Water Heaters, Dry winterizing, Fridge Pulling, and Blow Pugs

Drake · 10-18-2010, 08:48 PM

Well, I'm back from my 4 day work session on the trailer...full of questions and aches and pains...I'm not as young as I used to be!!!

Winterizing: I chose the air compressor route. Everything I've read says open up the drain on the water heater and then blow out the lines...well when I pulled the plug on the water heater, I got waves of air and water out of the water heater drain, but nothing out of the hot water faucets. When I replugged the water heater drain, I got air water/air through the hot water faucets. So I said okay, I don't want water in either and ended up plugging the water heater and blowing out the lines, then opening up the plug, shut the taps and blew out the water heater. What's the story here?

By the way. Blow plug, shmo plug! You'd think they'd make some stuff standard on everything, now wouldn't you? Not so! The lowly blow plug I bought to winterize the trailer didn't fit!!! I thought surely, all garden hose male plugs would be the same... wouldn't you? So I had to make one out of two different sized pieces of tubing to jam in the hole of the trailer at one end and stick onto the tip of my air nozzle at the other. By the way, again...I had to get 60 lbs pressure before I could get air through the system...I know 30 is recommended, but 60 is what it took.

Water heater: I have the G6A Atwood heater...Last time we stayed in the trailer, I cleaned out the orifice in the pilot tube and got the heater to work well. This time, not so much...The furnace won't light or if it does it won't stay lit, and the exhaust when it does work seems too black, such that it blackens the side of the trailer with soot. So what's the wisdom of the group here? Should I replace the whole control box, thermocouple and pilot vent tube, or just the thermocouple and pilot vent?

The week wasn't a complete failure, I caulked a lot, re-fiberglassed the broken A/C cowling, fixed both doors, including a broken window in one of the doors, and pulled the fridge, which, thanks to the help of this wonderful club went "swimmingly". Thanks again for your wise and spot on help!!!

henryj · 10-19-2010, 10:20 AM

For blowing out the water, this is the way to go: Blow Out Hose

You shouldn't use more than about 40 to 45 psi. Let the water heater drain first, then turn the heater bypass to blow out the water lines. This isn't much pressure so start with one tap at a time starting with the closest to the water inlet where the air compressor is connected. Don't forget the toilet and the hand spray and the outside shower. And lastly open the low point drains. The beauty of the above accessory is that you can just set the air pressure on the compressor and then wander around doing all this while the compressed air does its thing.

Add RV antifreeze to all the sink and shower traps--I add it to the water lines as well as it's just too cold here to take a chance and that way I know the pump is fully winterized as well. The water that's left in the water heater can be left in as it's a horizontal cylinder and freezing water simply expands up the increasing diameter of the tank.

This is not a definitive winterizing post. Do a search on winterizing to come up with several discussions.

Henry

Drake · 10-19-2010, 10:59 AM

Thanks Henry. My trailer is an 87 Seville...don't think (?) know that it has a low point drain. Did the trap antifreeze thing. Don't have a heater bypass that I know of. Several dry winterizing methods I've read say open the tap farthest from the outside water connection and work back toward it. I don't use the fresh water tank and pump so that is not a problem. I live in VA so I'm hoping the temps won't go much below 20 degrees... Oh, and in my original post I said in the 4th paragraph, " The furnace won't light..." Of course I meant water heater...!! I was tired.

quaddriver · 10-19-2010, 01:09 PM

your hot water heater has the air fuel mix set mechanically...assuming no orifice jets were ever changed, it will burn completely if the air inlet is adjusted so you get that blue/turquoise 'bulb', any yellow in the mix and you will soot up - its really no different than adjusting a gas grill. that being said, take off the air tube and look for a nesting stink bug (or worse). soot = too much fuel or not enuf air.

(ps - low pressure will do nearly the same, but not for long cuz you will/are running out of LP)