Hi, recently widowed and trying to winterize TT for the first time. Here's what I messed up: My HWT doesn't have a valve, so I had to remove the anode rod to drain it. Forgot to release pressure valve and almost got hit with a flying anode and drenched with nasty, mineral-laden water. I didn't have a 3/4 inch plug, so I snipped the remaining rod off the threaded end and put it back in. So far, so not so good.Then, I followed the arrows and directions to bypass the HWT, that my late husband had written on the water tubing, under the sink. My son helped with the pump and the hose. We ran the pink stuff thru the faucets/toilet and outside shower. Then I poured some down into the black/grey tanks and traps. High five, right?Wrong. Today I went to the hardware store and got a 3/4 inch plug to replace the anode rod. When I removed the rod, you guessed it. Pink stuff started gushing out. I hurried and put the plug in. Apparently, I had not bypassed the HWT. No wonder it took so much antifreeze.My question: Is it okay to leave the pink stuff in the HWT till spring or do I have to figure out how to really bypass and drain it?

Its perfectly fine. The reason the hot water heater is bypassed is so you dont have to use five or ten gallons of antifreeze just to winterize the rest of the plumbing. After I do mine I always pour maybe a quarter of a bottle in there then put the plug back in just in case there's any residualwater. My only concern would be did you get good undiluted antifreeze into the rest of the pipes. Since you drenched yourself with nasty mineral water prior I would think you are good.

There should be a hand-operated valve in the line to the water heater. Turned all the way one way it shuts off the water to the heater. Turned the other way re-opens the heater line.It won't hurt to leave the pink stuff in the HWT until spring, but it will need to be thoroughly flushed. My personal method of winterising is to use compressed air at about 30 pounds per square inch into the city water inlet and then open all the faucets, the shower, outside shower and toilet flush to blow all the lines clear of water.Once clear, there's nothing left to freeze except the P-traps, so I pour about a cupful of antifreeze into the bathroom and kitchen sinks and down the shower drain.Don't forget to drain the fresh-water tank.We don't get hard freezes in this part of the country. It's rare for daytime highs to stay below freezing, so winterising isn't quite as critical for us.

You have three ways to go:1) Leave as is.... keeping anti freeze in the water heater will do no harm.2) Remove the anode rod and let the antifreeze drain out. You will notice that the anode rod is about an inch above the bottom of the water heater so there will be antifreeze in the WH over the winter anyway. If you want you can remove the last inch of liquid by inserting a cotton string or twisted paper towel PARTIALLY into the drain hole and having the lower end of the string below the level of the tank. This will allow all the anti freeze to drip out using a siphon action. This may take over night.3) Do as in #2, but use a funnel and bucket to catch the antifreeze that drains from the water heater. This can be saved and used next year........ just in case you never learn the correct way to by pass the water heater. You will have at least 6 gallons of anti freeze to save.My trailer takes 2 gallons to winterize with the bypass closed. It takes 12 gallons with the bypass open (I have a 10 gal WH).

I would not save anything out of the water heater. It is deluted by the water that was in the tank. I would bypass the heater and drain the tank. Don't worry about the small amount left in the tank. I would not put antifreeze in the fresh with tank.

Do not forget the washing machine if you have one It will need to be winterized as well as the drain trap.

New widow trying to winterize | Good Sam Community

dbbls
Explorer
Sep 23, 2014
I would not save anything out of the water heater. It is deluted by the water that was in the tank. I would bypass the heater and drain the tank. Don't worry about the small amount left in the tank. I would not put antifreeze in the fresh with tank.
alfredmay
Explorer
Sep 23, 2014
You have three ways to go:

1) Leave as is.... keeping anti freeze in the water heater will do no harm.

2) Remove the anode rod and let the antifreeze drain out. You will notice that the anode rod is about an inch above the bottom of the water heater so there will be antifreeze in the WH over the winter anyway. If you want you can remove the last inch of liquid by inserting a cotton string or twisted paper towel PARTIALLY into the drain hole and having the lower end of the string below the level of the tank. This will allow all the anti freeze to drip out using a siphon action. This may take over night.

3) Do as in #2, but use a funnel and bucket to catch the antifreeze that drains from the water heater. This can be saved and used next year........ just in case you never learn the correct way to by pass the water heater. You will have at least 6 gallons of anti freeze to save.

My trailer takes 2 gallons to winterize with the bypass closed. It takes 12 gallons with the bypass open (I have a 10 gal WH).
frankdamp
Explorer
Sep 23, 2014
There should be a hand-operated valve in the line to the water heater. Turned all the way one way it shuts off the water to the heater. Turned the other way re-opens the heater line.

It won't hurt to leave the pink stuff in the HWT until spring, but it will need to be thoroughly flushed. My personal method of winterising is to use compressed air at about 30 pounds per square inch into the city water inlet and then open all the faucets, the shower, outside shower and toilet flush to blow all the lines clear of water.

Once clear, there's nothing left to freeze except the P-traps, so I pour about a cupful of antifreeze into the bathroom and kitchen sinks and down the shower drain.

Don't forget to drain the fresh-water tank.

We don't get hard freezes in this part of the country. It's rare for daytime highs to stay below freezing, so winterising isn't quite as critical for us.
6_7_tow_rig
Explorer
Sep 23, 2014
Its perfectly fine. The reason the hot water heater is bypassed is so you dont have to use five or ten gallons of antifreeze just to winterize the rest of the plumbing. After I do mine I always pour maybe a quarter of a bottle in there then put the plug back in just in case there's any residualwater. My only concern would be did you get good undiluted antifreeze into the rest of the pipes. Since you drenched yourself with nasty mineral water prior I would think you are good.

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