winterizing fresh water system

[jtchinoe]

After disconnecting hose on intake side of water pump I installed a fitting to pump with a nipple for hose so it could draw antifreeze from bottle. I closed all faucets, bypassed water heater and activated pump. I thought only water lines would fill and then I could open individual faucets and the antifreeze would flow. The antifreeze began coming out the fresh water tank drain holes and down my driveway! How did it get to fresh water tank? Had to be through city water system, but I didn't think that would happen; was trying to keep antifreeze out of tank!
2007 25' rear bed International
Would appreciate any help, thanks
Jack

[tjdonahoe]

?, maybe it is coming out of your low point drains , impossible to be coming out of your freshwater tank...

[malinois38]

What TJ said.....That is exactly what happened! Ask me how I know
Your low point drains are still opened.

[Adventure.AS]

The water line from the fresh water tank to the water pump likely does not have a check valve. Without having the faucets open when running the water pump the antifreeze would flow back in to the fresh water tank.

[tjdonahoe]

Originally Posted by Adventure.AS

The water line from the fresh water tank to the water pump likely does not have a check valve. Without having the faucets open when running the water pump the antifreeze would flow back in to the fresh water tank.

A don't think so ,as he unhooked the pump to suck the antifreeze out of the jug....

[Adventure.AS]

Originally Posted by tjdonahoe

A don't think so ,as he unhooked the pump to suck the antifreeze out of the jug....

I read the OP as inserting a fitting with a nipple to accept a tube inserted into the AF jug, not a direct connection.

[jimfa440]

Post #2 and Post #3 know exactly what they are talking about. I am in the boat with Post #3.

[splintair]

Originally Posted by Adventure.AS

The water line from the fresh water tank to the water pump likely does not have a check valve. Without having the faucets open when running the water pump the antifreeze would flow back in to the fresh water tank.

I agree.....check valve.......the pump should not be pumping INTO fresh water tank, but rather OUT of it

[jcanavera]

Yep I winterize in the same way. I disconnect the water tank line from the pump and place a new flexible line on the pump with the other end into the antifreeze bottle. Like others have said you probably left your low water drain valves open. I've done that myself. Unless you have some other failure of the check valve in the pump, the antifreeze should not enter the tank. Typically dependent upon the trailer model, the low water drains (hot and cold) are paired together. The fresh water tank has a single outlet. The key is you said holes. That indicates two drains which are the low water pair.

Jack

[jtchinoe]

So you are saying if I had closed the 2 lower petcock drains the AF would not have been able to enter FW tank?
Is there anyway to get an actual diagram of the water system or do I need a secret clearance?
Thanks for help.
Learning as I go,
Jack

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by jtchinoe

So you are saying if I had closed the 2 lower petcock drains the AF would not have been able to enter FW tank?

Is there anyway to get an actual diagram of the water system or do I need a secret clearance?

Thanks for help.

Learning as I go,

Jack

There's a drain on your FW tank but that's not the low point drains. The low point drains (one each for hot and cold) are downstream. So the antifreeze running down your driveway came out of the bottle, through the pump and in to the plumbing of your trailer. When it got to the low point drains, which were open, it came out there. There's no AF in your FW tank. You can confirm that by opening the FW drain (it's probably a white plastic spigot between your road side tires (if you have a double axle) where your low point drains are metal valves.

See if that works for you. If that's the case, just close up those low point drains, refill with AF and you're all set! There's a good set of instructions in here somewhere. I'll see if I can find them and point you to them.

[thiel]

There's a plumbing diagram in my owners manual. Maybe yours too? I have heard people email the factory and get a diagram back quick!

[jtchinoe]

Thanks, everything works as it should after I closed the water line drains.
Only thing I'm concerned about is the city water inlet, how do I insure that it is protected?

Jack

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by jtchinoe

Thanks, everything works as it should after I closed the water line drains.

Only thing I'm concerned about is the city water inlet, how do I insure that it is protected?



Jack

I have air adapter plug that connects to the city water inlet. Using the compressor at that point should blow out the water in that section of line. Even though technically that section of line gets no anti freeze, I've never had any freeze up issues or damage to that section of line. I winterized yesterday with 60 psi of pressure. I had the compressor running about 30 minutes which should have passed significant amounts of air to get this area cleared.

Jack

[greghoro]

Originally Posted by jtchinoe

So you are saying if I had closed the 2 lower petcock drains the AF would not have been able to enter FW tank?

Before you do anything, have a second person pump a small amount of antifreeze through the system while you observe where the antifreeze is coming from beneath the trailer. I'm betting that it comes out of one of the two lower petcock drains and not the fresh water tank.

When you disconnected the input side of the water pump so you could pump antifreeze, you completely isolated the tank from the water system.

The two lower petcock drains are for draining the plumbing, not the tank. They have nothing to do with filling or draining the tank.

Think of the pump as a gate keeper for the water system, isolating the fresh water tank from your plumbing and the city water supply. The input side of the pump comes from the water tank and the output side goes to the water pipes. The city water connection connects to the same pipe as the water pump output with a T fitting, however a check valve in the water pump prevents the city water from back filling the water tank.

You pumped antifreeze into the plumbing. With the two lower petcock drains open, you immediately dumped the antifreeze onto the ground through these drains, not the tank drain.


Greg

[greghoro]

Originally Posted by jtchinoe

Only thing I'm concerned about is the city water inlet, how do I insure that it is protected?

Camco sells a hand pump to manually pump antifreeze through an RV system via a garden hose connector. Not expensive and does a great job.

Note, you should also make sure there is no water trapped in the black tank flush system, which I assume you have. There is an anti-siphon valve in this system which can trap water and it is completely isolated from the fresh water system.


Greg

[prairieschooner]

Not sure why you are trying to keep the anti-freeze out of the tank...after more than 4 decades of freshwater tanks we simply do not drink from ours.
When I installed the freshwater system in our '58 I took draining the system into consideration. I open a ball valve that drains the tank and a second that drains the rest of the system (opening the faucet) and then the valve to the shore system. Next close all of the valves and put a couple of gallons of RV anti-freeze (the pink stuff) in the tank....turn on the pump and watch for the pink to come out of the faucet, toilet and shore inlet.
Very similar to the way I winterize our cabin before we head to the desert but the cabin is more complicated.
When ready to use again I can simply flush the system and ready to go....water seeks the lowest level if left alone...gravity or 14.7 atmospheric pressure

[Lily&Me]

Ours is winterized with the pink stuff every year, and the first tank after draining the antifreeze out is used to flush the toilet only.

Then sanitize a tank, flush that thru and out, and you're ready to go.

Have always drunk from ours, never a problem, carry water for drinking and coffee til the fresh water tank is ready, then use it for the rest of the season.

Has always seemed the simplest way.


Maggie

[MelGoddard]

Originally Posted by thiel

There's a plumbing diagram in my owners manual. Maybe yours too? I have heard people email the factory and get a diagram back quick!

Because I have an issue with the bathroom sink draining into the Black tank;
I did that, and the factory got right back to me with a diagram.
The sink DOES empty into the black tank, filling it up too fast.

Trailer Trash in a Tin Can Shed.

[jtchinoe]

Thanks everyone.
I now know what the two lower drains are for and that the AF didn't enter my fresh water tank and have a bunch of great new suggestions!
Happy Thanksgiving