Don't do as I do !!

MtnGuy · 11-13-2010, 09:31 AM

When winterizing last weekend, I vowed to get everything right this time. In the past it has been stuff like leaving the low point drains open when pumping antifreeze, or forgetting to switch the hot water heater bypass. So, everything was going good.....drained though the low point drains, recapped them, blew through each line at the faucets, and was ready to add antifreeze. I might have been dreaming this, but somewhere I thought I read where if you put something in the water filter canister, then you save antifreeze by not wasting that volume. So, I filled an empty Gatorade bottle with water, and it was a good fit to take up some volume. I started the water pump and began siphoning the antifreeze. Things were going great. The pump stopped, but I couldn't get any flow out of the faucets....when I opened them the pump would not cut back on. Crapola....what the heck was going on ?? I finally looked at that darn Gatorade bottle in the water filter canister.......it had floated to the top and blocked the outlet !! So, I can't take the water canister off, or loosen a line or I would have had antifreeze everywhere. What do I do ?? Well, I thought about the city water inlet. So, I go out and push in the check valve, and antifreeze flies, but at least I have relieved the pressure. I take the Gatorade bottle out, start the flow again, and the pump doesn't stop any time soon. I check outside, and water is coming out of the city water connection.......the check valve did not reset.

No matter what I do, I can't get that darn check valve to reset. Aaarrrggghhhh !!! So, I add a water hose cutoff to the city water inlet, and finish the antifreeze pumping.

So to save 20 oz. of antifreeze, I now have to replace the city water check valve. And I don’t know what the heck I was thinking about to save some antifreeze in the canister…….I use what is left in the canister to pour down my drains, anyway. Stupid is as stupid does.

Thought y’all might like a laugh at my expense.

Emptypockets · 11-13-2010, 10:59 AM

Is there any chance that next spring when you can run water thru the city water connection that the check valve will reset? If you need to replace the city water connection it is pretty easy to do. I know from ruining a check valve with too much air pressure when blowing out the lines.

MtnGuy · 11-13-2010, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emptypockets

Is there any chance that next spring when you can run water thru the city water connection that the check valve will reset? If you need to replace the city water connection it is pretty easy to do. I know from ruining a check valve with too much air pressure when blowing out the lines.

That is a possibility, but since I pressurized the system with my water pump, I doubt that is going to reset at this point. But thinking about it, I might just wait to see if that works. I can always use my water hose cutoff if it doesn't reset until I can replace it.

Good suggestion.

ken0042 · 11-13-2010, 11:22 AM

Thanks for making me feel better. Some of my other friends gave me the gears because I had my dealer do my winterization. (I asked them to throw it in for free because of some delays in getting my trailer ready.)

Part of my reasoning was I wasn't confident in doing it myself without having ever used any of my fixtures; so it wasn't like I was familliar with how they all worked.

I guess it just shows anybody can make a mistake like that.

f150k · 11-13-2010, 02:36 PM

I used an empty water bottle in our water filter and had no problem. Could it have been because the bottle was filled and also would the bottle have frozen in the filter because it was filled?

RhoZeta · 11-14-2010, 09:57 PM

Mtnguy, curious, why did you use antifreeze if you blew out the lines and drained everything?

MtnGuy · 11-15-2010, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RhoZeta

Mtnguy, curious, why did you use antifreeze if you blew out the lines and drained everything?

Because I am anal.

Seriously, I do it because I am concerned about water pooling in the low spaces, and then freezing. Even though I blow my lines, I don't think I can get 100% of the water out. The air might blow over the top of a low area and move the water around some, but what happens when the air is no longer blowing ?? I imagine any excess water will again settle back in the low area. So for about $6 in antifreeze (providing I do it correctly next time

), I am replacing that residual water with antifreeze. I also then blow out the antifreeze, but if anything is left in the low spots, then that is OK.

RhoZeta · 11-15-2010, 10:01 AM

Well that works for me! I am pretty anal about stuff like that as well. Almost a bit OCD.....

For $6 better safe than sorry!

MikeInColo · 11-15-2010, 05:34 PM

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one that makes mistakes while winterizing. The things we go through to save 1 gallon of antifreeze!

I completely removed my water filter (we don't drink the water in the RV and I didn't want to deal with it) and bought a brass fitting to connect the two ends in the gap it left. Apparently I didn't tighten as much as I should have and had antifreeze spraying out. I used 2 gallons when less than one would have sufficed. I buy two bottles of antifreeze each fall in preparation of the screw-up I always do!

I also run antifreeze through the lines after blowing with a compressor and then I blow the lines out again--it makes for peace of mind on those December days when the temperature is zero!

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