Winterizing - What are these for?

[Stream'n]

I have a 2014, 27' FB Flying Cloud. I've gone through the winterizing process as instructed in the owners manual and a supplemental sheet provided with the manual. After completing the process I happened to look under the trailer and noticed the two valves shown in the attached pictures. Can someone tell me what these are used for? Was I supposed to do something with them during the winterizing process? I could not find any reference to them in the owners manual although it quite possible I overlooked the reference to them.

Looking at the pictures begs other questions as well. Is the metal box the valves go into the actual fresh water tank or is it a protective shroud surrounding a plastic tank inside? Looking at the little access plate at the bottom of the first picture makes me think it's only a shroud since the plate doesn't look like its attached well enough to be a water tight seal. And if that's the case, do the lines connecting to the valves run into the fresh water tank or routed to a different location inside the shroud?

One other thing I noticed when winterizing. After draining the lines and hot water tank; turning the hot water bypass valve; and pumping in the pink stuff at the pump inlet, I pulled the hot water tank drain valve again just to make sure the tank was totally empty. The bypass valve was still switched to bypass mode. To my surprise it spewed water AND pink stuff all over me! Is my bypass not working or did I do something wrong?



Hope someone out there can enlighten me as to the error of my ways!

-Wes-

[murreywalker]

The two valves pictured are your low point drains for the water.

Open these valves and make sure the pink stuff is coming out before you close them.

WRT your water heater bypass, perhaps you didn't do it right when you thought you had the bypass engaged.

Check your manual for the right bypass configuration.

Good luck!

[terryV]

Originally Posted by murreywalker

The two valves pictured are your low point drains for the water.

Open these valves and make sure the pink stuff is coming out before you close them.

WRT your water heater bypass, perhaps you didn't do it right when you thought you had the bypass engaged.

Check your manual for the right bypass configuration.

Good luck!

Yeah, what he said.

[jcanavera]

On the hot water tank side you have 3 valves to deal with. One closes off the cold water input to the tank. One closes the hot water output from the tank, and the final valve opens a by pass that allows water to by pass the tank completely. So you close two valves and open one. It sounds much like you left either the cold water input to the tank, or the hot water output valve open. If either was left open, pumped antifreeze would enter the tank.

Jack

[jcanavera]

As the others have identified, those are the low water drains. At this point open each drain for a few seconds and then close it. You should see some water, and then antifreeze come out. It won't mess up anything there.

On my Classic I have "T" handles on those valves. The easiest way for me to keep things straight was to remember if the handles were parallel with the water line, the valve is open. When the handle is perpendicular to the line, the valve is closed.

Jack

[AnnArborBob]

I've got nothing to add to your original question, but just want to make sure you blew compressed air into the black tank flush and ran antifreeze through the outside shower (assuming you used it) and toilet valve. Those are three things that often get overlooked!

[Stream'n]

Folks, thank you so much for your responses. I'm halfway there! Your responses drove me back to my manual to see where I missed the reference to them. After much searching I found the reference to the low point valves. Unfortunately it wasn't in the winterizing section! I also found a reference to the metal box built around the water tank which answered another of my questions. I've now opened the two low point valves and after only a second pink stuff appeared so I think I'm good to go on the fresh water lines. However, I'm still perplexed on the water heater issue.

As jacanavera (Jack) stated, I should have three valves. I've gone back to the AS manual and also the Atwood manual and can't figure where I'm going wrong. I can only find two valves. The bypass valve and a shutoff valve downstream of the heater pluming. I've also double checked the bypass valve to ensure its in the correct position.

Is it possible that water seeps back through the mixing valve into the tank when there's no tank pressure?

[Castaway]

Our 2012 FC FB has a drain accessable through the curb side storage.


Gary

[Stream'n]

AnnArborBob,

Good questions. I did run pink stuff through the outside shower head and toilet flush but please expand on the black tank valve. Not sure I did that. Is it a separate valve I need to blow out that's not blown out with the compressed air through the city water hookup?

-Wes-

[Stream'n]

Hello Castaway (Gary),

Yes, that's where my drain is also. My problem is I drained the tank, turned on the by pass valve, ran pink stuff through the system, then decided to open the drain again to make sure I had all the water out. When I did, I got a blast of water and pink stuff; which I shouldn't have gotten since I had the bypass valve closed. Probably not a big problem at this point but just trying to figure out where I went wrong.

-Wes-

[Drathaar]

Originally Posted by jcanavera

On the hot water tank side you have 3 valves to deal with. One closes off the cold water input to the tank. One closes the hot water output from the tank, and the final valve opens a by pass that allows water to by pass the tank completely. So you close two valves and open one. It sounds much like you left either the cold water input to the tank, or the hot water output valve open. If either was left open, pumped antifreeze would enter the tank.

Jack

Jack, the newer Airstreams have a single bypass valve. Locations vary by model. I am not sure when they switched over. Our old Safari was like what you described. Our 2012 Flying Cloud is a single valve.

Wes, I sent you a PM.

[AnnArborBob]

Originally Posted by Stream'n

AnnArborBob,

Good questions. I did run pink stuff through the outside shower head and toilet flush but please expand on the black tank valve. Not sure I did that. Is it a separate valve I need to blow out that's not blown out with the compressed air through the city water hookup?

-Wes-

Wes, the "black tank flush" inlet which you need to blow out is directly above your "city water" inlet. Just attach your air compressor to that inlet just as you did for the city water and blow it out for a few seconds. However, if you don't know what this is, chances are you didn't use it, in which case you really don't need to blow it out. But, better safe than sorry. Best of luck.
Bob

[AnnArborBob]

Originally Posted by Drathaar

Jack, the newer Airstreams have a single bypass valve. Locations vary by model. I am not sure when they switched over. Our old Safari was like what you described. Our 2012 Flying Cloud is a single valve.

Wes, I sent you a PM.

Since this is the same floor plan we have (27' FB,) I know that the single hot water tank bypass valve is the yellow valve in the bottom cabinet under the bathroom sink.

[AnnArborBob]

Dang, I don't know why my pictures are sideways sometimes. Anyway, I"m sure this is obvious!

[Stream'n]

AnnArborBob,

Yes, I did use the black water flush inlet a couple of times but I didn't know there was a valve or trap in it. I thought it was a straight shot to the black tank. I'm guessing when I hook up the compressed air to it, the pressure will vent out the black water tank roof vent; right? It won't blow back through the toilet or something like that, will it?

Yes, my bypass looks like that in your pic, including a yellow bypass knob. Still can't figure how water got into the tank after turning the bypass on. However, Like most of my experiences with things going wrong, it's usually operator error! lol.

-Wes-

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by AnnArborBob

Dang, I don't know why my pictures are sideways sometimes. Anyway, I"m sure this is obvious!

Are you taking those pictures with an Apple device? I have found that when I recieve pictures from an iPad or iPhone. they often display on my windows devices at some other than right side up orientation. However even if that's the case it doesn't answer why.

Ken

[AnnArborBob]

Originally Posted by Ag&Au

Are you taking those pictures with an Apple device? I have found that when I recieve pictures from an iPad or iPhone. they often display on my windows devices at some other than right side up orientation. However even if that's the case it doesn't answer why.

Ken

Guilty as charged! If I take the time to reformat the picture in Preview, I can usually get them oriented the way I want to. In this case, I was hasty!

[AnnArborBob]

Originally Posted by Stream'n

AnnArborBob,

Yes, I did use the black water flush inlet a couple of times but I didn't know there was a valve or trap in it. I thought it was a straight shot to the black tank. I'm guessing when I hook up the compressed air to it, the pressure will vent out the black water tank roof vent; right? It won't blow back through the toilet or something like that, will it?

Yes, my bypass looks like that in your pic, including a yellow bypass knob. Still can't figure how water got into the tank after turning the bypass on. However, Like most of my experiences with things going wrong, it's usually operator error! lol.

-Wes-

There is an anti-siphon valve and also the sprayer head that can trap water as part of that system. And, yes, the relatively short blast of air will go up the vent pipe and not cause any problems with the toilet.

[Stream'n]

Thanks AnnArborBob,

This old dog is learning new tricks every day! I'll go hook up my compressor today and take care of it. Wish Airstream would include these type things in their winterizing section!

-Wes-

[terrencecolp]

Wow! And I thought I had a lot of pipes in my ancient 1976 trailer. If I were you I certainly would try to do everything possible to clear every single line in your trailer. I GUARANTEE IT will save you a ton of time in fixing broken valves, pipes pressure regulators, drain lines, etc. Etc. It looks like Airstream has certainly put their money where their mouth is.