Quote:
Originally Posted by DreamsInSlvr
Hello Brian,
I am a newbie here and need your advise, please. I agree with our philosophy regarding winterizing and am wondering if you would share step by step how you treat your system with AF. This is my first time and want to treat my A$ carefully!
Thanks!
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Ok, Let's see if I can remember - I should be able to, as I just did it again last week!
Currently, I both blow the lines with compressed air and also use the pink plumbing antifreeze afterwards just in case I have some residual water left in the system after blowing the lines.
I made up a simple quick disconnect to connect my compressor air hose to the city water inlet to blow the lines and set the compressor no higher than about 40 psi.
So here's how I do it ...........
(1) Close the in and out lines to the hot water tank and open the bypass valve.
(I think not all trailers are equipped with these three valves, but if not, you can have this "bypass kit" installed - it saves you from having to fill the complete water tank with plumbing antifreeze if you choose to use antifreeze.)
(2) Once the HW is bypassed, I remove the drain plug in the tank (access from outside the trailer). Actually I replaced my drain plug with a simple drain valve as the plug was difficult to get to due to burner piping being in the way. To help the tank drain faster, I open the pressure relief valve at the top of the tank to let air in as the water drains.
(3) Now I connect my air compressor and start to blow the lines ....
- galley sink, hot, cold, rinse sprayer, drinking water filter in tap spout if you have that type of sink fixture.
- toilet, including rinse hose if it has one,
- shower, hot and cold
- bathroom sink, hot and cold,
- two low point drain valves under the trailer,
- external water tap /hose bib on the trailer if you have one.
I go around the trailer a few times, opening and closing all the taps mentioned above one at a time until water stops spitting from all.
(4) Now, I disconnect the "in hose" from my
12v water pump, and stick it into a gallon jug of non-poisonous plumbing antifreeze and turn the pump on.
Just how you do this may depend on the exact plumbing arrangement on your trailer.
You may need to have a short extra length of hose to put on the inlet side of your pump to do this.
Also, some trailers may be equipped with a three way valve and permanent piece of hose in the pump intake for this very purpose, so there is no need to disconnect anything. My previous trailer had such a set up.
Sometimes you may have difficulty getting the pump to prime when doing this. I used to have trouble with this, but since my pump seized up and I had to replace it, no problem at all getting the new pump to prime. I suspect my old pump might have been defective for a long time!
(5) Once the pump is primed with antifreeze, I go around the same sequence of valves as listed above in (3) opening each valve or fitting until I can clearly see that the fluid is running pink - which is really immediately, since I have already blown all or most of the water out with the compressed air.
As well, I quickly crack open the two low point drain valves under the trailer and also the external water tap, just to ensure now water has accumulated there.
Likewise, I quickly crack open the valves leading to the HW tank letting a tiny amount of plumbing antifreeze into the tank just to ensure that no water is trapped in the valves to and from the HW tank.
(6) All this usually takes me maybe a gallon and a half on antifreeze. I dump the remaining antifreeze into the sinks, shower, and toilet to ensure the traps are protected - although they already have antifreeze in them by now anyway due to the line flushing.
(7) When storing the trailer, I make sure there is quite a bit of antifreeze in the bowl to keep the seal wet. One year i did not - the seal dried out and it took me quite a while to get it working leak-free again the following season!
(8) I dump the water (with some antifreeze) that has accumulated in my gray tank. Truth to tell, I just dump it on the road outside our house as it is just clean water with a bit on plumbing antifreeze
(9) I now reconnect my fresh water pump ready for next year and I open the fresh water tank drain under the trailer. I close the drain vale and relief valve in the HW tank to prevent any insects getting in.
I think that is everything! I know some folks do some things differently.
I think some people put the antifreeze into their fresh water tank and pump it through the system from there. I have never done that as I figured I would need a lot more antifreeze in order to cover the pump suction tube intake in the tank.
When I first started with my method I was a bit concerned that the pump intake tube down in the tank might have a "foot valve" (a one way valve to ensure the pump would not lose its prime) I was concerned that if there was such a valve, then the pump intake pipe in the tank pipe could stay full of water and maybe freeze and crack.
I don't know if it does have a valve, I suspect not, as I have had no problem with my method - everything works fine again each Spring!
Hope my explanation is clear and that it is of some use to you.
You may get some good tips from others that will help you - and may well help me too!
Cheers ........... Brian.