Large Refrigerator winterizing

[xman123]

What do i need to know on winterizing the large house model refridge. Someone i talked to had his water line freeze that goes to his ice maker and created quite the mess..How do i not have that problemo

[SilverbackMel]

You will receive the CORRECT refer winterization process on this forum. It likely is already there and by using the SEARCH function MAY BE FOUND!?
If you are stowing in a HARD FREEZE AREA, please know that ANY LINE that water travels through will freeze, expand and potentially crack UNLESS blown out and RV Anti Freeze pumped through. I had a cap blow behind my toilet 4 years ago and had a geyser in the Spring! Just a very small amount of residual water in a plastic elbow fitting was the cause.
You are doing the RIGHT THING! Find out HOW to winterize it NOW before you wake up at home at 2am with an early freeze coming and you are out in the dark with a flashlight LEARNING BY EXPERIENCE!
Remember liquids IN YOUR RV WITHOUT HEAT that might burst....ie; water in a coffee maker, water bottles, etc. Anything we leave behind goes in the shower stall for safety.
We use our RV off and on all winter so we re winterize several times a season.
MAKE CHECK LISTS AND USE THEM.

[MrGrmpy]

Xman123, keep us posted what you find out. This is our first winter with our GT and heard the fridge can be tricky.

[xman123]

SilverbackMel
i did use SEARCH and found nothing that tells me the CORRECT way to winter it. Thus i placed a question out for a answer. I am quite aware that every drop counts when it comes to freezing of water. I would hate to have to tear out my residential fridge because i didnt do things correctly, and as someone said FR didnt think before they installed. mine is inaccessible from behind to access the lines from behind.I was hoping someone with the knowledge of experience would have the solution.But thanks for the suggestion

[SilverbackMel]

One last suggestion.....if you have not done so, start a thread under "winterization" sub heading that is out there. Also post under Cedar Creek and/or Cardinal. Pretty sure there are big refers out there that all operate similar....broaden your base...
Also, Berkshire/Charleston might hit..
Obviously experience is out there...gotta go "fish'n" 😁
That's all I got! Maybe You Tube videos....
Done....out...

[happywhencamping]

I have read many different things, they all are different.
There is one post where Frigidaire says to just drain the ice maker.. at least that is what I recall

My plans, subject to change

Remove the filter and replace with a bypass filer unit
Blow air and run all the water out the water spigot
Set ice maker to run, while air is on, in hopes of getting air out of the icemaker

I do not want to run anti freeze, it will make a mess and may take forever to get out of the fridge lines

[WayneT]

For my first experience in 2014, I asked this same question about the right way to winterize the residential refrigerator. Russell Stull of Forest River e-mailed me the attached Word document with the process to prepare the refrigerator for winter storage.
I couldn't follow their process exactly though. On my 328TS, I can barely access the shut off valve for the water line to the refrigerator...there was no way I was going to try to disconnect it to hook up a separate blow out line described in the word document. I just followed another suggestion I read about on this forum and used a blow out plug connected to the city water hook up. It seemed to have enough pressure reaching the refrigerator water dispenser.

There a thread from last year on winterizing (including the refrigerator) that I have found really helpful.

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ome-70655.html

[xman123]

Originally Posted by happywhencamping

I have read many different things, they all are different.
There is one post where Frigidaire says to just drain the ice maker.. at least that is what I recall

My plans, subject to change

Remove the filter and replace with a bypass filer unit
Blow air and run all the water out the water spigot
Set ice maker to run, while air is on, in hopes of getting air out of the icemaker

I do not want to run anti freeze, it will make a mess and may take forever to get out of the fridge lines

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

where and what did you use as a bypass filer unit?

[Will Parish]

Just remember every thing inside the freezer and fridge are freeze proof. There is no need for a bypass filter. That is why your water dispenser works without a filter. Here's how I did it last year. Shut off and disconnect the water line a day before you plan to winterize. Activate the water dispenser to remove as much water as possible. After dumping the final loads of ice, I connect a low pressure air supply to the ice maker supply line and activate the dispenser lever. I also like to blow a little air the reverse direction..overkill. Leave the water line unhooked, pointed down.

[xman123]

is there a way to access the back of the fridge? as mine has no access panel just bolted in a hole lol

[happywhencamping]

I found a bypass at the fridgaire site, got one from ebay. Check your fridge model before getting one.

My unit at home does not work without a filter, so I assume that my camper unit is the same.

Someone mentioned that the unit is meant to freeze. Not true the valves site outside in warmer air, these might do well if they freeze.


Frigidaire Water Filter Bypass for PureSource Ultra® ULTRAWF None - 242294402

[xman123]

oh so thats what that is thank you

[MrGrmpy]

Great thread! Nice attachments. Greatly appreciate it.


Mr. G


2015 Forest River Georgetown 351DS

[wvphil]

I will add a note. I have a 2013 378 xl with residential frig and have had issues ( been unsuccessful) both in winter of 2013 and 2014. First year the water valve block froze behind fridge that activates the fill for ice maker water dispenser ext. when spring came and I de winterized water was pouring out from in under fridge and had to replace the plastic relay block. Last year I bought the blank filter cartridge and used antifreeze. However must have not got all water out as this spring the line inside the fridge at the filter cartridge small plastic line had froze and leaked inside when water dispenser was activated. Had to replace cracked plastic line. This year I intend on trying the air blow out method with compressor at city water connection. Someone said hook it up set to 35 psi and activate ice maker to run and let it purge ie cycle overnight. The ice maker in mine does not have an arm to lift it is turned on and off electronically from front panel of fridge on outside door where temp settings are displayed. I have not found a way to manually cycle it. I found a valve in the cabinet in front of toilet on right side of wall behind white screw off access panel. This line feeds to the fridge. After purging system I will turn off valve (it turns on and off by pulling up and pushing down) and then fill the rest of the system with antifreeze. I hope the third year will be the charm. This is another over site by forest river. Many other coaches have drain lines to drain water out when winterizing. Looks like forest River did not think about freeze possibility or how to winterize the 13 Georgetown. I'm not sure if the newer coaches now have a drain line added or not.

[Starboard]

Here you go:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1...U9IQm5YVkZkME0

[MrGrmpy]

Ok finished for the season so decided to try out the winterization procedure on the GT for the first time yesterday. I followed it step by step and all worked out as described. Being this is my first time winterizing a class A I have some questions.
When I would winterizing my TT it would use maybe 2 gallons of the pink stuff. My GT sucked down 5 gallons with ease. Where is it all going? How many gallons does it take to winterize your GT? I figured when the system filled & pressured it would stop pulling from the jug, nope it keep going one after another. Am I wrong on this one?

A little concerned on this one, the ice maker..... I have the bypass filter, had good pink flow through the water dispenser on the fridge but how do you get the pink stuff into the ice maker?? I'm just concerned not enough if any went into the ice masked.... What do you do to ensure the ice maker is purged good?

Thanks


Mr. G


2015 Forest River Georgetown 351DS

[Phil57]

That would be normal on my Berkshire. There are an awful lot of water lines to fill. I'm not familiar with the GT but I would think 5 gal is normal.
I have a Dometic fridge and to get the AF into the ice machine I use a wire jumper to jump the solenoid and allow the AF to go through the ice maker.

[MrGrmpy]

I did turn on the ice maker but unsure if this would be the same as jumpering the solenoid. Where is your Solenoid located?


Mr. G


2015 Forest River Georgetown 351DS

[Phil57]

Mine is on the right of the lower vent about 12" from the bottom. It has the small plastic water lines to it.

[CAT-RN]

I too am not familiar with the Georgetown but my Berkshire will take 6 gallon. I have a washer also. I have never hooked up my ice maker so I don't worry about it. It is unhooked in the water bay at the shutoff Pink stuff is cheap. Fixing water line expensive. I d waste a couple gallon of pink AF and feel safe. I've chose to move mine to Florida till next May and save the $20 in AF this year.

Russell