Spring Flushing

[csjag1]

Hey everyone,

First time for this operation, so I need some advise. We recently took delivery of a Grand Design 315RLST that was winterized at the factory and still has antifreeze in some of the lines and all of the outlets. We are taking it out this coming weekend for it's maiden voyage. One of the first thing I know I'm going to have to do is flush the water system of the antifreeze.

My main question is: how long do you run the water in each outlet after it stops being pink? My hot water heater has the bypass valve closed and the tank is empty. After all lines and outlets are clear, is that when you open the bypass valve to allow the heater to fill with water?

We just bought our first TT last summer and did not have to de-winterize it. So that's why all the questions. Thanks for the advise and tips.

[csjag1]

DutchmenSport wrote:
I'm going to get beat up pretty good on this next statement I'm sure, but in all the years I've owned travel trailers, I've never sanitized my lines. When my parents owned their travel trailer from 1963 to 1983, sanitizing wasn't even though of. They never had problems with the water system in that trailer. I've never had problems with any of my tanks either, or water lines. I think that's because we do enough variety of camping that we do occasionally get hooked into city water that is chlorinated and treated, and that is sufficient to keep the system functioning.

Another item to consider, we use our water tank 100% of the time when camping. It's drained every time we're on the road. Refilled at the next location. We never attach the garden hose to the camper. We always fill the fresh water tank and use the on-board pump (no danger of EVER over pressurizing the lines or experiencing low pressure water at the campgrounds this way).

Do as you wish. I'm not against sanitizing, it probably is a good thing to do the first time you use your tank to clean the factory chemicals out of the tank. But after that, it's really all about YOU and YOUR comfort level. But "necessary?" I personally do not think so.

Back to your original question about flushing the "pink stuff". You are absolutely correct. Keep the water heater in bypass until your lines are clear. Then open the bypass to fill the tank.

Flush the lines at each faucet until you see no more pink, and no more foamy water. Once the foamy water ends, taste the water, I use just my finger tips, that's enough to taste, takes only a split second.

And yes, you want to make sure your low-point drains are cleared also. They catch a small amount of the "pink stuff" that will continue to mix with your fresh water. Although it won't hurt you, it will cause your water to continue to be a bit foamy every now and then, until it get's mixed completely and replaced with fresh. If not drained, it could continue emitting residues of pink stuff into your lines for a long time. Here again, it won't hurt anything, but it only takes a moment to open the low points and drain it there. So why not?

By the way, flushing each line, each faucet, hot and cold, and the toilet, takes only about a minute for each faucet. Once all the lines are clear, do it a second time, in the same order. I find this helps a lot, as sometimes there still might be a bit of foam. All you are doing is running water through each outlet until all the pink is gone. Just that simple.

Good answers! We always use city water when available and most are chlorinated, so that should help to keep the freshness in the system. Judging by your time frame, we should be able to get all of this done in an hour and no more than an hour and a half. After this, we should be good for the season until time to shut her down for the winter. Thanks for all the good tips.

[csjag1]

When our camper was dealer prepped the day we picked it up, the fresh water tanks were filled and flushed, along with the low point drains. So hopefully, some of the antifreeze was flushed. We will get the rest on Friday.

I also have washer-dryer prep in the front "closet' that will also have to be flushed. We will not be using it, but will flush it so as not to contaminate the rest of the water system. And yes, we do have an outside shower hookup and I will also be flushing that as well. After that, then it will be time for some fun!

[ScottG]

And to completely kill any hint of the bleach after you dump it, refill with fresh water and put in and ounce or two of hydrogen peroxide (which is perfectly safe).

[coolmom42]

krobbe wrote:
I fill and add a 1/4 cup of bleach to the freshwater tank. Run all the faucets until pink is gone and can smell the bleach water coming out. Shut all faucets and let it sit for a couple hours. Drain and fill the tank twice. Run the faucets until bleach smell is gone. Close the bypass for the hot water tank. Ready to camp. And if you have an outside shower head, don't forget that one in the process.

This, with a little more info:

Use 1/4 cup bleach for every 15 gallons of water in the freshwater tank. And let the bleach water sit in the lines overnight.

[DutchmenSport]

I'm going to get beat up pretty good on this next statement I'm sure, but in all the years I've owned travel trailers, I've never sanitized my lines. When my parents owned their travel trailer from 1963 to 1983, sanitizing wasn't even though of. They never had problems with the water system in that trailer. I've never had problems with any of my tanks either, or water lines. I think that's because we do enough variety of camping that we do occasionally get hooked into city water that is chlorinated and treated, and that is sufficient to keep the system functioning.

Another item to consider, we use our water tank 100% of the time when camping. It's drained every time we're on the road. Refilled at the next location. We never attach the garden hose to the camper. We always fill the fresh water tank and use the on-board pump (no danger of EVER over pressurizing the lines or experiencing low pressure water at the campgrounds this way).

Do as you wish. I'm not against sanitizing, it probably is a good thing to do the first time you use your tank to clean the factory chemicals out of the tank. But after that, it's really all about YOU and YOUR comfort level. But "necessary?" I personally do not think so.

Back to your original question about flushing the "pink stuff". You are absolutely correct. Keep the water heater in bypass until your lines are clear. Then open the bypass to fill the tank.

Flush the lines at each faucet until you see no more pink, and no more foamy water. Once the foamy water ends, taste the water, I use just my finger tips, that's enough to taste, takes only a split second.

And yes, you want to make sure your low-point drains are cleared also. They catch a small amount of the "pink stuff" that will continue to mix with your fresh water. Although it won't hurt you, it will cause your water to continue to be a bit foamy every now and then, until it get's mixed completely and replaced with fresh. If not drained, it could continue emitting residues of pink stuff into your lines for a long time. Here again, it won't hurt anything, but it only takes a moment to open the low points and drain it there. So why not?

By the way, flushing each line, each faucet, hot and cold, and the toilet, takes only about a minute for each faucet. Once all the lines are clear, do it a second time, in the same order. I find this helps a lot, as sometimes there still might be a bit of foam. All you are doing is running water through each outlet until all the pink is gone. Just that simple.

[DustyR]

The above statements I concur with. The only additional thing I do is always use an inline water filter, this keeps the contaminants out of your system.

[jfkmk]

krobbe wrote:
I fill and add a 1/4 cup of bleach to the freshwater tank. Run all the faucets until pink is gone and can smell the bleach water coming out. Shut all faucets and let it sit for a couple hours. Drain and fill the tank twice. Run the faucets until bleach smell is gone. Close the bypass for the hot water tank. Ready to camp. And if you have an outside shower head, don't forget that one in the process.

This will sanitize the fresh water tank, which is reacommended to do twice a year. You'll have plenty of folks who argue it is not necessary and they've never done it (and they're still alive) but it is recommended and you have to use your own judgement.

[poppin_fresh]

It will foam for a while until all the antifreeze is out. I have found that sanitizing, by filling the lines with a little bleach water, will reduce the amount of time it takes to clear the lines.

[krobbe]

I fill and add a 1/4 cup of bleach to the freshwater tank. Run all the faucets until pink is gone and can smell the bleach water coming out. Shut all faucets and let it sit for a couple hours. Drain and fill the tank twice. Run the faucets until bleach smell is gone. Close the bypass for the hot water tank. Ready to camp. And if you have an outside shower head, don't forget that one in the process.

[WayneAt63044]

You seem to have a good grasp of the process. The antifreeze is not poisonous so a small taste after flushing will tell you when you are satisfied with the purity. You'll want to flush fresh water through the low point drains, too. You are right to close the bypass and fill the water heater last. Perhaps someone else will add something I've forgotten to mention.