Water Heater freezing?

jmgratz · Jan 7, 2010

We don't keep the propane or electric turned on to the water heater. We only turn it on before anticipated use. My question is will the water in the water heater freeze iif the water heater is not turned on in say 20 degree F weather? Or would it be better to leave the water heater turned on to be on the safe side during the freezing times?

aatauses · Jan 7, 2010

After we get set up, we leave ours on all the time (electric) until we are ready to move. We did have to unhook incoming water due to the cold weather and all the other RV's left their electric on the water heater so we did also and had no problems
al

2010augusta · Jan 7, 2010

I would guess that as long as it was brought up to temp a few time a day, that it would stay warm enough not to freeze, but making the water heater make a few BIG heating cycles is probably less energy efficient than just leaving it on all the time. I know the school district i worked for decided that turning the heating systems off for the holiday break and then back on just before student and staff returned used more energy than just leaving them turned on but at a lower temperature.

TXBobcat · Jan 7, 2010

Hay Jim..
Why do you turn it off??

We leave ours on ALL the time. Don't use Propane unless absolutely necessary. If you turn it off until you need it, will take up a lot of energy to heat it each time. I NEVER turn off the electric unless we are not connecting up the shore water.

If I have to pay for electric, I figure that at the last place we stayed we paid 0.18 per KWH and it ran almost $100 for a month. Normally about 0.14 per KWH.

We use it to much to keep turned off. Showers, wash hands & face, wash dishes among other things.

BC

DougLynne · Jan 7, 2010

A lot depends on how long you leave it and it is below freezing. I went to a winterizing seminar put on by our dealer and they had a tank on display that split after freezing. Not pretty and quite expensive to replace. They are insulated but I'm not sure how long they can be exposed to freezing temps. before the water inside starts to freeze and expand. Just my 2 cents worth..../Doug

jmgratz · Jan 7, 2010

Thanks for the advise. We do not turn it on unless we are going to take a shower etc and figure it saves propane. Since we are paying our own electric here we have been running it on propane and the water stays warm even though it is not on most of the time. Our electric ran $55.00 last month which I thought was pretty good. We have been going through a 40 pound propane tank each week at $25. a tank ($100) a month. We keep the furnace on 65 during the day and 60 at night. We have not been using electric heating as it runs up the bill too much.

2010augusta · Jan 7, 2010

Being in WA our electric cost half what y'all are paying in TX, we only use propane to cook and a bit in the furnance when it is really cold. We go through about 2 40# tanks a month at $23 and use electric heat most of the time. our last electric bill was $85 and that included a very cold week with the F-450 plugged in 24/7 cause the jeep was in the shop and the ford hates the cold.

doing the math with our 1,500 watt heat running about 16 hours a day at $0.07kWh=$1.68 a day to heat with electric and that means I would have to be able to heat for 13 days on just propane to save money.

caissiel · Jan 7, 2010

If there is heat required in the unit I would keep the water heater on. The energy wasted would just go in the basement, the same place that the heat is required for the furnace. The W/H heater is exposed to the outside air on the side facing the outside wall, the only protection from freezing is the removeble panel. I would not take a chance on shutting it down.

lwmcguir · Jan 7, 2010

2010augusta said:
Being in WA our electric cost half what y'all are paying in TX, we only use propane to cook and a bit in the furnance when it is really cold. We go through about 2 40# tanks a month at $23 and use electric heat most of the time. our last electric bill was $85 and that included a very cold week with the F-450 plugged in 24/7 cause the jeep was in the shop and the ford hates the cold.

doing the math with our 1,500 watt heat running about 16 hours a day at $0.07kWh=$1.68 a day to heat with electric and that means I would have to be able to heat for 13 days on just propane to save money.

Alan, are you paying $23 each for the LP. That is what they are getting here for a 40 pound bottle.

lwmcguir · Jan 7, 2010

Full timers that are looking to upgrade or add the second unit sure ought to look at the heat pumps. Much cheaper than running a space heater or the furnace for BTU's. More dealers should push them a bit harder.

2010augusta · Jan 7, 2010

lwmcguir said:
Alan, are you paying $23 each for the LP. That is what they are getting here for a 40 pound bottle.

Yes, $23 for a 40# tank refill is the going rate in the campground here in WA.

jmgratz · Jan 7, 2010

The propane here is $2.75 per gal. For a 40# bottle it runs $25.75. We have been going through a bottle a week. We have not been using any electric heat.

Tom of Ypsi · Jan 7, 2010

I know one thing if I could have read the future on how cold it would be here in Houston I would have rented a 100 or 200# propane tank. It would save me from dragging my tanks to get filled once a week.

jayc · Jan 8, 2010

Tom, I thought about doing the same thing but when I took our tanks in to be filled before this cold front came in, they told me at the propane store that the parks around here won't allow those large tanks. I didn't check here to verify.

jmgratz · Jan 8, 2010

Well I kept the water heater turned on last night ... no problem.... But I forgot to turn off the water at the spiket outside and the water spiket froze and so did the hose even though the hose was wrapped in foam. Luckily Jim (park mgr) came by with some hot water and got me back in business. And it only got down to 29 last night. Tonight it is supposed to be 18 so I will turn off the water at the source and disconnect the hose...matter of fact that is what I am about to do. I do have plenty of water in the fresh water tank. I have a thermometer in the basement and it got down to 45 last night. I will watch it close tonight. I will put a space heater there if I have to, but I think it will be alright.

jayc · Jan 8, 2010

I wrapped the water line and then let a little drip go all night and didn't have any problems. I was careful to keep the gray water tanks open to keep from filling them up.

2010augusta · Jan 8, 2010

Just make sure that the sewer hose has a constant downward slope to the connection with the system, if there is a low-point you'll get an ice block and a big mess.

Tom of Ypsi · Jan 8, 2010

Jim, You must have got up later than me. When I walked up the office a 7 am it was 24 degrees with a good 15 mph wind. Nice refreshing walk and the only thing missing would be snow. If that happened I would think I was back in Michigan.

jbeletti · Jan 8, 2010

Tom of Ypsi said:
Jim, You must have got up later than me. When I walked up the office a 7 am it was 24 degrees with a good 15 mph wind. Nice refreshing walk and the only thing missing would be snow. If that happened I would think I was back in Michigan.

But Tom - were you wearing shorts?

Jim

htneighbors · Jan 9, 2010

We leave ours turned on electric. We aren't paying the electric bill here. We do buy propane. I have a couple of 100lb bottles - one borrowed, one bought. I pay @$45 each to fill them. Getting 10-14 days. Close to 10 lately. Woke up to -22 this morning. Supposed to warm up to 10 today.

I discovered I had to put some of the foam insulation around my K&H electric heated hose to keep it thawed when temps are down below zero.

Water Heater freezing?

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