Your Wet Pets Conversion is very well insulated but in extreme temperatures your van willneed some extra TLC, here are some helpful tips:
- In extreme temperatures it is advised to insulate the pump and pipework with foam insulation. Never attempt to use this system if you suspect it is frozen as it will damage it, ensure it is thoroughly thawed out before use. See the bottom of the page with reference to this.
- Empty the system of water each night by following the instructions at the bottom of this page named : “Turning the water supply to your bath off” and follow the instructions under the “In Winter” title at the bottom of the page. This will remove any water from the system and help prevent freezing.
- It is highly advisable to leave a heater on in your van over night. With a Bespoke or Deluxe you will need to plug your van in and turn your heater onto the snowflake setting (the
Thermostat) if you have one fitted in your van, if not then an oil filled radiator will work well. In the Standalone conversion or if you have a Webasto Diesel Heater fitted, your van has a
built in Thermostat that can be programmed to come on over night if the temperature drops, this can be used in conjunction with the blower to heat your van up without the need to be
plugged in (via your Diesel Heater).
- If your side door is frozen on the van, trailer or parlour the you can grease the seals with Vaseline the night before, or pour warm water onto it. Never try to force the door as this can damage it. It is also advisable to keep your hosepipe indoors also so this does not freeze and prevent you from filling your water tank in the morning.
- NEVER attempt to use the bath or turn on the rear water pump if you suspect the system could be frozen as It will damage the water pump and associated pipework. To thaw out the pipes use a hair dryer or similar. Wash out the filter on the rear water pipe to remove any ice.
- TROUBLE SHOOTING: If you do turn on the pump and it is still frozen it will blow a fuse and could strip the impeller. To replace this fuse locate the fuse box which is normally found behind the drivers seat in a Deluxe or Bespoke or in the rear of the van with the batteries in a Standalone van. Take each fuse out and find the fuse which has blown and replace it.
- THE PUMP FUSE IS 15AMP. Make sure the pump is completely unfrozen and turn back on.
Turning off and emptying your water supply at night to avoid freezing:
At the end of every day, please carry out the following: Turn the water supply to the bath off. Go round to the back of the van and locate the white circular valve which allows water to
feed from the large rear water tank to the pump which then pumps it into the bath.
When the valve is open the arrows will be inline with the pipe. To Turn the valve off, turn the valve 90 degrees to the right so that the arrows are horizontal to the pipe. This will stop any water
in the rear tank syphoning through into the bath over night.
In winter…
If there is the potential for over night frost then we recommended emptying the water pipes as well as closing the valve just as a precaution. To do this, firstly close the valve as described above.
Next, turn on the water pump that pumps the water from the rear tank to the bath. Now go to your bath, push the lever to Rinse and turn on the bath, this will draw water from the rinse tank
and as the level goes down it will activate the pump which will pump the remaining water through the pipes. As the water valve is closed it cannot draw any water from the big tank, which
will in turn empty the pipes. Remember to open the valve again in the morning so you have water!
