How to Winterize. The Facts

[nomad297]

First, blow it out with compressed air at 60 psi after bypassing your water heater. Run each plumbing fixture until all you have is a sputter of damp air from each fixture. Drain you water heater. If it is a Suburban, remove the anode rod. If it is an Atwood, remove the drain plug. Drain your water heater and leave the plug or anode rod out. Next, open your low point drains and wait until it stops dripping. Replace the caps when the dripping has stopped. Now, fill your water lines with antifreeze. If you have an external uptatake, great, use that. If not, work out a way to get the antifreeze to fill your water lines or use the hose provided by Forest River at your water pump. Be sure to fill the city connection with antifreeze, as well as your outside shower. To fill the city water inlet, just push in on the check valve,until antifreeze comes out. To winterize your shower, turn on the hot and cold until antifreeze comes out of the head. Now, go to the toilet and run water until the antifreeze starts filling the bowl -- you are done with the toilet. If you feel that you haven't already dumped enough antifreeze into your sink traps and toilet, add some more. You are done.

If you have any other questions, post here or send me a PM. I will answer your questions.

Bruce

[fonzie]

What about the on board water filter?

[Happy Vibe]

Ok many list on here already. Not everyone agrees with blowing out and adding antifreeze.

[barron.barnett]

Given that no guide I've seen or heard recommends 60 psi but not going over 40 psi due to the probability of damaging your water system. I'm just going to go with the lists I've already found on the topic.

There are plenty here in this forum already, in nice well formatted step by step form that have been reviewed by other users as well as noting optional items depending on your area.

I wouldn't have said anything, but 60 psi can wreck someone's plumbing depending on their rig. Especially since they're rated for 40 nominal, with a 50 margin.

You may get away with it in your rig, but the list isn't just for your rig.

[Stlcaly]

Take the water filter out. On our 2109s it was a pain so I left the cartdrige out and us an in line filter on the intake hose. A lot easier to winterize and those cartdriges are costly

[Cowracer]

I take issue with calling this "the facts" there are many ways of winterizing that all seem to work equally as well.

I put it to each R/V owner to know the different methods and to choose for themselves how best to winterize. Some people (myself included) abhor the pink antifreeze in their water lines. Some people think blowing out the lines first is a waste of time, some think that if you don't do both, you are setting yourself up for disaster.

The best way of winterizing is to do what is required to prepare your trailer that freezing weather does not ruin your plumbing. How to get there is up to personal preference.

Tim

[checkmate99]

If you have a frige with ice maker, what about that? Yes, I agree. There is more to winterizing then what nomad297 stated. Also, 60 psi air pressure is more then any other info I have ever seen.

[427creston]

Hi all , most years I first drain all lines leaving the taps etc open , then attach the air hose to the city supply and give it a couple of blasts of 30 lbs , then I checked the lines and thats when I found that the water filter container with the filter in had also drained well almost about an inch in the bottom . with the pressure off it ,I could unscrew it and take the cartridge out ..... no mess or water leaks . in our 2650 its under the bed .worked great .

[WFD]

Originally Posted by checkmate99

If you have a frige with ice maker, what about that? Yes, I agree. There is more to winterizing then what nomad297 stated. Also, 60 psi air pressure is more then any other info I have ever seen.

That`s the problem with many of the posts...you have to take everything with a grain of salt and see what makes most sense to you. Just because one person on a post said so doesn`t make it necessarily so!

[MilCop4523]

We did ours last month
didnt blow out the lines whereas RV antifreeze is a "pusher" and will displace water in lines.

for those of you that do blow out air 30 psi is the recommended amount starting with all taps being turned off and opening each one individually withthe WH bypassed.

dont forget the check valve in the city water connection.
Mine failed and needs to be replaced.
You ask how i know it failed...???

Ask my wife who got hit with the pink fluid while i was inside.

"NOT FUNNY" was her 2 words after slapping the side of the trailer.
I had moments earlier taken my VA hearing aids out so as not to possibly damage them.

Sorry my love...

I didn't do it on purpose

[kdot]

60 psi is way too much pressure and will damage many trailer water systems. Half that will do the job without damage.

Dot

[CWSWine]

If you have a cloths washer be sure to flowing the directions on winterizing it. Even if you don't have a washer installed be sure to winterizing the lines that would hook up to the washer also pour some anti freeze down the washer drain.

If you do you winterize then tow it to storage BE SURE to check the fresh drains and check them one more time for water. Mine a have 3/8 hose about 3 foot long from the fresh tank to the drain valve that was full of water after towing to storage.

Next tip that wasn't cover in the OPs post.

[prestonj12]

I love my winterizing method. Put the toy hauler in the shop and set the thermostat in the shop to 50 degrees. Empty the hot water tank, open the low point drains, empty the fresh water tank and done.


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[youroo]

Joe Friday always said, Just the Facts! Youroo!!

[Oaklevel]

As long as one faucet is open there is no way you can put 30 PSI or even 60 PSI in the water system. I just use the air compressor and do not reduce the pressure for short bursts................ with a faucet open.......

[MNtraveler]

Forest River says do not exceed 30 psi. (Class C Motorhome Owner's Manual (09/14) p. 43.

[MilCop4523]

Originally Posted by prestonj12

I love my winterizing method. Put the toy hauler in the shop and set the thermostat in the shop to 50 degrees. Empty the hot water tank, open the low point drains, empty the fresh water tank and done.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

thats called the 50 to 75 Grand method

[VinceU]

Originally Posted by MNtraveler

Forest River says do not exceed 30 psi. (Class C Motorhome Owner's Manual (09/14) p. 43.

This pressure refers to someone with an unregulated compressed air supply.

In real life most all water systems have a single control/safety device to regulate the system beyond the supply pressure. That of course is the heater relief valve normally set for 125psi. Usually that happens after the heater operates and no water is drawn from any tap. Most everyone has seen the valve drool or spitz for a short time, system pressure has been reached, the entire system @125 psi withstands the pressure. I.E. Is required to by plumbing codes. 30 psi is way too anemic.

[ColoradoRick]

I went quite a few years never blowing out my lines, just sucking antifreeze through everything, so blowing out the lines isn't mandatory. (But you will discover that you will need about half as much antifreeze when you do blow the lines.)

The PSI of blowing out the lines isn't really a factor if you just open up a faucet before starting the compressor. Then, you just work your way around to all the fixtures. Letting the pressure build up without opening anything, of course, could cause problems. (Assuming you have a small compressor, 3 gallons or less...if you have a huge one then you will want to keep the pressure lower.)

Since some folks don't live in very cold areas, the best thing you can do is to ask your RV dealer what they do in the winter. If they don't winterize anything then you probably don't have to either. (RV dealers usually have a LOT of money sitting out on the lot so they won't risk freeze damage unless they are idiots.) Getting down to 30 degrees for a few hours at night isn't going to do any serious damage. (And remember that wind chill only effects humans...if it's 33 degrees but 15 with the wind chill it's only 33 on the pipes.)

[Cowracer]

Originally Posted by MilCop4523

thats called the 50 to 75 Grand method

Thats also called the "Man, I hope I don't have a power failure while I am away" method as well.

Tim