My Fuzion has a winterizing input for the anti-freeze. I tried to use it this afternoon but couldn't get it to work. I drained the low points, drained and bypassed the water heater, and flipped the switch to "winterize". I then dumped a couple of gallons of anti freeze into a bucket and hooked up a short (6') hose. The water pump absolutely would not pull the anti freeze into the system. The only way I could draw anti freeze was by raising the hose up and pouring directly into it (I have an outside shower thing that allowed me to try it while I held up the hose). I ended up using a small external submersible pump and hooked up my hose to the city water connection in order to get the pink stuff throughout the system.Any ideas why the on board water pump wouldn't pull the anti freeze? Works just fine to pull water from the fresh tank. I wonder if the standard size garden hose is too big compared to the smaller internal lines?I'll take it in (under warranty) but I'm tired of finding things on this camper that don't work. Last Keystone product I will ever buy.

When I winterize, I don't open the low point drains until last. I put the hose in the "pink stuff" gallon jug and turn the water pump on. There is already water in the lines, not drained yet. The pink stuff pushes out the clear water. I open low point drains last, after pumping the pink, and drain the pink out.I have found the hose has to be in the gallon jug before turning on the water pump. If the pump is turned on first, then the hose is put in the pink stuff container, the water pump will never pull. The end of the hose has to be submerged before turning the water pump on.I leave all the faucets turned off. The pink stuff will reach pressure quickly and then shut off. I then go to each faucet and turn it on just enough to get the pink stuff flowing freely. When the faucets begin to spit air, the jug is getting empty. I turn the water pump off, then switch to a new gallon jug, then turn the pump on again. I don't know why it has to work this way, but it does. Hose in jug or bucket first, create the vacuum, then turn the pump on.See if that helps. Chances are, you are turning the pump on first then trying to get the hose in the pink. Won't work that way. Been there ... done that.!! Learned the hard way.

I did have the hose in the bucket first, but thank you.

Mine occasionally does the same thing. I don't know the technical explanation, but find when I open a faucet the pump will then begin to draw the af from the bottle. I believe it has something to do with air getting in the line.

I tried everything to get it to draw, no luck. I was able to feel a minuscule amount of suction at the end of the hose.

You have to turn on a faucet while priming the pump so that air can leave the lines to help pull in pink stuff, hence prime it.

Winterization problem | Good Sam Community

17 Replies

DodgeVoltage
Explorer
Oct 30, 2015
Mine is doing the same thing. It's 3 years old and the first year, it sucked the AF right up when set to "Winterize". Last year, I had a little trouble getting it to suck out of the jug. This year, I had a heck of a time. I had already drained my fresh tank, so I decided to put some water back in. I switched back and forth between "winterize" and "normal" in order to keep a prime on the pump. I had the jug up even with the winterizing connection. I eventually got it winterized. I'm not sure what is going on with mine also. I sure hate to hear that pump running dry while I run back and forth from one side of the camper to the other while trying to figure it out. Next year I may not be able to winterize it if it gets any worse. Like yours, my pump will suck water from the tank with no problems.
stro1965
Explorer
Oct 30, 2015
BB_TX wrote:
stro1965 wrote:
..........
I switched to "winterize" and...nuttin. Just will not pull.

Then there is apparently some problem with the transfer valve or an air leak in the winterizing line. The valve should close off the fresh water tank line and open up the line to the winterizing port. You may have to look behind a panel to see what the valve is actually doing and check the water line connections.

It's under warranty, I'll let the dealer figure it out at this point. I appreciate all the comments though!
BB_TX
Nomad
Oct 30, 2015
stro1965 wrote:
..........
I switched to "winterize" and...nuttin. Just will not pull.

Then there is apparently some problem with the transfer valve or an air leak in the winterizing line. The valve should close off the fresh water tank line and open up the line to the winterizing port. You may have to look behind a panel to see what the valve is actually doing and check the water line connections.
stro1965
Explorer
Oct 29, 2015
Just tried again. First I did as suggested and turned on the pump while opening the low points. No suction. I then put some water in the fresh tank and the pump pulled it immediately, so with the hose in the jug I switched to "winterize" and...nuttin. Just will not pull.
BB_TX
Nomad
Oct 29, 2015
Before going to the trouble of adding (and then draining) water, try turning on the pump (with hose connected and in the antifreeze) and open a low point drain. Mine will always reestablish flow when I do that after losing a prime.
stro1965
Explorer
Oct 29, 2015
Yeah I know, I think i will add some water, prime it, and start over. I'm the type of guy that needs to know if it's working or not.
BB_TX
Nomad
Oct 29, 2015
stro1965 wrote:
.............

So, assuming it had lost its prime, should I have put some water back into the FW tank to get it primed up again before trying to winterize?

With the switch in the winterize position, the pump does not draw from the fresh water tank. It only draws from the winterize connection where you attach the hose for the antifreeze.
brirene
Explorer
Oct 29, 2015
My winterization setup has a valve to shut off the tank line. Open the valve to the tube in the af bottle. Not losing the prime by sucking air from the tank that way.
stro1965
Explorer
Oct 29, 2015
Now I'm tempted to go buy more anti-freeze and start all over again after putting some water in the FW tank and making sure it's primed.
stro1965
Explorer
Oct 29, 2015
Dick_B wrote:
X2 on Dutchman Sport. If you let all the water out of the FW tank the pump can lose its prime which happened the first time I winterized. Pump the pink stuff than open the drain lines. Don't forget to bypass the water heater or you will use lots of pink stuff.

Hmmm...you may be on to something. We camped this past weekend and I knew we were running low on fresh water. I didnt realize until I went to open the drain to completely empty it that we HAD run out. Only got a gallon or two out of the tank.

So, assuming it had lost its prime, should I have put some water back into the FW tank to get it primed up again before trying to winterize?

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Winterization problem

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