'98 southwind winterization

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cbeam2

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Actually dewinterization. I purchased it already winterized. Can someone give me info on the valves and which positions they should be in for normal use?

There are 3 beside the hot water tank inside bath cabinet, two at bath faucet and several outside in storage compartment.


Chuck
 
Any chance you could post some pictures? Coaches are plumbed in a variety of ways, even from the same manufacturer. We could probably give more concrete directions.

Basically, the three bypass valves near the heater will need to have their positions reversed. Whatever is closed should be opened  and vice versa. Make sure the drain plug in the tank itself is also reinstalled (accessed via outside door). Hook up a hose to the regular city inlet port (outside) and see if you get water flowing through the faucets, hot and cold. The water tank will fill before water gets through to the hot faucets. Make sure the heater stays turned OFF until you are sure it has filled with water!

The low point drain valves may or may not have been left open. You will find out when you start filling the fresh water tank. If water runs out the bottom of the coach, close the associated valve (usually directly above). Ditto for adding some water to the fresh tank - its drain valve may or may not have been left open. Close it if open.
 
The large one is evidently the fresh water tank drain. And one of the smaller valves off the pump is a drain. On the hot water tank... I have moved them around so much that I am now confused as to where they were to begin with.

Chuck
 

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Oh and when I put the plug in the tank, I discovered there is an electric heater rod. I believe it's a Hott Rod or something similar.


Just went through the papers again. It was installed in 2004. Should it be safe to use it?


Chuck
 
I'm surprised a 98 Southwind does not have a electric water heater rather than needing a Hott Rodd. Is this  a Flair, by any chance?  No problem with  the rods, though, I've used them in a couple of my past rigs.

In a three valve heater bypass system, one line is cold water into the tank (at bottom), one is hot water out (from near the the top of the tank) and the cross pipe is the actual bypass. For normal use, the inlet valve is set to allow cold water into the tank, the cross pipe valve is closed and the outlet pipe valve is set to allow hot water to flow out of the tank.

Here are some pictures of typical set-ups, but specifics can vary in some installations:

http://www.rverscorner.com/bypass.html

No reason at all that a 2004 heater should not be safe, assuming it was installed to spec to begin with. But wonder why it was replaced in 2004? The original 98 should have been good for a dozen more years at least...

I can't see the other plumbing well enough to figure out the small valves around the pump lines. How does the fresh tank get filled? Gravity flow inlet somewhere on the side of the coach? Where do those lines we can see in the photo go to?
 
Call it "intuition" or "conventional wisdom", to de-winterize, I would spin the two valves closest to the water heater counterclockwise (opening them) and spin the valve on the cross pipe clockwise (closing it).

The other valves, with the yellow handles sticking up, I would rotate until their handles are in-line with the pipe they are installed on.  I believe this to be the norm for an in-line (non-T) valve of this sort.
 
The water heater wasn't replaced in '04, only added the Hott Rodd then. The electric plug for it is out side in the heater compartment. Is it normal to plug them in in that manner? I guess run a cord to your hookup.

The small valve on the right seems to drain the pump hoses.  The middle valve is the one that makes no sense to me. It also have to be open to drain those same lines.

 

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Yes, a Hott Rodd or similar is typically plugged direct to the campsite power pole, to avoid adding its load to the trailer cord. Can do it either way, though.

The three yellow handles look to be in the right position for normal use, i.e. closed. I'm guessing the vertical pipe is the feed from the pump to the rest of the RV. I can't tell where the pipes with the other two yellow valves go to, but you labeled them drain. But why a double ended drain? Do both ends of that line just end in open air somewhere?

And how does city water get into the system? And how does the tank get filled?
 
Gary is almost certainly correct in his assumptions concerning the yellow handled valves.  My mind was equating "on" with "normal operation" when closed would be the correct way for the pictured plumbing.

The center yellow valve appears to be the pump bypass for filling the tank from city water.  That will be easy enough to determine when you de-winterize.

The little brass fitting directly behind that valve (on the input to the pump) is where you would attach your siphon hose to add pink antifreeze.  The little thumb lever would have to be turned, of course.
 
I will check that out. I didn't realize it was possible to fill the tank from water hook.
 
Many, but not al, RVs have the capability to fill from the city water hook-up as well as a gravity feed. Others are gravity fill only and some are city inlet only. I've had all three types but my current coach is both available.
 
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