Winterizing Arctic Fox 990

[wfs989]

I am having trouble winterizing my AF 990. We drove to Alaska in September and stayed at campgrounds the whole way so also used pressurized water and my fresh water tank was always empty. I am now trying to put the antifreeze into my water lines and the water pump will not draw the antifreeze out of the gallon container. I have checked all the faucets and they are all closed,as are the low point hot and cold water drains, and I am now wondering if I need to pout some water in the fresh water tank to prime the water pump. Just wondering if anyone else has had the same issue.
Coming back across the Yukon with the fall colors was absolutely spectacular.

Thanks for your help.

[dhull]

wfs989 wrote:
OK - good news. I was gone for 3 days for the birth of my great grand daughter, Rylee, and she and mother are doing great- babies are really tiny even though she is 8 lbs 4 oz.
I called the service dept at Broadmoor RV in Pasco, Wa, and Alfredo told me to fill the bypass hose with water, turn on the water pump, and blow. I did it several times and felt like something released, maybe a seal ??
Anyway did it the third time and stuck the hose in the antifreeze and it drew it in, so I went ahead and winterized all faucets and p-traps.
So the pump did need to be primed. Glad I did not order a new one.
Thanks for all the suggestions.

Thank you for posting your resolve as my water pump quit pulling from the tank again after having city hookup for a month
Tried what you described and it took off again.
THANK YOU

[wfs989]

OK - good news. I was gone for 3 days for the birth of my great grand daughter, Rylee, and she and mother are doing great- babies are really tiny even though she is 8 lbs 4 oz.
I called the service dept at Broadmoor RV in Pasco, Wa, and Alfredo told me to fill the bypass hose with water, turn on the water pump, and blow. I did it several times and felt like something released, maybe a seal ??
Anyway did it the third time and stuck the hose in the antifreeze and it drew it in, so I went ahead and winterized all faucets and p-traps.
So the pump did need to be primed. Glad I did not order a new one.
Thanks for all the suggestions.

[dhull]

Wow had exact same experience with our 2017 Northwood Wolf Creek. The first several trips the pump (Shurflo 4008) worked fine then we had city hookup for a solid month. After filling water tank at campground next trip I could not get it going again at the campsite. Huh, we only used it about 2 weeks. Got it back home filled tank again, still no luck. I tried everything you did. Wouldn't even suck it up from a jug of freshwater. I would have even tried a shop vac if I'd had a clue. Pump screen was full of plastic debris but that wasn't it either.
Left camper at dealer for a month to get sliding window on front of camper replaced with a 1 piece unit, it leaked when traveling in the rain, so asked them to look into the pump too. When we picked it up the pump worked fine but paperwork said they couldn't reproduce the problem, Huh. No one could tell me anything but they did something I didn't to get it going.

Make sure you bypass hot water tank, which for me the end of the bypass lever will point straight up. I doubt you need a new pump, I could tell they didn't replace mine. Our pump ran fine but wouldn't pick up water as if it needed primed. But aren't they primeless? Has worked last few trips but I expect it to happen again so please post your resolve.

[wfs989]

I tried the shop vac on the end of the kitchen faucet with no luck. Called Northwood and talked with Dave - and he said if no suction on bypass hose then probably a bad water pump. Can't do it today but will take it off tomorrow and try sucking out of the fresh water tank to see if an obstruction. Hard to believe the water pump is bad as I have only used it several times, as at campgrounds always under their pressure so no need for the pump.

[zcookiemonstar]

When I used the shop vac I remove the faucet screen turn on the faucet turn on the pump and hold the shop vac hose up to the faucet and just wrap my hand around the hose end and faucet. This will help by sucking the water through the pump. I had to do this a couple times in the past to get the pump to prime.

[CAJW]

Try cleaning the strainer screen on the water pump. Ours got fouled with bits of plastic from the holes drilled for tank fittings and ended up ruining the pump. Covered under warranty, no issues since, but peroidic cleaning of that screen can't hurt. Good luck.

[wfs989]

So I have added about 9 gallons of water to the fresh water tank and still no draw from the water pump. I have turned the bypass valve from the water tank to the antifreeze jug - no draw. I have turned the water heater bypass valve both ways - no draw. I have opened up different faucets and still no draw. I have not taken off the screen to the kitchen sink faucet , but will try that. How do you use a shop vac at the kitchen faucet ?
Tomorrow morning I will call the Northwood tech in La Grande to see if he can help. The pump is getting power because you can hear it, but no draw from either fresh water tank or antifreeze jug. I have the camper plugged in to 15 amp power, but either the power source or the batteries should power the pump - and they do as I can hear the pump.
A little frustrating. Probably something very simple.
Thanks for the suggestions so far.

[zcookiemonstar]

Sometimes I have to take the screen out of the kitchen faucet to get the water flowing. Other times I used a shop vac at the faucet to get the water going.

[GeoBoy]

Yes, open the kitchen faucet but make sure the valve on the antifreeze suction line is open.

[Yeti_plus]

You need to open the faucets one at a time to get the anti-freeze to flow. The pump is trying to compress air and it isn't designed for that.
I'm pretty sure that is the problem. This is the voice of experience talking and I had winterized many times previous to having this brain f*rt.

[7_3_psdman]

On mine I have to open one faucet at a time to draw the antifreeze through the line. Then I go to the next one and so forth. Otherwise the pump is sensing that the lines are full and it wants to shut off.

[Joe417]

You probably already checked these but you might check the valve. The stop is missing on our valve allowing it to turn to the wrong position for pulling liquid. I think I have to put the handle in line with the hose but other valves my be different.

Another thing I've done in the past was to allow the suction hose to rest on the bottom of the antifreeze bottle.