Forum Discussion

rdascoli's avatar
rdascoli
Explorer
Nov 03, 2019

Winterization issues

i have a 2010 winnebago class C and are having issues winterizing the system. After i flushed out all the water from the holding tank and the faucets are dry i move the bypass to the aintifreeze and when the pump gets turned on the system immediately sucks out the antifreeze without opening the faucets. The antifreeze instead of going to the faucets gets immediately flushed out through what appears to be an overflow outside the back near the holding tank, all of the pink antifreeze is pooled up in our driveway.
I haven't had any issues winterizing in the past few years, i think i may have moved some of bypass for the kitchen & bathroom by accident.

has anyone experienced this before? I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars taking it in to get winterized if this is an easy fix, i don;t think anything is wrong with the system. I looked through the manuals and don't see what i am doing wrong.

i have a 2010 Winn Chalet class C if that helps.
  • If you are confused at this point, I would re-fill with water and see whats going on. That is basically free.
    Brian
  • Scroll down in this link , Look at the RV Heater Bypass system diagram and see the position of the valves.
    https://www.fretzrv.com/how-to-winterize-your-rv



    ,
    Near the water pump:
    Opening the 'antifreeze pick up tube valve' to draw antifreeze from the bottle thru the pump and thru the lines is just a 3-way selector valve with the purpose of drawing antifreeze or not. Just to be clear, that's an independent valve and has nothing to do with the bypass system on the WH. The WH should have its own bypass valves if so equipped.

    If you see antifreeze on the ground then its coming out a LP drain tube that you left open or its draining out of the water heater drain plug that you left open. But I don't think that's the case because you would see that, it would be obvious.
    If that's the case, you are filling the WH and its coming out the WH drain because the bypass valves are in the wrong positions, allowing the WH to not bypass but fill instead. But it appears , as you explained it, that you left a LP drain line open.


    If you need to see or understand the system better go to youtube and search 'rv winterizing'.
  • It's a long shot, but on my 2007 WBGO Outlook, the 3-way winterizing valve connected to the pump, the FW tank and the anti freeze suction hose was plumbed wrong ................ from the factory! The PO lived in So Cal and had never winterized it so the problem was just sitting there waiting to surprise me years later. Yup! Murphy lives! lol

    If your rig has been winterized OK in the past, that would not be the problem, obviously.

    Good times and safe travels.
  • On our 06 Winnie Outlook 29b, there are 4 low point drains, in the water pump compartment there is a big yellow handle for draining the fresh water tank and on the pressure side of the pump there is also a low point drain in the plumbing supply line to the coach. There are also 2 low point drains, hot and cold. They are located in an outside storage compartment and go through the floor of the basement compartment. These three are the same type of valve 1/4 turn white handle, the same as the winterization suction valve.
    It's possible that when changing the valves in the area of the fresh water tank, you've may have forgotten to close this one.

    Ken
  • My vote is an oepn low point drain also ... is it possible that when you opened the drain for the water tank you also opened one of your low point drains?
  • The water heater valve is at 12 position, it should be off.
    If it were going into the water heater wouldn't that mean that the antifreeze should not go in the overflow outside?
    How can the system flush fluids outside? This is what is puzzling me.
  • Is your bypass on for the water heater? If not, it’s probably going in the water heater.
  • not sure, where is the low point drain? Is that located outside of the RV or inside.