Hot Water tank by pass

[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by Ford Idaho

I do better with a visual reminder, sometimes I forget where my note book is....

I hear ya Ford,,, I am right there with ya !!!
Sometimers ??? LOL !!!

[ColoradoRick]

Originally Posted by 5picker

I wouldn't do that either.
Any antifreeze in the lines from the pump to the water tank is going to end up inside the tank when you first hook up to flush in the spring.

I always leave mine closed until after I flush in the spring.
It's just part of the dewinterizing process in the spring as bypassing is in the fall.

I've seen a tag, bread wrappered to the kitchen faucet as a good reminder.

x2....and, on my checklist, turning those back to normal (in the spring) is only done at the very last step. (I flush the heck out of all my lines both using city water and then from the fresh water tank which I put a little bleach in...then drain everything, and flush again.)

[oldtool2]

Originally Posted by flugelboneman

When winterizing, after running the antifreeze through the system can you put the hot water tank by pass taps back to operational. REASON: After long winter filling aging mind with mult tasks, have been known to forget to turn the taps back to operational. Just thought if I could do it now, it would be one less thing to think about in the spring.

Before I add antifreeze to the system I bypass the valves and pull the anode plug to drain the HW. I then put the anode by the kitchen sink.

As long as it is there I know the valves are bypassed and the heater is drained. You can't fill the heater until you replace the anode.

Jim

[SULTINI]

Originally Posted by oldtool2

Before I add antifreeze to the system I bypass the valves and pull the anode plug to drain the HW. I then put the anode by the kitchen sink.

As long as it is there I know the valves are bypassed and the heater is drained. You can't fill the heater until you replace the anode.

Jim

"Me To" Almost, I take the combo anode rod threaded plug and just set it in side the bottom of the Water heater and close the door.

[oldtool2]

Originally Posted by amblt

OK - Here's one for everyone. I'm about to winterize my trailer- the 6th one we've owned, and the by-pass setup is one I've never seen before. The feed comes into the water heater at the bottom, at a T fitting which has a valve in it. The cross bar of the T carries on to feed what must be the cold side for the rest of the trailer, and the leg, or stem of the T goes up to the Hot side, to another T, which must feed the hot side, but which has no valve. I assume the bottom valve is routing the cold into the water heater and blocking the tube going to the Hot (exit) side of the water heater. If I turn the valve in the feed, at the bottom, logic says I must be changing the flow to go up toward the Hot side. So what is stopping the AF from going into the WH?. Is the Hot side fitted with an anti back flow device? All my other bypass systems had the lines in an H pattern, with 3 valves and I understood that and had no problem with it. Anyone have an idea? The trailer is a 2003 Cougar 27.8 fifth wheel.

It is a 2 valve system and I just did mine. Just reverse the valves. If the check valve should fail, any thing is possible, when you pull the anode to drain the tank your water will keep running.

Just don't do what I just did. I pulled the anode then while sitting in front of the heater I lifted the safety to drain the tank quicker. The water came out like from the end of a water hose! It did drain the tank quicker though, but I got soaked! Make sure you are off to the side when you lift the safety.

Jim

[amblt]

Originally Posted by ottawapaul

Had one rig that was built as you describe. Worked well until the back flow valve got stuck "open". Probably due to cacium deposits. When that happened, I replaced the back flow with a regular shut off valve. Just another surprise you will find if you own several rigs in your camping days.

Thanks so much, but I'm going to pay the campground operator to winterize it and let his insurance take care of any errors. (I doubt there will be, he's been in the business for years with no problems).

Cheers

[dougk53]

After winterizing I always drain the antifreeze out of the low point drains and hit it with a little blast of air. Then recap drains, put bypass valves back to operating position and replace anode rod. Been doing it this way for years so system is good to go in the spring and one less thing to do before camping. It gets down to -15 degrees in the winter here at times and never had a problem with any of 4 trailers we have owned. Nothing can burst if there is nothing in the lines and running the faucets in the spring for 15 seconds removes any residue left.

Doug

[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by oldtool2

Before I add antifreeze to the system I bypass the valves and pull the anode plug to drain the HW. I then put the anode by the kitchen sink.

As long as it is there I know the valves are bypassed and the heater is drained. You can't fill the heater until you replace the anode.

Jim

Sounds like a good idea Jim,,,
Do you place anything back in the Anode opening,,,
Or just leave it open ???

[oldtool2]

Originally Posted by Wolverine 1945

Sounds like a good idea Jim,,,
Do you place anything back in the Anode opening,,,
Or just leave it open ???

I use a rag to plug the hole. Roll it up and flod it so nothing lose is in it. Probably not necessary sense I have a screen on the cover but can't hurt anything.

Jim

[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by oldtool2

I use a rag to plug the hole. Roll it up and flod it so nothing lose is in it. Probably not necessary sense I have a screen on the cover but can't hurt anything.

Jim

Sure can't !!!
I tried screwing a garden hose to mine,,, not quite that right size !!!

[oldtool2]

Originally Posted by Wolverine 1945

Sure can't !!!
I tried screwing a garden hose to mine,,, not quite that right size !!!

Nope, hose is wrong size. You could buy a plug but it really isn't necessary. If you use a plug just screw it in hand tight.

Jim

[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by oldtool2

It is a 2 valve system and I just did mine. Just reverse the valves. If the check valve should fail, any thing is possible, when you pull the anode to drain the tank your water will keep running.

Just don't do what I just did. I pulled the anode then while sitting in front of the heater I lifted the safety to drain the tank quicker. The water came out like from the end of a water hose! It did drain the tank quicker though, but I got soaked! Make sure you are off to the side when you lift the safety.

Jim

Or turn the pump off and open a Hot faucet to relive the pressure !!!

[oldtool2]

Originally Posted by Wolverine 1945

Or turn the pump off and open a Hot faucet to relive the pressure !!!

If you had already bypassed the water heater shutting off the pump or opening a faucet won't do anything to help drain the hw heaters tank.


If you have not switched the valves it would help but you are going to be draining the water lines also. Why do that?

Jim

[Wolverine 1945]

Do not think it is a good idea to remove Anode Rod while sys is under pressure !!!

[oldtool2]

Originally Posted by Wolverine 1945

Do not think it is a good idea to remove Anode Rod while sys is under pressure !!!

Even after switching the bypass valves, and shutting the pump off if that makes you feel better, the hw heater tank will still have some pressure in it.

I guess if you shut off the pump and opened up a hot water faucet this would remove any pressure, then you could switch the valves and drain the tank.

I like to have some pressure so the water MIGHT help remove any crap that is laying in the bottom of the tank. Does it really help? I have no way of knowing for sure but don't see how it can hurt. Just don't be stupid like me and sit right in front of it when you are draining the tank, LOL! I won't do that again.

Jim

[Wolverine 1945]

After blowing ours out the other day,,, I found 2 or 3 inches of some pretty scummy stuff the filter canister ???

[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by oldtool2

Even after switching the bypass valves, and shutting the pump off if that makes you feel better, the hw heater tank will still have some pressure in it.

I guess if you shut off the pump and opened up a hot water faucet this would remove any pressure, then you could switch the valves and drain the tank.

I like to have some pressure so the water MIGHT help remove any crap that is laying in the bottom of the tank. Does it really help? I have no way of knowing for sure but don't see how it can hurt. Just don't be stupid like me and sit right in front of it when you are draining the tank, LOL! I won't do that again.

Jim

I have been using a pic of rain gutter,,, to director as much water away from the MH as I can,,, every since I found the compartment below was getting wet inside !!!

[youroo]

Originally Posted by Wolverine 1945

After blowing ours out the other day,,, I found 2 or 3 inches of some pretty scummy stuff the filter canister ???

That (Stuff) had to be from the Incoming water supply if it was In the Canister! Sounds like you were in some Bad areas? Youroo!!

[Wolverine 1945]

I am guessing it may have came from the City Water Hookup ???
We have never used that for h2o,,, only to blow out the system !!!

[oldtool2]

Originally Posted by Wolverine 1945

After blowing ours out the other day,,, I found 2 or 3 inches of some pretty scummy stuff the filter canister ???

That is a lot of crap! Did you check your water filter? Is this the first time you have winterized this unit?

I am on my fifth unit, two of the 5ers. All of them have been used and I have had no problems like that. Maybe I should shut up, I may be pushing my luck!

It sounds like your filter may have fell apart. If not your maybe one in the past.

Jim