How are the holding tanks heated?

EMD_Driver · 12-23-2009, 04:30 PM

Something in the brochure about the Sunline 5th wheels, is the statement that the holding tanks are heated. How is that heating accomplished?

Talking with John, he thought that it may be a line from the furnace that radiates heat in the underbelly. I pulled the furnace intake cover off of the cabinetry last night and could only see four ducts coming from the furnace. I was able to trace all four of them and found that none of them even go near the under belly.

Any ideas?

Steve Collins · 12-23-2009, 05:51 PM

Gary,

Heated holding tanks usually use a mat, similar to a heating pad, that is powered by 110vac. There may be 12vdc versions, but I would not expect the battery to last very long.

It should be mounted on the bottom horizontal surface of the tank. If memory serves, your 5'er has a fully enclosed belly so you may not see the mats without dropping the belly cover.

You might check your 110vac breaker panel and see if there is a separate breaker for the tank heaters. That may be an easy way to determine what you have.

EMD_Driver · 12-23-2009, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Collins

You might check your 110vac breaker panel and see if there is a separate breaker for the tank heaters. That may be an easy way to determine what you have.

Steve,
I checked the breaker panel last night and found no "Tank heater" breaker, or 12v fuse(s)

The weather won't allow me to remove the aluminum under belly panel(s) for inspection yet, so it'll be something that will have to wait...

Thanks for the reply!
Gary

henryj · 12-23-2009, 08:24 PM

I'm not sure what Sunline did on the fivers, but like Steve said, they had an optional stick on pad on the bottom of the tank and that wasn't even enclosed. This is pretty useless except for a stationary trailer plugged into AC and interestingly this option was not available in Canada--possibly not good enough for the real cold

or more likely didn't meet the specific CSA requirements.

I believe most other higher end trailers with enclosed heated tanks duct furnace air around which technically would allow you drive with heat. However, there is still a "wind chill" around a trailer and it would lose heat very quickly around the tanks with any kind of leaks driving at 60 mph. Follow the heating ducts from the furnace and see if one or two run under the floor close to the tanks.

Henry

EMD_Driver · 12-23-2009, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by henryj

Follow the heating ducts from the furnace and see if one or two run under the floor close to the tanks.

Henry

Hey Henry,

I did trace the ducts yesterday. Two of them go towards the rear and exit on two sides of the counter. The other two go to the bedroom and were pretty easy to follow. The only way there could be forced air from the furnace, would be if they ran a duct out the bottom of it. I will check the furnace I have in the garage and see if there are even any duct knock-outs in the bottom of it.

Gary

**JohnB** · 12-23-2009, 08:52 PM

Hi Gary

It sounds like you might be a duck short….LOL

I could not resist.

Remember the ten foot pole joke…..

OK see if this helps. This is the T2499. There are only 4 hoses. That is a suppose to be a 25,000 but furnace with 4 ducts.

My T310SR has a 31,000 btu furnace and it has 5 ducts coming out of it.

Your 5er has a 35,000 btu furnace. It does not sound right that that big a furnace only has 4 ducts. It would be choked quite a bit.

The furnace has knock out holes sort of all over it. Are there 2 hoses going straight down thru the floor? Your furnace intake is under the stove like mine. My thought is there are 2 hoses you cannot see going straight down thru the floor.

How many heat registers do you have? Do you have in floor heat blowing up?

John

EMD_Driver · 12-23-2009, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnB

Are there 2 hoses going straight down thru the floor? Your furnace intake is under the stove like mine. My thought is there are 2 hoses you cannot see going straight down thru the floor.

How many heat registers do you have? Do you have in floor heat blowing up?

John

The furnace is mounted on the floor, so looking under it is impossible. It will have to wait, until the weather cooperates.

There are four registers... One for each duct that I traced. Nothing up, through the floor...

Gary

**JohnB** · 12-23-2009, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EMD_Driver

There are four registers... One for each duct that I traced. Nothing up, through the floor...

Gary

Only 4 in that entire camper????

H'mm OK check and report back. Us enquiring types need to know….

John

EMD_Driver · 12-23-2009, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnB

Only 4 in that entire camper????

H'mm OK check and report back. Us enquiring types need to know….

John

That's what I thought too, but it only has two on each side... BUT.. there may be more under it, that are hiding...

The two for the bedroom, go up and over the WH (If I ever get it properly installed) and it's a real pain to get them to where they are not kinked...

MACK C-85 · 12-24-2009, 04:42 AM

Gary:

Our T-276SR has factory installed heated tanks. They are electric (not sure if 12v or 110v), there is a small two switch panel (same as light switches, so maybe 12v?) over the kitchen sink that controls them. One controls the fresh tank, the other the black and gray tanks. Our tanks are not enclosed. I have camped when the temperature went to 15 to 20 degrees over night and not had any issue with freeze up. One thing that helps is Sunline installed the tank valves right off the tanks, which keeps the pipes dry. This is where I saw most of my neighbors have freeze up issues. We disconnected the water hose and used the fresh tank for overnight potty breaks.

Mack

Trailblazer · 03-14-2010, 04:19 PM

Gary, Like you, I could only find 4 heat vents coming out of our furnace and could only see 4 vents throughout the coach so I was also wondering about the heated tanks on our rig myself. While out this weekend I spoted a 5th heat vent that I never noticed before and while using the rig this weekend I verified there was definietely heat coming out this extra vent. Check under your shower pan in the bathroom. The vent blends right in and very hard to notice. Since I traced all the other vents from furnace to the outlet, the only spot for this vent to be routed is directly out of the bottom of the furnace, through the underbelly and out into the bathroom area.

EMD_Driver · 03-14-2010, 05:37 PM

Good catch Bill! I haven't spent enough time in the bathroom, to have even noticed that vent!

delcon88 · 03-15-2010, 03:42 PM

Gary,
I only have 4 vents in my rig also but all are 4" duct and I found how they heat my tanks, there is a "T" in my head heat duct with a 2" duct going to the tanks.I found it fixing my f/w tank fill hose(kinked behind the wall) hope this helped.

EMD_Driver · 03-15-2010, 03:51 PM

Thanks Paul!