Winterizing Hot Water Tank

[41woodie]

First time to winterize our new, to us, 2009 Freelander 3150SS. I was finally able to figure out how to pump antifreeze into the FW tank and then pump it through the system. (With pretty much no help from the pitiful Owner's Manual) I've hit a small snag with the HW tank and hopefully someone can help.

Unlike the previous RVs we've owned that have four valves that function to bypass the HW tank, the Freelander has only two valves. I closed the valve on the cold inlet side and opened the valve on the short bypass section. It appears that the HW tank has a one-way valve on the hot water exit line fitting that I'm supposing is meant to prevent water from entering the tank from the back side when the bypass is open.

When I am pumping antifreeze through the system and turn off all of the outlets I'm getting a pretty good dribble of antifreeze from the HW tank drain outside. I wouldn't think that this is good but not sure. If the antifreeze laced water enters the HW tank and for the most part exits the tank through the drain is there any danger of it harming the HW tank? For now I'm just leaving the HW tank drain open so there wouldn't be antifreeze standing in the tank, just a bit of residue. TIA

[cmalberto]

Originally Posted by 41woodie

First time to winterize our new, to us, 2009 Freelander 3150SS. I was finally able to figure out how to pump antifreeze into the FW tank and then pump it through the system. (With pretty much no help from the pitiful Owner's Manual) I've hit a small snag with the HW tank and hopefully someone can help.

Unlike the previous RVs we've owned that have four valves that function to bypass the HW tank, the Freelander has only two valves. I closed the valve on the cold inlet side and opened the valve on the short bypass section. It appears that the HW tank has a one-way valve on the hot water exit line fitting that I'm supposing is meant to prevent water from entering the tank from the back side when the bypass is open.

When I am pumping antifreeze through the system and turn off all of the outlets I'm getting a pretty good dribble of antifreeze from the HW tank drain outside. I wouldn't think that this is good but not sure. If the antifreeze laced water enters the HW tank and for the most part exits the tank through the drain is there any danger of it harming the HW tank? For now I'm just leaving the HW tank drain open so there wouldn't be antifreeze standing in the tank, just a bit of residue. TIA

Hmmm...I wouldn't put anything other than water in the FW(fresh water) tank...of which I would drain via the low point drains.

On the HW side it sounds like the bypass doesn't sound right if you getting AF back in the tank - of which you wouldn't want.

That all being said, I don't pump AF through my lines any more. I drain FW tank and then blow out any remaining water. Then I put AF in the p-traps plus down the potty hole. I will say I have never had a problem but we don't get below the middle 20s down here either.

I am sure you will get some better comments on your question - sit tight a bit.

[TURBS]

As stated putting the antifreeze in the fw tank can be done but not necessarily the easiest and wastes antifreeze to boot.

Next year install a winterization kit and suck the antifreeze right from the jug.

Makes it much easier to sanitize the fw system in the spring.

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping...rizer-kit/6279

Turbs

[bikendan]

not a good idea putting antifreeze in the FW tank.
if you'd read different RV forums, the vast majority would advise against it.

one, it'll take way more antifreeze than needed.
two, you'll have to flush the FW tank a lot to get the AF taste out of the tank.

as was said, adding a winterizing kit to the water pump, is the best way to go.

[41woodie]

The coach has a winterizing mode on the outside water controls but it sucks the AF straight into the FW tank. The "owner's manual" states that some models require adding AF to the FW tank and then pumping it through the system. The fresh water tank in this model is 50 gallons so after I drained the system it took 8 gallons of AF to get the level up to the pickup outlet.

I finally unhooked the hot water outlet fitting and screwed a plug in to stop it from back filling the HW tank. Seems like the anti-reverse valve is bad/weak. It wouldn't have killed the factory to simply add another valve like my former unit's had.

As it stands now I dumped a gal or so of AF in the BW tank, added AF to all of the P-traps, have pumped pink out of all the various outlets so I think I'm good. Since I left the HW drain valve out, as I always have, there is only some residual standing AF in the bottom of the HW tank but I can't see how even if it froze it could harm anything as it's not restricted in any way and could expand without drama.

[41woodie]

Don't know if you guys are familiar with the layout of a 3150SS the master bed is on an elevated platform with the 50g FW tank underneath. The darn pump is mounted on the subfloor beneath the bed. You have to remove the mattress, then the plywood it rests on. That leaves you having to reach a full arms length from the top edge of the bed platform just to be able to touch the pump. There doesn't appear to be any access that is lower. Putting a Winterizing kit on it would be a bear, but I may have to suck it up and try.

I'm not overly concerned with the AF standing in the FW tank, first we drink and cook with bottled water so that's not a concern. I'll take extra care in flushing the system to remove the residual AF when we put the unit back in use.

The main downer is the amount of antifreeze required in the tank to reach the pickup. I think I have the unit winterized for now, and I'll watch for AF on sale when the season ends next spring.

Still confused about the anti-reverse on the hot line exiting the HW tank, seems like they apparently expected it to be functional when bypassing the tank since they didn't put a valve on that line so maybe it needs replacing. Does Forest River have a knowledgeable factory contact for these questions?

[dwaynerz]

got a question. when i was winterizing the other day, i forgot about having the hw heater bypass. i had already drained via low point drain, and by opening relief valve on hw heater until all i had was drip drip drip. closed low point drains and relief valve and proceeded to fill system with anti freeze. got about 3 pumps when i noticed hw bypass. closed that and saved a bunch of anti freeze.

my question is this .... would you take out the anode rod and let out what when in, or just leave it til spring.

[Ford Idaho]

Originally Posted by dwaynerz

got a question. when i was winterizing the other day, i forgot about having the hw heater bypass. i had already drained via low point drain, and by opening relief valve on hw heater until all i had was drip drip drip. closed low point drains and relief valve and proceeded to fill system with anti freeze. got about 3 pumps when i noticed hw bypass. closed that and saved a bunch of anti freeze.

my question is this .... would you take out the anode rod and let out what when in, or just leave it til spring.

I would let it drain out and then flush the tank with lotsa water and then wash off the rod until good and squeaky.

[Bobb36]

Our motorhome set for a year on the lot before we bought it and they had put AF in the FW tank, I followed the owners manual and flushed it and bleached it. Now I have never drank any AF to see what it taste like but we never tasted anything different with the water. So I have done the same thing for this winter, bought 6 gallons of AF that cost me $16.74 and dumped it in the FW tank and pumped it thru the system to protected my $50,000.00 investment.

[1nshort]

Originally Posted by Bobb36

Our motorhome set for a year on the lot before we bought it and they had put AF in the FW tank, I followed the owners manual and flushed it and bleached it. Now I have never drank any AF to see what it taste like but we never tasted anything different with the water. So I have done the same thing for this winter, bought 6 gallons of AF that cost me $16.74 and dumped it in the FW tank and pumped it thru the system to protected my $50,000.00 investment.

I have not used AF for the past 5 years except in the BW and GW tanks and of course the p-traps. I drain the HW tank then bypass it. I use the low drains (all three), to drain the FW tank and the hot and cold water lines, shut the low drains, then hook up an air compressor set at 45 pounds (on the city water connector) and go to each fawcett and shower turning each water valve on until I get nothing but air. That empties all water lines. I then open the three low drains for the winter.
1n