WINTERIZING: updated Oct. 29, 2013

[cpaharley2008]

One note on using the compressed air method, do not go above 45 psi and use an "oil free" compressor. Some compressors use oil to lubricate the air tools, this you do not want inside your water lines.

 

[Dave Walter]

One note on using the compressed air method, do not go above 45 psi and use an "oil free" compressor. Some compressors use oil to lubricate the air tools, this you do not want inside your water lines.

Unless of course you lubricate your compressor lines and air tools with cod liver oil. Then, drinking from your faucets would have an added health benefit. ;D

 

[gbaglo]

Escape instructions say 30 P.S.I.

 

[cpaharley2008]

Most rv water pressure regulators operate in the 40-50 psi range, that is where I got my number from.

 

[float5]

I see that they are now giving what I would call the old directions from other places to just put anti-freeze into the fresh water tank.

Glenn, you said on another thread with your photo what can be done so as not to have anti-freeze in the fresh water tank. RV shops sell hand pumps that come with tubing and a threaded connection for the city water fill.

A gallon of anti-freeze can go into the toilet first and lesser amounts into the shower and sink drains. Then it is easy to use the hand pump to pump anti-freeze out of a jug into the city water fill with bath taps open until the liquid is pink. Next pump anti-freeze into the toilet with valve open until pink appears, adding a little with value shut. Lastly, pump more with kitchen taps open until pink appears.

Takes a few minutes and you don't have anti-freeze in the fresh water tank to deal with later.

Winterizing Your Water System

WINTERIZING WITH ANTIFREEZE ONLY

WARNING: NEVER USE AUTOMOTIVE ANITFREEZE IN YOUR FRESH WATER SYSTEM. AUTOMOTIVE ANITFREEZE IS TOXIC AND NOT FOR USE IN POTABLE (DRINKABLE) WATER SYSTEMS.
Purchase 4-6 gallons of RV approved, non-toxic antifreeze.
1.) Drain the fresh water tank and empty the waste water holding tanks.
2.) Turn water heater bypass valves to ‘bypass’ position.
3.) Drain the water heater by removing the anode (1-1/16” Socket Wrench) and opening taps. Flush out sediment build-up in water heater if necessary. Reinstall hot water tank plug with new Teflon tape.
4.) Fill the tank above minimum water pump operation level with the RV antifreeze. (Use of a long funnel may be helpful.)
5.) Turn the pump switch ‘ON’ and open the cold water side of all faucet fixtures. Leave the faucets open until the antifreeze, (generally pink in color), flows out of the faucets and shower heads. Repeat for the hot water side.
6.) Flush toilet until antifreeze is visible inside the bowl and pour one gallon of antifreeze down the toilet to winterize the black holding tank.
7.) Pour antifreeze down sink and shower drains to fill p-traps.

 

[gbaglo]

I agree. I use a hand pump through city water connection.
Must remember to bypass the water heater.

The instructions I posted are what's on the Escape Industries site.
I went over them with Tammy, emailing back and forth until we got what was posted.
As noted, it doesn't address the hand pump method. I'll try to get that addressed, but I do want the instructions vetted by Escape before posting.

 

[float5]

Good idea to add hand pump direction.

I should have mentioned turning the two valves to bypass the hot water tank before adding anti-freeze. In our 19', they are located under the bed.

 

[gbaglo]

Actually, Camco has illustrated step-by-step winterizing instructions here:

http://www.camco.net/assets/catalog/winterizeRV.pdf

 

[cpaharley2008]

Glenn,
Do you want to post this information under systems info part of the forum for reference?

 

[Brian B-P]

Yea, it started out looking like this one:

So I drilled the top out and installed a quick connect coupler that works with my compressor.

That makes sense, but if you're not going to use the tire valve anyway, you may be able to start with a garden hose threaded plug, which is just the white plastic part (if the one you find has enough thickness to thread into).

 

[Cypherian]

Another Way To Build A Better Mouse Trap

Hey All ,

I looked at the offerings for putting clean 30PSI air through your water systems. The Camco plastic plug was a PITA you need two people. Ice breaker did a nice cheap mod to it to make it plug and play though, it does not address clean air ( No Contaminates ) nor pressure regulation. You can regulate the pressure at the compressor but unless you have a filter on the outbound at the tank for removing water and oil you still have a problem. The plug shown by Gbalo is a nice option one piece construction but you still have the pressure and contaminate problem. My Shop compressor is a dual tank design with water separator and oil injector set at 90 psi or higher since all of my stuff runs that way. I am not as old as some here but I know me I would forget to reduce air pressure and disconnect the oil injector which is a PITA. So I came up with the system shown here all told it is about 30 bucks in parts some Teflon tape with some O.E / B. E wrenches or even two adjustable wrenches if that's all you have. Please note the pictures show the parts in two ways. I was not happy with the first method as it put a lot of weight on the connector and by default the water connection. I had the hose you see in the second setup laying around it is a spare hose for an HVLP spray gun costs about 15 bucks last time I bought one. The weight then stays on the ground mostly and it is easier to adjust the pressure with out contortions. If you have questions ask I tried to make sure you could see the part numbers I used. The blue canister is an air/oil filter used for spray guns and the knob / gauge assembly is also for spray guns all the parts came from LOWES.






Cypher

 

[Jim Bennett]

Interesting setup, Cypher. Should work good. Is the filter is to remove the oil injected in your lines?

As a bit of an aside. I took my oiler off the compressor in my shop, as it tainted too much wood. I went back to just adding a drop or two in my tools every once in a while. If you aren't doing woodworking, then the oil is not much of an issue. I do still use the water separator though.

 

[Cypherian]

Interesting setup, Cypher. Should work good. Is the filter is to remove the oil injected in your lines?

As a bit of an aside. I took my oiler off the compressor in my shop, as it tainted too much wood. I went back to just adding a drop or two in my tools every once in a while. If you aren't doing woodworking, then the oil is not much of an issue. I do still use the water separator though.

Hey Jim,

Yes the filter removes oil and water from the supply line, I do mainly metal work and with a lot of my high speed cutters, grinders and such a few drops here and there works though some of mine require constant oil atomized into the air feed. I have 15k Rpm pencil grinders an 20k Rpm abrasive wheel cutters. Most of my wood working stuff is electric except my nail guns and I am definitely not in your class of wood working :} Now you want to do metal work I got you covered :}

Cypher

 

[gbaglo]

Should I be confident that my 6 gal. Porter-Cable compressor is really "oil-less"?

 

[Cypherian]

If you do not have an oil injector it most likely does not have oil coming out in the air though, there may be a very small amount. Check your manual.

Cypher

 

[Jim Bennett]

Now you want to do metal work I got you covered :}

Would love to have the time to do that too. Too bad your shop was not on the same street as mine.

Should I be confident that my 6 gal. Porter-Cable compressor is really "oil-less"?

Like Cypher said, you will be good.

 

[FamilyFun]

Hi there,
My husband and I just winterized our trailer using the instructions for Method Two on page 13 of the Escape Manual that came with our trailer. It calls for doing all the necessary draining of water and then step 9, which is "Pour 2 liters of RV anti-freeze into the toilet holding tank. Pour 1 liter down the kitchen sink drain, and pour 1 liter down the shower drain."

Are these instructions in the manual no longer valid? Does too much water still remain in the system if we do the draining without blowing out the lines?

I'm confused!
Lisa

...okay now I see the other post from Reace about winterizing and it looks like their instructions have been updated. If we don't blow out the lines do we risk cracking a toilet valve or other damage if we don't run antifreeze through all the lines? Can someone recommend a hand pump (?) for drawing antifreeze through without putting it in the fresh water tank and using the water pump?

I'm grateful for any help!

 

[cpaharley2008]

Did you remove the outside water fill and push the little button? By pass the water heater and remove the plug? Run the pump a little? flush toilet to remove any water there? disconnect the shower head? Otherwise you maybe good.

 

[FamilyFun]

Yes, Jim, we did all of those things! Were you the one that had the toilet valve leak?

 

[gbaglo]

At some point and there is no way of telling by looking, the valve in the toilet was changed by Thetford without them telling anybody. It made for a quieter valve, but one that retains water, so it wouldn't drain using the low-point valve method.
Which is why Escape recommends blowing out the lines with compressed air ( which would include opening the toilet valve ) or by pumping anti-freeze through the lines ( including the toilet valve ).

As for the hand pump to pump anti-freeze through the city water inlet look up Camco RV anti-freeze hand pump or go here: Plastic Winterizing Hand Pump Kit - Camco 36003 - Winterizing - Camping World
The Camco site has step-by-step illustrated instructions.