Cardinal RV Club

My Cardinal has a tank heater. Tonight the temperature here in Tallahassee where we are camping is supposed to get as low as 25 degrees. So I called the dealer to inquire about the tank heater. According to the dealer, my one tank heater switch covers tank heaters on the fresh water tank as well as the two grey and one black water tanks. I was told to fill the fresh water tank to at least one-third full, and to make sure the other tanks had fluid in them also to prevent the tank heater from damaging the tanks. I was also told to run the furnace instead of the heat pump as the furnace ducts run through the floor and into the compartments. Also, it would be good to turn on the lights in the compartments, as this provides some heat. The final instruction was to open the doors to all the basement cabinents.

I didn't want to put water in the fresh water tank. We are leaving here in about ten days and I will have to winterize and have not ever done winterization on this RV. (Our RV was in the shop this fall and we finally decided to pay them to do it as it was getting late in the season.) We do have an air compressor here and a blow-out hose so I am going to give it a practice run sometime in the coming week. That way I can determine if I can actually do it or will have to take it out to have it winterized on the way home.

According to my dealer, and several other posters on other sites, if you turn on the tank heater without liquid in the tank, it will melt right through. The designers of these tanks, again according to my dealer, did not antcipate that users would empty their water or waste tanks and leave the heater on. Other posters have said (true/untrue?) that any heat damage to an empty tank is not covered under warranty...

Wayne, if your living in it I wouldn't worry 25*. If it got down to the low teens or single digits that another story. I do agree with using the furnace rather than the heat pump for the reasons you were told.

Rob

I went ahead and filled the tank two-thirds full anyway. Before I turn in I am going to secure the sewer hose in a plastic bag and stick it in a heated compartment. Will also disconnect and drain the water hose.

If you are already on a full hook-up site you could just leave a little water running in a sink that you can leave the drain valve open on. At 25 degrees you won't have a problem with water freezing in the tanks causing harm especially if it is just an overnight low temp. It is supposed to drop to 28 - 30 tonight and I will let water run in my bathroom sink because I leave that grey tank valve open all the time while we are on a full hook-up. A little water running will keep your supply hose from freezing and the faucet it is hooked to.

Wayne....sounds like a good Idea.


If you are at all handy, I believe you can do the winterization yourself. I remove my Low Point plugs (One on hot , one on Cold lines) and drain all the tanks, water heater, etc...(Put low point plugs back on)
Then, put water heater on Bypass...usually at the water heater tank.... and close all faucets, etc...let pressure build up, (with air at city water hookup) open first tap closests to the tank/ fill......, then with only air sputtering, move on, till all is bled ...DO NOT forget your toilet./and shower.( If you have the washer, /dryer, you may need to consult how to winterize that)

Then I always put in Pink stuf, yes even though I blew it out...cheap insurance I think.
It is pretty easy, if you do it some where warm.......

bfast54 wrote:Wayne....sounds like a good Idea.


If you are at all handy, I believe you can do the winterization yourself. I remove my Low Point plugs (One on hot , one on Cold lines) and drain all the tanks, water heater, etc...(Put low point plugs back on)
Then, put water heater on Bypass...usually at the water heater tank.... and close all faucets, etc...let pressure build up, (with air at city water hookup) open first tap closests to the tank/ fill......, then with only air sputtering, move on, till all is bled ...DO NOT forget your toilet./and shower.( If you have the washer, /dryer, you may need to consult how to winterize that)

Then I always put in Pink stuf, yes even though I blew it out...cheap insurance I think.
It is pretty easy, if you do it some where warm.......

I am going to do a practice run sometime this week. I haven't decided about the pink stuff, although I have four gallons available. We do have a washer and dryer stack. I saw a video from another dealer on YouTube that showed the process. You basically set-up the washer with a warm water setting and blow air through it when you turn it on. After you drain that water you put about a half gallon of the pink stuff in the washer and drain that.

On my old class C I just used air. There is a hose to draw the pink stuff in presumably with the water pump. I don't quite get how it reaches the water lines in the back of the coach, lol.

It will not melt a hole in the tank they have safety temperature switches that shut off the heaters at a certain temperature. It is best to have a little liquid in them to warm tank evenly.
Ultraheat is the brand tank heater FR uses, we do not have pipe heaters only onside stick on tank heaters that operate on 12 volt DC.

Watch the owners manual Video:

http://www.ultraheat.com/tank_heaters.html

I sorry I did not see this earlier. We live in our cardinal full time and we are in Elberta, AL, were the weather and temperatures are like Tallahasse. For Saturday night and Sunday night we just ran the water in the kitchen, because running water in the bathroom sink makes my have to go the the bathroom, and set the furnace at about 54 and turn the electric blanket to about 6 and we were good to go. That all I have say!

You really only need to disconnect and put away the water hose sewer hose will be fine.

Mike Clay wrote:You really only need to disconnect and put away the water hose sewer hose will be fine.

It is flush the the toilet if the hose is connected

Huh?

cherry capital cardinals wrote:

Mike Clay wrote:You really only need to disconnect and put away the water hose sewer hose will be fine.

It is flush the the toilet if the hose is connected

Not sure if you are saying you leave your Black tank valve open all the time .You DO NOT want to leave it open always... you only want to open it when you are ready to drain the tank. If you leave it open all the time, you can get the "Dreaded Black Mountain" .....I assume you know that already though.

And nobody likes to go pooh diving

bfast54 wrote:

cherry capital cardinals wrote:

Mike Clay wrote:You really only need to disconnect and put away the water hose sewer hose will be fine.

It is flush the the toilet if the hose is connected

Not sure if you are saying you leave your Black tank valve open all the time .You DO NOT want to leave it open always... you only want to open it when you are ready to drain the tank. If you leave it open all the time, you can get the "Dreaded Black Mountain" .....I assume you know that already though.

Easier