Florida Freeze

[Devoman]

Well of all the years I have had the Airstream I never had to worry about freezing up.Well....This is the first true freeze and it is going to last about a week going down into the teens for the first time in who knows how many years.
I am wanting to know since I am not going to use the antifreeze would it help to at least drain the lines and the tank for now?I always use the furnace when we get freeze warnings like this but only have to do it just about 2 to 3 times a year.This time it is a long week and only cold at night.
Thanks All.

[Gene]

Devoman, I wouldn't bother to winterize. You may have the A/C/heat pump that you can run until the temp drops down to around 40˚ and then turn on the furnace. In our '08 the thermostat does that automatically and I set the temp. at 40˚ when I want to keep it from freezing and we have another trip to take. You may not have that thermostat and yours may not go down to 40˚. But you get the idea.

It seems a lot easier to run the heat pump and/or furnace (use furnace below 30˚) than winterize for a rare week. It's easy to drain the fresh water tank and lines, so why not? I wouldn't bother with anything else where you are, unless you really want to blow out the lines with a compressor, use the water heater bypass, drain the water heater and put antifreeze in the drains and drain the water pump.

Or, you could driveway camp, or just go to Key West and enjoy yourself.

Gene

[Devoman]

I am draining the fresh water tank right now.It was a bit full.Just getting it down to about a quarter of a tank.I am also heating up the water heater.I will run the furnace tonight and keep it around 60 to 65 degrees.I think that should work for the night.
Just trying to not go thru replacing the outside fresh water connector again.

[Davis]

Hey Devoman,
I use a small electric heater and open the cabinet doors under the sink and lavatory so the heat will keep those areas warm.So far out of the past 19 years I have had no problem doing that. It is hard to imagine the weather being that cold in the PC area.

[Devoman]

Check out what it is say here on the weekly days and night.20 degree weather is not normal here.
Panama City, Florida (32401) Conditions & Forecast : Weather Underground

[vswingfield]

I know that its weird, but it does freeze in Florida. Back in the late ’80s, I saw snow in Sarasota (from the sky, no buildup) and turned back south on I95 at Valdosta, GA because of snow and ice buildup.

Warm everything up and you’ll be fine. I have never winterized here in Little Rock (I fulltime), and with the heat pump and an oil radiator I am fine except for the lowest temperatures. For them, I turn on the furnace. This deals with the teens just fine (a little water dripping). Teens expected next Thursday.

[TBRich]

We get some freezing nights here in Tucson as well, and we have never winterized...we have also camped in temps into the 20s with no trouble...we use the furnace to keep the inside and tanks warm (rather than a heat pump or electric heater, since those do not warm the tanks), leave the hot water heater on, run hot water through the pipes before we go to bed, and disconnect the exterior city water. Also, as long as the day time temps are above freezing you will make it through the on-going cold spell for a week. If you have an exterior shower you might want to pack the compartment with towels or the like to give that area some added protection.

[Pick]

I usually just blow the lines out with a compressor. But if it is going down to 20 or less, I think I will fire up the furnace or put in the little electric disc heater. Remember it gets the coldest right before the sun rises.

[willyd]

Need to move further south. Here at Land Yacht Harbor in Melbourne, my heat pump kicked on with about 40 degrees last night. BUT I would not even consider trading this weather for that of Ohio where I am from.