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Old 01-12-2019, 07:37 AM   #1
Ferncreeker
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Winterize Help

First time winterizing my Montana 3791 RL. Drained all tanks per manual and tips on this forum. Drained water heater removed rod etc. issue is when I try to add RV antifreeze the pump will not pump he antifreeze from the jug.
1. All switches are in proper position. Verified with deale
2. The check valve in winterize inlet port seems to be working. White plug moves in and out
3 pump is/ has been working
4 air is felt coming out of faucets and some water so it’s trying to pick up
5 tried to prime by funneling some antifreeze into hose and holding higher then input port. It took about a cup but when trying again it didn’t take any.
6 spoke with dealer they suggested opening all faucets so we tried no help
7 do have a washer and dryer did not turn this on. Just thought of that

Any other suggestions. If air lock where would you start?
Brand new unit. Little frustrating but feel it’s something I’m missing simple

Thanks
R
 
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Old 01-12-2019, 09:55 AM   #2
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Fern,

Welcome to the forum!

The easier way to get antifreeze in is with an external pump through the city water connection. I have small electric pump is use to move water from a bladder when we are out boondocking.

The other option is to just blow your lines out which takes a compressor and an adapter that screws into you city water connector - set your air pressure not higher than 60 PSI and then open faucets, toilet and other water connections one at a time to blow water out. Would also pour a little antifreeze in your traps and toilet.
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Old 01-12-2019, 10:36 AM   #3
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Welcome to the forum! Some folks have had to add a second washer to the inlet and then keep the antifreeze even with the intake to get the antifreeze to flow. If you do the air blow out method and you have a washer, remember to run the washer with some antifreeze in it or the water held in the pump will freeze and crack the pump housing.
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Old 01-12-2019, 11:14 AM   #4
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Some have also had to turn the screen washer at the hose connection around so that it holds the check valve open due to the pump not being able to pull enough suction to overcome the valve. Slightest air leak at the connection will prevent flow also.
I always start by opening a low point drain to get flow started. Then I have no further problem with flow.
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Old 01-12-2019, 11:29 AM   #5
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On the walk though on my new Montana the dealer told me to use the washer with the screen.
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Old 01-12-2019, 11:38 AM   #6
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By far the best method to winterize is moving to a warm climate.
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Old 01-12-2019, 12:54 PM   #7
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Gotta agree with AZ but for those of us still in the rat race I highly recommend
using antifreeze over the blowout method. Especially in cold climate.

Add a second rubber washer to the inlet where your anti freeze hose connects. Open a faucet inside and keep the antifreeze container up higher than the inlet until its starts to flow. You may have to start/stop the pump and move the hose/container around a bit with the pump running. Once it picks up you'll be good with turning the pump on and off as you need.
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Old 01-14-2019, 02:17 PM   #8
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Thanks everyone for the ideas. Will try them this week as my RV is on my farm and it’s an hour and a half away. I have my unit on shore power with the furnace set at 42 It’s only getting in the 20s but next week in the teens. I hate to rely on propane even thought I switch a bottle out every week Any idea on the size of washer I would need?
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Old 01-15-2019, 11:37 AM   #9
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Well it worked!!! Thanks everyone. I turned the screened washer around as suggested and it immediately started picking up antifreeze. Made sure it came out of each faucets both hot and cold side. Flushed commode and added a gallon to both grey tanks and also black tank. I turned washer on until pink fluid showed it washer tub. I drained the blue and white hose underneath unit Assuming that’s the ice maker drain. Drained both low point valves in convince center. And turned on outside faucet fixtures until pink fluid ran out. Only thing I didn’t see was pink in ice maker But I turned ice maker off and drained blue white line. Hope that will work? Anything else I may have missed.? Sorry first time doing this and first RV.
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Old 01-15-2019, 11:59 AM   #10
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Did you run the washer on both hot and cold water? I suppose running it on warm would do both lines, but I always do each each separate to make sure.

Did you do the black tank flush line? Some claim that line will self drain but I always run antifreeze thru it to make sure. Easy to do by connecting hose from outside shower to flush connection and run some pink stuff thru it.
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Old 01-15-2019, 02:02 PM   #11
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It was set on warm but will go down there later this week and run on hot just to make sure No did not do the flush line but will do that as well. Thank you for the tips. I still have my furnace running as I’m still a bit cautious.
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Old 01-15-2019, 03:29 PM   #12
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If you didn’t drain the washer tub after seeing pink stuff in it, then do that. Running the spin cycle will do that. Draining clears water out of the pump as well as getting pink stuff into the washer drain. No need to leave pink stuff in the tub.
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Old 01-20-2019, 08:21 PM   #13
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Our Monty was dealer winterized this year and I had some missteps getting it back in service. Albeit this was the first time since I started RVing in '74 that I have had anything winterized so I was caught off guard by some of the steps they took to freeze proof everything. We got caught by cold weather while the trailer was at the dealer's for maintenance and he had to winterize it since it was sitting outside. I know now a good bit more about how many steps are taken to make an RV safe than I ever thought about due to my experiences getting it back in service. Good luck Ferncreeker.
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Old 01-22-2019, 06:28 PM   #14
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My solenoid for icemaker froze and had we had to replace. No fun when refrig. is in slide. This year we ran pink anti and let the icemaker make pink ice. Turned off icemaker line and treated rest of rv. We had let icemaker run until we thought was dry but water was still in solenoid and it froze.
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