Winterizing questions

[runningwriter]

Our 13qbb has no water heater bypass.  LL manual describes bypassing the water heater during the winterizing process.  Anyone else in the same boat?  Do you fill the water heater with antifreeze?

i'm not sure that I'd want to mess around with all those Pex connections to install a bypass kit.  Not much room under that sofa. Besides, the kits I am finding online are all for screw type connections.

[runningwriter]

As a side note:  what would be the harm in filling the water heater (4 gal btw) and the plumbing and, then, draining and re-using the antifreeze next time?  Much (not all) could be recovered.

[david]

It is not necessary to pump antifreeze through the fresh water system to winterize. It is much easier to drain. The LL manual gives directions to do this as I recall. Here is my procedure:

Open the drain valve on the bottom of the fresh water tank outside and let it drain out. Then open the drain valve for the hot water heater located inside the hatch outside where you fill with fresh water. After they have drained, temporarily remove the discharge fitting from the fresh water pump. This has a wing nut type fitting and easily comes off. Put a short piece of vinyl hose on the faucet fixture and blow back to clear any low spots. Do this for all fixtures. Run the pump for a few seconds to blow out any internal water. Then reconnect the hose. Also unscrew the clear bowl on the suction filter and dump the water in there.

Put a cupful of RV/boat antifreeze in each drain: sink, shower, toilet etc. to flush out the trap. You are now good to -xyz temps.

David

[tinkeringtechie]

[quote source="/post/3967/thread" timestamp="1412104108" author="@dave"]Our 13qbb has no water heater bypass.[/quote]Really? What does the back of your water heater look like? Can you post a picture? I thought that was standard on all RV's.

[runningwriter]

[quote source="/post/3970/thread" timestamp="1412106419" author="@tinkeringtechie"][quote source="/post/3967/thread" timestamp="1412104108" author="@dave"]Our 13qbb has no water heater bypass.[/quote]Really? What does the back of your water heater look like? Can you post a picture? I thought that was standard on all RV's.[/quote]Here it is.

[tinkeringtechie]

[quote source="/post/3971/thread" timestamp="1412109503" author="@dave"][quote source="/post/3970/thread" timestamp="1412106419" author="@tinkeringtechie"]Really? What does the back of your water heater look like? Can you post a picture? I thought that was standard on all RV's.[/quote]Here it is.

[/quote]Wow, that looks nothing like mine. What's the make/model of the water heater?

[mitch]

It looks like you could disconnect the inlet and outlet at the water heater itself then drain the heater and that part would be done.  After that cap the ends of those hoses that were attached to the heater and run in the anti-freeze (or blow out the lines, I do anti-freeze).  I have a 2013 13qbb and mine is also totally not like yours.

[drdave]

http://www.amazon.com/Camco-35983-Quick-Permanent--Pass/dp/B0006JJ57Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412122027&sr=8-1&keywords=rv+hot+water+heater+bypass+kit

A bypass kit is pretty affordable if you aren't afraid of a small plumbing project

[drdave]

[quote timestamp="1412109639" author="@tinkeringtechie" source="/post/3972/thread"][quote timestamp="1412109503" source="/post/3971/thread" author="@dave"]Here it is.

[/quote]Wow, that looks nothing like mine. What's the make/model of the water heater?[/quote]I'm thinking that's an Atwood ELECTRIC (only) marine grade hot water heater?   Like this one?   Did you order it like that?  


http://www.amazon.com/EHM6-WATER-HEATER-Gallon-exchanger/dp/B002A1N83I/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&qid=1412122636&sr=8-19&keywords=rv++4+gallon+hot+water+heater

[pinstriper]

[quote source="/post/3976/thread" timestamp="1412122115" author="@tlbones"]http://www.amazon.com/Camco-35983-Quick-Permanent--Pass/dp/B0006JJ57Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412122027&sr=8-1&keywords=rv+hot+water+heater+bypass+kit

A bypass kit is pretty affordable if you aren't afraid of a small plumbing project[/quote][p]TANSTAASPP[/p][p]
[/p][p]*There ain't no such thing as a small plumbing project.[/p][p]
[/p]

[drdave]

[quote source="/post/3987/thread" timestamp="1412134935" author="@pinstriper"][quote source="/post/3976/thread" timestamp="1412122115" author="@tlbones"]http://www.amazon.com/Camco-35983-Quick-Permanent--Pass/dp/B0006JJ57Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412122027&sr=8-1&keywords=rv+hot+water+heater+bypass+kit

A bypass kit is pretty affordable if you aren't afraid of a small plumbing project[/quote][p]TANSTAASPP[/p][p]
[/p][p]*There ain't no such thing as a small plumbing project.[/p][p]
[/p][/quote]True enough!    

[runningwriter]

Yea.  It's the EMH4 Atwood, electric only.  It is a 4 gallon heater. 

[runningwriter]

I'm thinking about filling the whole system, heater included, and then, recovering and re-using it next season.  It is not like automotive antifreeze, that is spent after protecting the car for two years.  This stuff just sits there and...doesn't freeze.   Thoughts?

[runningwriter]

[quote source="/post/3969/thread" timestamp="1412105241" author="@david"]It is not necessary to pump antifreeze through the fresh water system to winterize. It is much easier to drain. The LL manual gives directions to do this as I recall. Here is my procedure:

Open the drain valve on the bottom of the fresh water tank outside and let it drain out. Then open the drain valve for the hot water heater located inside the hatch outside where you fill with fresh water. After they have drained, temporarily remove the discharge fitting from the fresh water pump. This has a wing nut type fitting and easily comes off. Put a short piece of vinyl hose on the faucet fixture and blow back to clear any low spots. Do this for all fixtures. Run the pump for a few seconds to blow out any internal water. Then reconnect the hose. Also unscrew the clear bowl on the suction filter and dump the water in there.

Put a cupful of RV/boat antifreeze in each drain: sink, shower, toilet etc. to flush out the trap. You are now good to -xyz temps.

David[/quote]David, I may use your method pretty soon, prior to an extended trip to the Keys in mid- November.  We plan on leaving it down there and returning home to celebrate Christmas.  Then, back to FL for a few weeks in the camper.  After that, mid-January, will have to give it my final winterizing.

Your point regarding the clear bowl on the pump filter is key.  Seems like that would be n easy one to miss.

[david]

Dave:

Think hard about filling your water heater with antifreeze. It can be a bear to flush out the AF taste. If you do, fill it with fresh water and dump 3-4 times.

David