My Water System Winterizing

[Sun-n-Fun]

Hi everyone cold weather is coming and it's time to think winterizing your water systems, I have used this method for years and to date have never had any thing to freeze in my water system.

I always completely drain all my water lines and hot water heater,and fresh water tank, Then i add 4 gallon's of rv/antifreeze to my fresh water tank and shut off all hot water valves and run pump until the antifreeze comes out of hot water heater drain, then plug or shut off the water heater drain,close bypass, and open all cold water lines and toilet, then run pump until antifreeze comes out of all open faucets and toilet. I have never had a freeze up yet and have been in areas of low temperatures 10 above zero at times.

[PTHutch]

I basically do the same thing, except instead of putting the antifreeze into the fresh water tank; I pump it through from the input side of the water pump. Our current trailer has a winterizing kit, which makes this easy. Our previous Sunline didn’t and I just disconnected the hose between the fresh water tank and water pump, attached a siphon hose, put the hose into a bottle of antifreeze, bypass the HW tank, turn the pump on and run antifreeze through all hot & cold water lines (don't forget the toilet & outside shower). Then poor some done each drain to make sure there is antifreeze in each trap and leave a little in the toilet bowl. Use <2 gal of antifreeze via this method. In our area, we typically will have 1 or more weeks of below zero temps. No problems in 10 years of doing it this way also.

[kanyonkitty]

I do it like Hutch does. But, I will not be winterizing until the morning of November 25th when I leave Pigeon Forge, TN and head for home.

Kitty

[DF5.4]

Mine didn't have the winterizing kit so I just bought a valve and some tubing and added my own. I also set the compressor to about 20 psi and put the valve on the water hookup and blow the water out of the lines. Then add the RV antifreeze. I need to do it in the near future.

[partimcmpr]

Since this is my first winter with the trailer, I am wondering how long I can go before shutting her down for the winter. I live just south of Atlanta. Seems we usually get our really cold stuff in late December and into February.

I would like to take an early December trip to somewhere with a Christmas theme.

Any advice from some of you in the Southeast

Thanks,
David

[PTHutch]

Hi David,

I’m not in the Southeast, but I would think that you want to make sure your trailer is winterized before your temps continually start dropping below freezing for the whole night.

Until then I would recommend that you drain your water system (lines, HW tank, and tanks) between camping trips. I would do just a gravity drain & keep all faucets & low point drains open (you may also want to put a little antifreeze in the drain traps & toilet) between trips until you feel it’s time to winterize. This will protect from water freezing if the temps temporarily drop below freezing.

Hope this helps.
Hutch

[Makers Mark]

I use the method like Hutch described. My only suggestion is to make yourself a checklist. As I have become a "seasoned" camper I figured last year I would just winterize by my head. Well I too ended up with a little remaining antifreeze and went to each trap to add a little more of the extra pink fluid. Well I got to the toilet and realized I forgot the toilet supply line. Off to Wally World to buy another gallon. So much for trusting my "seasoned" brain.
MM

[partimcmpr]

Looks like I will be headed to wally world soon as well. My wife really does not want to put it up for the winter. She wants to get in a couple of cold weather trips. I will be watching the temps closely in the mean time. The risk here is that we normally do not get much extreme cold, but when we do, it is the result of a blast of artic cold for a few days at a time.

As my Scoutmaster training said - 'Be Prepared'!

Thanks for the input. I want to make sure I address the winterization effort well as I understand it can create major problems later. (And I did not mean to hijack the thread - if so - sorry)

back to work,
David

oops - should not have used that 4 letter word....

[Sunline Fan]

I prefer not to winterize using antifreeze. I use air. Here's the basic steps:

- Drain all holding tanks
- Open low point drains
- Drain WH
- Close all drains
- Install air fitting in fresh water inlet
- Put air in lines, opening each faucet one at a time
- Turn on water pump for brief time to pump excess water out
- Remove incoming line from pump to drain
- Re-plug WH
- Pour antifreeze down all drains and traps
- Cover all outside vents and storage doors with plastic carpet protector
- Put Bounce dryer sheets in all storage areas
- Cover all sharp exterior areas with pipe insulation
- Cover trailer

I'm sure I've forgotten stuff, but by using air, I'm ready to go any time. Just hook up the water and I can use it right away.

Jon

[Galaxiedriver]

I know it was mentioned, but easy to pass by if you were reading fast.

DON'T FORGET THE OUTSIDE SHOWER.

And don't ask me how I know that.

[HappyCampers]

I may just be paranoid, but I use air and antifreeze. I blow out all of the lines and then winterize with the antifreeze. And to save a little money I use winshield washer fluid in my drain traps and tanks. I haven't looked but I hope my new trailer has the winterizing kit, like the last one did.

[Al in PA]

Paul, thanks for the reminder. Since this is my first year with an outside shower, there's a good chance I would have forgotten about it.

[Sunline Fan]

Originally Posted by Al in PA

Paul, thanks for the reminder. Since this is my first year with an outside shower, there's a good chance I would have forgotten about it.

Same here, I haven't had an outside shower in a Sunline since that '97, so that would have been 7 years ago we would have winterized it.

I'll admit, it is very easy to overlook. The same goes for those of you with SeaLand toilets equipped with sprayers. We learned that the hard way last winter!

Jon

[partimcmpr]

Originally Posted by Sunline Fan

I prefer not to winterize using antifreeze. I use air. Here's the basic steps:

- Drain all holding tanks
- Open low point drains
- Drain WH
- Close all drains
- Install air fitting in fresh water inlet
- Put air in lines, opening each faucet one at a time
- Turn on water pump for brief time to pump excess water out
- Remove incoming line from pump to drain
- Re-plug WH
- Pour antifreeze down all drains and traps
- Cover all outside vents and storage doors with plastic carpet protector
- Put Bounce dryer sheets in all storage areas
- Cover all sharp exterior areas with pipe insulation
- Cover trailer

I'm sure I've forgotten stuff, but by using air, I'm ready to go any time. Just hook up the water and I can use it right away.

Jon

What exactly is this air fitting you mention?

And by water inlet, are talking about for the fresh water tank or the city water hookup?

I like the idea of doing this early in the year, and then maybe going the anti-freeze route for the coldest part of the year.

Thanks,
David