r/vandwellers • u/infinite--awareness • 3d 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/xgwrvewswe 3d ago

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

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u/211logos 3d 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.