# Cold Nights Coming



## 106520 (Aug 17, 2007)

The cold nights are a coming and it'll be my first winter owning my Hymer 640. I've emptied the fresh water tank, left the valve open on the waste water tank with a bucket below the outlet. I've also ran all the taps dry.

Do I have any water left in the vehicle ?? I'm thinking maybe the boiler. How do I drain the boiler ??

I'm terrified of water freezing and bursting things and come the spring costing me a load of money.

Any tips appreciated, I'm a mechanically inept newbie.


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## muggers (Jul 14, 2007)

We also are newbies but have taken solid advice - and hopefully some more will follow. As far as I understand it, the boiler is connected to the main water reservoir so if you let the whole thing drain with all the taps and shower open, the boiler will also have drained.

Is this correct?

Also - We've just bought a set of external winscreen covers- is it worth leaving these on when it's just parked in the drive or should they only be used when you're actually staying in the van? Want to wrap it up cosy BUT concerned about wind damage to the screens.


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## ksebruce (Nov 5, 2006)

Fraid not. Near your boiler you will find a tap which must be opened and a "button" which should be pressed down this will drain your boiler. The "button should drop automatcsally as the temperature drops but best to do it manually to be sure. Hope this helps.


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## 88781 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Pat, if your boiler is of the truma brand, then push down the little red button to drain the tank, switch off the pump and leave the taps open, lower the shower head into the shower basin, if the 'van is kept at home, place a little oil filled rad in there set on low lift all the cushions and open the cupboard doors too.

Dave


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## ksebruce (Nov 5, 2006)

Sorry forgot about the screens. No harm leaving them on as long as they are fastened down properly. Danger is they are likely to get nicked 8O 
and as you know they are not cheap.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Hi Pat

If you are really biting your nails (like the rest of us every winter) 8O there is such a thing as potable anti freeze.

Since it's just about impossible to get all the water out of your system, you could fill your tank with enough potable anti freeze mixture to run some through all your taps, boilers etc., then drain down as thoroughly as possible taking all the advice above (and below probably). That way, any water left in the system will have antifreeze added and will be less likely to freeze.

I've never done this but got the advice from a friend who has a narrow boat. The winterisation process is similar, but more so with a boat.

Have a look at Winterisation site It's for boats of course, but a lot of the advice is equally valid for a van.

Hope this helps

Dave


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Don't know anything about Hymers but do you have a loo that flushes from a reservoir in the washroom ? If so, drain that too.

( The instruction book in our last 2 vans - which had reservoirs to flush the loo- said that you were advised not to travel with water in the reservoir. We always did and the thing was never ripped off the wall as we cornered or whatever was supposed to happen)

G


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## JustRadio (May 21, 2005)

Well I put the oil rad in last year and didn't do more than drain the obvious, that is I didn't drain the boiler, seems a bit of a pain to locate the thing for a start. I thought if the lockers were open and the rad was on it would be a pretty hard winter to cause a freeze up.

Of course from January 6th to April 4th I was living on it anyway so I didn't have too much worrying time.


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

There is also the official advice from Shurflo to drain the pump completely. Disconnect the inlet and outlet pipes and catch any dribbles in a pan. Leave the pipes off over winter as well. I would never remember all that stuff so I find it easier to use the van over winter or put a heater in it. Isn't retirement a wonderful thing!!


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## 106520 (Aug 17, 2007)

Thanks everyone for the advice. A quick post on here is far easier and gains far more knowledge than trawling through a German manual. For the time being I'll plug the oil filled rad in.


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## smick (Jun 1, 2005)

*Cold days ahead*

To drain the Truma 6002 in the H640 completely, open the flap to reveal the boiler below the wardrobe. With a torch, search for two small white plastic wheelvalves on the floor to the left of the boiler. Open these fully, and the water will drain from all the taps and the boiler.

I leave mine open during the winter unless we're going anywhere. When you refill the water tank, you need to put in the plug in the water tank, and close the wheelvalves, otherwise the water tank will empty itself as you drive along.

Hope this helps

Smick


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## citroennut (May 16, 2005)

muggers,
we don't get cold enough  unless you're over in east ayrshire.
simon


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Winter*



pat1 said:


> Thanks everyone for the advice. A quick post on here is far easier and gains far more knowledge than trawling through a German manual. For the time being I'll plug the oil filled rad in.


Hi

A good idea to plug a radiator in but.....

If your Hymer is a double floor version, the pipes etc will be between the two floors and so that area will not receive any heat as such.

If you have a small trap door between the floors, leave that open to allow the warmer air to circulate. Probably not necessary at present, but in the deepest winter etc etc.

Russell


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## RichardnGill (Aug 31, 2006)

> To drain the Truma 6002 in the H640 completely, open the flap to reveal the boiler below the wardrobe. With a torch, search for two small white plastic wheelvalves on the floor to the left of the boiler. Open these fully, and the water will drain from all the taps and the boiler.
> 
> I leave mine open during the winter unless we're going anywhere. When you refill the water tank, you need to put in the plug in the water tank, and close the wheelvalves, otherwise the water tank will empty itself as you drive along.
> 
> ...


 Smick thanks for reminding me about the two taps near the boiler. It our first year with a M/H so I am a bit neverous. Is there anything that we need to do with the toilet (yes its empty) I thought that it might be a good idea to press the flush a few times when the water is drained?

Richard...


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## muggers (Jul 14, 2007)

citroennut said:


> muggers,
> we don't get cold enough  unless you're over in east ayrshire.
> simon


Without wishing to hog this thread - do you remember when the temperature dropped to -11C and stayed there for about 10 days over Xmas/New Year? We've only lived here 15 years so it must have been about 12 years ago. Next door was away and came home to burst pipes and leaks everywhere 8O 
So if the forecast is correct (not that the summer one was :wink: ) we're in for a chilly one. And so I think our original poster is quite right to be concerned.

BTW we're just over the border into East Ayrshire from South AND 300 ft up.


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## Seeker (Dec 26, 2005)

We actually had two taps freeze last winter and it cost £200 to replace them. I had drained down and left them open, thinking that was enough. Since then have learned that you need to get residual water out of them by blowing up the spout. For our design this involved getting the gums around the spout to cover the sprinkler style head and blowing like fury. It seemed to work but just in case I have also this year lagged the taps with several layers of scarves and rags.

As it's left in the open on a farm it's not really on to have an oil heater in there.

Harry


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## JustRadio (May 21, 2005)

*Re: Cold days ahead*



smick said:


> To drain the Truma 6002 in the H640 completely, open the flap to reveal the boiler below the wardrobe. With a torch, search for two small white plastic wheelvalves on the floor to the left of the boiler. Open these fully, and the water will drain from all the taps and the boiler.
> 
> I leave mine open during the winter unless we're going anywhere. When you refill the water tank, you need to put in the plug in the water tank, and close the wheelvalves, otherwise the water tank will empty itself as you drive along.
> 
> ...


Anyone done this on a tag axle 700 circa 1997? Mine's an E700G bar version and the heater is somewhere behind the curved pan storage area.

The pipe drains are just as described above and I always drain them after use but I've ignored the boiler because it easier to ignore it!!!

Thanks


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## 97510 (Jan 31, 2006)

Having had a Hymer Caravan previously, we followed the drain down advice but forgot to unscrew the blue plastic shower head in the bathroom, the pipe has a non return valve in it so obviously water stays in the shower head. We have to change that tap twice (as I forgot the following year also), so that gets disconnected whenever the Motorhome gets parked up in winter time now.

As for the boiler, I cam home a few nights ago and wondered where all the water on the drive had come from, the boiler temperature release valve had worked, but it did remind me to drop the water in the fresh tank. The following morning we had a wonderful ice rink on our drive, I wasn't popular with the good lady, however the boys loved it!

And yes, we have an oil filled radiator on inside the living area and keep the screens on too.


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

Our Hymer Van522 is parked on our drive and hooked up to our mains electricity.

I have decided not to drain down as we will be using it for odd trips throughout the winter.

I have left the Truma system switched on at the lowest thermostat setting.

This will prevent the automatic dump valve from operating and will also cause the heating to operate keeping the chill off the van and all the water system.

Apart from the grey water tank which is underslung but is empty anyway.

Does that seem a reasonable approach?


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