Ideas for avoiding a frozen L7 water heater?
Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 2:07 pmHi,
I'm about to order an Eccotemp L7 for my trailer project. I intend to hang it on a metal stake outside and route the entire trailer's water supply out through the heater, then back inside for a sink and a shower.
In the mountains, cold nights are pretty common in the spring or autumn, and I'm concerned about freezing the heater. Eccotemp recommends draining it all down and disconnecting lines if freezing temps are a possibility, but that's not very convenient for a warm morning shower without having to trudge out there and reconnect everything. So, I'm trying to think of ways to avoid the problem.
When I say freezing temperatures, I'm not talking about -20... an occasional film of ice on puddles at most. So, I'd only have to keep it five degrees or so warmer than the worst environmental conditions. I'd be willing to drain it during a freak night of serious cold.
I boondock only, with the luxury of a friend's generator on rare occasions. I found DC heat tape that would draw about 2 amps over the 7 feet of lines that I'll have outside the trailer. I can live with that... do you think that warmed inlet and outlet lines would transfer enough heat into the L7 through convection to avoid problems? Has anyone built an insulated enclosure for one of these that still allows appropriate exhaust and ventilation?
Thanks for any help.
I'm about to order an Eccotemp L7 for my trailer project. I intend to hang it on a metal stake outside and route the entire trailer's water supply out through the heater, then back inside for a sink and a shower.
In the mountains, cold nights are pretty common in the spring or autumn, and I'm concerned about freezing the heater. Eccotemp recommends draining it all down and disconnecting lines if freezing temps are a possibility, but that's not very convenient for a warm morning shower without having to trudge out there and reconnect everything. So, I'm trying to think of ways to avoid the problem.
When I say freezing temperatures, I'm not talking about -20... an occasional film of ice on puddles at most. So, I'd only have to keep it five degrees or so warmer than the worst environmental conditions. I'd be willing to drain it during a freak night of serious cold.
I boondock only, with the luxury of a friend's generator on rare occasions. I found DC heat tape that would draw about 2 amps over the 7 feet of lines that I'll have outside the trailer. I can live with that... do you think that warmed inlet and outlet lines would transfer enough heat into the L7 through convection to avoid problems? Has anyone built an insulated enclosure for one of these that still allows appropriate exhaust and ventilation?
Thanks for any help.