Water Pump Winterizing Question

[Awilson]

I have a 2014 SunSeeker 2300 that I recently acquired and the weather is turning cold this weekend. I got the antifreeze and went to put it in and discovered there was no line to put in the jug. Went to our local RV dealer and got the winterizing kit, came back and installed it in about 15 minutes. I’ve done three others over the years. I put the line in the jug and set the valve pointing to the jug and turned on the pump and nothing. It won’t pull the antifreeze into the lines. I checked all the fittings to be sure they were tight and they were so it doesn’t appear to be sucking air. I put a few gallons of water back in the DW tank and tried the pump again and it works fine. The pump is a Shurflo 4008-101-A65 and the winterizing line is installed just below the strainer. I’m wondering if this pump is a gravity feed only with no suction to pull in liquids. Does anyone else have any experience with these pumps? I’ve never run into this before. Tia

[Asrabbit]

Check you valve to make sure it was connected in the correct direction. When you flip the valve to pump from the antifreeze bottle, the valve closes off the flow from one end of the three way fitting and allows it to only flow one way. This means the valve can only be connected with one side of it going to the pump. If you reverse it, it will not pump at all from your antifreeze jug. Take the valve back off and turn it around and reconnect it. It will likely work at that point. You can look down the valve and operate it to see what I am talking about.

[Awilson]

Originally Posted by Asrabbit

Check you valve to make sure it was connected in the correct direction. When you flip the valve to pump from the antifreeze bottle, the valve closes off the flow from one end of the three way fitting and allows it to only flow one way. This means the valve can only be connected with one side of it going to the pump. If you reverse it, it will not pump at all from your antifreeze jug. Take the valve back off and turn it around and reconnect it. It will likely work at that point. You can look down the valve and operate it to see what I am talking about.

I did not know this! That might explain why water will drain back into the jug! I will check this right away. Thanks!

[Awilson]

Originally Posted by Asrabbit

Check you valve to make sure it was connected in the correct direction. When you flip the valve to pump from the antifreeze bottle, the valve closes off the flow from one end of the three way fitting and allows it to only flow one way. This means the valve can only be connected with one side of it going to the pump. If you reverse it, it will not pump at all from your antifreeze jug. Take the valve back off and turn it around and reconnect it. It will likely work at that point. You can look down the valve and operate it to see what I am talking about.

Ok, I just got back from a fully winterized MH. I looked at the valve and the arrow definitely pointed in the right direction but it is really easy to take off so I took it off and removed the lines from the valve and you are absolutely correct! Water will only flow one way! The opposite of the arrow flow! I have never run into this before. If I ever take it apart again I will take a picture disassembled. What do you do with the big water filter full of antifreeze? What a mess to take that thing off! I’m thinking of removing it and pouring the antifreeze in the traps and BW tank. Here it is finished. Note the arrow direction going AWAY from the pump but it works. Thanks a million!

[MilCop4523]

might be a silly question but did you shut the valve which hauls water from the Fresh water tank off. if its sucking from that still it will not pull from the jug of antifreeze.

[Awilson]

Originally Posted by MilCop4523

might be a silly question but did you shut the valve which hauls water from the Fresh water tank off. if its sucking from that still it will not pull from the jug of antifreeze.

Asrabbit had the solution. Read his post and my reply. We are all winterized now. Crazy! Thanks for responding as it was really confusing.

[PSU Turf]

The water filter is a pain in the butt for winterizing. Always spilled a couple of ounces getting it off. Put towels under it. Definitely reuse the anti-freeze in traps. I took my filter off and replaced it with a pressure tank so that the pump doesn't cycle so often. Make sure to put enough anti-freeze down the drains so that there is some in the waste tanks. There could be more residual water in the tanks than you might think.

[Awilson]

Originally Posted by PSU Turf

The water filter is a pain in the butt for winterizing. Always spilled a couple of ounces getting it off. Put towels under it. Definitely reuse the anti-freeze in traps. I took my filter off and replaced it with a pressure tank so that the pump doesn't cycle so often. Make sure to put enough anti-freeze down the drains so that there is some in the waste tanks. There could be more residual water in the tanks than you might think.

Thanks for the response. I really dislike and don’t use the filter so I am interested in what and how you put in a pressure tank in place of the PIA housing that doesn’t hardly fit in the hole. I plan to go dump what water is left in the holding tanks and add more antifreeze in them and the traps.

[bubbles]

Some people put a full Snapple or equivalent bottle in the water filter housing to take up space. Some install a bypass for winterizing and some just remove the filter totally.

[PenJoe]

I am curious as to why the winterizing valve was placed below the sediment filter? When I added ours, it was placed above so that antifreeze would fill the sediment filter as well.

Also, the 2500TS had caps under the RV for low-point drains which made no sense. I replaced them with drain valves to the right of the water pump. It was much more convenient.

[Scrapper]

You should have put the 3-way valve on the other side of the smaller intake filter. If you leave that filter with water in it, it will crack when it freezes. Others have made the same mistake. Especially if they only blow out the system with air. Air will not get all the water out of the filters.

I see PenJoe beat me to it.

[Awilson]

Thanks for the heads up! I will pull the screen and the filter housing yet today. Thank you guys for that info so I will take it apart again and fix that oversight. I wish these companies would install this stuff from the factory. It would sure make it a lot easier on us older people.

[brandon 2]

We have the same motor home. First I had the kit fastened to the wrong side of the pump. Then got it to the sucking side. It would not pull the anti freeze at first but when I went in and used the taps and flushed the toilet it pulled right away. so that finished the winterizing process. That filter is a pain as said in this post. so I take it off and put its antifreeze in all the sinks and that takes care of the traps and the waste tanks. I also took the sediment filter off. Make sure you pull off the drain on the passengers side under the motor home as it drains the low point. Its a plug on the red line.


Brandon2
2014 Sun seeker
2500TS

[tomrob1161]

I blow my water lines out with 50 psi of air before putting in the antifreeze. that blows out the water so I don't spill any when removing the filter housing. Be sure to release any air pressure in the line before trying to remove the filter housing. It will really be tight with any air pressure on it. I speak from experience.

[Awilson]

Originally Posted by brandon 2

We have the same motor home. First I had the kit fastened to the wrong side of the pump. Then got it to the sucking side. It would not pull the anti freeze at first but when I went in and used the taps and flushed the toilet it pulled right away. so that finished the winterizing process. That filter is a pain as said in this post. so I take it off and put its antifreeze in all the sinks and that takes care of the traps and the waste tanks. I also took the sediment filter off. Make sure you pull off the drain on the passengers side under the motor home as it drains the low point. Its a plug on the red line.


Brandon2
2014 Sun seeker
2500TS

Yup! Got the drain opened up. I really like ours now that I took that giant u-shaped dinette out of there. Ours is set up for only two people so I never saw the need for a table that sits six. Hey, thank you guys for all the advice.

[MartyQ]

You can buy or make a water filter bypass. About $8, if you buy. It is an aluminum disk and rubber disk that fits in the top of the water filter canister. 1/16" Aluminum and a piece of 1/32" rubber cut into a disk will work.

[donanddona]

Have winterized several times, never removed the FW pump suction strainer. Last year it cracked. Cost about $2.00, but the clean up was a job. You find these things when water is flooding a storage compartment as most FW pumps are hidden behind a panel.

[CaptnJohn]

I found in house filters to be a weak link. I now remove them and bypass with hose. An external filter is used.

[Jim in Halifax]

I USE WINDSHIELD WASH IN OUR "p" TRAPS...cheaper!!!!.....-45*

[Awilson]

Originally Posted by Jim in Halifax

I USE WINDSHIELD WASH IN OUR "p" TRAPS...cheaper!!!!.....-45*

Excellent idea! Going to waste tanks anyway