madmaxmutt]

As long as the tank water isn't freezing, it seems to me that you just need to remove the water from the hose/pipe that goes from the tank to the pump at night. I have no idea what your configuration is, but if there is a valve between those two, open it (to air) and a small compressor should be able blow the water back to the tank (again assuming it isn't currently frozen in the line). Of course, you will have to close the valve and get the pump going again in the morning.

[donanddona]

I agree with phil, verify the tank heater pad(s) still has power or warm.

[donanddona]

It is possible your pump diaphragm is failing. Understanding its freezing there do you not have city water available?