Date:         Sun, 3 Jan 2010 12:35:16 -0700
Reply-To:     Tom Buese <tombuese@COMCAST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Tom Buese <tombuese@COMCAST.NET>
Subject:      "The pump don't work cuz the vandal stole handle"?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed

For those w/ no other lives, you might remember that several weeks
ago I had an "Uhohh" when I forgot to drain my westy water tank this
winter, it got real cold here in SLC for several weeks & my tank
which was 1/2 full, froze solid.

I did open it up from inside & try to thaw it out w/ the wife's hair
dryer(much to her disgust), but only succeeded in melting the top,
but not much else.

So I left everything alone, but the tank top, drain cap off &
cupboard door open into my unheated westy till today after noticing
that the ice block had melted some, even tho it had been in the
single digits for low temps until several days ago.

I filled several pitchers w/ hot tap water & poured them into the
tank, probably 10-15 worth, w/ the drain cap back on, until the ice
melted enough to pull out the last 2-3 chunks of ice thru the top.

Turned the sink faucet on, & I could hear the pump working but no
water coming out as the 1/4" line is probably still frozen?

I will wait some more now that the tank has been emptied & see if the
line unthaws or if I need to remove the line to the sink & unthaw, or
put a heater in the westy to unthaw it.

In any event, what were the issues that cause the pump to die if this
hasn't killed my pump?  Or what else that I don't know about will not
cause the faucet to run water once we head to BBB & warmer weather in
less than 2 weeks? Any water related spare parts I need to have for
the trip so that we have running water?

YMMV,

Mr. BZ

Tom Buese
tombuese@comcast.net