How to de-winterize your trailer? *UPDATE*
We are new to RVing and just picked up our trailer last weekend. We are planning a trip this weekend but I need to de-winterize the trailer. Are there any resources or tips on this? I've watched...
Forum Discussion
It's not as complicated as people make out.
Run water from any source--city or tank-- and flush all the antifreeze out of the lines first, until there is no foaming or visible pink stuff.
Find out the size of your freshwater tank. You will need 1/4 cup bleach for every 15 gallons.
Close the drain to the freshwater tank if it is open. Fill it about halfway and add the bleach. Then finish filling it.
Open all the coldwater taps (don't forget the outside shower) and run the pump until water comes out. You should smell the bleach. Close the cold water taps.
Look at your water heater plumbing. If it is bypassed, turn the valves so it is not. Then open the hotwater taps. Run the pump until the water heater fills and water comes out of all the hot taps.
Let the system stand as is for 12-24 hours.
Drain the tank.
Refill the tank with fresh water.
Repeat the process above with opening taps and running the pump until the bleach smell is mostly gone. Be sure to run the hot water long enough to flush through the water heater.
If you want to be sure of getting rid of all the bleach taste, add 3% hydrogen peroxide (the kind used as a disinfectant) to the second tank of water, in the same ratio as the bleach.
If you have a hose to hook up to a water supply, it's a good idea to disinfect it too. Use the same bleach mixture in it as for the trailer, let it stand, and flush it out. It's a good idea to store it with the ends fastened together, to keep it clean.
Takes longer to describe the process than to do it.
We sanitize any time the trailer sits unused for a month or longer. We often fill from Forest Service wells or other sources that may be safe but are never chlorinated. If you never fill from anything but chlorinated water supplies, you will be fine with once a year.
Run water from any source--city or tank-- and flush all the antifreeze out of the lines first, until there is no foaming or visible pink stuff.
Find out the size of your freshwater tank. You will need 1/4 cup bleach for every 15 gallons.
Close the drain to the freshwater tank if it is open. Fill it about halfway and add the bleach. Then finish filling it.
Open all the coldwater taps (don't forget the outside shower) and run the pump until water comes out. You should smell the bleach. Close the cold water taps.
Look at your water heater plumbing. If it is bypassed, turn the valves so it is not. Then open the hotwater taps. Run the pump until the water heater fills and water comes out of all the hot taps.
Let the system stand as is for 12-24 hours.
Drain the tank.
Refill the tank with fresh water.
Repeat the process above with opening taps and running the pump until the bleach smell is mostly gone. Be sure to run the hot water long enough to flush through the water heater.
If you want to be sure of getting rid of all the bleach taste, add 3% hydrogen peroxide (the kind used as a disinfectant) to the second tank of water, in the same ratio as the bleach.
If you have a hose to hook up to a water supply, it's a good idea to disinfect it too. Use the same bleach mixture in it as for the trailer, let it stand, and flush it out. It's a good idea to store it with the ends fastened together, to keep it clean.
Takes longer to describe the process than to do it.
We sanitize any time the trailer sits unused for a month or longer. We often fill from Forest Service wells or other sources that may be safe but are never chlorinated. If you never fill from anything but chlorinated water supplies, you will be fine with once a year.
