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Old 10-03-2017, 10:23 AM   #21
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2013 30' Classic
Greenwood , Mississippi
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I bought an adapter that makes an air hose fit the city water inlet.
I have used an air compressor, an air tank, and a bicycle pump.
I was burglarized and my air compressor and air tank were stolen, so back to the bicycle pump...
Pump. pump, pump-
kitchen sink hot-
Pump. pump, pump-
Kitchen sink cold-
Pump, pump, pump-
Shower hot-
Pump, pump pump-
Shower cold-
Pump, pump, pump-
Lavatory hot-
Pump, pump, pump-
Lavatory cold-
Pump, pump, pump-
Toilet-
Pump, pump, pump-
Low point drain hot-
Pump, pump, pump-
Low point drain cold-
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Old 10-03-2017, 11:10 AM   #22
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The T adapter that Woosch shows in post #5 is what has been installed on mine. It makes it very easy to pump the pink antifreeze throughout the lines. It's at Amazon for ~$17.
https://www.amazon.com/Valterra-P235...+winterize+kit

The T adapter uses the line from the fresh water tank so water is still pumped into the lines. It also has a brass cover that is removed, the black connector and clear tubing are screwed into the opening and the other end of the tube is placed in the gallon jug of antifreeze. Then you open the valve on the T so it draws from the jug, then open the spigots, one by one, and turn on the pump until the antifreeze flows out. This also provides antifreeze in your P-traps and gray holding tank. Put a little antifreeze in the black tank by flushing when the pump is on.

After all the lines are done I makes sure all the pressure is out, flush the toilet, then plug the flush line with some paper towel. I use paper towels to soak up any antifreeze in the bowl, then use Plumber's silicone grease (Lowes) on the rubber gasket so it doesn't dry out. (Pink antifreeze left in the bowl will leave a pink stain. Nothing in the bowl will dry out/warp the rubber gasket. Water can freeze and any other grease containing petroleum products will eat the gasket.)

Don't forget to blow out the black tank rinse connection on the outside. If water stays in the lines it will break the rinsing wand.

In the spring, after you sanitize your fresh water tank, use that water to pump out the antifreeze. If you don't, and just use the city water inlet, antifreeze in the pump and lines will find their way into your plumbing giving your water that funny taste.

Also, don't fill up your water heater until your lines are clear. I usually fill and empty the hot water tank a couple of times to flush out sediment. You will need to check the spigot and shower strainers for sediment in the hot water lines.

Don't forget to flush out:
The shower lines
Outside shower lines
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Old 10-03-2017, 11:14 AM   #23
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I had the dealer install the winterizing T when I bought the trailer after learning its merits with the first trailer...
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Old 10-03-2017, 08:31 PM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CruizinDux View Post
Hey Happy Days, I'm a CA ex-pat, grew up in Concord and lived for many years in Clayton. I honestly can't remember hard freezes in Concord as a youth, but then again probably wasn't queued into that...snow/ice was for Diablo, on those rare occasions.

However I had to totally rebuild my lawn/etc irrigation system/manifold in Clayton.

Coming back thru Paso this last January, the dashboard was reading 27 degrees and that's a couple hun S of Concord an closer to the ocean.

Winterization with air is easy after they first few times. You may want to loop back with your dealer.

Bob
Happy Days, rereading my post I hope it wasn't taken the wrong way. It was intended to be a heads up of the freezing dangers everywhere on the west coast. In fact, while attending college in San Diego, it wasn't unusual for my Jade plant to freeze in winter. All of CA can freeze at a given time.

It's hasn't to me but there is no shortage of threads and posts, of leaks caused by not winterizing have some common elements.

1) they're always (guaranteed) in an impossible to reach place and that means it's an expensive fix, like removing the dinette or other structure
2) If water is in the line and it's a hard freeze, there will be fixture (Elbows and T's) failures.
2) if you handy on the road, enjoy the day off from a vacation to fix the failed connection.

I winterize with air as I'm forced to understand the plumbing system an the quirks of my unit. My OEM setup had a water line that I discovered was uphill to the low point drain...no wonder even with air, it was hard to get all the water out...until JC approved the re-plumb.

Bob
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Old 10-03-2017, 08:37 PM   #25
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Quote:
Originally Posted by capt_ron777 View Post
Great thread. I'm new . Could someone describe in detail how to go about blowing the system out? I have a 2017 26' FC. Thanks
Capt_ron777


Here is a post with my checklist and two from Shu...Ontario???

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f458...wn-157188.html

The attached word doc is specific to our 20 but you should get the idea.

Good Luck
b
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File Type: docx Winterization Ver Bob 11-20-2016.docx (48.7 KB, 49 views)
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Old 10-03-2017, 09:07 PM   #26
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Here is how we winterized our 22.

1-drain out all water, including the low point drains in the closet and under the bed. Dump all tanks, including fresh tank.
2-remove water heater plug and drain water heater. Keep plug off.
3-under bed, switch the valves on the water heater so that the water doesn't go into the hot water heater. Mark these with a sharpie and take pictures for spring.
4. Using an transmission funnel (about $6 at walmart) add 2 gallons of the pink RV antifreeze in the fresh water holding tank.
5. Use the water pump to pump the antifreeze to all faucets. Run hot and cold (remember that the hot water heater is bypassed so it will run through the hot water lines but not the water heater.) Make sure to also do the outdoor shower faucet.
6. Unscrew the showerhead from the outdoor shower.
7. Flush the toilet.
Keep running until you pump it all through.

In the spring, VERY IMPORTANT to flush everything out before you switch the water heater back to normal settings.

Spring process-this also will shock/disinfect your lines.

A-Fill fresh tank all the way
B-Run faucets, both hot and cold, until they run clear.
C-Empty gray tank and do again.
D-Add sanitizer to fresh tank, following directions run to all faucets and then let the water with the sanitizer sit in the lines about an hour.
E-Drain sanitizer and now switch hot water heater back to "use" settings.
F-Fill fresh water tank and rinse out everything.

Go camping



Here is a picture of the winter setting:

picture of winter settings for water heater with bypass engaged, cold in and hot out turned off. The bypass is the line that is half red/half white.
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Old 10-04-2017, 01:01 AM   #27
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2016 22' Sport
Concord , California
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CruizinDux View Post
Happy Days, rereading my post I hope it wasn't taken the wrong way. It was intended to be a heads up of the freezing dangers everywhere on the west coast. In fact, while attending college in San Diego, it wasn't unusual for my Jade plant to freeze in winter. All of CA can freeze at a given time.

It's hasn't to me but there is no shortage of threads and posts, of leaks caused by not winterizing have some common elements.

1) they're always (guaranteed) in an impossible to reach place and that means it's an expensive fix, like removing the dinette or other structure
2) If water is in the line and it's a hard freeze, there will be fixture (Elbows and T's) failures.
2) if you handy on the road, enjoy the day off from a vacation to fix the failed connection.

I winterize with air as I'm forced to understand the plumbing system an the quirks of my unit. My OEM setup had a water line that I discovered was uphill to the low point drain...no wonder even with air, it was hard to get all the water out...until JC approved the re-plumb.

Bob

No offense dude. I've been lucky so far. My main point was I thought the F22 didn't need winterization.
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Old 10-04-2017, 09:50 AM   #28
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Gatineau , Quebec
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Thanks everybody. I now have a much better understanding of the whole issue than when I started this thread.

In passing, my wife talked to someone at Airstream in Ohio. He told her that when Airstream delivers a trailer, it is always winterized by expelling air and putting antifreeze in the P-traps. But they don't put antifreeze in the water lines. He insisted however on disconnecting the water pump to empty residual water from it. (Our dearly loved trailer arrived in December in Ottawa and we took possession in April which means that it spent the whole cold Winter like this).

The owner's manual also recommends to add anti freeze in the water lines "for additional protection". But it is not presented as something that you absolutely have to do.

I guess this debate is not about to be closed.

Thanks again.
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Old 10-04-2017, 02:17 PM   #29
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2006 23' Safari SE
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Piggy Bank View Post
Here is how we winterized our 22.

1-drain out all water, including the low point drains in the closet and under the bed. Dump all tanks, including fresh tank.
2-remove water heater plug and drain water heater. Keep plug off.
3-under bed, switch the valves on the water heater so that the water doesn't go into the hot water heater. Mark these with a sharpie and take pictures for spring.
4. Using an transmission funnel (about $6 at walmart) add 2 gallons of the pink RV antifreeze in the fresh water holding tank.
5. Use the water pump to pump the antifreeze to all faucets. Run hot and cold (remember that the hot water heater is bypassed so it will run through the hot water lines but not the water heater.) Make sure to also do the outdoor shower faucet.
6. Unscrew the showerhead from the outdoor shower.
7. Flush the toilet.
Keep running until you pump it all through.
Good catch on the shower head. We don't use ours so we just leave it disconnected and drained. We also have a black tank rinser, that needs to be blown out with the air hose or it can freeze too.

If you don't mind the taste of antifreeze, putting it in the fresh water tank will work. I have the T adapter installed on my water pump and I need only a gallon of antifreeze for my lines. The T adapter really makes it easy and keeps antifreeze out of the fresh water, makes the coffee taste better. In the spring I just sanitize the fresh water tank and push that through the pipes to remove the pink stuff. Our fresh water tasted just fine this year, no bad taste, no foaming.

The first time we winterized we left antifreeze in the toilet bowl, giving us a nice pink bowl come spring. Now, after everything is winterized, I turn off the pump, drain the bowl, put some paper towel in the fresh water flush line for the bowl (to prevent any pink stuff), paper towel out the bowl and use Oatey's Plumbers silicone on the gasket to prevent it from drying out. (Don't use anything that has petroleum products or it will eat the gasket. Leaving it dry will warp it and prevent a good seal.) We had no pink bowl and the flush valve held water in the bowl.
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Old 10-09-2017, 11:40 AM   #30
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ancramdale , New York
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i blow air into the pipes..then put 3-4 gallons of anti fr.in the potable water tank...use the pump to run it trough the pipes..then flush it out with air..open the valve draining the potable water tank...in spring just run water trough the pipes,fill pot.water tank over and over again,flush it out..put some clorox in it...and run and flush water many times..it works..i never drink or use that water for tea or coffee or cooking anyway,always keep a big jug if water around.the forum has all kinds of advice about this..that is how i learned to do it...its the best!!!!
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