Winterizing question

[Tiercel]

I started winterizing but hit a snag.

I configured my hot water tank by-pass
I drained my fresh water tank.
I TOTALLY drained my hot water tank
I attached a compressor W/30 PSI to supply line
I blew out all lines at every faucet & toilet
I put pink antifreeze in drains
I emptied waste tanks

At first effort I have not located my low point drains AND I see no uptake winterization hose on my water pump. I have to think there is residual water in the pump line.

I found the top of what some said is a low point drain under my bed (below) but see nothing hanging down under the MH, I am not even sure what I am looking for.

 

[Rene T]

The rings typically go to a low point drain valve. Pull up on them to open the valves. Try to follow the line to a 90 degree elbow which goes down through the floor. Look under the rv in that general area.

If you still can’t find them outside, then What I would do is leave your water heater in bypass mode, connect a water hose to the rig, shut all the faucets then turn on the water. Then pull on those rings one at a time, you show in the picture. If they are low point drains, you’ll find them outside. Then just do the blow down again and include these two valves as being the last two to do. Run your pump for a few seconds to clear out the water in the pump.
If you’re determined to add antifreeze, they sell kits that go between the fresh water tank and the pump for adding pink stuff.

 

[Tiercel]

The rings typically go to a low point drain valve. Pull up on them to open the valves. Try to follow the line to a 90 degree elbow which goes down through the floor. Look under the rv in that general area.

Got 'em, Rene! Thanks!

It was simple enough once you get some information. I was a little afraid they would be corroded tight, but they were easy to pull. It seems strange they are not spring loaded etc., just slide up and slide down. I would like to examine one to see how they work.

Weirdly, you cannot see them without removing the mattress and then the sheet of plywood under that. That is how I stumbled across them to get the photo. Once you know where they are, you can just raise the foot of the bed and reach in behind the storage bin and feel them. The manual only says to "drain the low point drains" without mention of location. I would have been completely baffled if I had not stumbled across them disassembling the bed platform just to explore. I would have had to search under the MH, found the obscure short drains, and worked up.

I am not worrying about the pump. I ran it for a few seconds. If it survived 20 winters without being blown-out or without antifreeze, I guess it will survive another one.

Thanks again!

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

The OEM procedure for winterizing is frustratingly generic. Would be ever so useful to come up with a model specific procedure. Even after the number of times I've done mine I still haven't come up with a step by step I'm 100% confident with. Seems even after blowing air through a given fixture and nothing's coming out, I can go back to one I've just done and I still get a few spatters and sprays out of. Ideally there'd be a procedure that detailed what valves on each fixture in a specific order clears out the tubing in a logical order but I haven't hit upon that yet. So it turns into an exercise of going around and checking each one until there's no residual left. Probably by the time I figure out the ideal order I'll be getting a different RV...

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Tiercel]

The OEM procedure for winterizing is frustratingly generic. Would be ever so useful to come up with a model specific procedure. Even after the number of times I've done mine I still haven't come up with a step by step I'm 100% confident with.
Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

You seem a little obsessive and I definitely relate. I made sure my MH was leaning heavily toward the hot water tank and fresh water tank drains. After draining the hot water tank I stuck a rolled-up paper towel in the drain hole and wicked at least a full cup of water out in just a minute or two. I replaced a busted tank that had supposedly been winterized by an RV dealer. A member on here also posted he had an Atwood tank bust just from the residual left after he drained the tank. His photo looked just like the tank I replaced. It defies common sense but I am not taking chances. Those drains are by no means located at the bottom of the tank.

As soon as I gas up and fill with propane, I will park back on the level and blow out the lines one more time just to be certain.

 

[Kirk]

It seems strange they are not spring loaded

If that were the case you would have to stay and hold them open until everything was drained and you would not have the option of leaving them open. Not a good option.

I am not worrying about the pump.

I don't either, I just run the pump dry for 15 - 20 seconds. Been doing that for more than 10 years now.

I see no uptake winterization hose on my water pump.

That is a relatively recent thing to find in an RV from the factory and even today many of the lowest priced RVs do not have one. If you wish to add one, there are kits to add that feature available from Amazon or most RV supply houses.

 

[Rene T]

Got 'em, Rene! Thanks!

It was simple enough once you get some information. I was a little afraid they would be corroded tight, but they were easy to pull. It seems strange they are not spring loaded etc., just slide up and slide down. I would like to examine one to see how they work.

Weirdly, you cannot see them without removing the mattress and then the sheet of plywood under that. That is how I stumbled across them to get the photo. Once you know where they are, you can just raise the foot of the bed and reach in behind the storage bin and feel them. The manual only says to "drain the low point drains" without mention of location. I would have been completely baffled if I had not stumbled across them disassembling the bed platform just to explore. I would have had to search under the MH, found the obscure short drains, and worked up.

I am not worrying about the pump. I ran it for a few seconds. If it survived 20 winters without being blown-out or without antifreeze, I guess it will survive another one.

Thanks again!

Did you locate where the low point drains exit the bottom of the rv?

 

[Tiercel]

Did you locate where the low point drains exit the bottom of the rv?

Yes I did Rene. Once I knew fo certain these were low point drains I found the exit point which was nothing but 2 very short sections of PEX. Before your post I was randomly looking for two valves under the MH.

 

[TheBar]

I don't plan on ever tearing out a wall so I spend 1 hour winterizing. After blowing out all the lines I pressurize 2 gallons of antifreeze thru the city water connection and water tank. I run the pump during this process to make sure the pump has had antifreeze run thru it. Then I blow all the antifreeze out of the lines. This helps to eliminate the antifreeze smell/taste the next spring and the p-traps get filled with antifreeze.

 

[Rene T]

Yes I did Rene. Once I knew fo certain these were low point drains I found the exit point which was nothing but 2 very short sections of PEX. Before your post I was randomly looking for two valves under the MH.

Glad we could help