[mattywig]

JUST WONDER IF ANYONE USES A WATER HEATER INSIDE THE TANK IN THE VAN TO HEAT THE WATER UP BEFORE THEY GO OUT TO WORK?

HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT DOING THIS AND WHAT MAKE OF HEATER DO YOU USE?

HAS IT ENABLED YOU TO WORK THROUGH THE SUB ZERO TEMPERATURES?

ID APPRECIATE THE ADVISE AS IM DESPERATE TO GET OUT IN THIS WEATHER BUT IN THE NORTH EAST MY VAN IS FROZEN SOLID AND PUTTING A RADIATOR IN THE BACK JUST ISN'T WORKING.

THANKS IN ADVANCE. MATT

[poole bay]

i have a 300lt fish tank and i cant see how you can stick one of the heaters in the back inside a tank with a van at -10 put my finger in the fish tank and its not really warm it baffles me but..... if there are people on hear that have done it and it works so you can work all day fair play. regards carl

[mark311069]

i a bought a 300 watt aquarium heater on monday and it has been on all week 24hours a day as i have not been able to get out because of the snow, i have a 400lt tank with 300lt of water in. the water is only luke warm, so i think all it will do is stop your tank freezing.

[Chris Cottrell]

i think all it will do is stop your tank freezing.

Its not the tank that freezes its all the pipework etc IMO that is, I have this week bought some copper pipe insulation and wrapped that around the hoses in the van up as far as the hose reels , its earlt days but so far the water has not frozen in there yet

[JSMC]

my pipes are lagged with foam yet still frozen solid. Also tank is a block of ice evenb though i have oil filled radiator in there some nights. Bought myself an aquarium heater and it's defrosting the tank slowly but the baffles in my tank are limiting the water flow i feel. It says if using aquarium heater then you need some sort of flow in tank to circulate the heat

[traps7]

That foam insulation alone wasn't enough for me. I put some foiled bubble wrap from Screwfix around as well.

Also go a 2kw thermastatically controlled oil filled rad (also from Screwfix) on low power (400w) at night and insulated van walls and roof. Toasty in there now. My static system in garage has two frost watcher heaters and I've insulated everything I could.

I could work if there wassn't so much snow about. I don't think custys will want me splashing water about and I think the hose will freeze in no time on the ground even if my water was heated. And it's so slippy everywhere.

Whilst lagging my pipes I had a cup of tea in the back of the van and it was stone cold in no time at all so I imagine my water would do the same once out working.

I'm just gonna take it on the chin and sit it out. Gonna take me months to recover in terms of money though.

But hey, nobody's died or anything. Could be worse, you could be in Afghanistan or something.

[Mike_G]

At these temperatures is there any point heating the water when the amount of ice it creates on the path afterwards is surely too dangerous to consider window cleaning anyway, claims direct and all that? 

[JSMC]

That foam insulation alone wasn't enough for me. I put some foiled bubble wrap from Screwfix around as well.

Also go a 2kw thermastatically controlled oil filled rad (also from Screwfix) on low power (400w) at night and insulated van walls and roof. Toasty in there now. My static system in garage has two frost watcher heaters and I've insulated everything I could.

I could work if there wassn't so much snow about. I don't think custys will want me splashing water about and I think the hose will freeze in no time on the ground even if my water was heated. And it's so slippy everywhere.

Whilst lagging my pipes I had a cup of tea in the back of the van and it was stone cold in no time at all so I imagine my water would do the same once out working.

I'm just gonna take it on the chin and sit it out. Gonna take me months to recover in terms of money though.

But hey, nobody's died or anything. Could be worse, you could be in Afghanistan or something.

what ya use for insulating van roof?

[traps7]

Just some £5 a roll rockwool from B&Q and put a big sheet of 5mm ply under it self tappered and penny washered into the support rails to keep it up there.