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Winterizing

Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2012 4:24 pm
by Air7111
Time is coming to winterize the unit. I have done Trailers and bigger motor homes but they all had bypass valves at the hot water tank. In my 1997 B-Van I cannot find these.
Does this mean I have to pour about 7 gal. of RV-Antifreese into the system to be sure everything is filled ?
Air7111

Re: Winterizing

Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2012 5:34 pm
by Planck
No.

Drain the hot water tank by removing the white plastic drain plug. Drain the water storage tank under the sink by opening the valve under the rear side door. Open the faucet first to let air in. I then drive around a little to let more water slosh out. Sometimes I never use anit freeze, but usually put some in the holding tank and a little down the sink, in case there is a trap.

Re: Winterizing

Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2012 8:56 pm
by skater
If you're going to use the antifreeze, then you'll need 7 gallons or so. I gave up on the antifreeze because of that, and went to just blowing out the lines using air pressure. That may be sufficient depending on where you are.

Re: Winterizing

Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 11:45 am
by Wakeslayer
I had planned doing a combination of both.

Draining water heater, blowing everything out, adding enough AF to get some into the water heater, and then shutting the bypass valve, as I do have one on my 94. Then add some AF down the drains, and toilet. I was thinking about three gallons total would do it.

I live in far too cold a climate to not use AF.

Re: Winterizing

Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 7:18 pm
by Minnie
Would someone explain, please ... I am a little, no very, confused as to where this 'bypass valve' is, and what it does, concerning the hot water heater. I have yet to deal with any of these appliances, Thanks.

Re: Winterizing

Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 7:40 pm
by skater
Minnie wrote:Would someone explain, please ... I am a little, no very, confused as to where this 'bypass valve' is, and what it does, concerning the hot water heater. I have yet to deal with any of these appliances, Thanks.
Using anti-freeze (safe to drink variety, not the kind in car engines) fills the water system and prevents it from freezing down to pretty low temperatures. But, the problem is that you basically have to fill the water heater with it, too, unless the heater has a bypass installed, which allows you to use much less anti-freeze. My '91 didn't have the bypass, so I had to buy ~7 gallons of antifreeze to get the system filled, because the water heater used so much.

You can tell by looking at the back of the water heater - if you have the bypass, there will be three valves, and a pipe connecting the water heater inlet to the outlet. Basically you close two of the valves, which closes off the water heater, and open the one on the connecting pipe to allow the anti-freeze to flow through the rest of the system.

Wakeslayer: The manual for my current water heater (which I believe is the same model as what was in my B190) states that it's safe to just drain it; any hard freeze of the remaining water won't be enough to damage the water heater.

Re: Winterizing

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 11:04 am
by Air7111
Thanks for all your input. So there is no bypass valve. And for safety reasons I think I will go with my 7 gallons of RV antifreeze.
Happy RVing.
Air7111

Re: Winterizing

Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 11:35 am
by garydi
What do all of you do to the fresh water intake valve (hose connection on the left rear)? Do any of you put RV antifreeze in to the hose fitting for winter? Do you blow it out?

Re: Winterizing

Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 3:49 pm
by skater
garydi wrote:What do all of you do to the fresh water intake valve (hose connection on the left rear)? Do any of you put RV antifreeze in to the hose fitting for winter? Do you blow it out?
You have to do one or the other (or both). Otherwise you'll have water trapped in there that will freeze. I used a hand pump that had a hose fitting on the end to pump the antifreeze in there.

Re: Winterizing

Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 1:28 pm
by garydi
Thanks Skater. I'm just trying to figure out how to get air pressure in that area. Just bought a short hose to cut up and screw to the hose outlet and my air pump.

Re: Winterizing

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 12:57 pm
by Wakeslayer
These are awesome. Just got this for the bus. I bought a crappier version of this from an RV store for my water system at our cabin. Definitely like this actual schrader valve better.

Camco Blowout cap

Re: Winterizing

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 8:25 pm
by skater
Wakeslayer wrote:These are awesome. Just got this for the bus. I bought a crappier version of this from an RV store for my water system at our cabin. Definitely like this actual schrader valve better.

Camco Blowout cap
I have one of those that has a metal valve stem. I also have one of these, which work if you have an air compressor with a hose with quick connections.

Re: Winterizing

Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 4:42 pm
by Eamonn McG
Does anyone have any pics of the white plastic drain plug for the hot water heater? i havent been able to find mine.

Re: Winterizing

Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 8:48 pm
by skater
Eamonn McG wrote:Does anyone have any pics of the white plastic drain plug for the hot water heater? i havent been able to find mine.
Like this? I'm not sure if that's what you mean or not.

Re: Winterizing

Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2014 3:14 am
by marko
I also can't find my white plastic drain cap -instead I have a metal pipe - which seems to just leak any water i put into the tank -

How do I fit a hot water cut off valve? IN the back under the closet? - is it just a matter of putting shut off valves on each of the water pipes going to my tank?

thanks

Mark