Here's what I've got:That valve at the bottom shuts off the cold water feed to the HW tank. I had assumed since it had another line hooked up to it, that it would pressurize the hot water side of the system when it was flipped. I further assumed that there must be some sort of check-valve in the area of that T at the top to keep that line from filling the HW tank from the top.But...all I get when I flip that valve is a shut off of the cold water feed to the HW tank. As a result, I can't get any antifreeze to the HW side of the system unless I open that valve back up and run 6+ gallons of antifreeze through it (to fill up the HW tank). This seems silly.So - is there a check valve here that's not working properly?

I fail to understand why you want antifreeze in the hot water tank. Just shut off the valve, drain the water tank and winterize the pipes.

turbojimmy wrote:Here's what I've got:That valve at the bottom shuts off the cold water feed to the HW tank. I had assumed since it had another line hooked up to it, that it would pressurize the hot water side of the system when it was flipped. I further assumed that there must be some sort of check-valve in the area of that T at the top to keep that line from filling the HW tank from the top.But...all I get when I flip that valve is a shut off of the cold water feed to the HW tank. As a result, I can't get any antifreeze to the HW side of the system unless I open that valve back up and run 6+ gallons of antifreeze through it (to fill up the HW tank). This seems silly.So - is there a check valve here that's not working properly?right. flip the valve to isolate the hot water tank, drain it and leave the drain valve open and then run your pink stuff through the other water lines.

I flipped that valve, but the pink stuff isn't getting to the hot side. Just the cold.

turbojimmy wrote:I flipped that valve, but the pink stuff isn't getting to the hot side. Just the cold.correct. you don't need the pink stuff in the hot water tank.

What you have is a simple, single valve hot water by-pass setup. Drain the hot water tank, open the inlet valve at the bottom, allowing for the pink stuff to flow through the hose to the outlet side if the hot water tank. Yes, there is a check valve in the outlet side of the tank. If you happen to have a outside shower, open those valves until you get pink stuff coming out. Pour pink stuff into all drains to fill "p" traps, including shower & dump some down the toilet directly into the black tank.

Getting antifreeze into the hot water side | Good Sam Community

Effy
Explorer II
Nov 03, 2014
turbojimmy wrote:
dieharder wrote:
If what you're saying is correct, it sounds like something might be wrong somewhere. The bypass valve should only be allowing the water (or antifreeze) to bypass the hot water tank, but not all the hot water plumbing to the taps. At least, that's what it sounds like you're saying. I can flip the bypass and turn the hot water taps on and the pink stuff flows to them.

All that was wrong was that I had missed a valve. It's a 30-year-old rig that has an old-school "2 valve" bypass arrangement. Rather than have a single bypass valve and anti-drainback valve, it has 2 manual valves. The second valve, the one I couldn't see because the "T" was in the way, is what allows the water (antifreeze in this case) to get to the hot water side of the system without filling the HW tank.

Mine is new and has 3 valves for the bypass.
turbojimmy
Explorer
Nov 03, 2014
dieharder wrote:
If what you're saying is correct, it sounds like something might be wrong somewhere. The bypass valve should only be allowing the water (or antifreeze) to bypass the hot water tank, but not all the hot water plumbing to the taps. At least, that's what it sounds like you're saying. I can flip the bypass and turn the hot water taps on and the pink stuff flows to them.

All that was wrong was that I had missed a valve. It's a 30-year-old rig that has an old-school "2 valve" bypass arrangement. Rather than have a single bypass valve and anti-drainback valve, it has 2 manual valves. The second valve, the one I couldn't see because the "T" was in the way, is what allows the water (antifreeze in this case) to get to the hot water side of the system without filling the HW tank.
dieharder
Explorer
Nov 03, 2014
If what you're saying is correct, it sounds like something might be wrong somewhere. The bypass valve should only be allowing the water (or antifreeze) to bypass the hot water tank, but not all the hot water plumbing to the taps. At least, that's what it sounds like you're saying. I can flip the bypass and turn the hot water taps on and the pink stuff flows to them.
turbojimmy
Explorer
Nov 02, 2014
Dakota98 wrote:
Apparently, the original check valve in the HW outlet had gone bad & instead of replacing it, a valve was used in its place.

Actually it turns out it was made that way in 1984. My brother's travel trailer (1991) is identical. I had forgotten until he reminded me a few minutes ago when I was telling him what a dope I was. The salt in the wound was that he told me that I was the one that discovered the arrangement on his trailer. It was several years ago so I had forgotten.
Dakota98
Explorer
Nov 02, 2014
Apparently, the original check valve in the HW outlet had gone bad & instead of replacing it, a valve was used in its place.
turbojimmy
Explorer
Nov 02, 2014
I was trying to run the pink stuff through the HW plumbing, but not the tank.

I got under there to take a closer look and it turns out that the big "T" in the picture was hiding ANOTHER valve!

I don't think the previous owner saw that, either, because there was only antifreeze in the cold water side of the system. The HW lines to the shower had frozen and split. I had to repair them when I first fired it up this past Spring.

So when you flip BOTH valves, it allows the cold water feed (the feed from the water pump) to pressurize the HW side too. Now I have pink stuff everywhere. And through the outside shower (thanks - I forgot about that).
Dakota98
Explorer
Nov 02, 2014
What you have is a simple, single valve hot water by-pass setup. Drain the hot water tank, open the inlet valve at the bottom, allowing for the pink stuff to flow through the hose to the outlet side if the hot water tank. Yes, there is a check valve in the outlet side of the tank. If you happen to have a outside shower, open those valves until you get pink stuff coming out. Pour pink stuff into all drains to fill "p" traps, including shower & dump some down the toilet directly into the black tank.
rk911
Explorer
Nov 02, 2014
turbojimmy wrote:
I flipped that valve, but the pink stuff isn't getting to the hot side. Just the cold.

correct. you don't need the pink stuff in the hot water tank.
turbojimmy
Explorer
Nov 02, 2014
I flipped that valve, but the pink stuff isn't getting to the hot side. Just the cold.
rk911
Explorer
Nov 02, 2014
turbojimmy wrote:
Here's what I've got:

That valve at the bottom shuts off the cold water feed to the HW tank. I had assumed since it had another line hooked up to it, that it would pressurize the hot water side of the system when it was flipped. I further assumed that there must be some sort of check-valve in the area of that T at the top to keep that line from filling the HW tank from the top.

But...all I get when I flip that valve is a shut off of the cold water feed to the HW tank. As a result, I can't get any antifreeze to the HW side of the system unless I open that valve back up and run 6+ gallons of antifreeze through it (to fill up the HW tank). This seems silly.

So - is there a check valve here that's not working properly?

right. flip the valve to isolate the hot water tank, drain it and leave the drain valve open and then run your pink stuff through the other water lines.

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Getting antifreeze into the hot water side

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