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seekingsummits's avatar
seekingsummits
Explorer
Oct 27, 2021

Winterizing Issue

Ive had this TT for 5 yrs and have never had any issues winterizing. Usually i use 2-3 gal of antifreeze and im good to go. This time I bypassed the water heater like normal and diverted the pump toward the hose for the antifreeze. No issues with suction, but after 4 gal being sucked up I was really scratching my head. Normally by 1/2gal the lines are pressurized and the pump turns off. This time I put 4 full gal in and it was still going. Only thing i could figure was to swap the valve on the outside from “city water” to “fresh tank”. Once i did that everything went fine. Im assuming i was sucking antifreeze into the FW tank, I guess my question is do you always need to have the valve to fresh water tank vs city water? I find it hard to believe that the last 4 yrs i always got lucky and the valve was already switched to fresh water, esp since Im almost always on fulll hookups. Just seemed odd this yr
Seeking Advice
  • cougar28's avatar
    cougar28
    Explorer
    Nov 01, 2021
    seekingsummits wrote:
    Ive had this TT for 5 yrs and have never had any issues winterizing. Usually i use 2-3 gal of antifreeze and im good to go. This time I bypassed the water heater like normal and diverted the pump toward the hose for the antifreeze. No issues with suction, but after 4 gal being sucked up I was really scratching my head. Normally by 1/2gal the lines are pressurized and the pump turns off. This time I put 4 full gal in and it was still going. Only thing i could figure was to swap the valve on the outside from “city water” to “fresh tank”. Once i did that everything went fine. Im assuming i was sucking antifreeze into the FW tank, I guess my question is do you always need to have the valve to fresh water tank vs city water? I find it hard to believe that the last 4 yrs i always got lucky and the valve was already switched to fresh water, esp since Im almost always on fulll hookups. Just seemed odd this yr


    You didn't say what brand of rv you have but I have a Jayco and yes my tank fill-city water valve has to be in the tank fill position. Other wise in city water position it will put it in the fresh water tank. I just did the same as you winterizing mine yesterday. Forgot to turn the valve to tank fill. Sound backwards but that the way mine works.
  • DrewE's avatar
    DrewE
    Explorer II
    Oct 27, 2021
    I think the city/fresh water valve just connects the pressure side of the plumbing, shared by the pump and the city water inlet, directly to the fresh water tank; if it were up to me, I'd label it as a fill valve. It makes sense that with it open (i.e. fresh water setting) and set up otherwise for winterizing that the pump would pull from the antifreeze jug and dispense the fluid into the tank. Similarly, if you're operating from the internal tank only, putting it on fresh water would cause the pump to operate continually, circulating water from the fresh water tank back into the same tank.

    If that's how things are set up, it does mean you can use the pump to (fairly slowly) fill the fresh water tank from a container--just do what you were doing when trying to winterize, but with water instead of antifreeze. In some occasional situations that can be a handy option to have available.
  • seekingsummits's avatar
    seekingsummits
    Explorer
    Oct 27, 2021
    wildtoad wrote:
    olfarmer wrote:
    That sounds backwards to me.I am pretty sure that on mine I have to have the valve on city water. If I put it on fresh water tank it fills the tank instead of going to all of the water lines.


    Agree. On my MH the lever to/from the FW tank needs to be closed or the antifreeze goes into the tank.



    Keep in mind Im talking about the lever on the outside of the rig where where spigot is. If you have it on FW it fills the tank or City water for the main plumbing but thats not where Im adding the antifreeze, Im adding it right at the pump with a bypass hose for antifreeze so in my mind it shouldnt matter what the outside lever is on but Im not 100% on how these things are plumbed either.
  • seekingsummits's avatar
    seekingsummits
    Explorer
    Oct 27, 2021
    PartyOf Five wrote:
    Did you bypass the hot water heater? I bypass first and then remove the anode rod to drain completely.



    Yes I def bypassed the water heater as I leave the anode rod out all winter and nothing pink was draining out either so I know Im good there.
  • wildtoad's avatar
    wildtoad
    Explorer II
    Oct 27, 2021
    olfarmer wrote:
    That sounds backwards to me.I am pretty sure that on mine I have to have the valve on city water. If I put it on fresh water tank it fills the tank instead of going to all of the water lines.


    Agree. On my MH the lever to/from the FW tank needs to be closed or the antifreeze goes into the tank.
  • olfarmer's avatar
    olfarmer
    Explorer II
    Oct 27, 2021
    That sounds backwards to me.I am pretty sure that on mine I have to have the valve on city water. If I put it on fresh water tank it fills the tank instead of going to all of the water lines.
  • PartyOf_Five's avatar
    PartyOf_Five
    Explorer
    Oct 27, 2021
    Did you bypass the hot water heater? I bypass first and then remove the anode rod to drain completely.

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