Deep Freeze, thought I had it figured out.....NOT.

[MydogMissy]

I thought I had it figured out how to get water to my van in a deep freeze.....not! First it was to blow the water out of the hoses with an air compressor. That didn't work, I guess it's just too long to be effective. Then it was to use coil hoses that I could keep inside...not! They froze up before the water reached the end!! I couldn't believe it! Now it's on to plan C. I guess I'm going to try one of those flat wind up hoses. Anyone else having trouble getting water to your van? Other than that the van is toasty. LOL.

[Dolly]

Every night, in the winter, when I’m done grooming:
I turn OFF the outside water faucet, go downstairs into the cellar, turn OFF the spigot that drains this pipe, and then turn ON the water to this faucet. Then I haul out a garden hose, that was stored inside the house, and screw it onto this outside faucet. I connect the hose to the van and fill up the tank. Then I turn OFF the faucet, disconnect the hose from the van, disconnect the hose from the faucet, go downstairs to the cellar, turn OFF the water and OPEN the drainage spigot. Go back outside, OPEN the outside faucet, bring hose into house. Drive the van into the garage, then winterize the van, turn on the ceramic heater in the back of van, turn on its furnace to its lowest setting…….done !!

Happy moving to Florida !!

Dolly’s Barking Bubbles, LLC

https://www.dollysbarkingbubbles.com

[4Sibes]

Dolly...I'm sure you are not the only one to go through those contortions for water, but let me say to you and all the others....O.M.G.!

Missy...how's about using your HV to try and blow the H2O out of the hose?

HV's have SO many other uses....some better than others of course.
They make rather lousy snowblowers for instance. Sort of creates a cyclone of snow with the operating human smack dab in the middle of it. Now...if you wanted to make yourself a "snowperson", the HV would be a perfect tool. Wear goggles. -00-

[Starshan]

I keep my hose in the house. I bought rv type water hoses, keep inside, 50 ft. Its barely long enough. I do have to use a hairdryer on the faucet to thaw it, then its fine to van. We only got down to about 10 degrees here on our coldest day. Last night was 16 degrees, I had my heater inside & a light on my pipes outside, it worked for me this time. Now to thaw out my grey tank, that is a pain in the neck.

Shannon
The Soapy Puppy

[MydogMissy]

Every night, in the winter, when I’m done grooming:
I
Dolly’s Barking Bubbles, LLC

www.dollysbarkingbubbles.com

Wow that's quite a routine you have to go through, Dolly. I don't know if I'd want to do that everyday! At least you have a garage though, that's gotta be a help. When I first got my van it was in the midst of that huge ice storm the first few days of last Jan. and my truck hauler lost one of his off loading ramps on the way up. We drove following him around for half an hour trying to find a short hill he could back up to and off load in 10 degree weather with ice covered roads. I had visions of my van "falling" off his truck but he swore he could do it (he was "insured after all".... what a comforting thought!....Not). Well so happened a hill a quarter mile from my house was just about right and my neighbor came up with a cinder block and board ramp to use on the "high side" (the hill wasn't even). OMG.... all I could see was my investment of xx,xxx.xx tumbling off this hauler. THEN the driver locked himself out of the vehicle and had to break into it to drive it off the rig. UGH. Believe it or not it all worked out, but the driver said it was the worst three days of his life and was literally ready to cry after hundreds of miles in an ice storm with this fish-tailing 10,000lb, 10'6 behemoth on his tail end. I was too sorry for him to get mad at the way he unloaded the van but WOW what a tense delivery! Well, that was OT, but this weather reminded me of it all. LOL. Hey, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Right?

[MydogMissy]

I keep my hose in the house. I bought rv type water hoses, keep inside, 50 ft. Its barely long enough. I do have to use a hairdryer on the faucet to thaw it, then its fine to van. We only got down to about 10 degrees here on our coldest day. Last night was 16 degrees, I had my heater inside & a light on my pipes outside, it worked for me this time. Now to thaw out my grey tank, that is a pain in the neck.

Shannon
The Soapy Puppy

4Sibes.....Hadn't thought of the HV. I'll give it a try. The make great brooms too! I use my portable to sweep the garage! Better than a leaf blower.

Starshan, you might try a heat gun to thaw out the faucet (be careful though... they are HOT...1500 degrees and could do some serious damage! But it'd be FAST!)

For all, I'm attaching a picture of the outside faucet I use. It's frost free!! I don't know what they call it, but it's servicable all year round!

[gottalovegracie]

I keep my realllllly long hose in the basement. We have a faucet in the utility area downstairs so I keep it hooked up down there and every night I unroll the huge hose and bring it up the stairs and out the door to hook it to my truck. Go back downstairs to turn it on...wait for it to fill...go back downstairs to turn it off...go back upstairs to unhook hose from truck...then go back downstairs with hose and roll it all back up on holder! I should have buns of steel by the time winter is over! I HATE fighting the hose in the cold to get it hooked to the outside faucet! Major PITA when it's below zero out or there's a foot of snow!

[PoodleeDoo]

aha

I keep my realllllly long hose in the basement. We have a faucet in the utility area downstairs so I keep it hooked up down there and every night I unroll the huge hose and bring it up the stairs and out the door to hook it to my truck. Go back downstairs to turn it on...wait for it to fill...go back downstairs to turn it off...go back upstairs to unhook hose from truck...then go back downstairs with hose and roll it all back up on holder! I should have buns of steel by the time winter is over! I HATE fighting the hose in the cold to get it hooked to the outside faucet! Major PITA when it's below zero out or there's a foot of snow!

really long hose... from the basement util, with a round about to store it. Hm. work yes. buns of steel, we can hope. sounds like a good plan. thankful for this board. been wondering how i'll do it too!!!

[Doc]

For the winter water fillups, we keep a garden hose in our utility room, where our washer, dryer, and freezers are - which is hooked up to a Y valve on the washer hot water faucet.

We just turn on the valve (and leave it on for the winter) on the Y connector for the hose, uncoil the hose out the back door, connect to the Merry Puppins van, and turn the valve on at the end of the garden hose.

Once done, we turn off the valve at the end of the garden hose, disconnect it from the van, and coil up the garden hose, tucking it away in the utility room. Bingo, we're done.

When spring arrives, we'll turn off the valve on the Y connect, drain the host, recoil it up again and start using the outside faucet/garden hose.

[MydogMissy]

Oh this is cool.... I bought a FLAT hose on a reel that doesn't kink. It's made of a stiffer plastic and has three "tubes" that feed the water. It worked GREAT. I could hook it up to my sink with an adapter and run it through the house UNDER the door (could even close the door without pinching it) to the van. The water is warm and softened! It should do and I got away with a 50ft section of hose + a short exstension hose (RV type). It'll do. Maybe next year we will be able to dig a water line to the edge of the driveway and put a frost free farm spigot in. That's my next hoped for item. A heated garage would be heaven!

[PuppyFluffer]

HV's have SO many other uses....some better than others of course.

I've heard they work GREAT for clearing blocked drains!

[Starshan]

Starshan, you might try a heat gun to thaw out the faucet (be careful though... they are HOT...1500 degrees and could do some serious damage! But it'd be FAST!)

For all, I'm attaching a picture of the outside faucet I use. It's frost free!! I don't know what they call it, but it's servicable all year round!

Sorry I don't want more damage. Hubby said no way to use that, things would break. Plus we have a wood wall, don't want to burn the house down Today is warmer, no more teens. The low was 23. With my space heater keeping it warmer then it needed, 50 in there. And the warming light under the van with boards & the van's old cushions boxing in the van's under side I have no ice. I didn't fully drain either. The faucet took a second of the hair dryer & it was flowing. Going to be a nice day, now if this massive headache from my neck being out would go away I would be great 1 dog today, next week will be busier. Sunday, Monday possible snow, that will be interesting.

Shannon
The Soapy Puppy

[baddog]

I have a flat hose on a reel..I keep it in my slop sink in the basement....as for the spigot I bought an insulated cover at Lowes for it, haven't had an issue yet.

[4Sibes]

I've heard they work GREAT for clearing blocked drains!

shudd-dup.

[greymom]

I have a flat hose on a reel with quick connecters on each end. The hubby put a y connection on my washer hookup with a quick connecter on it. There is shorter hose that attaches to the van and the other end quick connects to the flat hose. After filling up I just reel up the flat hose and blow the water out of the short hose and put it in the back of the van.