Winter is around the corner and if you’re holiday park is closing, then you’re going to need to drain down your static caravan or lodge water system.
It’s a condition of our static caravan and holiday lodge insurance policy that you have to drain down your property between November 1st and March 15th when your park is closed to prevent costly frost damage, including burst pipes.
Floë Induratec 868 automated drain down system
We take a look at the new integrated Floë Induratec 868 water drain down system, which will drain down your holiday caravan in just four minutes by using an in-built air compresser to blow any excess water out of your pipes and taps.
It will also cleanse your water system by removing any stale water and build-up of bacteria left lingering in the pipes, as well as cleanse the inside of the boiler heat exchanger, saving you up to 15% on gas.
The system takes around 20 minutes to fit to your static and in five easy steps your holiday caravan will be fully drained down:
Step 1: Turn off main water stopcock, unplug boiler and close all taps, making sure the system is air tight.
Step 2 : Switch on Floë 868 and it will automatically stop and restart building pressure up in the system to 15 PSI.
Step 3: Open each hot and cold tap in your static caravan individually, including the shower and outside taps, until dry and fully drained.
Step 4: Push the ball cock or float down on all toilets to push water out of the pipe, which leads to the cistern.
Step 5: Switch off Floë and leave all taps open to let air circulate
Jason Paul, of Apt innovations, invented the Floë system and said it enabled owners to take responsibility for their own property and the drain down process.
“Owners can see and measure the water they’re taking out of their peoperty’s water system,” he said. “It also enables owners to the use their caravan more often throughout the winter by quickly winterising before they leave.”
Floë is approved by the Water Regulations Advisory Scheme and the National Caravan Council.
For more information about the Floë Induratec 868 integrated drain down system or their other products visit www.keepfloeing.com where you can watch their “how to” video.
Can’t comment a reply on something I have not won
Good luck with your entry John.
On the face of it, the system appears to tick all the boxes.
Not sure how this would work with my boiler which must NOT be unplugged for the frost protection to operate. If this can be explained to me I might enter the competition.
Hi Frances, we’ve contacted Floe and here is their response: Floë is designed to remove the fresh water completely in four minutes. In this instance, there is nothing to protect, so no need for gas or electrical devices to be running. When a boiler is drained anyway, as should the system, the boiler will no longer have water in its fresh water heat exchanger. To fire and run the boiler, will be like boiling an empty kettle, which is not good for it. The boiler should be switched off and the caravan can sit idle, without any intervention, through the coldest of elements.
I leave my boiler on frost protection mode this protects the central heating side of the boiler and also let’s the pump run every so often to save it from seasing up
You only turn the boiler off till you have finished the drain down,you then turn it back on.
What a great idea, a sure way to know your van is drained properly.
Do you offer a fitting service?
We don’t but if you contact Floe they do provide a support service: http://www.keepfloeing.com/support.html
I won’t be entering the comp as I bought the Floe system earlier this year and fitted it last month – fitting is straightforward and can be done in less than half an hour by any competent DIYer, and I can vouch for its effectiveness.
My ‘van is on a site that is open all year; so with the Floe system, I can use the ‘van during the cold months as drain-down is now a simple 5 minute process – it’s an elegant solution.
Thanks for sharing your experience of the Floe system Terry.
I have seen this demo before very impressive i do use the older version which is very good
i am upgrading now to new van would suit very well as we our van 11 months
This seems to be a fantastic leap forward for static van owners
Don’t know anything about them but sounds good
Hi. I bought one of the floe868 units nearly three years ago I was one of the first if not the first. To buy the floe868. I fitted the unit in about 20 minutes. It really is so easy to fit. I am not a plumber but consider myself a handyman !! Once the unit is fitted you don’t have to go outside the static caravan to drain down the water system. It is so easy to use and only takes about 4-5 minutes to drain down. I have used it numerous times over the three years I have had it. I use it to drain down when I visit the van over the winter. It means you can fill up and drain in minutes every time you visit the van. I would recommend the floe868 to everyone who has a static caravan. I used to pay a plumber practically the same price for a drain down every winter and could only visit the caravan through the day and had no water to use. This is a great device at a great price. I certainly have saved a fortune over the last three years with piece of mind. Alex Phillips
Hi can I ask you about underneath the caravan my husband says there is only one stopcock and if he cuts it all the water will keep coming out until he fits the T piece is that right he just wants to make sure that is right as he is not a plumber thanks
We would suggest speaking to your park owner Martha
How long is the flexible pipe that connects the compressor to the water main? And I want to leave the heating on a frost setting as the van is used frequently, is this now possible?
The specification of the Floe system is on their website – https://keepfloeing.com/product/static-lodge/floe-automated-induratec-868-240v-drainage-system/ – as well as their contact details for any questions: https://keepfloeing.com/contact/
Love the idea of the Floe system, but will installation void your static van Warranty?
It shouldn’t Geoff but it’s worth checking with your manufacturer first.
if i needed extra hose/ piping depending on where im fitting what do i need to order so i can order both products at the same time
Hi Claire, you might find what you need here: https://keepfloeing.com/shop/static-lodge/ and you can contact Floe here: https://keepfloeing.com/contact/
How does the floe remove water from the heat exchanger in the boiler?
Hi Andy, you might be best contacting Floe direct to answer this question – https://keepfloeing.com/contact/
Leisure days insurance ‘recommends’ that the system is totally drained down, by opening the drain cocks and leaving them open. This is a difficult task, especially in bad weather, and not completed by floe. The drain off cocks on some vans need a tool, and on our Willerby one is located between 3 pipes.
Before buying a Floe we were paying to have the system drained down, but if the weather improved and we wanted a short break at the ‘van we would have to pay to have it drained down again, and at around £60 a time it could work out a bit expensive!
We bought a Floe for less than £100 a few years ago and it paid for itself the first year we used it,now we drain down in about ten minutes and can visit as often as we want while the site is open
It’s easy to fit,the instructions are clear and it’s well made,my only criticism is it’s very noisy when running