Winterize fail

[redbeard33]

Tried to winterize our 2017 Escape21 yesterday, as it dropped to 30 degrees here in Montana this week. Using the "wet method", I drained the tanks, pulled the water heater anode, turned the valves to water heater bypass and added 3 gallons of RV antifreeze to the fresh water tank. The water pump just ran constant, never charging the lines. I added another gallon of antifreeze, then another and another. With 8 gallons in it now and the water pump still not moving it, I think maybe there's an issue. Perhaps an airlock of some sort?

I have a winterizing T valve with a on/off switch right above the pump, but they don't seem to do anything that I can figure out. Any input appreciated.

[gbaglo]

Not sure what the problem is, but I pump anti-freeze through the lines from the city water connection. I don't put any in the fresh water tank.
Drain the water heater and bypass it as you have done. Drain the fresh water tank. Run the pump for about 20 seconds so it is empty and then pump antifreeze.
Need somebody inside to open taps, one at a time, and shout when they see pink. Put some in the traps and you're done. Takes a couple gallons, at most.

[Iowa Dave]

If I were you I would drain the water tank antifreeze back into the bottles and then shut the drain valve. The Winterizing T valve should have a pickup hose on it that will pull the antifreeze out of the jug and push it through the system as Glenn says, open the taps one at a time and watch for the pink to come out when the pink shows up. Flush the toilet a few times so pink goes Through the valve. Drain or leave the antifreeze in the grey and black tanks and drain them in the spring. Bleach with 1/2 cup of chlorox in the spring and
Flush the fresh water tank about three time and you're good to go.
Push in on the backflow screen and stem with your finger on the city water fill so it does not perch water.
Read the manual. Or rationalize it through.
Dave

[Kent]

Originally Posted by redbeard33

Tried to winterize our 2017 Escape21 yesterday, as it dropped to 30 degrees here in Montana this week. Using the "wet method", I drained the tanks, pulled the water heater anode, turned the valves to water heater bypass and added 3 gallons of RV antifreeze to the fresh water tank. The water pump just ran constant, never charging the lines. I added another gallon of antifreeze, then another and another. With 8 gallons in it now and the water pump still not moving it, I think maybe there's an issue. Perhaps an airlock of some sort?

I have a winterizing T valve with a on/off switch right above the pump, but they don't seem to do anything that I can figure out. Any input appreciated.

Redbeard, if you have the winterizing T valve, you should have hose you connect or is already connected to the valve. Hose goes into antifreeze bottle and you turn pump on to pull fluid straight out of bottle.

If you find you need help, let me know as I live in Bozeman as well!

[Kent]

Redbeard, I just sent you private message.

[Iowa Dave]

Kent
You're a good man and a credit to the Escape brother and sisterhood..
Iowa Dave

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by redbeard33

The water pump just ran constant, never charging the lines. I added another gallon of antifreeze, then another and another. With 8 gallons in it now and the water pump still not moving it, I think maybe there's an issue. Perhaps an airlock of some sort?

Did you have the taps open? If the water lines are empty and filled with air then it's hard for the pressure to build up enough as the air is compressible. Leave the taps open and hopefull you'll hear a hissing, then some sputtering and then some spurts of liquid.

Ron

[rjbny]

Originally Posted by Kent

Redbeard, if you have the winterizing T valve, you should have hose you connect or is already connected to the valve.

We are also getting ready to winterize for the first time and have the T valve. I was planning to stick the hose connected to the T valve under the bed in our 19 into the jug of antifreeze avoiding putting lots of antifreeze into the freshwater tank. However, I did notice that there is water in the loop of clear plastic hose underneath the freshwater tank and I'm assuming that would be left behind and freeze. Or, perhaps I haven't run the pump long enough.

My question is should that outside hose underneath the freshwater tank be empty?

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Kent

Redbeard, if you have the winterizing T valve, you should have hose you connect or is already connected to the valve. Hose goes into antifreeze bottle and you turn pump on to pull fluid straight out of bottle.

If you had the winterizing t-valve in the open position with the pump running it would be pulling air in and no antifreeze from the tank. The point of the t-valve is so you don't need to put antifreeze in the fresh water tank. Either way, the pump is self-prining so if it was working correctly with water there is no reason it shouldn't be pulling antifreeze through the system whether from the tank (with t-valve closed) or from an antifreeze jug directly (with t-valve open).

[Dave Walter]

Originally Posted by redbeard33

Tried to winterize our 2017 Escape21 yesterday, as it dropped to 30 degrees here in Montana this week. Using the "wet method", I drained the tanks, pulled the water heater anode, turned the valves to water heater bypass and added 3 gallons of RV antifreeze to the fresh water tank. The water pump just ran constant, never charging the lines. I added another gallon of antifreeze, then another and another. With 8 gallons in it now and the water pump still not moving it, I think maybe there's an issue. Perhaps an airlock of some sort?

I have a winterizing T valve with a on/off switch right above the pump, but they don't seem to do anything that I can figure out. Any input appreciated.

Did you check to make sure the valve on the underside of your freshwater tank was closed? I once was changing oil in my wifes car and forgot to put the plug back into the oil pan before adding new engine oil. Sure took a lot of oil to fill! And it was the expensive synthetic oil also. You never make that mistake twice.

[Iowa Dave]

I made it twice but a little differently. Once I forgot to put the filter on and once on a Honda motorcycle. No oil plug Straight through!
Iowa Dave

[thoer]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

I made it twice but a little differently. Once I forgot to put the filter on and once on a Honda motorcycle. No oil plug Straight through!
Iowa Dave

Glad to know I'm not alone.

[keithgugliotto]

Originally Posted by rjbny

We are also getting ready to winterize for the first time and have the T valve. I was planning to stick the hose connected to the T valve under the bed in our 19 into the jug of antifreeze avoiding putting lots of antifreeze into the freshwater tank. However, I did notice that there is water in the loop of clear plastic hose underneath the freshwater tank and I'm assuming that would be left behind and freeze. Or, perhaps I haven't run the pump long enough.

My question is should that outside hose underneath the freshwater tank be empty?

Hi everyone! I used the T-valve and got the plumbing charged with antifreeze, but have the same little bit of water left in the fresh water intake tube that rjbny mentioned. Does that water ever get gone, and any advice on how I can get it gone? Low’s 26 on the prairie tonight and I’m still on the road, bringing this new 21 home from Chilliwack .

[akmacs]

I'm thinking its now trying to draw from the winterization hose meant to be placed in the antifreeze jug (my prior motorhome was set up similar for winterizing that way) instead of your fresh water tank.

[keithgugliotto]

Originally Posted by akmacs

I'm thinking its now trying to draw from the winterization hose meant to be placed in the antifreeze jug (my prior motorhome was set up similar for winterizing that way) instead of your fresh water tank.

Hrm. I did flip the T-valve back to the fresh tank, opened a faucet, and got a lot of sputtering, like you’d think, but still have about a finger length of water in the fresh intake tube.

[float5]

If you have a jug of RV anti-freeze (NOT automotive) to use with a winterizing t-valve connected to the water pump, or if you have a jug to use with a hand pump through a tube into the city water inlet, you need not put any anti-freeze into the fresh water tank. I have been miffed as to why people keep putting anti-freeze into their fresh water tank. Apparently, people used to pump through the lines from that. There is no longer any need to put anti-freeze into the fresh water tank. You should have a jug outside of the trailer and pump the anti-freeze in using the water pump with the winterizing tube, or a tube into city water using a hand pump.


I am not sure what little bit of water you mean. But you need to do this from the winterizing tube (that should already have been connected to the water pump) which should be inserted into a jug outside of the trailer. That is assuming that you have anything like ours.

[keithgugliotto]

Originally Posted by float5

If you have a jug of RV anti-freeze (NOT automotive) to use with a winterizing t-valve connected to the water pump, or if you have a jug to use with a hand pump through a tube into the city water inlet, you need not put any anti-freeze into the fresh water tank. I have been miffed as to why people keep putting anti-freeze into their fresh water tank. Apparently, people used to pump through the lines from that. There is no longer any need to put anti-freeze into the fresh water tank. You should have a jug outside of the trailer and pump the anti-freeze in using the water pump with the winterizing tube, or a tube into city water using a hand pump.


I am not sure what little bit of water you mean. But you need to do this from the winterizing tube (that should already have been connected to the water pump) which should be inserted into a jug outside of the trailer. That is assuming that you have anything like ours.

Oh, the antifreeze went from a jug through the tube & winterizing T-valve under the rear dinette instead of from the fresh tank. This is only my second winterizing rodeo so I know...a rope, maybe two . I drained the fresh water tank and thought that was that... It’s just that a little bit of water is in the tube that runs from the bottom of the fresh tank to the pump and I’m not sure if after it freezes it’ll expand but be harmless. There’s air in there, so it could be a wash.

[Donna D.]

Hummm, the only issue with freezing water is when water freezes and pushes against an immovable object. Like the lines with NO exit. You could probably leave several inches of water inside the fresh water tank with no worries. Plenty of room for expansion.... That's my theory and has worked successfully for me for years. YMMV

[float5]

Originally Posted by keithgugliotto

Oh, the antifreeze went from a jug through the tube & winterizing T-valve under the rear dinette instead of from the fresh tank. This is only my second winterizing rodeo so I know...a rope, maybe two . I drained the fresh water tank and thought that was that... It’s just that a little bit of water is in the tube that runs from the bottom of the fresh tank to the pump and I’m not sure if after it freezes it’ll expand but be harmless. There’s air in there, so it could be a wash.

Our water pump is under the bed so we never had such a tube situation. Is there any instruction in the new manual about it? Presumably all owners of the new generation have this situation and Escape has an answer for it.

[paulk]

Originally Posted by keithgugliotto

Oh, the antifreeze went from a jug through the tube & winterizing T-valve under the rear dinette instead of from the fresh tank. This is only my second winterizing rodeo so I know...a rope, maybe two . I drained the fresh water tank and thought that was that... It’s just that a little bit of water is in the tube that runs from the bottom of the fresh tank to the pump and I’m not sure if after it freezes it’ll expand but be harmless. There’s air in there, so it could be a wash.

Our fresh water tank has the pump intake hose and the drain valve on the side of the tank, and close together at about the same height. If the discharge valve is opened, the fresh water tank should drain to the lowest point of the discharge valve, which will be lower than the top of the pump intake hose, unless the trailer is on a very steep slope. On our trailer we shouldn't have a section of tube filled with water after the tank is drained. On your trailer there is no way that the tube will be emptied as the water level appears to be at the height of the bottom of the fresh water tank, so the water can't go up and out the drain valve.

Having the intake hose at the bottom of the tank would allow using more of the water while camping, so it's not entirely a bad choice. I'm not sure I would like that couple of inches of fresh water myself, but I'll defer to those who know more about plumbing and freezing temperatures.