Where did my Anti-Freeze go?

reknaw · 10-12-2018, 06:16 PM

Have a 2003 Cardinal LE29 5th wheel. I'm in a seasonal park in Canada and went to winterize today. I did, I believe, the same as previous years. Turned off city water Opened all the lower drains including fresh water drain, and replaced plugs... by-passed and drained Hot Water tank. Closed all drains. Emptied Black & Grey tanks. Closed all connections (taps and drains) Switched over pump to sucked out anti freeze from container(s) and turned on farthest cold water tap in kitchen and electric pump ... I had already emptied and removed the water filter . Turned on pump and it filled the container, turned on kitchen tap..nothing !! Pumped thru' nearly 4 gallons ...still nothing. Absolutely no idea where my 4 gallons of anti-freeze went. I unscrewed the 4 lower drains - nothing dripped out. Check under the RV no signs of anti freeze leaking,,,, Absolutely baffled.... anyone experienced anything like this ??? Help please, if possible

dblr · 10-12-2018, 06:18 PM

Could you have pumped it into your fresh tank???

**Flybob** · 10-12-2018, 06:23 PM

Did you turn all the valves to bypass the WH or just one. If not then you most likely filled the WH.

rockfordroo · 10-12-2018, 06:32 PM

Another possibility, although far-fetched: If you have separate pump suction valves from the tank and the AF connection, and you didn't close the one to the tank, and you were sort of "pouring" AF into the AF connection hose, you may have simply gravity drained all your AF to the FW tank.

reknaw · 10-12-2018, 08:14 PM

as a check, I opened all the drain plugs - FW, City Water, all lower drains, Black Water, Gray Water & Shower..... all empty, no sign of Anti-Freeze - strange eh ?

Skip12 · 10-12-2018, 08:22 PM

Flybob's response still sounds like a good bet until you check your water heater. Otherwise, check your basement or the enclosure under your basement.

kenandterry · 10-12-2018, 08:29 PM

I agree.....I don’t hear that you’ve opened the drain plug on your water heater.

All I’ve heard is all the drain plugs underneath have been opened.

If your antifreeze comes out of the water heater then you were filling the water heater with antifreeze.......not the preferred method.

reknaw · 10-12-2018, 08:41 PM

Sorry, I did check the HW tank... I had drained it and not a drip from it now.

kenandterry · 10-12-2018, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reknaw

Have a 2003 Cardinal LE29 5th wheel. I'm in a seasonal park in Canada and went to winterize today. I did, I believe, the same as previous years. Turned off city water Opened all the lower drains including fresh water drain, and replaced plugs... by-passed and drained Hot Water tank. Closed all drains. Emptied Black & Grey tanks. Closed all connections (taps and drains) Switched over pump to sucked out anti freeze from container(s) and turned on farthest cold water tap in kitchen and electric pump ... I had already emptied and removed the water filter . Turned on pump and it filled the container, turned on kitchen tap..nothing !! Pumped thru' nearly 4 gallons ...still nothing. Absolutely no idea where my 4 gallons of anti-freeze went. I unscrewed the 4 lower drains - nothing dripped out. Check under the RV no signs of anti freeze leaking,,,, Absolutely baffled.... anyone experienced anything like this ??? Help please, if possible

I’ve copied your quote here to clarify a couple of your statements...
“turned on farthest cold water tap in kitchen AND ELECTRIC PUMP?”
What’s this electric pump you mention?
“Turned on pump and it filled the container”
What is this container you’re mentioning?

Here’s a step by step I use.....

reknaw · 10-13-2018, 07:01 AM

Thanks for the reply. "Electric Pump" should have probably said "turned on pump switch". The "container" is the glass container that houses the water filter".

**Mr. Dan** · 10-13-2018, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reknaw

Sorry, I did check the HW tank... I had drained it and not a drip from it now.

We assume you checked the water heater by removing the anode/plug, right?

reknaw · 10-13-2018, 08:32 AM

Is there another way ???

youroo · 10-13-2018, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reknaw

Is there another way ???

After you drained the tank did you screw the drain plug back "In"? Remove it again and see if your "Anti-Freeze is in there!

Youroo! !

Skip12 · 10-13-2018, 11:55 AM

If the fluid is not in your tanks (wh, fresh, gray, black, secondary gray maybe), and it never reached the ground, its either pooled up in your basement or the underbelly. I had a leak one time and found out a lot of liquid can pool up in the underbelly without escaping through the underbelly vents.

Still, seems that most of us want to be sure you've bypassed your water heater properly. With so many different bypass configs, it's easy to not get it right. Beleive me, I've accidentally put a gallon of anitfreesze in my water heater more often than I' care to admit.

Regardless, let us know what you find out.

BobHanke · 10-13-2018, 01:58 PM

Had a similar issue two year ago. Pumped over 2 gallons of antifreeze in but none ever arrived at a faucet. As soon as I put the low drain plugs (2) in, all works properly. Never found out where the lost two gallons went.

HemiCamping · 10-13-2018, 03:03 PM

I think I’ve either done or heard of most of the things suggested here. I’m thinking and agreeing with others.. perhaps the antifreeze ended up back in the freshwater tank. Is that one of the points you’re able to check? Otherwise... maybe hook the city water up, as is and see if water starts leaking or collecting somewhere? Good luck and keep us posted.

HAPP · 10-13-2018, 03:35 PM

Outside Shower?

Igave · 10-13-2018, 05:52 PM

If it did go in the city water tank the outgoing hose may be (and very likely is) high enough that it takes several gallons in the tank before the pump can bring it out. That might also explain why nothing is coming out when you turn on the pump. Sucking air. Mine is like that. I sure hope that’s the case and not that it’s all in the insulation/underbelly.

HerveVR · 10-13-2018, 09:16 PM

You mentioned in your opening post that you turned off City water.
As, most of the time, city water split is the closest to the water pump, how about having a look that way.
Maybe the tap is not completly «Off» or the check valve is not operating properly so, the AF might have fill the hose backward to the CG connecting end.

Still scratching my head to help.

Skip12 · 10-16-2018, 12:33 PM

Reknaw, did you solve this mystery? Please give us a status update. Thanks!

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