I hate to add to all the post about winterizing, but I'm a little boggled. Everything about winterizing seems pretty simple and straightforward but when I looked at the valve set up for my water heater bypass, it doesn't make sense to me. Are the valves installed in the wrong place or is there something I'm missing?

YES......there are WRONGThe BYPASS valve and line need to be on other side of the Hot (Top) and Cold (Bottom) valvesThe way it is plumbed right now if you close cold & hot and open bypass no water can flow thru bypass and out hotCorrect way for 3 valveIn yours......The 'Tees' and bypass valve were installed where the valves SHOULD have been installed and valves installed where 'tees' and bypass valve should have been installedIf handy change it around yourself with new PEX clamps (old ones have to be cut off w/o damaging the PEX) or install using compression fittings or sharkbite connectionsOtherwise....dealer to correct if still in warranty (ones new)As is..........you can NOT get antifreeze into hot water side of system unless you fill water heater with it (leave valves open and pump 6-7 gallons)OR leave them open (and open bypass to drain that short section) and open all drains----water heater tank and low point drains then blow out with air

You have a three valve bypass system, and all that is required is to change each valve to the opposite setting to go from normal to winter bypass. This is actually the most robust version, trust me I have the single valve and one of my check valves gave it up this year. You have no check valves in this configuration.

That's what I assumed. I just thought maybe I was missing something obvious. Thanks for the quick reply. One more item for the warranty repair list I guess.

janstey58 wrote:You have a three valve bypass system, and all that is required is to change each valve to the opposite setting to go from normal to winter bypass. This is actually the most robust version, trust me I have the single valve and one of my check valves gave it up this year. You have no check valves in this configuration.Look again.

janstey58 wrote:You have a three valve bypass system, and all that is required is to change each valve to the opposite setting to go from normal to winter bypass. This is actually the most robust version, trust me I have the single valve and one of my check valves gave it up this year. You have no check valves in this configuration.No that's not correct! It's setup wrong, as has already been pointed out....

A little confused about winterizing | Good Sam Community

28 Replies

MFL
Nomad II
Dec 03, 2016
mike-s wrote:
MFL wrote:
A little off topic, but my previous FW came from the factory with the city water hookup plumbed to a HOT water line. Yup, all handles H&C backwards, and wait for it.....hot water in toilet.

Jerry
Sounds more like the water heater was plumbed into the cold water line.

Nope, weird thing was, when initially used/tested on water tank/pump, all was fine. On first trip, using city water hookup, all faucets were backwards. I was like WTH, this is not possible? :h

I looked under kitchen sink, to see city water line coming in. It was a T into one of two lines, the hot line. I filled fresh tank, to use, until repaired later at dealer, along with several other issues.

Jerry
mike-s
Explorer
Dec 03, 2016
MFL wrote:
A little off topic, but my previous FW came from the factory with the city water hookup plumbed to a HOT water line. Yup, all handles H&C backwards, and wait for it.....hot water in toilet.

Jerry
Sounds more like the water heater was plumbed into the cold water line.
OLYLEN
Explorer
Dec 02, 2016
Simple fix, and it IS wrong. Take the two clamps loose, in your picture, left of the 'T's" and the clamps right of the valves. Rotate the the side ways H, red to red and blue to blue and reclamp. Now you can turn off the cold in and hot out valves and turn the center valve to flow antifreeze through the system or blow air through the system and drain the HWH.

LEN
janstey58
Explorer
Dec 02, 2016
X2
paulcardoza
Explorer
Dec 02, 2016
To the OP........ It's set up incorrectly. End of story. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Dec 02, 2016
MFL wrote:
A little off topic, but my previous FW came from the factory with the city water hookup plumbed to a HOT water line. Yup, all handles H&C backwards, and wait for it.....hot water in toilet.

Jerry

NOW that is interesting especially if you flush while sitting :E

"Hey Ralphie, got a new guy. Where do you want him on the line?"
MFL
Nomad II
Dec 02, 2016
A little off topic, but my previous FW came from the factory with the city water hookup plumbed to a HOT water line. Yup, all handles H&C backwards, and wait for it.....hot water in toilet.

Jerry
Rdn6405
Explorer
Dec 02, 2016
Boon Docker wrote:
^ The best system for isolating the water heater completely, but sure not for bypassing.

This pretty much sums it up. Lol
Boon_Docker
Explorer III
Dec 02, 2016
^ The best system for isolating the water heater completely, but sure not for bypassing.
Rdn6405
Explorer
Dec 02, 2016
Hi wa8yxm
Your instructions are clear and easy to understand, thank you for that.
My particular situation isn't so much me not understanding how the bypass system operates, it's that the valves are in the incorrect positions. If I close both red and blue then the antifreeze doesn't make it to the bi-color valve leaving me with no way to get the AF to the hot side. If you compare the pic I posted to the correct one that Old-Biscuit posted it will likely make more sense than my description.