Faucet during wintertime

[Nejc]

My friend has purchased a new California T 6.1 and is asking whether, in addition to emptying both the grey and fresh water tanks before winter (freezing temperatures), it’s necessary to disconnect the fuse that powers the solenoid valve and blow out the faucet. I’ve owned a California T6 Ocean for 5 years and have never disconnected the faucet. Even though temperatures have dropped below freezing several times, I haven’t noticed any damage or water leaks in the system. I’m curious about the experiences of other users on this forum.

 

[Wannabecamperman]

The word 'faucet' is not King's English, but rather an Americanism along with elevator, pacifier, diaper, sidewalk and many other bastardisations of the King's English.

For 'faucet' please read 'tap'.

Sorry - OCD moment of a pet hate of mine.

 

[dspuk]

The outside temperature of the van AFAIK, is not a reflection of the inside. Pretty sure not needed. I never had and not had any issues.

 

[pchmlk]

The word 'faucet' is not King's English, but rather an Americanism along with elevator, pacifier, diaper, sidewalk and many other bastardisations of the King's English.

For 'faucet' please read 'tap'.

Sorry - OCD moment of a pet hate of mine.

A bit of tolerance of people with english as a second language might be nice.

 

[Wesel]

The word 'faucet' is not King's English, but rather an Americanism along with elevator, pacifier, diaper, sidewalk and many other bastardisations of the King's English.

For 'faucet' please read 'tap'.

Sorry - OCD moment of a pet hate of mine.

You understood very well. Why then make this remark to someone who is trying to write in English, where others would have simply written in their language at the risk of being understood by almost no one. Not very elegant
NB: Sorry if I probably also made some mistakes in relation to King’s English, this one not being my mother tongue either.

 

[The Fockers]

A bit of tolerance of people with english as a second language might be nice.

Maybe a bit of correction and education? Otherwise he's going to continue writing incorrect English. My pet hate is the Americanisation of our language.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

My friend has purchased a new California T 6.1 and is asking whether, in addition to emptying both the grey and fresh water tanks before winter (freezing temperatures), it’s necessary to disconnect the fuse that powers the solenoid valve and blow out the faucet. I’ve owned a California T6 Ocean for 5 years and have never disconnected the faucet. Even though temperatures have dropped below freezing several times, I haven’t noticed any damage or water leaks in the system. I’m curious about the experiences of other users on this forum.

If it’s any help, I read around this topic the other week due to a cold snap in the U.K.

No one seems certain! I believe this was advised in the T6 but not in the T6.1 manual.

I decided not to pull the fuse. But to cover the system in case, I drained both tanks and left both valves half open.

Hope this helps

 

[Wannabecamperman]

Maybe a bit of correction and education? Otherwise he's going to continue writing incorrect English. My pet hate is the Americanisation of our language.

Quite so. I in no way meant to be rude, but how else will people learn the correct words if not corrected? Tolerance and laziness are close bedfellows.

 

[Steve1]

My friend has purchased a new California T 6.1 and is asking whether, in addition to emptying both the grey and fresh water tanks before winter (freezing temperatures), it’s necessary to disconnect the fuse that powers the solenoid valve and blow out the faucet. I’ve owned a California T6 Ocean for 5 years and have never disconnected the faucet. Even though temperatures have dropped below freezing several times, I haven’t noticed any damage or water leaks in the system. I’m curious about the experiences of other users on this forum.

I don't know if it will work for everyone, but before I drain my water tank, I can very very gently open the tap a tiny bit and here a gurgle as the water runs back to the tank, but before the micro switch activates the pump. Indo this with water in the tank to stop accidental activation of the pump while dry. Once I hear the gurgling I leave it 10 mins, turn off the tap then drain the tank.

 

[Flower Power]

"Wannabecamperman"..... is this a perfect illustration of King's English? Before correcting others correct yourself first. RE faucet draining procedure: I never needed remove fuses, etc. Just drain it as others suggested and have a nice day!

 

[pluc99]

I was in the mountains (not camping trip) last week where temperatures dropped way below freezing for several consecutive days. When it occurred to me that I had left the reservoir of my Kärcher pressure cleaner full of water in the trunk of the van and went to check, the water was very cold, but nowhere near frozen.

 

[pchmlk]

Quite so. I in no way meant to be rude, but how else will people learn the correct words if not corrected? Tolerance and laziness are close bedfellows.

This is an international forum. There’s no place for grammar / spelling correction on social media anyway, it just comes across as needlessly picky, less so on here IMO as we’re a broad church of nationalities.

It’s your issue, not the OPs remember. Can we move on?

 

[Mehdime]

The word 'faucet' is not King's English, but rather an Americanism along with elevator, pacifier, diaper, sidewalk and many other bastardisations of the King's English.

For 'faucet' please read 'tap'.

Sorry - OCD moment of a pet hate of mine.

So as a non-native English speaker, I looked up what “King’s English” refers to as I’m completely open to be educated.

For those who don’t know here, “King’s English” means one of two things:
- standard English pronunciation (but specifically not matters of vocabulary). Clearly not what is being referred to here.
- how English people used to speak in the 19th and early 20th century (i.e in the Victorian and Edwardian times).

It would be quite fun to enforce Victorian English on this forum I think. It would be good craic.

Reference: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/King's_English

 

[RockinNRollin]

If it’s any help, I read around this topic the other week due to a cold snap in the U.K.

No one seems certain! I believe this was advised in the T6 but not in the T6.1 manual.

I decided not to pull the fuse. But to cover the system in case, I drained both tanks and left both valves half open.

Hope this helps

I don't think this works on a 6.1. On mine you can have it so that the pump is audibly working but the water valve on the tap is closed (a situation which clearly has some other issues if left like that!).

I find on mine that if the tank is empty, somehow the tank system drains for the most part by itself as when the tank is refilled, it takes a good few seconds for the pump to draw up water and sometimes even get the message about "fill the tank" (even though it is full), effectively requiring two "priming cycles" to get the water into the system.

On temperature; all depends on weather and circumstance. If it's cold enough for long enough and the van has no other contribution towards temperature then there's no reason it wouldn't freeze inside. In the UK, that would mean it would have to be relatively exposed but without exposure to the daytime sunlight. Parking alongside a house wall (especially an older house = more heat leakage) may compensate to an extent.

 

[Wannabecamperman]

This is an international forum. There’s no place for grammar / spelling correction on social media anyway, it just comes across as needlessly picky, less so on here IMO as we’re a broad church of nationalities.

It’s your issue, not the OPs remember. Can we move on?

Erm, my point (as you seem to have missed it) was about the bastardisation and creep of American words on to what is the language we gave the world, nothing to do with spelling.

- Oh, and I had moved on, until your post. We are indeed a 'broad church' but let's stick to using English words, shall we?

 

[pluc99]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but any damage would be primarily caused in tight spaces or joints that come under pressure when there isn't enough room for water to expand as it is freezing. It's not the temperature per se that is the problem. I don't see what pulling a fuse could possibly contribute nor would I worry about a little bit remaining moisture in the system.

 

[Hawthorn37]

Hi @Nejc as you (and your friend) live in the beautiful country of Slovenia, which also gets quite cold winters away from the coast, I would take precautions when leaving the van for periods of time in the winter. If your friend is using the van daily however, there should be no issues.

I researched this a few years ago, and noted forum members who had the sink ‘faucet / tap / valve / thing’ come apart due to the build up on ice in the tap. At around the same time (in February 2022) I was a bit concerned to see an icicle form from our tap. Since then I’ve drained the tank and blown out the tap and supply line (by mouth) and leaving the tap open. Instead of removing the fuse, I disconnect the tap switch to stop the pump operating as there’s a wiring connector under the sink (actually wedged in a piece of foam padding and tucked beside the sink on the side where the power outlets are). It’s easy to pull the plug apart and then reconnect without causing damage.

When it comes to refilling the system, you might need to prime the pump by sucking the tap. It’s best done when no one is around!

I know others will say they’ve never had issues and this is overkill, and that’s all fine, but as it’s easy to do, I’ll keep on with the process as was recommended to me by a respected contributor to this forum.

 

[orbital]

The word 'faucet' is not King's English, but rather an Americanism along with elevator, pacifier, diaper, sidewalk and many other bastardisations of the King's English.

For 'faucet' please read 'tap'.

Sorry - OCD moment of a pet hate of mine.

He’s correct and you are wrong, I’m afraid. Faucet is from middle-English. As is often the case, especially when it comes to spelling, the Americans preserved the original whilst the inhabitants of these islands drifted off in a random direction. It’s all to do with population sizes and the need to standardize (that’s the correct spelling, by the way) a language so that large numbers of immigrants can fit in more easily. A great many Ph.Ds have been produced about this. Why not pop into your local university library and have a look around? You might learn something unexpected.

 

[Hawthorn37]

Ha Ha This type of thread hijack couldn’t happen anywhere else

 

[JuanVecino2023]

He’s correct and you are wrong, I’m afraid. Faucet is from middle-English. As is often the case, especially when it comes to spelling, the Americans preserved the original whilst the inhabitants of these islands drifted off in a random direction. It’s all to do with population sizes and the need to standardize (that’s the correct spelling, by the way) a language so that large numbers of immigrants can fit in more easily. A great many Ph.Ds have been produced about this. Why not pop into your local university library and have a look around? You might learn something unexpected.

I am now intrigued by the etymology of your alias.

Is it music related? Or sander related? Or another unexpected direction!

Interesting post. As a British person who grew up in the states and lived there again as an adult, I flip between vocabulary all the time. The one that amuses my wife most is my pronunciation of basil. Fawlty would be horrified.

Back on topic, I am going to investigate T6.1 manual for suggestion re overwintering water system.

 

[turnitdown]

The word 'faucet' is not King's English, but rather an Americanism along with elevator, pacifier, diaper, sidewalk and many other bastardisations of the King's English.

For 'faucet' please read 'tap'.

Sorry - OCD moment of a pet hate of mine.

Is this satire? Are you pretending to be someone who doesn’t know how language works? And who fails to understand that one of the rich and unusual things about English is the way it has many words for the same thing, drawn from different routes (old French, in the case of faucet, rather than German, as with tap.)

In any event, you have your facts wrong. The word ‘faucet’ *survives* in use in North America, but comes to English from Middle English, and there are many recorded instances of its use in English before the US existed.

The giveaway it must be satire isn’t just the absurdity of the view, but the fact wannabecamperman’s very username contains the Americanism ‘wannabe’, and riffs on the American term ‘campervan’. Sheer brilliance! He must be a Yank having us on.

Also the Oxford English Dictionary traces ‘pet hate’ to Mark Twain. That’s too perfect not to be deliberate.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

Is this satire? Are you pretending to be someone who doesn’t know how language works? And who fails to understand that one of the rich and unusual things about English is the way it has many words for the same thing, drawn from different routes (old French, in the case of faucet, rather than German, as with tap.)

In any event, you have your facts wrong. The word ‘faucet’ *survives* in use in North America, but comes to English from Middle English, and there are many recorded instances of its use in English before the US existed.

The giveaway it must be satire isn’t just the absurdity of the view, but the fact wannabecamperman’s very username contains the Americanism ‘wannabe’, and riffs on the American term ‘campervan’. Sheer brilliance! He must be a Yank having us on.

Also the Oxford English Dictionary traces ‘pet hate’ to Mark Twain. That’s too perfect not to be deliberate.

Another interesting sidebar to the OP’s question “. Forums are marvellous sport for the meandering random walk the threads weave.

I study French on occasion. For those of us protecting our native tongue, it’s worth noting that 80% of our vocabulary originates from French.

Even that marvellously British colloquialism ‘loo’ originated from the French ‘gardez l’eau’ ‘Watch out for the water’, which in days before drains & proper sanitation people shouted before chucking out their foul water.

We Brit savages bastardised that into ‘gardyloo’ which eventually referred to the chamber pot & we shortened to loo.

Really we are a Latin/French/Teutonic corruption of a tongue.

 

[edocali]

My friend has purchased a new California T 6.1 and is asking whether, in addition to emptying both the grey and fresh water tanks before winter (freezing temperatures), it’s necessary to disconnect the fuse that powers the solenoid valve and blow out the faucet. I’ve owned a California T6 Ocean for 5 years and have never disconnected the faucet. Even though temperatures have dropped below freezing several times, I haven’t noticed any damage or water leaks in the system. I’m curious about the experiences of other users on this forum.

Hi
my T6 has spent so far 4 full winters in the UK and as I use it as 2nd car and mobile office throughout the year (and I need coffee in the office...) I never bothered draining any water. Last winter my pump stopped working and I had t replace it. The tap / faucet / whatever kept working just fine.

 

[Kev56]

Tip, when turning off your tap don’t force it.

 

[RockinNRollin]

Ha Ha This type of thread hijack couldn’t happen anywhere else

It's not even a thread hijack; there are two totally independent conversations happening here now. They started with a common point (post) (a bit like how a language starts) and at time has gone on, they've diversified and become their own entities. Also a bit like languages. Who said irony was dead?