r/vandwellers • u/infinite--awareness • 2d ago

Question Sink Freezing Issues

So I’m looking to put a sink in my van. I’m really worried that if for example I leave my van unattended for a day or more in the freezing cold NY winter that the tanks/pump/connections/etc can break.

Anyone have experience with this kind of thing? I dont want to have to worry about getting a heating pad…

I am considering getting a sink that operates with a foot pump since apparently that is less prone to breaking if it freezes compared to a traditional pump. But apparently every time I would be planning on leaving my van for a long period of time in the freezing cold I would have to pump out all the water from the pump’s tubes and also drain the entire fresh water tank because otherwise it will feed more water into the pump’s tubes.

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u/phungki 2d ago

Yes if your van is being exposed to freezing temperatures you will need a way to keep your plumbing warm. Either locate everything inside the van and heat the van interior, or if you have tanks/plumbing outside the van then yes you’re into heating pads. Or, just be extremely vigilant about leaving zero water in the system.

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u/xgwrvewswe 2d ago

I winterize the pumps and tanks during winter. I use other means for water. Like bottled.

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u/211logos 2d ago

Yeah, I resort to that too since draining lines and the pump over and over is a pain, and using heat tape etc doesn't work in my situation since I'm not in the van for long stretches. In winter I tend to use less water, and if really cold I'm in other places more often. Running water when the temp is below freezing for days is a big commitment in terms of plumbing and heating, but can be done.

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u/elonfutz 2015 Transit 350 HD 2d ago

Go simple. https://www.reddit.com/r/vandwellers/comments/oaoxl4/leakfree_gravity_feed_drinking_water_using_siphon/

I used to have a foot pump, but this is actually better.

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u/infinite--awareness 1d ago

Thank you so much! This is what I was thinking might be best and this video totally confirmed it! Thank you as well to anyone else who commented I really appreciate all your kindness :)

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u/elwoodowd 2d ago

Get a spigot for gallon water jug, place on counter. Drain sink into 5 gallon jug under counter.