I am lucky enough to have a new MH, and it has a Whirlpool residential refrigerator installed with water dispenser and ice maker. We're coming to the end of the season and I'm trying to get ready for winterizing it. The old MH was easy, just the normal plumbing; but on this one, the refrigerator has me wondering. (It has a stacked washer – dryer as well, but I think I’ve got that one covered.) The Whirlpool User's Manual has nothing about winterizing, and I just got finished talking to their support line, and they were not very well versed at all in the need to, or process of RV winterizing, although they were trying very hard to help. The gist of what they told me was 1) turn off the water at the inlet supply connection, 2) continue to run the ice maker until no more ice is produced, 3) dispense water from the water dispenser until nothing more comes out and 4) remove the water filter. From your experience, if I do all that, can I be confident that all the water is purged? Or do I need to do anything else (Air?) to assure all the water is out?Just a couple more detail points, the water supply line for the unit is at floor level, with a single waterline going from the floor to the top of the backside of the fridge to the filter. From there, two separate lines come back down the back of the fridge. One goes to the water dispenser at about mid-height on the fridge, the 2nd goes down to the ice make in the bottom freezer. That gives you a pretty good idea of how the water lines run.I’ll appreciate your guidance. If I need to clarify anything, I’ll be glad to. Thanks.

Take the ice make and water dispenser lines off of their control solenoids and blow both out with low pressure air. Those are located at the back bottom of the fridge generally.

When I do our Maytag (same unit different badge) I blow all the water out of the water dispenser. I the use the fresh water pump to pump antifreeze thru all the coach systems including the water dispenser. I leave the pump on and antifreeze in the supply bucket overnight with the fridge on making ice cubes. The cubes will not be froze hard due to the antifreeze. After I shut down the pump and release the pressure on the system, I removed the fridges water filter and marked it antifreeze for use the following winter.

Winterizing? What's that? I know every year about this time those of us in California and Florida have to make fun of the rest of you!

1. Most Residential's in an RV, you CANNOT access the Water valve solenoids easily. The access doors and the rear refer metal back usually inhibit access2. I do NOT like and do not use RV antifreeze in a Residential.RV antifreeze left in the Icemaker mold tray will leave a residue that is hard to get rid of.3. What needs to be done to get the water out is to use compressed air. You(I) connect a air supply with a in line regulator at about 60 psi. I then open the water dispenser(if installed) and let the air push the water out thru the water tank reservoir until it spits air. That means THAT water valve/solenoid has NO water inside to freeze. Now, I then manually make the Icemaker start a ejection cycle. There are various ways depending on the model of the Icemaker to force an ejection cycle. Using a jump wire or manually turning the ejection motor to start a cycle. I do this until the icemaker mold down spout spits air. This means that BOTH water valve/solenoids are purged of water as well as the exposed water lines. Including the Feed line from the RV source. Then you close the Refer water line cut off valve which almost ALL RV's have to prevent any water getting to the Refer system until the spring. AND, there is no dreaded Pink Antifreeze to contend with in the spring. 4. Last, I then remove the in refer water filter if the refer has one and this is a good time to replace it, so next spring when you start using the system again you have a new fresh filter. Doug

sch911 wrote:Take the ice make and water dispenser lines off of their control solenoids and blow both out with low pressure air. Those are located at the back bottom of the fridge generally.This will NOT get the water out of the interior of the solenoid valve body. You must electrically open the valve to get the water completely out, whether using air or gravity. Doug

Preparing a Residential Refrigerator for Winter

sch911
Explorer
Sep 29, 2016
Take the ice make and water dispenser lines off of their control solenoids and blow both out with low pressure air. Those are located at the back bottom of the fridge generally.
We_Cant_Wait
Explorer
Sep 29, 2016
When I do our Maytag (same unit different badge) I blow all the water out of the water dispenser. I the use the fresh water pump to pump antifreeze thru all the coach systems including the water dispenser. I leave the pump on and antifreeze in the supply bucket overnight with the fridge on making ice cubes. The cubes will not be froze hard due to the antifreeze. After I shut down the pump and release the pressure on the system, I removed the fridges water filter and marked it antifreeze for use the following winter.
msmith1199
Explorer II
Sep 29, 2016
Winterizing? What's that?

I know every year about this time those of us in California and Florida have to make fun of the rest of you!
dougrainer
Nomad
Sep 30, 2016
1. Most Residential's in an RV, you CANNOT access the Water valve solenoids easily. The access doors and the rear refer metal back usually inhibit access
2. I do NOT like and do not use RV antifreeze in a Residential.
RV antifreeze left in the Icemaker mold tray will leave a residue that is hard to get rid of.
3. What needs to be done to get the water out is to use compressed air. You(I) connect a air supply with a in line regulator at about 60 psi. I then open the water dispenser(if installed) and let the air push the water out thru the water tank reservoir until it spits air. That means THAT water valve/solenoid has NO water inside to freeze. Now, I then manually make the Icemaker start a ejection cycle. There are various ways depending on the model of the Icemaker to force an ejection cycle. Using a jump wire or manually turning the ejection motor to start a cycle. I do this until the icemaker mold down spout spits air. This means that BOTH water valve/solenoids are purged of water as well as the exposed water lines. Including the Feed line from the RV source. Then you close the Refer water line cut off valve which almost ALL RV's have to prevent any water getting to the Refer system until the spring. AND, there is no dreaded Pink Antifreeze to contend with in the spring.
4. Last, I then remove the in refer water filter if the refer has one and this is a good time to replace it, so next spring when you start using the system again you have a new fresh filter. Doug
dougrainer
Nomad
Sep 30, 2016
sch911 wrote:
Take the ice make and water dispenser lines off of their control solenoids and blow both out with low pressure air. Those are located at the back bottom of the fridge generally.

This will NOT get the water out of the interior of the solenoid valve body. You must electrically open the valve to get the water completely out, whether using air or gravity. Doug
hanko
Explorer
Sep 30, 2016
I make pink ice cubes, works fine
wowens79
Explorer III
Sep 30, 2016
I understand you have to winterize it, but it sounds kinda funny to have to winterize an icemaker.
BigMac
Explorer
Sep 30, 2016
Doug - Thanks for your detailed recommendations. One added question. I am curious about the segment of MH water line that ends at the shutoff valve for the refrigerator water line. When I use the normal water antifreeze to winterize the remaining plumbing in the MH, does that segment become filled with antifreeze (I assume it does), and when I de-winterize next spring, should I be concerned about that antifreeze being introduced to the fridge? Or do I attached tubing to allow that antifreeze to purge overboard until the water runs clear, and then hook the lines back up for the fridge? Thanks.
Thunder_Mountai
Explorer II
Sep 30, 2016
Our 2016 Journey came with a Whirlpool. When I got ready to winterize I called Whirlpool and received detailed information from their customer support. They put me on hold while the representative contacted someone higher up.

Here is what they told me. Disconnect the water line and let it dangle down outside through the access door. Continue to run the ice maker. When the solenoid calls for water, it lets water drain back. Remove the filter inside and replace the dummy plug. Run the cold water dispenser to empty the line. Hold the button down after water stops. This will allow excess water drain back through the water connection dangling down outside. It might be nice to access the solenoid to drain it but mine was not accessible through the hatch. Everything was fine this spring.
dougrainer
Nomad
Sep 30, 2016
BigMac wrote:
Doug - Thanks for your detailed recommendations. One added question. I am curious about the segment of MH water line that ends at the shutoff valve for the refrigerator water line. When I use the normal water antifreeze to winterize the remaining plumbing in the MH, does that segment become filled with antifreeze (I assume it does), and when I de-winterize next spring, should I be concerned about that antifreeze being introduced to the fridge? Or do I attached tubing to allow that antifreeze to purge overboard until the water runs clear, and then hook the lines back up for the fridge? Thanks.

This is not a problem if you blow out with air. If you do NOT want antifreeze in the refer icemaker system, but need to get the FEED line to the refer with antifreeze, take the feed line loose at the Refer water line connection point and let the antifreeze flow out. Then in the spring, run fresh water thru that line until the Pink is gone then reconnect the line. Doug