help .. how do i flush antifreeze in water line

[coolnana5]

hi i'm new also to rv'ing. how do i flush the water system out in my rv which i had professionally winterized. also how do i winterize. I took my battery off for winter. probably dead. is there a way i can keep my battery up to par thru the winter. jackie:(

[whodo]

OK here is some quick, simple, answers to your questions of De-winterizing/Winterizing, Water system sanitation maintenance, Battery charging when in storage.

De-winterizing:
De-winterizing is simply the process of removing all traces of the RV antifreeze that was used to protect the water system.

1. Put several gallons of water into the fresh water tank.
2. Turn on the on-board water pump, and open a cold water tap.
3. Allow the water to flow for several minutes.
4. Connect the water hose to your city water supply inlet. Turn on the supply.
5. Open all taps one by one and allow the water to flow for several minutes.
6. Flush the toilet several times.
7. Now open the water heater bypass and fill the water heater with fresh water.
(You may want to allow a few gallons to flow through the water heater, then let it drain completely before re-installing the water heater drain plug)
8. Run water through all the hot water faucets.

That's it!

Winterizing:
Never simply pour antifreeze into your RV fresh water tank to run it to the pump. Even when the tank is drained there remains a gallon or so of water in the bottom of the tank and this water mixes with the antifreeze and lessens its protection level.

Also the antifreeze will be very difficult to flush out in the Spring and will taint the water taste for a long, long time!

Disconnect the water inlet side of the pump and introduce the antifreeze at this point. A pump winterizing kit makes this easy to do with the flip of a valve.

Make sure water heater is drained and by-pass valve is set to by-pass the hot water heater. You do not want to fill hot water heater with anti-freeze.

Turn on water pump an start pumping through out entire system, closing each water faucet as it starts discharging anti-freeze. Be sure to flush toilet several times to get anti-freeze into those lines as well. Last be sure and pour a couple of cups of anti-freeze into each drain line.

With a water heater bypass kit and the pump winterizing kit installed, you can winterize your RV in about 1/2 hour or less.

Water tank / Water lines Sanitizing
Use only a special RV drinking water hose when connecting your RV to the campground water supply or when filling your on board water tank. This hose will prevent the rubber taste in your water as from a regular garden hose.

Fill your on board water tank 3/4 full and add one or two cap fulls (not cup fulls) of household bleach. Take the unit around the block to slosh the mixture to all parts of the tank. This solution will kill any bacteria that have accumulated in the tank during the storage period.

Turn on the water pump and open all taps one by one to allow this solution to fill every water line and flush out the system. Once this is done, let it sit overnight, if possible.

Connect the hose to your city water connection and flush every outlet for at least 5 minutes to purge out the bleach solution.

Drain your fresh water storage tank and refill with fresh water.

Keeping Battery Charged
Buy a good quality 3 stage charger, follow directions that comes with the charger and connect it to the battery. Be sure to check the water level in the battery at least Once a month unless it is of the maintenance free non-check-able type.

[tcwal]

Whodo gives good advice.

If you don't have a water heater by-pass installed, get one of the premium models that has a valve for both the cold water intake and the hot water pipe. This allows you to shut off both pipes and will prevent any antifreeze from back flowing into the water heater during winterizing.

If you have a water heater by-pass already and it only has one valve on the cold water intake, shut that and introduce the antifreeze to the system before you drain the water heater to avoid wasting several gallons of antifreeze filling up the water heater.

For winter battery storage, if you are going to leave it in the RV, make sure you disconnect it or install a battery cutoff switch if one is not installed. The carbonmonoxide and propane detectors will eventually drain the battery. I know some folks will disagree, but I prefer to remove the battery to a warmer location and check the charge every month or two charging as necessary.

[jeffmue]

I am redoing the plumbing from the water tank: stripped threads and cracked assemblies, (it was professionally done last year :confused: ) and I'm thinking of using my compressor to blow out the water when it's time to winterize my unit.

Any risks in doing this? I figured I'd just blow it out at 50 PSI but would I still need to use the potable antifreeze?

[whodo]

Jeffmue
Depending upon where you live and how cold it gets will make a big difference in the importance of the method used to winterize.

The major problems with just blowing out the water lines with air;
1) Any moisture left in the lines will run to the low point in the lines and possibly cause problems when it freezes.
2) You need to use a very good quality air filter on your connection at the RV, if you don't you will be blowing any contaminates that are in the air compressor or the air hose into your drinking water supply. (Contaminates: Oil, dirt, debris from hose, condensation moisture from the compressed air, and the list goes on and on.)

For the cost of RV anti-freeze, it's cheap insurance that you will have a minimum of problems.

[jeffmue]

We're up in Colorado and it doesn't get that cold... 10 below is about the coldest it's ever gotten. (I'm one of those weirdos who likes being cold.) It doesn't really sound like a good idea to just blow out all the water as there will still be some residual water in the system. Thanks whodo.

[jimbo]

I also don't agree with just blowing out the lines. Maybe if your down in the southern states it would be ok but up north the way they route the lines up and down and in and out there is definatley going to be low spots where water will pool. I also pour a 1/2 gallon in my black and grey tank just so it doesn't freeze solid and cause an issue. also don't forget to run some through your outside shower I know a few guys who forgot and should we say oops. The pink stuff is non-toxic they say but I still flush everything thoroughly. I used to put a bit in my fresh water tank but haven't used it in 4 years so it is dry as a bone. I also used the bypass for the water heater and just crack it for a second to get a dash into it so there is no freeze problem there either. I may sound anal about it but I never had a broken fitting in all the time I owned my trailer. I am up here in Mi and it has gotten brutally cold few winters I have had it. I always believe in being safe and not sorry.

[dicky1243]

Jimbo if you do blow out the system they only recomend 20lbs of filtered air from a comp. also i don't know if you're aware that anti-freeze will
corrode the anode if you put any in water heater tank.

[murffdog]

One thing not mentioned, if you have a cartridge type filter, remove the cartridge. On my last trip before the freeze sets in, I will drain my tank, drain the water heater, open all my drains before I drive home. By the time I get home the lines will be empty and all I do is add the pink stuff and a little in the traps.

[jimbo]

I don't have an a anode in my tank. but I just open the valve for a second to put at the most a 1/2 cup or so in the bottom of the tank after the drain is removed. I'm sure it isn't necessary but the rv dealer told it was a good idea and I just do it.