Winterizing Question

Pirates55 · 10-30-2014, 02:07 PM

I have a Sabre 36QBOK-7. I just winterized it this past weekend. I had to have my neighbor help me. I switched both my water heater bypass and the winterize levers to the correct positions. I opened my low point drains, then turned on all faucets in the trailer and blew all water out of the lines using approx. 45 lbs. of air pressure. I removed the anode rod from the water heater and drained it too.

After blowing out the lines I put the low point drain caps back on and closed all faucets in the trailer. I hooked up the hose to the winterizing port and stuck the other end of the hose into the pink antifreeze and flipped on the pump.

Here is where I had an issue. It wouldn't suck up the pink antifreeze from the bottle. I ended up having to have my neighbor hold the bottle up where it was higher than the winterizing port and then it started flowing. Is this normal? I thought I could drop a hose in the bottle and then walk through the trailer opening and closing faucets and flushing toilets and be done quickly. Not so much.

What did I do wrong. The hose was approx. 5 ft. long so that I could set the bottle on the driveway and the other end hooked to the winterizing port on the trailer.

Anyone have any suggestions for me. I will be using the trailer again right after Christmas so I will have to winterize it again and would like it to be a little easier next time.

ColoradoRick · 10-30-2014, 02:13 PM

"The hose was approx. 5 ft. long"

Way too long...remember the water pump has to suck up all the air to make a suction before the water will start to get pulled.

My hose is only a couple of feet and I put the bottle of antifreeze on the paint tray of my 6-foot ladder so it's up as close to the inlet as possible.

fonzie · 10-30-2014, 02:36 PM

Make sure the end of your hose does not curl up in the anti-freeze jug otherwise it will not pull...end of hose has to be pointing straight down, I tape tygon tubing to an extra long screwdriver or a piece of wood......

Brother Les · 10-30-2014, 02:41 PM

imo... the psi may be a little high when blowing out lines.

I do not use the pump to fill up the lines with RV anti-freeze. I use a gravity hose and pour it in.

TURBS · 10-30-2014, 02:42 PM

You didn't say anything about removing water filter...........

Turbs

MuddauberE · 10-30-2014, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fonzie

Make sure the end of your hose does not curl up in the anti-freeze jug otherwise it will not pull...end of hose has to be pointing straight down, I tape tygon tubing to an extra long screwdriver or a piece of wood......

5 feet is kinda long, but otherwise should work. I would use a shorter hose just because of waste in the hose leading into your system vs what's actually pumped in the system. But I'm sure you would have noticed if the antifreeze was only being sucked half way up or not at all. Halfway means shorten your hose, not at all means you have something open...or closed. The only thing I don't remember you mentioning was turning the cutoff valve for your water tank to your antifreeze inlet.

MuddauberE · 10-30-2014, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by f1100turbo

You didn't say anything about removing water filter...........

Turbs

That too

Pbalmer65 · 10-30-2014, 08:36 PM

I too have the 36qbok. Last year I had the same issue until I noticed I had the hose connected to the wrong inlet. There is one the just for winterizing. Then all will go fine. 2.5 will fill all to outside kitchen. :-) don't forget the washer/dryer lines

Pirates55 · 10-31-2014, 01:30 PM

I did take out the water filter, I also did bypass the hot water heater and I also got the washer and dryer lines. I was hooked up to winterizing connection.

mTn_biKer65 · 10-31-2014, 01:59 PM

I had this exact scenario happen to me this year and once before as well. I assume it's something to do with air being in the lines but usually turning on a tap briefly to relieve the pressure will get things moving.

Note: This time I tried to get it going by opening the kitchen sink tap with no luck. I then moved around the trailer trying other taps and when I hit the outdoor shower BINGO the suction kicked in and the pink started flowing.

joy-rick · 10-31-2014, 02:08 PM

There is a valve that you have to turn that changes the input to the water pump from the fresh water tank to the antifreeze inlet connection. On my trailer that valve is located in the same compartment as the water pump.

**Iwritecode** · 10-31-2014, 02:25 PM

It sounds like you did everything right. Did you hear the pump kick on when you flipped the switch?

Pirates55 · 11-01-2014, 09:31 AM

Yes. I could hear the pump

gregandkimg · 11-08-2014, 05:48 PM

On my Sabre the water inlet for winterizing had a back flow valve installed in it similar to your city water inlet. This valve requires a pressure differential in order to open and allow antifreeze to flow. If you've blown the lines out the pump will not have a water source to prime and you have no pressure on the other side of the valve so it will not open. The valve really isn't required since there is no pressure on this inlet in normal operation (i.e. with the winterizing valve turned for normal summer use). I removed the valve and re-installed the water inlet and all the issues I had with getting antifreeze to draw went away.

speedcat · 11-10-2014, 09:37 PM

I am having the same issue. I winterized last year without a problem but this year, after making the proper switch's, I opened the cold water at the kitchen sink. After the pink started flowing I turned it off and then turned on the hot water....nothing...and after that could not get it to draw on cold or hot in the OK, main kitchen or bathroom...I didn't try all ie..the outside shower. After an hour of frustration I blew out the lines with my compressor and backfilled with pink stuff in the drains. I wondered if somehow my pump got vapor locked but that could not explain why it started off ok when drawing from the cold outlet and then nothing after trying the hot...I have considered filling my fresh water tank and "priming" the pump. I also will check for a backfill valve as suggested. I can hear the pump running and it just didn't have enough umph to suck up the pink stuff and yes, I am using a short hose. I also may try all outlets, including the outside shower. Temp are going to plummet this weekend so I hope blowing out the lines and backfilling work until I can figure out why I can't run the pink stuff through. If it fails again I do have a manual pump and will run the pink in that way.

ken1960 · 11-19-2014, 04:02 PM

How do i drain fresh water tank. It does not have a drain vale as I can find

Brother Les · 11-20-2014, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken1960

How do i drain fresh water tank. It does not have a drain vale as I can find

What type of unit do you have? There will be a drain on it.

ken1960 · 11-20-2014, 11:12 AM

33ckts

ken1960 · 11-20-2014, 11:17 AM

There is just 2 lines sticking through hot an cold

Brother Les · 11-20-2014, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedcat

I am having the same issue. I winterized last year without a problem but this year, after making the proper switch's, I opened the cold water at the kitchen sink. After the pink started flowing I turned it off and then turned on the hot water....nothing...and after that could not get it to draw on cold or hot in the OK, main kitchen or bathroom...I didn't try all ie..the outside shower. After an hour of frustration I blew out the lines with my compressor and backfilled with pink stuff in the drains. I wondered if somehow my pump got vapor locked but that could not explain why it started off ok when drawing from the cold outlet and then nothing after trying the hot...I have considered filling my fresh water tank and "priming" the pump. I also will check for a backfill valve as suggested. I can hear the pump running and it just didn't have enough umph to suck up the pink stuff and yes, I am using a short hose. I also may try all outlets, including the outside shower. Temp are going to plummet this weekend so I hope blowing out the lines and backfilling work until I can figure out why I can't run the pink stuff through. If it fails again I do have a manual pump and will run the pink in that way.

Is your hot water heater drained and the by-pass valve turned? Can you get to your water pump? disconnect the inlet side of the water pump and use a short adapter hose connected to it and suck the RV pink stuff directly out of the jug. If the pump has lost its' prime, take the short hose that you put on the inlet side of the pump, turn it up and with a funnel, pour the pink stuff in to get it primed.

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