So I am in the middle of repairing some water damage from a TT that I purchased about a month ago. I live in the panhandle of Florida so it gets chilly but not really freezing I would say. I had to drain and remove my hot water heater because I had to replace the floor underneath it.My question is, can I leave the hot water heater empty through out the winter and it be ok or do I need to fill it with antifreeze?Thanks so much everyone. Sorry for the silly question but I'm new to all this.

You don't want to put RV antifreeze (pink stuff) in your camper water heater. It's too time consuming and takes too much water to flush it out when you get ready to use it. If the tank is empty now, and you are not going to use it till weather gets warmer, leave it empty. Put the anode rod, or the plug back in. Hook it up and forget it.

DutchmenSport wrote:You don't want to put RV antifreeze (pink stuff) in your camper water heater. It's too time consuming and takes too much water to flush it out when you get ready to use it. If the tank is empty now, and you are not going to use it till weather gets warmer, leave it empty. Put the anode rod, or the plug back in. Hook it up and forget it.Do I need to run the pink stuff thru my water lines? Or can I just empty them all as well and leave it all alone until spring?Thanks for your response.

If you don't get below freezing for extended periods you'll probably be fine just draining the lines. I would blow them out with a compressor too for extra protection. You can get a fitting for that purpose at Walmart. Pour a cup or two of pink stuff in each drain to protect the traps.

If it gets below freezing, you'll want to winterize. Either run the pink stuff through the lines or blow them out with air. Don't forget to open the low point drains. There should be a water heater bypass valve so you don't get the pink stuff in the water heater. I have an Atwood water heater, and they recommend leaving the drain plug out of the water heater during the winter.

I drain my water Heater and turn the plug in a couple threads. It lets water drain out but, keeps critters from getting in, Are there bugs and small creepy creatures in Florida? :)

Winterizing ? | Good Sam Community

14 Replies

jfkmk
Explorer
Nov 21, 2016
If it gets below freezing, you'll want to winterize. Either run the pink stuff through the lines or blow them out with air. Don't forget to open the low point drains. There should be a water heater bypass valve so you don't get the pink stuff in the water heater. I have an Atwood water heater, and they recommend leaving the drain plug out of the water heater during the winter.
brirene
Explorer
Nov 21, 2016
If you don't get below freezing for extended periods you'll probably be fine just draining the lines. I would blow them out with a compressor too for extra protection. You can get a fitting for that purpose at Walmart. Pour a cup or two of pink stuff in each drain to protect the traps.
MandKJohns
Explorer
Nov 21, 2016
DutchmenSport wrote:
You don't want to put RV antifreeze (pink stuff) in your camper water heater. It's too time consuming and takes too much water to flush it out when you get ready to use it. If the tank is empty now, and you are not going to use it till weather gets warmer, leave it empty. Put the anode rod, or the plug back in. Hook it up and forget it.

Do I need to run the pink stuff thru my water lines? Or can I just empty them all as well and leave it all alone until spring?

Thanks for your response.
DutchmenSport
Explorer
Nov 21, 2016
You don't want to put RV antifreeze (pink stuff) in your camper water heater. It's too time consuming and takes too much water to flush it out when you get ready to use it. If the tank is empty now, and you are not going to use it till weather gets warmer, leave it empty. Put the anode rod, or the plug back in. Hook it up and forget it.

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Winterizing ?

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