Bill - Winterizing Question

[Billus338063]

I have a lot of trouble "navigating" here through FRF so I apologize up front if I'm in the wrong place to be asking my question. My wife and I just finished winterizing. We ran the anti-freeze through all our lines until the "pink" came out. After we did all this did I remember the low level drains in the back corner under the bumper. My gut tells me we should have opened those first before we ran the antifreeze through. At this point I opened both and a small amount of antifreeze came out. Are we good? Or do we need to start over and pump more AF through all the lines? We did drain the hot water heater first and flipped the by-pass as well so we're good there.
Thoughts?

[Flybob]

If you are in an area that gets hard freezes, I would reconnect the Antifreeze jug and start pump and slightly open low point drains until pink comes out. In the future, opening low point drains and hot and cold faucet, will make job easier.

[Ford Idaho]

Just to the right of the shower hose is a sticker that ID's my low points location.

After I run the water out I replace the caps loose to allow some AF to leak out when I turn on the pump.

After the pink is leaking I tighten the caps.

Any way IMO you are good to go.

[Mtelkman]

Also, did you depress the little "button" in the center of the city water inlet while you were pumping in the pink stuff? That is an often overlooked line that needs winterizing.

[crunchman12001]

Originally Posted by Mtelkman

Also, did you depress the little "button" in the center of the city water inlet while you were pumping in the pink stuff? That is an often overlooked line that needs winterizing.

This is true... BUT, do not push the check valve while the pump in on. Do this last AFTER you are done with everything else and the pump is off. With the system pressurized, access the check valve "button" by removing the screen on the city water inlet hose connection. Stand to the side and press the center of the valve. The antifreeze will spray out and get ya.
I made the mistake of leaving the pump run last fall while I pressed the button, it messed up the O ring on the valve, had to replace it this spring.

[SidecarFlip]

Originally Posted by Ford Idaho

Just to the right of the shower hose is a sticker that ID's my low points location.

After I run the water out I replace the caps loose to allow some AF to leak out when I turn on the pump.

After the pink is leaking I tighten the caps.

Any way IMO you are good to go.

Sounds to me like they are GTG as well. It you slide the gate valves and some pink comes out that is indicative of AF being on the tank floor....

Myself, I leave my cap off but I keep my unit inside a barn anyway.

[Billus338063]

Thank you FLYBOB.

[Billus338063]

Thank you Mtelkman. Last year I looked for that little button and what I found was this. First I have a screen which I pulled no problem. Under that was another "finer" mesh screen which did not seem to want to come out. I believe if I worked at it I could've probably gotten it out but would have destroyed it in the process. We have a 2015 Coachmen Apex Ultra light. Is it possible/probable that some campers do and some dont have that little button?

[5picker]

Does you unit have an outside shower?
Many times this is forgotten during winterization.

[Billus338063]

We do and we did remember 5picker. Thanks

[Less is More]

As typical, there is always some disagreement on whether the system should be blown out or just filled with antifreeze. Being a new owner I started with blowing the system out of my Rockwood 1905. The instructions said no more than 30 lbs of air pressure. Well, that hardly made the system burp. After, a frustrating 1/2 hour of that nonsense, I jacked the pressure up to 60 lbs. As long as one faucet was open it would not over pressurize. Finally it did blow water out.

Being compulsive I then decided that antifreeze might be good as well, so after 20 minutes of figuring out how to engage the external antifreeze port I filled the system with antifreeze. Then it occurred to me that I needed to have it come out the low points. Surprise, clear water came out for a while before the pink. In total I went through 4 gallons of antifreeze.

In sum, belt and suspenders appear to be complements not necessarily substitutes.

[SidecarFlip]

The stuff is cheap anyways. Lots cheaper than busted plumbing.