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Old 12-05-2008, 07:54 PM   #1
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Frozen blackwater tank - HELP!

The weather has turned to freezing temps here in Iowa. Today my pooper tank froze and I cannot empty it. My rig is not 4-seasons.

Any ideas on thawing this baby out? We are having sub-32F days for about a week according to the forecast.

Any ideas on how to keep it from happening? I currently have the entire rig surrounded by bails of straw with few gaps. I leave here in 2 weeks, so I do not want to buy skirting.

Does anyone know if it is safe to put anti-freeze in the tank along with the break-down stuff? Chem reaction? Other hazards?

Thanks in advance!
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Old 12-06-2008, 05:42 AM   #2
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A lot of people put antifreeze in their tanks. It shouldn't hurt anything because that's where it winds up when you de-winterize anyway.

I'd place a 100W light or a small heater under the tank but not touching it to thaw it out then add the antifreeze.
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Old 12-06-2008, 08:50 PM   #3
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Add the anti-freeze and leave that in there for a couple hours... Then, depending on how much extra capacity you have in the tank, pour some boiling water down the toilet.

Good luck
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Old 12-07-2008, 01:38 AM   #4
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I noticed mine was as well...had some cold nights here in Colorado and while i was pulling some things out of the camper, i checked all my hoses and tanks. Shining the flashlight down there, i can see a block of ice in there and i'm hoping that since the tanks aren't full, that it will expand as needed and will thaw just fine once it warms up again. Has anyone else dealt with frozen tanks during storage? Any problems come summer? I hope the sensor will be alright, thats the only piece i'm really worried about.

thanks
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Old 12-07-2008, 07:59 AM   #5
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This is kind of off subject but I would not worry as much about the tank, per se. The tank usually is going to be somewhat flexibile and have room for the contents to expand. Rather, I would be concerned about the dump valves and their associated piping. As I see it these are the places that will be full, with no room for the contents to expand to relieve the pressure.
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Old 12-09-2008, 08:53 AM   #6
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I thawed the tank out bby pouring boiling water down it and flushing it all out. Then I added some RVAF and also put heat tape around the drain pipe under the rig. I leave the cold weather in a few weeks so I am putting off buying a tank heater just yet....but I will be buying one. Actually, at PetSmart they have dog crate warming pads with adjustable thermostats for half the price. I think that is what the previous owners had because while I was under the rig fixing the problem I noticed old duct-tape adhesive marks on various parts of the tank. Actual tank heaters have adhesive and dont have to be taped. A friend told me about using the dog crate heaters.
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