Winterizing Solera

[Leismom]

I have a question regarding winterizing Solera with antifreeze. Can you tell me what direction the hot and cold water shut off heater valves should be facing along with the bypass valve? The diagram that I have is not clear...I am doing this myself so any help would be great...thanks

[2012WhiteSolera]

Here you go. Water Heater Bypass Diagram | Cunningham Campers, Inc. One thing you shouldn't forget to do, is flow antifreeze out the outside hose connection. That will prevent the water that lays in that pipe from freezing.

[bclemens]

Yes...also please put antifreeze in the tank flush. Many people forget this and end up with water spraying everywhere in the spring.

[Nats]

Originally Posted by bclemens

Yes...also please put antifreeze in the tank flush. Many people forget this and end up with water spraying everywhere in the spring.

I just blow mine out with compressed air, I'll find out in the spring if that was sufficient!

[bclemens]

That works too. Just something we don't want to forget.

[wilem]

Originally Posted by Nats

I just blow mine out with compressed air, I'll find out in the spring if that was sufficient!

i spent a good 30 minutes blowing mine out yesterday and was curious if the water heater emptied completely....took out the anode and at least 4 gallons of water came out... so i added drain water heater bu removal of anode to the winterizing list. I read the instructions for anti freeze and they saif fill the fresh water tank to capacity and that aint happening .

apparently it empties from the top as well as fills from the top

[devilsquid]

Originally Posted by bclemens

Yes...also please put antifreeze in the tank flush. Many people forget this and end up with water spraying everywhere in the spring.

Good morning, What tank flush are we talking about? If we are talking about the black water tank how do you do that? Thank you

[Nats]

Yes, it is the black water tank flush.

I used a Camco 36143 RV Blow Out Plug with Brass Quick Connect with compressed air. I use this to blow out all of my lines and then pump glycol through.

I then just blow air through the tank flush.

Otherwise, it will take an adapter using your outside hose or a separate pump to pump glycol through the tank flush.

[Taylorgso]

Originally Posted by devilsquid

Good morning, What tank flush are we talking about? If we are talking about the black water tank how do you do that? Thank you

There should be a female hose connector on the side of the RV that allows you to flush the black water tank with high pressure from a city water supply. An older RV may not have this connection. (This connector is separate from the fill for the fresh water tank).

[hkreck]

I'm glad 2012WhiteSolera posted that diagram, I winterized my MH last week end and thought something was missing. The third valve? I could find only two and knew I was missing something, after seeing the diagram I went back and looked again and found that the handle for the valve had come off and that's why I couldn't local it. After that the winterizing was complete. Thanks 2012.

[bcunning]

I also learned the hard way that you need to blow the air through the rinse valve for the blackwater tank - water in the relief valve in that path will break it

[RSolera]

OK, now can someone help with where the fresh water tank drain valve is?? Thanks!

[hkreck]

RSolera

Look in two places one is under the fresh water tank. There's a tube there around the spare tire just unplug it. Might have to look above the spare tire for it. Then in the large rear passenger side compartment on the back wall there's a compartment open it up and there's a valve inside to drain the tank. I found the tube under the Solera easier to get to.

[bcunning]

Ours is a 24M - there is a panel under the tank with a round white plastic opening with a screw-on cover. Behind the cover is a plastic tube with a valve to drain the tank. It is slow-flowing so allow lots of time to wait for it to stop and try to tilt the Solera to make the drain the low corner of the panel.

I winterized my 2013 Solera 24R today...I think! The manual that came with it is useless; some general text that seems to cover everything from diesel pushers to Class C rigs with absolutely no specificity.

I'm no stranger to winterizing RVs, but new to the Solera, and have a couple of questions.

1. In the side compartment where the water filter and electric cable are located, there is a "Winterizing" valve labeled "Normal" and "Winterize." Is this the water heater bypass valve? The water heater is located on the opposite side of the coach, but there is no access to it that I can find. It appears to be located below the closet, but there are no identifiable access panels.

2. Inside the water filter compartment, there is a blue hose with a valve in it. Opening the valve lets water come out underneath the coach. I presume this is the water tank drain, correct? The manual simply says "drain the water tank." Very helpful!

Thus far, I have...

* Drained the holding tanks

* Put the "Winterize" valve in the winterize position (and await confirmation...Question 1...that this is the water heater bypass

* Shut off the water heater and drained it

* Drained the water tank (I think, pending an answer to Question 2)

* Removed the water filter and replaced the empty housing

* Blown out the water lines with compressed air (35 psi)

* Blown out the black tank rinser, and

* Put RV anti-freeze in all the drain P-traps.

What did I miss? Thanks for any guidance here, especially with the two questions.

Tranquil Jim

[DebbieMH]

Wow. Glad I don't winterize. I'd never get it!

[Nats]

I have a 2012 24S so my responses may be a little different than on your rig but here goes.

No, the valve in the drain compartment redirects the suction from the house pump to the glycol fill hose that is in the same compartment. Use this to pump glycol through the system. This hose may be zip tied to other hoses in the compartment, it will have an open end.

In my 24S, the hot water heater bypass arrangement is accessed through a panel in front of the bed that allows you to reach the valves in front of the water heater. If you do not have this panel, you will have to access it some other way.

As far as the fresh water tank drain valve, mine is accessed through an access panel in the rear storage compartment.

Don't forget the low point drains as well. I have hot & cold water low point drains near the steps under the kitchen sink, you may have these as well as others.

My process went as follows:

1. Drain the waste holding tanks.

2. Remove water filter cartridge.

3. Reinstall water filter housing.

4. Bypass hot water tank.

5. Drain hot water tank by removing anode.

6. Open low point drains to drain as much water as you can, both hot and cold. Reinstall plugs in low point drains.

7. Connect compressed air to the fresh water inlet (with a regulator set at 20 psi if your compressor has one, otherwise be careful!) and then open all of the hot and cold water valves in the coach to blow water out of the lines (Don't forget the outside hose, shower and toilet!).

8. Open low point drains to blow all water out that may have been collected.

9. Go around the rig twice, just to make sure as much is removed as possible.

10. Shut off compressor and remove connection from fresh water inlet.

11. Reconnect compressor to black tank flush and blow out flush line for a couple of minutes.

12. Switch winterizing valve to "winterize" and connect a gallon of glycol to the winterizing hose. It will take more than one and you'll hear it when it is empty.

13.Turn on house pump and go to each valve and open until glycol flows out of each outlet (Don't forget the outside hose, shower and toilet!).

14.Go to each valve again!

15. Go to each drain and add glycol to make sure trap is filled with glycol and not water.

16. Remove shower hose and shower head and store where warm.

This took me about 2-3 gallons of glycol but my water filter housing is full of glycol. I tried sticking a bottle in it to displace volume but it blocked the pump suction and I had to remove it. I'll come up with something better next year!

Good luck!

Ahhhh...the "Winterize" valve probably is for using antifreeze. Thanks.

Still can't find a way to get to the back of the water heater, however. I'll keep looking.

TJ

OK...after looking closely...very closely!...I found an inset access panel below the two drawers under the closet. It looks just like a decorative inset panel and, the screws are small and colored the same as the wood.

If I understand correctly, the water heater bypass valves are designed to keep antifreeze from entering the water heater. Since I'm not using antifreeze in the water system, I'm guessing there is no need to use the bypass valves; the compressed air will just blow the water into the heater tank which has been drained.

Any thoughts on that?

TJ

[2012WhiteSolera]

The purpose of the bypass valving is to seperate the water flows from entering the tank itself during the winterization steps. If you go the non antifreeze route, I would think you would want to set the valves in bypass position, to push air from all the pex lines. Making sure you seperately drain the HW, tank by removal of the anode plug.