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BAMAchubby's avatar
BAMAchubby
Explorer
Apr 10, 2014

Dewinterization

This is my first year of owning my motorhome (Coachmen Mirada 34BH) and was wanting to dewinterie myself. 1st- do you think this is something easily done or should dealer do it??? Something that I see on all blogs about dewinterizing is that you have to sanitize the water system...is this something that should be done??? I do not remember my dad doing this on his MH???

Thanks for the help. I am a decent handyman

Chubby
  • Easily done. Do you have any specific questions? Oh, I have never sterilizes my water system.
  • Easy job. Dewinterize just means flushing the antifreeze out of the piping. I also test all of the propane fired appliances to make sure everything is OK for each upcoming trip.

    To sanitize use 1.4 cup of regular household bleach for each 15 gallons in your fresh water tank plus the volume of the water heater. If you don't have a gravity fill for the fresh water, just pour the bleach into the hose before hooking up to the water source. Fill the water tank and then use the on board pump to fill the water heater and transfer the dilute bleach solution to each faucet, shower head, toilet, etc. Let sit for 4 hours, then drain the water tank and water heater, refill both with fresh water and pump through the system again to clear the bleach solution.
  • If you are connected to municipal water, that is already chlorinated, that is usually sufficient to sanitize your water system.
    If you are connected to a private well, some people go through the sanitizing procedure with bleach to insure that the system is free of bacteria.
  • yup. What CloudDriver said. You can also google How To Dewinterize Your RV. Lots of videos on dewinterizing. it's easy
  • Thanks everybody...gonna try this out...seems pretty straight forward...I am not hooked up to city water...just well water....gonna see about sanitizing... if anybody else has any other suggestions, please feel free to add
  • What clouddriver said.

    The amount of chlorine in municipal water is not enough to sanitize a system.

    Also, charcoal filters remove chlorine. Replacing the water filters should be the last step in dewinterizing and sanitizing.
  • Be sure to pump fresh water through the system before you un-bypass the water heater. If you don't you will pump your antifreeze into the water heater.
  • Anyone know where the bypass switch for the water heater is on the Miranda 34bh