Heat Pads for water tanks

[Mr. B]

Hello Gentlemen!

I am in New York today, and the night forecast saying it will be 28 degrees in a morning.

My AI is parked on the driveway.
I plugged the AC shorepower.
DO I NEED TO SWITCH ON THE HEAT PADS ?
Or 28 degrees is still okay and will not freeze anything because water tanks are insulated?

Thanks everyone !

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Mr. B

I am in New York today, and the night forecast saying it will be 28 degrees in a morning.

If you're plugged in to shore power you might as well go ahead and use the tank heaters. It won't do any harm and isn't a significant energy drain at 120vAC. The heaters keep the tank temperatures at about 45°F, so if the temperature will be below that and I'm plugged in, I turn on the heaters.

If you were on battery power only, I'd make the opposite recommendation. There may not be much of a draw at 120vAC, but there's a huge draw at 12vDC and the heaters would drain the house batteries in about four hours.

[Mr. B]

Okay good enough, Protagonist, thank you.
I go outside now, to turn the tank heaters switch ON.
Good night!

[73shark]

FWIW, none of the tanks are insulated. You might considered also having the furnace turned on to its lowest setting to protect the piping inside the cabin. Also the black water tank is in the cabin.

I think the tank heaters turn on at 45* but doubt they keep the tanks heated to 45*.

Hope you made it thru OK.

[okgwarden]

Ok, I'll bite. Do Airstreams come with tank heat pads, or is this something you order and install?

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by okgwarden

Ok, I'll bite. Do Airstreams come with tank heat pads?

Interstates, yes. Airstream trailers, no.

That's because the trailers have a belly pan and the tanks are located in an enclosed space that can be heated by the furnace. Interstates don't have a belly pan so the tanks are exposed to the outside air.

And welcome to the AirForums!

[rmkrum]

Respectfully provide a contemporary counter example.

Our 2007 23FB CCD 75th Anniversary International came equipped with heat pads for all the water tanks. And we needed them a couple times in some rather cold weather on our trips. Makes it possible to do ok in marginal conditions. Yeah, seriously eats 110 and 12v power and propane when it's cold out. Good thing we were hooked up at the time.

Sorry, Protagonist, some AS Trailers do come from the factory with tank heat. Ours be one of them😀


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[idroba]

The 20' FC's also have heat pads. I believe all of the smaller 16's, 19's and 20 have them as the furnaces are direct, single outlet non ducted furnaces and heat cannot be directed to the tanks. I was not aware that the 23's may also have heat pads.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by rmkrum

Sorry, Protagonist, some AS Trailers do come from the factory with tank heat. Ours be one of them

Thanks for the correction. Learn something new every day.

[rmkrum]

Protagonist, The other thing is that I believe the furnace in ours does not have a duct that warms the plumbing. I need to check that now that you made me think about it. I probably need to do something about that😄 Right now it puts heat put the front grille only. A duct to warm the shower and kitchen area would be a good add.


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[Mr. B]

I like responses in the good topic I started. Very interesting.

Yes, I turned ON heat pads with connected shorepower last freezed night, everything is fine. Thanks everybody!

Btw, the roads in Manhattan are awful. ((((
The good thing that we don't have to find a public place to pee, of which there are none. ))))

[WestieHouse]

Originally Posted by Mr. B

I like responses in the good topic I started. Very interesting.

Yes, I turned ON heat pads with connected shorepower last freezed night, everything is fine. Thanks everybody!

Btw, the roads in Manhattan are awful. ((((
The good thing that we don't have to find a public place to pee, of which there are none. ))))

There are many ally ways and closed storefronts in Manhatten.

[Tim A.]

Our 2002 19" Bambi does have furnace-heat ducted to the gray and blackwater tanks. The tanks are also insulated. The freshwater tank is inside the trailer, not under the floor.

When hooked to shore power and heating with the furnace, we have never had a problem with the tanks well below freezing (the lowest was 9° F overnight).

The drains on our trailer are exposed and not insulated. Those I added Ultraheat heaters to and, although 12V, we only use the heaters when connected to shore power because of their power drain.

Mr. B, anytime you are connected to shore power and the temperatures are below freezing, I believe there is no reason not to use your AI's heaters.

Tim

[InterBlog]

Our T1N Interstate has the gray tank equipped with a heater because it is slung under the chassis. Fresh tank and black tank are both inside and don't have pads.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Mr. B

...
The good thing that we don't have to find a public place to pee, of which there are none. ))))

They do exist but using them generally entails a transaction of some sort. Duck into one of the countless hole-in-the-wall delis, buy a Perrier, and use the john. They'll pursue you if you attempt to use them without patronizing the establishment.

[73shark]

Originally Posted by Mr. B

The good thing that we don't have to find a public place to pee, of which there are none. ))))

I thought the current mayor of NYC told the cops to stop citing folks for public urination.

[Mr. B]

It was funny

[MaineStreamer]

Originally Posted by Tim A.

The drains on our trailer are exposed and not insulated. Those I added Ultraheat heaters to and, although 12V, we only use the heaters when connected to shore power because of their power drain.
Tim

Tim - Please tell me what Ultraheat heaters are. I have not heard of them. How are they installed?

[Mr. B]

Yes please, for me it is also interesting.

[Tim A.]

You can find out pretty much everything you want to know about Ultraheat products here: http://www.ultraheat.com/

No commercial interest, but we can say that they have worked for us. Takes a bit of wiring and a connection to an appropriate 12 V fuse.

Tim