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Small Cabin Forum / Off-Grid Living / Winterizing Water / Battery Shed
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WoollyMammoth
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2019 23:25 - Edited by: WoollyMammoth
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Hello!

I'm brand new to the forums, so apologies if this kind of information has already been posted.

I've just finished building my first home on the back of a motorhome P30 chassis. It's 8.5' x 25' x 11' ceilings. You can see photos on Instagram where I've documented my journey.

Attached to the rear of the home is a small shed that contains a 100 gallon water tank, tankless water heater, fuse panel and Nissan Leaf lithium batteries. The home is run entirely on 12v DC, from lights to the fridge, and although I have an inverter, I don't intend to keep it on unless I need to power something specific.

The home is heated by a tiny wood stove and radiant floors, though I have yet to hook up the floors to a heat source (still figuring that out).

The rear shed is roughly 8' x 8' x 2' deep, and is insulated using a combination of wool and recycled denim batts which have a reflective side, facing inward.

I'm trying to figure out how to keep the shed from freezing, even when I'm not there. We get -30°C winters at its worst. The water and batteries need to stay above 0°C at all times and I only have about 4000wh of storage, and 1480w of panels.

I've considered a DC heating element submerged in the water tank, as well as 12V 10w silicone heating pads in some kind of matrix around the shed walls/water tank (I know that may sound nuts, but I have 20 of them lying around). I suppose I could even run a line of the radiant flooring in the shed too?

I'm just not sure of the most efficient way to do it, and any advice would be welcome!

Thanks and nice to meet you all!

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