Preparing the bus for winter
Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2014 11:13 am
I have been working on a draft of this post for over a month. Just never seem to find the time to finish it.
Let me set the stage. Our bus is almost impossible to winterize. There are lots of water items that make it impractical to drain and/or antifreeze. These include the dual element drinking filter, water systems in the fridge, and washing machine. Thus I have to keep the bus temperature above freezing (interior and bays) during the winter months. I keep the bus in the shop when we are not on the road, but the shop is not heated.
After we got the bus on the road in 2006, I simply used the Aqua-Hot to do the job. At that time, we were often on the road where it was warmer so the cost of the diesel was not a big issue.
As diesel fuel got more expensive, and we stayed home more, the cost became a significant issue. So, I got the bright idea to heat the bus with the small electric heater that we use in campgrounds or when we are on a pole. Seemed like a good idea since diesel fuel was so expensive -- until we got the first couple of bills. WOW. I did some calculations and I think we paid close to $60 per month in the worst months (1500 watts times an estimated 12 hours per day times $.11 per KWH times 30 days). I am not sure about the hours, but every time I went out, the darn heater was running.
The big issue is that the electric heater control lower temperature limit is 60 degrees. Thus the heater tried to keep the bus at 60*. In talking to someone they mentioned a thermostatically controlled outlet. I did some looking and settled on the unit shown here:
http://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovators-T ... B0006U2HD2
This is an thermostatically controlled outlet that you plug into a standard wall outlet (photo below). It turns on at 35* and off at 45*. I have used that outlet for 3 or 4 years now and it seems to work well.
However, in the coldest periods, I wanted to have a backup. Obviously that would be the Aqua-Hot. Unfortunately, the thermostat that comes with the system has a minimum temperature setting of something like 50* So I set about trying to find a thermostat with a lower setting. After some searching I found a category called “garage thermostats” that have very low minimum temperature setting capability. The one I chose is:
http://www.amazon.com/PRO1-IAQ-T771-Tou ... B004Z84PW2
I replaced the thermostat (see photo below) for the main living area with this unit and I am very impressed! For the first test, I set it at 35* and turned off the radiant electric heater for a few nights. Most of the nights got down into the teens or low 20s. With just the Aqua-Hot electric element, the system maintained the bus at 35*
Part of the testing has involved using one of temperature sensors from the fire detection system I used to sell, snaked down the outside of the boiler so that I get a good reading on the boiler temperature (heat sources shut off at 186*). That allows me to keep track on the impact of heating the coach with the Aqua-Hot only using only the electrical element. A few mornings when I only used the Aqua-Hot on electric element only, the boiler was at 140*, but the bus was at 35*. That suggests that I can keep the bus above freezing in 20* weather with the Aqua-Hot on electric only.
So, today I use a combination of the electric heater (on the thermal cube) and the Aqua-Hot with only the electrical element running. On the very coldest days I also switch on the diesel boiler just to make sure.
Last week we had the perfect “storm” (pun intended). I left town for California (teaching assignment) with temperatures in the 70s. The day I left, the huge polar storm moved in and Denver set several records for the low temperatures during the week I was gone. At our house, it got down to below -10* for long periods of time. I had not turned on the diesel switch before I left. The shop is a mess and it is hard to get to the bus, so I did not ask Pat to venture out to turn on the diesel.
When I got home yesterday, I did a quick test of the water system and it seemed to survive with no broken components.
Guess my system works for my situation. Thought others might benefit from my experience.
Jim
Let me set the stage. Our bus is almost impossible to winterize. There are lots of water items that make it impractical to drain and/or antifreeze. These include the dual element drinking filter, water systems in the fridge, and washing machine. Thus I have to keep the bus temperature above freezing (interior and bays) during the winter months. I keep the bus in the shop when we are not on the road, but the shop is not heated.
After we got the bus on the road in 2006, I simply used the Aqua-Hot to do the job. At that time, we were often on the road where it was warmer so the cost of the diesel was not a big issue.
As diesel fuel got more expensive, and we stayed home more, the cost became a significant issue. So, I got the bright idea to heat the bus with the small electric heater that we use in campgrounds or when we are on a pole. Seemed like a good idea since diesel fuel was so expensive -- until we got the first couple of bills. WOW. I did some calculations and I think we paid close to $60 per month in the worst months (1500 watts times an estimated 12 hours per day times $.11 per KWH times 30 days). I am not sure about the hours, but every time I went out, the darn heater was running.
The big issue is that the electric heater control lower temperature limit is 60 degrees. Thus the heater tried to keep the bus at 60*. In talking to someone they mentioned a thermostatically controlled outlet. I did some looking and settled on the unit shown here:
http://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovators-T ... B0006U2HD2
This is an thermostatically controlled outlet that you plug into a standard wall outlet (photo below). It turns on at 35* and off at 45*. I have used that outlet for 3 or 4 years now and it seems to work well.
However, in the coldest periods, I wanted to have a backup. Obviously that would be the Aqua-Hot. Unfortunately, the thermostat that comes with the system has a minimum temperature setting of something like 50* So I set about trying to find a thermostat with a lower setting. After some searching I found a category called “garage thermostats” that have very low minimum temperature setting capability. The one I chose is:
http://www.amazon.com/PRO1-IAQ-T771-Tou ... B004Z84PW2
I replaced the thermostat (see photo below) for the main living area with this unit and I am very impressed! For the first test, I set it at 35* and turned off the radiant electric heater for a few nights. Most of the nights got down into the teens or low 20s. With just the Aqua-Hot electric element, the system maintained the bus at 35*
Part of the testing has involved using one of temperature sensors from the fire detection system I used to sell, snaked down the outside of the boiler so that I get a good reading on the boiler temperature (heat sources shut off at 186*). That allows me to keep track on the impact of heating the coach with the Aqua-Hot only using only the electrical element. A few mornings when I only used the Aqua-Hot on electric element only, the boiler was at 140*, but the bus was at 35*. That suggests that I can keep the bus above freezing in 20* weather with the Aqua-Hot on electric only.
So, today I use a combination of the electric heater (on the thermal cube) and the Aqua-Hot with only the electrical element running. On the very coldest days I also switch on the diesel boiler just to make sure.
Last week we had the perfect “storm” (pun intended). I left town for California (teaching assignment) with temperatures in the 70s. The day I left, the huge polar storm moved in and Denver set several records for the low temperatures during the week I was gone. At our house, it got down to below -10* for long periods of time. I had not turned on the diesel switch before I left. The shop is a mess and it is hard to get to the bus, so I did not ask Pat to venture out to turn on the diesel.
When I got home yesterday, I did a quick test of the water system and it seemed to survive with no broken components.
Guess my system works for my situation. Thought others might benefit from my experience.
Jim