First Time Winterizing - Need help with Water System

[flat_lander]

Hello,

  This year our family purchased a new 06 Viking 2308ST.   This is the first time that I'm going thru the winterization process and I was wondering if any of you could offer up some advice.

  I have the "Pink" antifreeze, and to the best of my ability I believe that I have drained my water system.  I have not yet poured in the antifreeze however.  I'm concerned about the hot water heater.   What's the best way to winterize the water heater? It's the basic Suburban water heater.  Do I need to really force air thru it in order to make sure that it's drained?  Should I keep the antifreeze out of the water heater?

Many thanks
Chris (a.k.a Flatlander)

[wynot]

Hello,
 
This year our family purchased a new 06 Viking 2308ST. This is the first time that I'm going thru the winterization process and I was wondering if any of you could offer up some advice.
 
I have the "Pink" antifreeze, and to the best of my ability I believe that I have drained my water system. I have not yet poured in the antifreeze however. I'm concerned about the hot water heater. What's the best way to winterize the water heater? It's the basic Suburban water heater. Do I need to really force air thru it in order to make sure that it's drained? Should I keep the antifreeze out of the water heater?
 
Many thanks
Chris (a.k.a Flatlander)

There should have been a bypass hose for the water heater so that antifreeze can bypass filling your WH.  The easiest way is to open the draincocks under the water heater (if available), and remove the anode rod if your model comes with it, drain bolt if it doesn't.  As far as any residual water in the water heater, look at this way, if it freezes and all it is is a small amount of water, it can't crack anything, because it has room to expand.

[ForestCreature]

If you have no bypass valve, they say it's easy to install one. Without it you'll use several gallons of pink stuff as opposed to 1 or 2.  If you get some in the water heater just give it a spray till it runs clear thru the drain/anode hole.  I remember hearing that the antifreeze isn't good for the lining of the water heater. We just drain the water heater, rinse out the gunk that has gathered during the summer and leave the anode out till spring.

 If you have a cassette toilet, be sure to drain that of water and run antifreeze thru the flush system, spray the seals with olive oil so they don't dry out.

[tlhdoc]

You don't want to put antifreeze in your water heater.  You need to bypass the water heater/remove it from the hot water loop.  This is done by either disconnecting the water lines (in and out) from the water heater and connecting them to each (not the water heater is out of the hot water loop) with a bypass hose (short hose with a fitting on each end).  OR if you water heater has a bypass kit on it just turn the handle(s) to prevent water from entering the water heater.  If you have drains for your water heater under the camper open them and let the water drain out.  Also remove the anode rod from your water heater (1 and 13/16 inch wrench I think) and take a regular hose and spray some water around inside the water heater to rinse any gunk out of it.  You can pump antifreeze through the water lines several ways.  Pour a couple of gallons of antifreeze into the fresh water tank and then let the electric water pump, pump antifreeze through the water system (hot and cold).  Let the antifreeze run out of each faucet until you see undiluted pink.  Then after you are done cap your drain(s) and pour some antifreeze down each drain.  If you don't want to use that much antifreeze you can buy an antifreeze hand pump (looks like and old fashioned ball pump) and pump antifreeze through the water lines through the city water connection.  If you don't pump antifreeze though the city water connection you  should remove the rubber cap, pull the screen out and push on the little white plastic thing in the middle of the water line.  A small amount of water will come out.  Make sure there isn't any water pressure on the line at the time.  Good luck and it really isn't that hard to do.  It is more complicated to write it out than to do it.

[flat_lander]

Thanks for the info everyone!

I pulled the plug on the water heater and drained it.  I created my own by-pass by using a 1/2" connector and tied the two hot water lines together.  Pumped thru the anti-freeze.  

The Chicago weather is getting cold and unfortunately its time to put the PU into storage.  

Thanks again,
Flat lander

[tlhdoc]

It sounds like you have it all squared away.  I winterized my water system 3 weeks ago, but have 3 camping trips in November planned.  I don't let the cold stop me, but snow and ice will.

[chip]

It sounds like you have it all squared away.  I winterized my water system 3 weeks ago, but have 3 camping trips in November planned.  I don't let the cold stop me, but snow and ice will.

Hey, Tracy--

Do you "de-winterized" prior to each cold weather trip, and then winterize again when you get home?

[tlhdoc]

Hey, Tracy--
 
Do you "de-winterized" prior to each cold weather trip, and then winterize again when you get home?

It all depends.  If I have water hookups, like Killens does, and the temperature will stay above freezing during the trip, so the hose doesn't freeze.  I will de-winterize at the campground and then re-winterize before I go home.  That way I don't have to worry about the water system freezing on the way home or at home.  Last year I winterized/de-winterized a couple of times. I also remove everything that I don't want to freeze or to be left in the camper over the winter (food, liquids, first aid kit, hygiene items, shower hoses, etc.) and pack them in a couple of plastic boxes.  Then I can just pull them out of the camper when we get home and put them in the TV for the trip to the campground.  I don't think I will de-winterize this coming week at French Creek SP, but I may at Pine Grove KOA and Killens.  I do use the sink drain and the cassette toilet even if I don't de-winterize the water lines.  I re-winterize them before I leave the campground.  My cassette toilet didn't freeze last February when the outside temperatures dipped down into the single digits overnight.  I kept the AC heat element on 24 hours of the day during that trip.

[wynot]

Hey, Tracy--
 
Do you "de-winterized" prior to each cold weather trip, and then winterize again when you get home?

Chip,
 
Don't you know that Tracy buys RV antifreeze by the case at Sam's Club??  

[tlhdoc]

Chip,
 
Don't you know that Tracy buys RV antifreeze by the case at Sam's Club??

Kershner you are not supposed to tell.

[Rich_D]

If you don't pump antifreeze though the city water connection you  should remove the rubber cap, pull the screen out and push on the little white plastic thing in the middle of the water line.  A small amount of water will come out.  Make sure there isn't any water pressure on the line at the time.  QUOTE]

This means making sure that you have:

a) left the taps open inside
b) turned off the water pump you have just used to pump antifreeze from your holding tank.


or else you get a high pressure face full of antifreeze, like i did last night

(yes, I had done the whole system, remembered this hint, took off the mesh, pressed the button completely forgetting the pump was still on inside...)

BTW -- my valve did not seem to re-seal after I pushed it in, but maybe that was due to lack of sufficient backpressure (there was a lot of air coming through with the antifreeze...)

[tlhdoc]

If you don't pump antifreeze though the city water connection you should remove the rubber cap, pull the screen out and push on the little white plastic thing in the middle of the water line. A small amount of water will come out. Make sure there isn't any water pressure on the line at the time. QUOTE]
 
This means making sure that you have:
 
a) left the taps open inside
b) turned off the water pump you have just used to pump antifreeze from your holding tank.
 
 
or else you get a high pressure face full of antifreeze, like i did last night
 
(yes, I had done the whole system, remembered this hint, took off the mesh, pressed the button completely forgetting the pump was still on inside...)
 
BTW -- my valve did not seem to re-seal after I pushed it in, but maybe that was due to lack of sufficient backpressure (there was a lot of air coming through with the antifreeze...)

I did warn you to make sure there wasn't any pressure in the water system.

[wynot]

Kershner you are not supposed to tell.

Oops.