A Better DIY Adapter to Blow-out Water Lines

[J Mac]

Originally Posted by Ian G

I just find it amazing my little post trying to help people turned into this

Funny turn of phrase!

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by GerriJ

I think things are getting a little carried away. In an Escape we are talking about maybe a 4' length of 1/2" pipe (from the city water inlet to the faucet). How much air or anti-freeze is that? About .022 cubic feet. The first gallon of water will clear it out.

Sure, but it isn't about the volume, it's about washing the stuff off of the pipe walls and out of the nooks and crannies (dead ends in valve bodies and piping). As noted earlier, using antifreeze by putting it in the freshwater tank causes a much larger (but still perhaps entirely manageable) flushing problem, as adding one gallon to that tank and pumping it out certainly wouldn't entirely rinse it of anything.

It may not be a problem, but it's not a completely trivial matter. There's a reason that winterizing kits to add antifreeze without putting it in the tank exist; both of my "other" (not small trailer) RVs have this setup, stock from the factory.

[gbaglo]

Not sure why you need all the stuff shown in the link ( and where's the pump? ).
I have the Camco siphon pump and the connection to city water. That, and RV anti-freeze is all I need.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Not sure why you need all the stuff shown in the link ( and where's the pump? ).
I have the Camco siphon pump and the connection to city water. That, and RV anti-freeze is all I need.

There's more stuff in the hand-pump kit than in the diverter valve and hose kit.

The pump is wherever your Escape pump is; that's where the valve and hose (which is really all there is there is to the kit) goes. Putting the antifreeze in with the trailer's own pump ensures that the pump itself and all pipe between the pump and the city water inlet are flushed.

To be fair, my RVs with this setup have the winterizing inlet hose in an easily accessed outside compartment; in a typical Escape, I guess it would be under a dinette bench or something, and thus not as convenient. I would still use this system if winterizing an Escape with antifreeze.

[gbaglo]

Got it. Too much of a hassle for me, pump being under the dinette.
I just run the pump 20 or 30 seconds with an empty fresh water tank, as described under Winterizing on the Escape site.

[float5]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Got it. Too much of a hassle for me, pump being under the dinette.
I just run the pump 20 or 30 seconds with an empty fresh water tank, as described under Winterizing on the Escape site.

Us, too, run the pump a minute. Really easy and fast. Open toilet valve and taps to get pink and pour some down the drains. Done in a few minutes.

[GerriJ]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Sure, but it isn't about the volume, it's about washing the stuff off of the pipe walls and out of the nooks and crannies (dead ends in valve bodies and piping).

So how do you deal with that. Even without anti-freeze or air there could be stuff in there.

[thoer]

Originally Posted by GerriJ

So how do you deal with that. Even without anti-freeze or air there could be stuff in there.

Why Should You Sanitize Your RV Water System

Some other sites also recommend a mild dish soap solution (VERY well rinsed afterward) before the bleach to clean before sanitizing

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by GerriJ

So how do you deal with that. Even without anti-freeze or air there could be stuff in there.

Correct, GerriJ.......

OK, a couple of not so hypothetical questions:

1. How many people following this thread or even on this forum DO NOT thoroughly flush their water system after the threat of freeze is over and preparations for the upcoming camping season are underway, and

2. How many of these very same people who have thoroughly flushed their water system have gotten I'll from consuming water from a thoroughly flushed system, whether compressed air OR RV antifreeze was used in the winterizing procedure?

If you open the spigot to allow water to drain, something has to replace the water. Air gets sucked in through the spigot, with all the mean, nasty critters it contains. Seems to me the sanitizing procedure using tablespoons of bleach has done the trick, unless there are a bunch of people out there who can say they became ill after consuming water from their RV's system. Methinks the horse is dead!

[J Mac]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Not sure why you need all the stuff shown in the link ( and where's the pump? ).
I have the Camco siphon pump and the connection to city water. That, and RV anti-freeze is all I need.

That and someone else inside the trailer.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by J Mac

That and someone else inside the trailer.

True. After 44 years of marriage, that's called a date.

[thoer]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

True. After 44 years of marriage, that's called a date.

What a romantic guy!

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

.....Methinks the horse is dead!

Some day, at an ETI gathering, after a few beers, I'll tell the story of drinking a quart of water directly from a small pool with a dead deer floating in the middle.

--
Alan

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by alanmalk

Some day, at an ETI gathering, after a few beers, I'll tell the story of drinking a quart of water directly from a small pool with a dead deer floating in the middle.

--
Alan

And after that I'll tell the story about the skipper, who after the boat was knocked down, went down to see if any water was in the bilges. Finding some he put some on his finger and tasted it to see if it was salt water from outside or fresh water from the tank. It was salty. Very quickly he realized, actually there is a source of salt water in the boat also

Ron

[Donna D.]

All this talk about winterizing is giving me a headache. Today, the cushions are coming out for home storage, maybe batteries (I'll see how I'm feeling) and THINKING about blowing out the waterlines, etc.

I don't own a "real" compressor and don't want to spend a ton of money. Do y'all think this would work? Based on the specs, I could actually pick it up and move it around as needed: 3 gal. 1/3 HP 100 PSI Oilless Pancake Air Compressor

Fortunately, HF is only about 4 miles from me...

[Vermilye]

Very similar to the Harbor Freight one I use.

[rbryan4]

Yeah, it should work fine Donna.

[thoer]

Looks good. Do you already have a 12v one you take with you traveling? You could use it or pick up a decent one of those and have it serve both purposes.

[padlin]

If you pull the batteries you need a strap of some sort to lift and carry them, there are no handles on them.

[Donna D.]

Thanks for that info Bob, I've got a battery strap.

Cool beans group, this is the info I needed about the compressor. HF here I come... either today or tomorrow