Too Many Winterizing Steps?

[mary and bob]

Originally Posted by Gerry

OMG Water in the traps???? oppps I did mean anti-freeze

Is it too late to go back and edit that Gerry?

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by herons

I have a Scamp, front bath, with water heater cut-off. These are (roughly) the winterizing steps I followed last year. I think I have too many steps! What can I eliminate? For some reason, I didn't have any antifreeze come out of the city water connection, which is the second to last step.

I may be a "senior" poster but I am a newbie still. I've been a teardrop camper forever and am still new to FGRVs.

Suggestions welcome!

Peg


1. Turn Faucets to the OFF position. Drain both gray and black tanks.

2. Open all faucets, including shower faucet. Drain fresh water tank. (Leave faucets open!) Close the petcock when the water is completely drained.

*With the fresh water tank empty, run the water pump for thirty seconds or so to evacuate most remaining water.

3. Remove the water heater drain plug.

4. Pour 2 gallons of RV antifreeze into the fresh water tank. Close all faucets.

5. Turn on the demand pump.

6. Close by-pass valve for water heater once the antifreeze has filled the heater inlet line.

7. Open the closest cold water faucet until antifreeze comes out, then close it. Do the same in the bathroom sink and shower. Flush the toilet and leave it empty.

8. Furthest first and with a rag over the faucet outlet, open hot water faucet at the shower, then the cold. Antifreeze will flow backward to the hot water lines to the tank. Close hot water faucet when antifreeze comes out of water heater tank drain.

9. With rag over spout, open hot water faucet at kitchen sink until antifreeze solution appears at water heater drain. Repeat with the cold faucet. Close the cold and then the hot faucet.

10. Shut off the demand pump. Open water heater inlet ball valve again (located on blue water line next to water heater) for a few seconds to be certain antifreeze is protecting the water heater feed line. Then CLOSE valve.

11. Re-install water heater drain plug.

12. Pour antifreeze down the bathroom sink and shower floor trap and run the drain pump.

13. Press the valve located underneath mesh filter of the city water connection to release back pressure. Hold until antifreeze appears.

14. Open all faucets to prevent pressure build-up over the winter.

You are over thinking it. Drain both fresh and hot water tanks with faucets open. Never put the anti-freeze in your fresh water tank since it doesn't drain out completely. Put a winterizer kit on the inlet side of the pump or if you have the right type of quick connections at the pump just remove the incoming line. Put towel under connection to catch any water that comes out. Usually about a 1/2 cup. Make a 2 ft tube with an extra connection to connect to pump to put antifreeze into lines. One end on pump and the other goes into the jug of antifreeze. Keep this for use every year. Don't need to open and close the water heater bypass like you do. Just close it since the bypass will take care of the inlet line and run the antifreeze into the hot water lines. That is why you have a bypass. You also don't want to let any antifreeze go into the hot water tank. Don't need to press the city inlet line filter either. There won't be any water in it. The water runs down into the lines when you use the faucets. No need to leave faucets open either when done but you could. We open the closest faucet first so that any water in the lines doesn't backup. Open cold, close it, open hot and close it when pink comes out of each one at each faucet, etc. We've done this for 34 years in many RV's from our Casita to a 26 ft Class A. Drain the black and grey water tanks since the water will have gone into them from the lines. Put the antifreeze into the traps like you do. This method will take one gallon and maybe a little more.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Jann Todd

...Don't need to open and close the water heater bypass like you do. Just close it since the bypass will take care of the inlet line and run the antifreeze into the hot water lines. That is why you have a bypass.....

Dont think so! I noticed you list a Casita, but note that most all Scamps dont have a true water heater bypass but only a shutoff on the cold water inlet pipe. At least mine is that way, and the valve started leaking after its first winter in North Carolina. I strongly suspect it suffered freeze damage.

If one were to open the hot water taps or remove the water heater drain plug, and at the same time open the low point drain in the plumbing, then perhaps the water would drain out of the valve and it would not freeze. But that step is not included in the winterizing instructions that I have seen.

You should not need to run antifreeze through the water heater, but the Scamp design means that the only other alternative is to drain the hot water lines with gravity.

And unless a Scamp is modified, the only way to introduce antifreeze to the system is through the fresh water tank. The mod you mentioned is a good idea, but many and perhaps most people will not want to do it. Its another Scamp shortcoming. It does not bother me so much because I have elected to not use the on-board tank for potable water, only for commode and sink.