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Winterize

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Billy Bob View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Billy Bob Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Winterize
    Posted: 11 Nov 2011 at 6:55pm
From my latest Good Sam Highways, "RV Storage and Winterizing". Flush a gallon of RV anti-freeze or windshield washer fluid down the toilet (for black holding tank) and pour 1/4 cop down each gray water drain to protect the P-traps. Windshield washer fluid will not harm valve seals and it's less costly than RV anti-freeze. Ideally, the bottom of each holding tank should be covered with anti-freeze or windshield washer fluid. END
 
This was not for the fresh water drinking system, including the hot water heater. The windshield washer fluid might also be a good idea when traveling in cold weather to prevent the tanks from freezing. They didn't say, but it should also work for the gray holding tank also.  
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kmcmurph View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kmcmurph Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Nov 2011 at 1:11pm
Good idea, the blue windshield washer fluid is pretty cheap to use.
Karl, Kerri and the hounds:: 5.4L '04 Expedition:: 2010 177
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Marwayne View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Marwayne Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Nov 2011 at 1:38pm
Ja but if you live north of the 49 th it wont work.
If you want something done right, do it yourself!

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Footslogger03 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Footslogger03 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Oct 2012 at 9:16pm
I've got a question for the group   ...

So I installed the little "L" valve at the input side of the water pump a while back. Works fine. A few days ago I hooked up an air compressor to the city water input and blew out the lines - - that worked fine.

Tonight and the next 3-4 nights are supposed to be in the teens so I decided to pull some antifreeze into the plumbing. I took off the brass cap on the "L" valve assembly, hooked up the metal cap with clear hose and dipped it into a bottle of RV antifreeze. Turned on the pump and 6-8 seconds later the gallon bottle was sucked dry. So   ...I repeated that process - - 4 times. Yeah, that's right    ...I ran sucked 4 gallons of antifreeze into the plumbing of my 177. All of the bypass valves were set correctly and none of the antifreeze went into the hot water tank. It would have leaked right out anyway (and I would have seen it) because I have the anode pulled and the hot water tank drained.

My question is    ...where did all that 4 gallons of antifreeze go and why, when I ran the pump again, don't I see any pink stuff coming out of the cold water side of the sink ? Seems like even if I added some water and diluted the antifreeze a little it would still have some color.

Anyway    ...in a couple days, once the artic express blows through Laramie, I am thinking about putting some water into one of the empty antifreeze bottles, hooking up the feed hose and running the pump again, just to see if the system "pressurizes" and I see pink stuff coming out of the cold water side at the sink or in the bathroom when I turn on the faucet. I am just amazed that the "plumbing" of the 177 has a 4 gallon capacity. Oh yeah    ...and I got on my knees and checked for leaks or anything running out of any visible hoses/tanks/low point drains on the underside.

Thanks in advance   ...

'Slogger
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kmcmurph View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kmcmurph Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Oct 2012 at 12:52am
That's a good question. Last season I only wound up using about 1/2 for the plumbing, then used the rest down the toilet and p-traps. I always open a faucet, cycle the pump and shut it off when it runs pink. Maybe the valve is set to wrong way, sending the antifreeze back into the fresh water tank? Is that possible- I am not sure. Please let us know what you find out.
Karl, Kerri and the hounds:: 5.4L '04 Expedition:: 2010 177
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Footslogger03 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Footslogger03 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Oct 2012 at 5:17pm
Mystery solved - - recall the Nat'l Guard !! It was 2 things that caused the vanishing 4 gallons of antifreeze. First (and foremost) the low level drain caps were off. I had taken them off when I blew the system out with the air compressor and had forgotten to put them back on. The reason I didn't notice that sooner was that I was inside the camper during the antifreeze uptake process and the low level valves are behind my drivers side wheel    ...so I now have a patch of dead grass that is good to -50 degrees:-)

The second thing was that one of the bypass valves - - not the hotwater tank input/out line valves    ...the other one.

Once I got the drain caps on and oriented the valve correctly the system pressurized using the pump with the drop line sticking in the antifreez jug I had pink stuff flowing out of all faucets in seconds.

Thanks to everyone who offered advice and information. In the end what helped me most was going out there with a clear head and fresh eyes, doing a diagram of the plumbing and then going forward from there.

Note to self     ...DOCUMENT the hell out of this for next year :-)

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kmcmurph View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kmcmurph Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Oct 2012 at 5:59pm
Glad you figured it all out, now next season it will be a piece of cake!
Karl, Kerri and the hounds:: 5.4L '04 Expedition:: 2010 177
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Bill Ky View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bill Ky Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Oct 2012 at 12:35am
Did you get a little anti freeze out of the city water supply inlet, to clear the water from there? Do not attempt it with pressure on the system. Shut the pump off and and open a faucet, then remove the screen for the inlet and push the tip on the check valve and hold it till you see some antifreeze.
 
Here is a diagram just imagine your siphon tube for antifreeze being between the fresh water tank and the water pump.
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this_is_nascar View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote this_is_nascar Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Oct 2012 at 1:08pm
Originally posted by Bill Ky Bill Ky wrote:

Did you get a little anti freeze out of the city water supply inlet, to clear the water from there? Do not attempt it with pressure on the system. Shut the pump off and and open a faucet, then remove the screen for the inlet and push the tip on the check valve and hold it till you see some antifreeze.
 
Here is a diagram just imagine your siphon tube for antifreeze being between the fresh water tank and the water pump.
 
 
I'm pleased to finally see someone, other than myself, warn of this.  Many overlook this, but the day they break that check-value mechanism and have to replace it because it was damaged due to a pressurized system, they will no longer forget.
 
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Bill Ky View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bill Ky Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Oct 2012 at 1:51pm
Thanks, I learned that lesson the hard way years ago, should have realized the check valve would push easier. Pinch <<< D'oh   Result a broken check valve, which was a pain to install a new one.
Bill & Marilyn, Tinker Belle (Yorkie), Sparkle (Mini Dachshund) & Tootsie (the turtle) '12 RP175 '07 Dodge Ram 1500
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