Emptied my hot water tank on monday just gone despite going away for 2 nights next week. Easier to re-fill an empty water tank than fixing a frost damaged one hehe! Loo flush just happened to be empty when we left site last - otherwise i would empty that too for exactly the same reason - risk of frost damage. Goes without saying the loo waste container was drained and cleaned! I always leave the mixer taps in mid position and open, and i loeave the toilet blade half open just to make sure it doesn't stick.
Hope comments are of help and nice to see somebody elso who likes to doit :-)
------------- Why am i doing this instead of camping??!!
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Haven't you got a small drain plug in your cassette compartment David?
I'll have another look next time Paul, but I have looked in the past and haven't find anything. There has been something on our previous vans. The drain on our last van, but one had a flexible tube which you could just vent outside - that was the best 'top tank drainage' we have had - that was on the Abbey Cachet (a dealers special van similar to the old Abbey Oxford).
I think I must be missing the point somewhere along the line. If you have thoroughly drained down the water system, why would anti-freeze make any difference? There's no water left to freeze? OK there may be a couple of spoonfuls but I wouldn't have thought this would do much harm. I do always reckon on removing the shower head though, and hanging the shower pipe down. Not had a problem with this in 20 odd years, so are not inclined to start adding antifreeze now.
Quote: Originally posted by Just do it on 21/10/2011
The use of anti freeze is in the context of being onsite in cold weather... Better to keep that lot from freezing up eh
Oh! Right! Now I see what you are getting at, and this seems a very reasonable idea - thanks for the clarification. In such circumstances, I could only see us using it in the toilet top tank. In such circumstances and it sounds like the Elsan stuff is the best bet.
I drain the caravan after every visit once the weather turns - toilet doesn't have drainage tap so just have to keep flushing until empty. In warmer months leave it in flush tank - chemicals too expensive to flush for nothing!
I did wonder about investing in one of those thingies that pressure pump all the water out of the pipes but not sure if I would feel confident using it myself. Needs small generator too??!
Last year we just drained all tanks, left taps open, shower head off. We keep our van in worcestershire and they had worst snow and temperatures for 30 years and we didn't have any damage. I am going to risk the same winterising techniques this year and hope all is well again.