2000 Sunline Solaris T-2653 Water Heater Maintenance

[Chrisco1963]

Hello all,
It has been a while since my last posts, but i am happy to report that last year's camping trip was for the most part a success. Our new-to-us 2000 Solaris had a few things that needed to be addressed prior to camping, (i.e. roof seam repairs, wetness in the rear wall, tires/rims, hitch jack), but with those items addressed, we were able to get the camper to and from the our campsite with no problems.
While we we were camping on our "maiden voyage", there were a couple of snafus that we experienced that made us wonder what we could do to repair, but were minor things that we simply lived with as we weren't sure if it was normal or not. I vaguely recall reaching out to this forum, but cannot figure out how to find the threads in which they were addressed. For that, I apologize.

Before this year's camping trip (planned in July), I thought i would start the process of any repairs needed now, rather than waiting (even though we cannot easily enter the camper as it still has it's winter cover on it - good thing as we just had a a major snowstorm blow through three days ago!)

One issue that we noticed was with the water heater. We noticed that it would turn on (flame would light and "roar" as it heated the water, but would shut down seemingly immediately after lighting, then start up again. This fluctuating between lighting and shutting off was sporadic. Sometimes it would light and run normally. Sometimes it would light and shutdown, light and shutdown numerous times.
It seems that it would occur whether it was being called for or not. Meaning it would act this way whether we were drawing hot water from the faucets, or whether we were laying in bed at night (trying to sleep). It got to the point of
having to shut the heater switch (up front) off before going to bed, or leaving the site.
Any ideas of what may cause this?

Another issue we experienced was with the power inverter/charger/distribution box, that on occasion would run very loudly, but also would not seem to charge the batteries as efficiently, or as well as we thought they needed. I do recall John B. responding with a suggestion to possibly upgrade to a Precision Dynamics Charger and would seriously like to do that and have further information in how to do that (hint, hint).

Our "to do" list so far consists addressing the of hot water heater issues, power inverter/charger issues ,and further addressing additional replacement of roof and seam sealants (once there is no chance of snow and major rain storms and we can safely remove the winter cover).

Any help/advice would be very much appreciated... I have included a few pics, including the current Centurion CS-4500 Power Inverter/Charger.

[JohnB]

Hi Chrisco,

Can you please post the model number of your water heater? The model number is outside, behind the white drop-down panel; look for a model sticker on the side of the unit. Most of the time, the sticker is on the gas burner's side. If the sticker is not readable, please take pics of the heater outside with the door down and any pics you can of the inside and back sides of the heater.

Your heater may be one of several different models, as Atwood was updating the design, and Sunline installed different ones when your camper was built. That assumes it is original and a prior owner did not change it.

I will dig into your power converter and post back on how to change the converter. Others have done your model before.

John

[Chrisco1963]

Thanks for your response, John B.
I hope you are well and the Winter has been good to you.

I am working out of town this week, until this weekend. The camper is still covered, but i will try to undo the cover enough to get to the water heater door to look for the model number, or at least snap some photos of the unit. My wife says to take the cover completely off, but after the last snowstorm last week and the forecasted rain for the rest of the week, I am not 'on the same page' as her.
Speaking of pages, I found a page in my owner's manual regarding water heaters, but i do not see where the model number of my specific heater is listed as such (just the various types that it could be...I've attached photos of those pages for whatever they're worth).

Since my latest post above, regarding the power converter, i have found last year's thread and the suggestions about it. I think i like the idea of having a new one, with updated capabilities to properly charge the battery, so i look forward to help on installing another.

I will get back to you this weekend regarding the water heater, unless I happen to find in my phone's 10000+ photos a pic already taken of the water heater, then i'll post that.

Chris B.

[Chrisco1963]

Ok. I found a pic on my phone, I will still be looking at the sticker inside the actual unit at the camper this weekend for the model number, but for the time being, this photo may help...

[JohnB]

Hi Chris,

Let's talk about the power converter first. I'm unsure which post you saw, but here are some options for a new converter.

If you go with the Progressive Dynamics (PD) converter, you can save the fuses and circuit breakers in your existing power converter box. But to get the PD to fit, you may have to rework the old casing. You would be replacing only the power converter portion with this option. I have a Sunline friend who did just this, and it worked out well, but he had to modify the box to get it to fit.

I will link you to BestConverter.com. Their main business deals with all brands of old power converters. I have bought several power converters to upgrade old ones from them. Call and talk to Randy about any questions. Here would be the PD versions,

https://www.bestconverter.com/4600-s...its_c_133.html. There are two 45 amp converters, a PD4645V which would handle the normal lead acid batteries, or if someday you want to go lithium, they offer a PD4645VL where you can adjust the converter to do any kind of battery. My friend removed the power boards from the metal case and then used it in his old Centurion

The next option, which is called a drop-in, is to go with the Boondocker, which is a good power converter but replaces the entire power converter box. https://www.bestconverter.com/Boondo...PC-_p_679.html

You might need to replace the circuit breakers; check the brand you have against what their power center will accept, and so pick what you need. Other Sunline Club members have gone this route and had good outcomes; it is just some more rewiring work.

Again, Randy can help you ensure you get what you need. I am not affiliated with Best Converter; I am just passing along their top-notch service and the good products they sell.

A heads up, regardless of what power converter you get. Sunline used white solid wires from Romex cables for 125 VAC neutral. In your camper, AC natural shall not ever touch the earth's ground bare wires, or you will trip a GFIC outlet you plug in.

Sunline used white-stranded single flexible wire for the 12 VDC negative/DC ground wires. This DC white wire is common with earth ground/chassis ground and is supposed to be.

Make sure you do not mix up when white wire goes where. All the solid white AC wires are isolated from the stranded white DC wires.

If you need any help with this, let us know. Pics also help.

I personally like the performance of the PD converter, which is made and serviced in the USA. It has a standard 2-year warranty, but if you register the unit with PD, it can have a lifetime warranty. Please have a look at the PD site for more on the warranty. https://www.progressivedyn.com/ The Boondocker is also a good converter and has a 3-year warranty. BTW, PowerMax makes the Boondocker converter.

Hope this helps

John

PS, I will get back to you on the water heater. From your last picture, I can see you have an electronic ignition. I can get started on that, but a model number helps. If you lift the camper cover, you get a clearer pic of the outside. Your air shutter/burner tube looks iffy compared to the one in the picture.

[JohnB]

Hi Chris,

You said this:

One issue that we noticed was with the water heater. We noticed that it would turn on (flame would light and "roar" as it heated the water, but would shut down seemingly immediately after lighting, then start up again. This fluctuating between lighting and shutting off was sporadic. Sometimes it would light and run normally. Sometimes it would light and shutdown, light and shutdown numerous times.
It seems that it would occur whether it was being called for or not. Meaning it would act this way whether we were drawing hot water from the faucets, or whether we were laying in bed at night (trying to sleep). It got to the point of
having to shut the heater switch (up front) off before going to bed, or leaving the site.
Any ideas of what may cause this?

OK, reading that and seeing this dark pic of yours on the heater,


You could be fighting a burner blowout issue, meaning the burner lights and then blows out. It will try to start again and may blow out again. And or take off and stay running, but may stumble along the way. I have seen this before.

Get some more clear pics that will clearly shows:

The gas valve, the air shutter, and the entire burner tube up to where the burner tube goes into the heat exchanger pipe in the tank. You can capture all that in one picture, but be closer and get clear focus and more light in the area. Also do a few pics looking straight into the heater and then looking down from above at that area.

From those pictures, we can see what you have and make a few recommendations on how to remedy the problem.

I hope this helps.

John

[Chrisco1963]

Hello John,

While home this past weekend, I was able to snap a few pics of the water heater for my 2000 Sunline Solaris T-2653 as you suggested. I found the label which provides the Model number and serial number for the unit, which you can view in the attached photos. For clarity though, the label reads the following:

Model No.: GC6AA-9E
Spec. No.: 142020
Serial No: 96142078772
4/1/1998
6.2 gal capacity
8.800 BTU
Recovery gal/hr: 7.40

Of course it was raining when I snapped the photos, so i apologize if they are not bright enough, but hopefully they are clear enough to help in diagnosing the problem that is occurring with it.

Let me know if more photos are needed, I will be home again this coming weekend, so i can take additional photos (or work on the unit, if there is anything i can do).
TIA,
Chrisco

[JohnB]

Hi Chris,

I'm getting back to you. I'll paste your comments here so it is easier to follow up on the water heater issues.

One issue that we noticed was with the water heater. We noticed that it would turn on (flame would light and "roar" as it heated the water, but would shut down seemingly immediately after lighting, then start up again. This fluctuating between lighting and shutting off was sporadic. Sometimes it would light and run normally. Sometimes it would light and shutdown, light and shutdown numerous times.
It seems that it would occur whether it was being called for or not. Meaning it would act this way whether we were drawing hot water from the faucets, or whether we were laying in bed at night (trying to sleep). It got to the point of
having to shut the heater switch (up front) off before going to bed, or leaving the site.
Any ideas of what may cause this?

First off, your pics are good. We can see what you have, and the model number confirms it.

Your model number decodes out to a 6-gallon combo gas and 120 VAC electric heating with electronic ignition, and you have Rev 9 controls.

Your unit also has a flame fault detection circuit with a remote little red light that will show the unit had 3 consecutive flame faults and went into lockout until it is reset.

What is described above points, first off, point to intermittent flame. Part of it can be from ignition, and part is how the gas presents itself to the gas burner where the flame burns. We need to get past this part first and then see what else may be going on. This is a process of elimination. We will start with the most common issues and see how far that gets you.

This good pic of yours is where we will start.


First, turn off the gas, battery, and electric power to the water heater. Unplug the camper from shore power and disconnect the battery. If anything explained below is beyond your ability, stop and ask for help. Or take it to an RV service person.

In the pic, you have a gas valve, and on the end of the gas valve is a brass nozzle that is inserted into a gas burner tube that has an adjustable air shutter we can see in the pic. Screwed into the end of the brass nozzle is a small orifice. You will be cleaning the orifice you can't see in the pic. We will get to this in a moment on how to remove and clean the office.

You need to remove the gas burner assembly and clean its inside. Insects commonly make nests or just die in the gas burner tube. Here is the burner removal process.

Your older Rev 9 heater has a separate gas valve mounting bracket and burner mounting bracket. The rev 10s new have a combo bracket.

You can leave the copper gas supply line hooked to the gas valve. You do not have to take that off; it will not hurt if you do, but then you have to put it back on later. You can leave the whole gas valve in place at this point.

The ignition wire is a black wire with a rubber boot that comes out of the bottom of the PC control board. Carefully unplug the boot and wire from the PC board. It will pull straight out; it is a spade connection. Be very careful not to pull hard on the black wire on the other end that goes into the white porcelain electrode, or you will yank the wire right out of the electrode. You can buy a whole new electrode if you yank out the wire. It happens.

Now go to the gas valve area to the air shutter, the round tube with slots in it on the end of the gas valve brass nozzle. Take the air shutter screw out and slide the shutter off to the right and off the end of the brass nozzle. The gas burner is still hanging there. The shutter may be corroded and stuck, so be careful. If it will not budge, stop and leave it for the moment. We will deal with the bind-up after the burner is off the heater.

At the end of the gas burner tube, there is a bracket that attaches to the heater exchanger tube is a screw on top. Please be careful because the electrode is there; it is fragile. When that top screw comes out, the whole burner assembly will come off, and you have it out in the open. NOTE: Your Rev 9 might have a second screw to the heat exchanger tube; look under and to the side of the heat exchanger tube.

Look inside the burner for debris and clean it out. Again, be careful with the electrode. Clean up the air shutter and ensure it slides to open or close it.

At the end of the burner tube is a round disk flame spreader. The round disk end is supposed to align with the main burner tube, and the disk on the end flat surface is mounted at a 90-degree angle to the main tube. The gap between the disk and the end of the tube should be parallel. If the disk is bent inward or outwards, bend it back into the correct relationship. That disk is a flame spreader; if bent out of location, it can mess up the flame.

Look at the electrode and the ground pin rod. There should be a 1/8" gap between the tip of the electrode and the ground pin. Clean any build-up on the tips of either. Do not bend the actual electrode; tweak the ground pin if needed to adjust the 1/8" gap. Try not to break off the ground pin spot weld to the bracket if you are adjusting the gap; use two sets of needle nose pliers so as not to put stress on the spot weld. There is a mounting screw for the electrode bracket; the spark needs to be in the middle of the flame; loosen the screw and tweak the bracket to make sure that relationship happens.

Next is the gas orifice at the end of the brass nozzle on the end of the gas valve. Unscrew the small orifice. Hold the orifice up to the light and look through it; you can use a magnifying glass if needed. You need to see a true tiny hole with no obstructions (dirt, etc.). Do not poke at it; soak it in alcohol to dissolve the obstruction. Any scratches or dirt in the office messes up the gas flow pattern.


Once you clean up the burner and orifices, put everything back together and try to light the heater with water in it. Keep it from running for long (anything more than 5 to 10 seconds) without water. The air shutter may need to be tweaked to adjust the flame.

Here are two videos I made of the burner running. This is on a Rev 10 heater, so the burner/gas valve mounting brackets look different, but the flame should look the same. Tweak the air shutter until you get a nice blue flame and a low to moderate roar. NOTE: you may have to let it burn for a minute or so for any orange flame to disappear after cleaning. Any slight yellow or orange should clear up. If you have yellow streaks, there is an air or gas flow issue remaining.

These are videos hosted on my Flickr photo hosting site. They will play once you click the image.

https://flic.kr/p/2ktvqkf

https://flic.kr/p/2ktz7Vv

See how that goes, and let us know how it works. If it still is not working right, try to get good details of what it is doing. Or, if you can, post a video of it running.

I hope this helps.

John

[Chrisco1963]

Thanks John B,
I will be home tomorrow, and if the weather is good, I may delve into this project of the water heater.
I found a site that will help me identify the names of the parts that you have described in your last post concerning the cleaning of the gas burner. The link is as follows:


https://youngfartsrvparts.com/pages/...e-0fef16b1d8b1

Before finding the link above, I labeled one of my photos as best i could from your descriptions. How'd I do?

-Chrisco63

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by Chrisco1963

Before finding the link above, I labeled one of my photos as best i could from your descriptions. How'd I do?

-Chrisco63

Hi Chris,

You get an A+ on your pic descriptions!

Good job.

I wish you good luck with the troubleshooting. A few dead bugs in the burner tube can cause a water heater a lot of heartache. Mud daubers are even worse.

John

[Chrisco1963]

Yesterday I took on the task of accessing the water heater to diagnose/service it according to John B's previous post regarding how to go about doing it. I must say, the actual dismantling of the components went very well. I was able to disconnect the black wire/rubber boot from its connection point on the main board , while taking care not to disrupt of damage the wire to the ceramic-insulated electrode end, I then removed the screw to the air adjustment on the main burner tube and was able to easily slide the air adjuster tube away from the gas valve end. Next, I carefully removed the bracket with the electrode off the entrance to the heater exchanger tube and carefully remove the main burner tube assembly off and carefully set it aside with no problems.
With that assembly off, I was able to look up into the heat exchanger tube to find only a little bit of dust within it. Using a soft-bristled brush I carefully pulled the dust out, then with low air pressure, blew any remaining dust up and out through the exhaust port of the heat exchange tube. I inspected the components of the main burner tube (i.e. inside the tube for any insect carcasses/spider webs, etc. (other than some surface rust, it was clear of any other debris); the electrode probe and ground pin rod, specifically to measure the gap between the ends of these (it measures 1/8"), as well as cleanliness of the ends (cleaned with alcohol), all without disturbing the spot weld of the ground pin rod. I also examined the flame spreader plate and checked for its alignment with the main burner tube (centered and parallel/perpendicular to the end of the main burner tube).
Next, I removed the orifice from the gas valve to examine it;s opening to ensure no debris to block the flow of gas coming through it. Although it, too looked clean and clear of any debris, I soaked the orifice in alcohol to remove anything that perhaps i did not see with my naked eye.
Then, the wind picked up, the rain started and soon after turned to a snow squall. With that, it postponed me from reassembling all the parts for an hour or two. Re-assembly went well, but with the inclement weather in the forecast for the next few days, I decided not to fill the water tank with water to light and test the flame and readjust the proper airflow.
The attached pics are just a few examples of what i was seeing while i disassembled the components.

-Chris

[JohnB]

Hi Chris,

You did a great job checking and cleaning up the normal things. Now, we just need the weather to cooperate so we can test out your handy work.

This is a process of elimination; if this does not correct the problems, report the findings, and we will go to the next steps. And report back if it works!

John

[Chrisco1963]

Welp. It’s been a bit since the last posts. While waiting for better weather and time to work on the water heater, I wanted to sanitize the holding tank and lines fist and fill up the water heater before trying to fire up the water heater.
Unfortunately, the water pump (Shurflo 2008 series) would not pump. I removed it, removed the housing and diaphragm to see what crud may have been built up in there. Not much to speak of really ( a couple of small , hard chunks CB of white stuff ( maybe calcium, maybe ol plastic??)
Anyway, after cleaning and checking for any abnormalities, I reassembled the pump head and tried it again. Nothing. The pump motor runs, but no pumping of water occurred.
After attempting to locate a new one locally, a friend of mine suggested a guy he knew that sells new and used campers and parts. I called him up and he said he had one used but be for $50 and two new ones at $120. He said he closes at noon, but he would wait to leave until I got there. So, off I went.
He apologized when I arrived and told me he didn’t have any new ones after all, but showed me the used one he had. A Shurflo 4008 series pump, he pulled from a 2020 camper, that apparently hit an underpass that ripped its roof off. (Ouch).
He tested the pump, it turned on and had suction , so I purchased it. He ended up only charging me $40 for it.
When I returned home I replaced the old pump with the one I purchased today…it works great!
Now I could finally try to fire up the water heater. After a few attempts, with no luck, it finally fired up with a nice strong, blue flame. (See attached).
After about twelve to fifteen minutes of steady blue flame, the problem that I encountered was that it would not turn itself off. I was afraid of possible damage, so I switched it off. The water coming out of the faucet was nearly scalding, but steady flow with the new-ish pump.
As always…
Any suggestions would be appreciated .

[Chrisco1963]

Sorry, I just realized the attachments did not upload. I tried attaching videos, but they are apparently still too large, even after cropping them down, so I will attempt to attach screen shots from the video…

Sorry about the blurriness of the first photo, after about 5 attempts at starting it, when it di fire up, I was startled by the flame which caused me to jump. 🤗

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by Chrisco1963

Now I could finally try to fire up the water heater. After a few attempts, with no luck, it finally fired up with a nice strong, blue flame. (See attached).
After about twelve to fifteen minutes of steady blue flame, the problem that I encountered was that it would not turn itself off. I was afraid of possible damage, so I switched it off. The water coming out of the faucet was nearly scalding, but steady flow with the new-ish pump.
As always…
Any suggestions would be appreciated .

Hi Chris,

If you attached a blue flame pic, it did not come through. But that is OK now to your issue.

Not sure of your incoming water temp; on city water, the temp might start at 65 to 70F, maybe a little lower. On deep well water, it can be 50F.

From a cold water start, especially at 50 F, it can take 45 to 50 minutes with the gas burner running to reach a full 6-gallon heater at 140 F, at which point the heater will shut off.

The T stat has a setting of 140F, which may be a few degrees above or below as the setpoint is not precise. And yes, 140F is scalding hot water. Your 12 - 15 minutes is not enough time so the entire 6 gallons gets to 140F. So far, that run time is normal but not enough to get a full cold heater to shut down. Even after a nighttime cool down, once heated, the water temp may drop to 100F, and a reheat may take 20 minutes.

So why do they have such a high set point? A house will never, by home code, be that hot. But we are not home with a 40 to 80-gallon water heater. We have a 6-gallon water heater. The RV world uses the 140F to allow you to blend a small amount of hot water with cold water at the point of use. The sink or shower. This cold blending allows less hot water to be used to get it cool enough to wash your body with. This is the reason to make the 6 gallons last longer, as you are blending it with cold. This is the normal for an RV water heater of your type.

Some people do not want that feature; they want the water heater down to 100 to 120F. They do sell (or did if it was not discontinued) an adjustable T stat, and you can turn it down. However, you will have less hot water supply, as when the 100 to 120F hot water is coming out full flow in the shower, cold water replaces it in the heater, and it will take 20 minutes to reheat the new incoming water. Once you are out of hot water, you have to wait.

If you have a meat probe thermometer, you can put it in the water flow at the sink and see if you are getting 140 or 160F, etc. There are times when it is way too hot, 150 and up usually, the T stat can be loose, or there is mega mineral building up in the heater insulating the T stat from reading the true water temp. A vinegar boil-out process will descale the heater. And if it has never been done, there is a lot of scale inside as the years go by—especially folks who consistently leave the heater on all the time while camping. I can explain the issues with leaving the RV heater on all the time; just ask.

Hope this helps

John

[JohnB]

Your blue flame looks good. Good Job!

The first startup of the heater, when the LP gas lines are not purged of air, the heater will fail to light a few times. This is common. But once the system fires off and the air is out of the lines, the heater should fire off the second time, most all times, the first time. Lighting may take a few tries if a mega-hard wind is blowing or in heavy, damp conditions.

You did well to get the heater working. Good job!

Now, confirm whether it is working correctly. Check the water temperature when the heater shuts down, and it is correct.


If the water heater takes a true timed 60 minutes to shut down, a loose T stat or heavy scale is the next step. I would start with the vinegar boil out as it may need it anyway.

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by Chrisco1963

Sorry, I just realized the attachments did not upload. I tried attaching videos, but they are apparently still too large, even after cropping them down, so I will attempt to attach screen shots from the video…

Our forum cannot handle a video upload, and that feature has not worked for a long time. You have to link it in from your photo server, YouTube account, etc.

[Chrisco1963]

Johnny,

Thanks for the quick response(s). I will fire it up again tomorrow and this time I won’t chicken out by shutting it down too early. I will keep you posted on my findings.
I’d be interested in knowing how to do a vinegar boil out of the water heater , too.
Chrisco

[Chrisco1963]

John B,

He is a link to the short video from yesterday for the first firing of the water heater…

https://youtube.com/shorts/Jft2PlbJW...RfsK2HOYAtMNwr

The next video I of the continued firing after approx 12 -15 minutes …

https://youtube.com/shorts/PvtQJbcXY...6WP1LX2fkLL4eB

-Chris

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by Chrisco1963

I’d be interested in knowing how to do a vinegar boil out of the water heater , too.
Chrisco

Hi Chris,

I have had others ask about the vinegar boil-out process, so I am going to expand on it for those who are also following along. I can then link others to your post.

Please take a look at the bottom left on page 5 of the Atwood water heater instructions manual on the vinegar boil-out. The section they call "Flushing to remove unpleasant odor". See here in our FILES section https://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/d...do=file&id=424.

They use 4 gallons of white vinegar and 2 gallons of water as the ratio for the boil-out. This is a "hot" boil-out to remove all the hard water scale from the heater. You heat the system and let it stay on. I let it stay on overnight, 8 hours or a little more.

While Atwood said removing the safety relief valve to get vinegar into the heater is an option, it can be painful on an old water heater. First, to get the relief valve out, most of the time, you have to remove the metal exhaust shield and swing a pipe wrench to remove the valve. Like this:


I did buy a tool to do this from Camco. Camco 10552 Universal Temperature and Pressure Valve Remover, https://www.amazon.com/Camco-10552-U.../dp/B003VB15MC

I have used the tool when changing a relief valve that I would not reuse. Over the years, that valve can get really stuck/corroded in the heater, and in the worst case, you rip threads out of the tank or damage the valve trying to get out. The same goes for the electric heating element on the backside. The tool works well when installing a new relief valve, but the jury is still out if the tool is any better than a pipe wrench getting them out when they are stuck in.

If you remove the valve to get the vinegar in, I highly recommend installing a new replacement valve. They are not that expensive. The old one can have a weak spring and the valve seat with mineral build-up, again from leaving the heater on all the time. The older valves are 1/2" NPT, Atwood 91604 1/2" Relief Valve, this one. https://www.amazon.com/Atwood-91604-...RKG/ref=sr_1_4

The newer heaters are 3/4" NPT. Atwood 90028 3/4" Relief Valve, https://www.amazon.com/Atwood-90028-...SWG/ref=sr_1_3

I'll give you an alternate way to get the vinegar into the tank. The method requires you to have a winterizing kit on the water pump to pump in RV antifreeze normally. If you do not have one, it is good to consider adding one. Camco makes one, and so does Valetrra. From what I have seen, both are of the same quality.

Camco https://www.amazon.com/Camco-36543-C.../dp/B0006JJ588

Valterra. https://www.amazon.com/Trailer-CONVE.../dp/B01KR7D16A

The water pump winterizing valve method is used to get the vinegar into the system.

1. Start with clean, fresh water in the fresh tank. You need about 3/4 of a tank or more.

2. Prime the water pump with fresh water and fill the water system with water. The pump will stop running when the system is pressurized. Purge the faucets of air so all water lines have water in them.

3. Shut the water pump switch off.

4. Drain the water heater and put the drain plug back in. Check that the relief valve is closed.

5. Keep all faucets except the closet hot water sink faucet to the water heater. Your layout will determine which sink is closer. Open the hot water faucet wide open on the closest to the heater.

6. Ensure the water heater is "not" in bypass mode. You want it in normal flow mode.

7. Stage your 4 gallons of white vinegar next to the water pump. If you have qty 2, one-gallon jugs of clean, fresh water, stage them next to the pump. If you do not have spare one-gallon jugs, then you can create them later from the empty vinegar jugs.

8. Next, we will start the vinegar pumping process. If you have a helper who can be at the pump switch to turn it on and off, bring the helper over now. If you do not have a helper, you can do this by yourself; just unplug the hot wire to the water pump. The Shurflow pumps have a white plug connector to the pump on the hot wire line. You can pull the connector out and then turn on the pump switch to energize the hot wire. You will touch the white connector to the pump connection as a run, no run, pump switch. Look for the red pump hot wire with the white connector nutted to the Sunline pump switch wire.

9. Connect the RV antifreeze tube to the pump winterizing valve. Insert the hose in one of the vinegar jugs. Turn the winterizing valve to draw from the vinegar hose.

10. Turn on the pump and let it run to draw down the gallon, but stop the pump before the jug goes dry and breaks suction on the hose if you can help it. Heads up: That gallon jug will pump down fast, so be prepared to shut the pump off. A 3 GPM pump will pump 1 gallon in 20 seconds, less than 20 seconds, as you are not emptying the gallon.

11. Change the vinegar jug. Put the used vinegar jug off to the side for the moment; you will keep that extra leftover vinegar for last. Pump the second gallon of vinegar in; again, do not let the pump suck dry if you can help it.

12. Repeat the vinegar jug process through all 4 gallons. Pour the leftover vinegar into the last jug and drain down as much as possible, but do not let the pump run dry. The pump is shut off between each jug.

13. Next, get 2 gallons of fresh water. If needed, you can create this from the empty vinegar jugs. You can also top off the leftover vinegar jug with water to use it up.

14. Top off the water heater with 2 gallons of fresh water. Pump the 2 gallons of fresh water from the gallon jug into the 4 gallons of vinegar as you did before.

15. Turn off the pump switch if you are using the one-person operation and plug the white connector back into the pump. If you had a helper, they would just wait with the pump switched off.

16. Turn the winterizing valve back to normal operation. Get a small butter tub or another container to help not make a mess unscrewing the antifreeze hose, and screw the brass cap back onto the winterizing valve.

17. At this point, the air coming out of the heater when you added the vinegar would have forced water out of the water line from the heater to the faucet and went down the sink drain. You have successfully pumped 4 gallons of vinegar and chased the vinegar in the water line from the pump to the water heater with 2 gallons of fresh water. Since no other faucet except the closest single hot water sink faucet was open, some water/vinegar may have gone down the drain. The little bit that went down the drain is OK.

18. The last step is to pressurize the system. Close the open sink faucet that we had open during the vinegar addition and turn on the water pump. Let the pump build pressure and shut off, leaving the pump switch on. Go back to the same faucet you used during the vinegar pumping and bleed out any air until you get a full water flow. Then close the faucet so as not to let excess vinegar go down the drain. Turn the pump off.

The system is now filled and pressurized with the right amount of vinegar and water and the water heater is ready to start the boil out. You turn on the water heater, gas, or electric and let it stay on (soak) for 8 to 10 hours. You will not open any faucets during this to keep all the hot water and vinegar in the heater. The system will heat up, cool down, and then cycle back on and off for the whole soak period.


You can follow the rest of the Atwood instructions to drain and flush out the heater and return it to normal operation.

NOTE: Let the water heater cool down before removing the drain plug. That vinegar is hot.

I hope this is helpful, and please ask away any questions.

John