Winterizing

[Silver Goose]

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

... I'm still a tad foggy on the order of de-winterization of my pink stuff - need to write down sequence

In a nutshell this is what I do. Close all faucets and low point drains, leave the drain plug out of the water heater for now (if the bypass valve(s) are set right, water won't flow into WH yet). Hook up the city water and then operate each hot and cold faucet one at a time to purge the pink stuff from each line. The galley, filtered water spigot (if you have one) and bath sink are the ones you'd like to be sure are well flushed. If you wait for the foam to stop, forget it. That will just take time before you stop seeing foam. The shower is next, then the toilet and sprayer and finally the outside faucet or shower (if you have one). I then operate each low point briefly to purge any pink that might be lurking in them.

Now for the water heater. It is not unusual for some sediment to accumulate in the bottom of the WH tank. Since the tank is a cylinder, and the drain is on the curved side, it is not at the bottom. The water that remains will freeze but will not cause any damage. Opening the bypass valve(s) with the plug out may agitate some of the sediment enough to flow out. If you want to get more out a flushing wand connected to your hose and inserted into the drain may be more effective, but honestly, some sediment probably doesn't hurt anything.



Once you're satisfied, turn off the water, install the plug, turn the water back on and allow the WH to fill. Manually operate the brass TPM valve briefly to purge anything that might be in it then allow it to snap shut. Check for leaks.

At this point I sanitize the fresh water system with a bleach solution followed by a vinegar solution that kills the chlorine odor, followed by a final flush with fresh water. I then service the galley water filter and turn the water back on and switch on the water heater to allow it to come up to temperature and check again for leaks.

[SteveSueMac]

Silver Goose - thanks. That's going in my checklist book for next spring. That would have saved me a bit of time and frustration. What I thought I understood was wrong. :-)

[Gene]

Seems like it is time to think about summerizing.

The sediment in the water heater is not a big deal, though it is not bad idea to flush the heater every couple of years. You'll never get all of it out. But prevention is easy—attach a filter to the filler hose when you are on city water or fill the fresh water tank. Some silt will get through, but not much. It may even taste good.

Gene

[PharmGeek]

Excellent - Ill follow the instructions to a T!

[PharmGeek]

I guess I'll need to dump pink from black tank once all done - then add back water with tank chemical then poop

[PharmGeek]

Fizzing - man you were not kidding - seems like it would never stop fizzing as I flushed it - from use of the water pump only I still ain't through with this fizzle

[Hibby]

Why would I get low water pressure from the hot water side (using the pump or city water) compared to much higher pressure on the cold water side? Is it simply more piping to and through the water heater? Or do I have a leak/blockage somewhere?

[dznf0g]

Hibby,

Do you have the big silver bypass valve? If you do, there is a screen in it. My brother-in-law had the same symptom in his 2011 Classic on our trip this spring. Removed the bypass valve, cleaned the screen of gunk and all was well after that.

Looks like the one on the right, up high but silver. Stole the pics from the net.

[Hibby]

I do have a bypass valve immediately prior to the water heater for winterizing, although I think it's not so big and plastic. I'll check, regardless! Thanks for the tip!

[Gene]

If not that, check the screens in the faucets (though it would restrict both flavors in a rational world). Even with filters, specks and silt can get through and clog them up. Best to clean them every year as part of summerizing.

Gene

[Hibby]

Dznf0g,

The system I have is exactly like the photo on the right... Is there a filter or screen in that setup? I have not removed it yet.

[SteveSueMac]

So here we are. One year later - same campground as last year at this time to dewinterize and get ready for a summer of camping.

So much more went right this time!

Unfortunately - I'm still missing something.

Getting lower flow from all 3 hot water sources and higher flow from all 3 cold water sources. Using city water not FW pump.

The picture below shows the bypass valve in line with the pipes which is what the diagram says is the position for using the HWH in season. The bypass on the bottom intersects the line - and I'm a little confused by this. When I put it in line (not as shown in the pic) I can hear the city water flow continually and I only get air out of the hot water side of the bathroom sink. I put it back in the position in the pic and I get Hot water flow back but still at say a third of what I get from cold.

Outside under the HWH there is a drain pipe that must be connected to this bottom plastic valve because there's a hole in the clay from the city water I heard flowing through. There is no external shutoff for that drain - it's clearly the valve on the floor in the pic.

I "burped" the HWH several times and still the flow from the hot side is weak.

There are many threads about taking apart the mixer valve or checking for screen gunk - but that should have an impact on hot and cold right?

The brass petcock valves (low drain valves I believe? Are closed so no water is escaping there.

I'm a little stumped. I've turned on the electricity to the water heater to see if once it's heated that changes the pressure but I think that's wishful thinking on my part.

I think if we can get through the weekend with at least enough hot water to make warm water, we'll be ok but I would love to know what's different this year from last (well - really, I'd like it all to work :-) ).

Thoughts/suggestions most welcome!!!

Thanks!

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

I'm a little stumped. I've turned on the electricity to the water heater to see if once it's heated that changes the pressure but I think that's wishful thinking on my part.

Attachment 235987

Well - that WAS wishful thinking 😒

I'm still getting about 1/3 the volume on the hot side. Would certainly welcome any insights on that.

While the hot flow is slow, it is hot (so the HWH is working) but it's foamy so no question antifreeze made it in to the HWH - I don't know if that's the way it was winterized or the way I summerized. The bigger issue for me is the slower flow for hot than cold.

[dznf0g]

The mixer will only reduce hot flow as I recall my brother in law's issue. Pull it out and clean the screen in the left end. ...again as I recall.

[SteveSueMac]

Ok I'll give that a try. I'll use as is for the rest of the weekend and after I put it away and everything cools down I'll give that a shot. Thanks, dznf0g.

[paiceman]

Suggest its a screen issue as noted earlier. I know I'll get kick back on this one; but for over 40 years I've never put RV Anti Freeze in the lines. I blow the entire system out, put a little AF in the pump and in the drains and that is it, oh and by pass the HWH as well. And we get sub zero weather here many times throughout the winter. Then in spring, turn water on and let it run through the system, un bypass the HWH fill the water tank up and go. For probably 35 years I never sanitized, actually never thought about it, neither did my father in his AS which he and my mother did about 275,000 miles in. But I do sanitize now.

[dznf0g]

Paiceman, I used to just blow the lines as well when I got my first hardside SOB. It was fine for several years in Michigan, then one year, just a drop or two remained in the shower faucet assembly and it cracked. Belt and suspenders now.

I realize that may have been a fluke and certainly the faucet was a very cheap RV specific faucet, but....again....belt and suspenders for me.

[KYAirstream]

While we typically don't have subzero temps, we have plenty of days sub freezing. I do winterize the toilet and remove the Oxygenics shower head, but other than that I simply gravity drain all the lines. There's enough slope that I haven't had any issues for five years now. A "y" fitting attached to a valve at the cold inlet of the water heater allows easy draining of most of the water out of the tank as well. I use the trailer routinely in the winter, so having the lines set up with enough slope to gravity drain is a huge timesaver.

[Gene]

Steve', your hot water line may be air bound. Remove all the strainers on the sinks and clean them out. Even with an inline filter, grit gets through and lodges in the strainers and restricts flow, so if the hot water line is air bound, the resistance from a clogged strainer may make a difference. You should get air, foam and bubbles for a while, then better flow, them more air, etc., until it flows better. If all the sinks and shower flow badly, the problem may be a partially blocked common line before they branch off. You could run air from a compressor through the hot water line—maybe it would be more pressure than city water which can be as low as 20 lbs. You may have to stick an air hose in the water heater drain hole.

If that doesn't work, apply compressed air at a sink line (which means disconnecting it from the faucet) and back flush until it forces out whatever is in there. You can also try to blow it out with your mouth as that may be easier than getting a positive connection with an air compressor hose.

I think ours has lower pressure on the hot side and that may be because the system is unbalanced and there's not much you can do about that. Have a towel ready because it is inevitable that some water will blast you in the face or hit the wall once you free up any obstructions.

In the future, an inline filter in a hose filling either the fresh water tank or in use for city water, will reduce the grit that comes through from where ever you fill it.

Gene

[SteveSueMac]

Thanks Gene. Will check all that out. Fwiw - by the end of the weekend there was better hot water flow. We always use a filter on the city line and I fill the FW tank with the hose from the outdoor shower (removing the shower head and using that hose - which means the water is filtered city water).

There was a TON of gunk on the external filter screen at the city water source by the end of the weekend. We're out again this weekend so we'll see what shape we're in and will consider your note a good check list if we're still having trouble. Thanks so much!!