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Old 05-28-2007, 06:52 AM   #1
Bill-N-Donna
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** Winterizing? **

You ask, why this time of the season? Well I'm not exactly winterizing but I have a question that I need an answer for - while the camper is at the dealer getting the water heater replaced. If my thoughts are correct then I may need to have the lines modified. Now, obviously would be the time to get-r-done!

After looking at the lines going to and from the water heater, how can it be winterized without getting the anti freeze into the water heater? What I see is one valve located at a point where I believe that it would place the valve on the supply line to the water heater. If I turn off this one valve before pumping the antifreeze, then how do you get anti freeze into the hot water return line or are you supposed to just pump through the water heater?

I always thought that you shouldn't pump anti-freeze into the water heater but just by-pass it and drain it. How then can you winterize the hot water return line? This doesn't look like the set up I would expect to see for a complete by-pass on the water heater!

I hope you follow what I'm asking!

Thanks
 
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Old 05-28-2007, 07:17 AM   #2
Glenn and Lorraine
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Most all newer water heaters do have a complete bypass. Use the water heater bypass when winterizing and just pull the anode rod to dump the water heater. This is also a good time to inspect that anode rod and replace it if necessary.

BUT, I have an even easier way of winterize. Stay put wherever you are and just before that first freeze head that rig south until the temps stay above freezing. Than each day that it starts getting colder head further south until the chance of freezing no longer exists. Wait out the northern freezing temps in that location, be it in Florida, RGV of Texas or Arizona. DO NOT head back into the freezing north country until the freezing temps have moved on. Usually sometime in May.
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Old 05-28-2007, 07:33 AM   #3
H. John Kohl
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I winterized my 07 on 31 Jan and moved into southern PA. The temp got down to zero a few nights and below freezing for over half the month. I was worried about that same issue. I can not explain how it works but the lines did not freeze or show any sine of damage. This is definitely a question for the factory tour.
I thought about putting a bypass valve at the hot water heater too. Right now I am going to trust the engineer that designed this one since it seems to work.
Hope this helps.
Good luck and safe towing.

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Old 05-28-2007, 07:48 AM   #4
Bill-N-Donna
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by H. John Kohl

I winterized my 07 on 31 Jan and moved into southern PA. The temp got down to zero a few nights and below freezing for over half the month. I was worried about that same issue. I can not explain how it works but the lines did not freeze or show any sine of damage. This is definitely a question for the factory tour.
I thought about putting a bypass valve at the hot water heater too. Right now I am going to trust the engineer that designed this one since it seems to work.
Hope this helps.
Good luck and safe towing.



I thought it might be that when I drain the hot water heater it would drain the line but this doesn’t look like how it's set up. The hot water line runs all the way to the other end of the camper. It just doesn’t look right and I don't understand how it works without causing a problem.

Is there any factory reps on this site?

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Old 05-28-2007, 08:01 AM   #5
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That valve on the line into the water heater should also be connected to a line between the input and output of the water heater. When you turn that valve 90 degrees it should divert all incoming fluid into that connecting line and then into the outgoing line. The handle of the valve should point the direction of flow.

The new Montanas have a valve in the connection center but from your description I don't think this is what you have, right?
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Old 05-28-2007, 08:15 AM   #6
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by sreigle

That valve on the line into the water heater should also be connected to a line between the input and output of the water heater. When you turn that valve 90 degrees it should divert all incoming fluid into that connecting line and then into the outgoing line. The handle of the valve should point the direction of flow.

The new Montanas have a valve in the connection center but from your description I don't think this is what you have, right?
Yeah, it does connect like you mentioned. However I don't understand how it won't back-fill the water heater when using it! I'm stating everything from memory when I did look it over. The Montana is at the dealership this weekend I can't look at right now.

I do plan on asking them at the dealership and see what they say also.
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Old 05-28-2007, 09:12 AM   #7
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Glenn and Lorraine

Most all newer water heaters do have a complete bypass. Use the water heater bypass when winterizing and just pull the anode rod to dump the water heater. This is also a good time to inspect that anode rod and replace it if necessary.
I know this isn't a very popular subject this time of the year and believe me, I'd rather be out camping but these questions are running through my mind as well as I'm trying to learn all I can about how things are set up on this unit. As I mentioned earlier, if I need to make any changes now is the time to do it.

Actually the first weekend in June we have a nice trip planned. I feel very confident we will have the 5er back in time for our trip.

****

So, based on what you are saying, turn the bypass to connect the other lines together. With the water heater full and flowing water at the other end while pumping anti-freeze, this will allow the anti-freeze to still winterize the water lines and not add that much to the water heater. After the lines are full of anti-freeze then just drain the water heater, right? Could this be how it's intended to work?

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Old 05-28-2007, 02:25 PM   #8
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The reason it will not backfill the water heater is there is a one-way checkvalve screwed into the water heater. The output line screws into that valve. This is the valve some of us have had fail. One of our members had it fail in the past couple of weeks. When it fails you get no water flow out of the water heater.
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Old 05-28-2007, 02:40 PM   #9
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by sreigle

The reason it will not backfill the water heater is there is a one-way checkvalve screwed into the water heater. The output line screws into that valve. This is the valve some of us have had fail. One of our members had it fail in the past couple of weeks. When it fails you get no water flow out of the water heater.
OK, now that make a lot of sense. I never thought about it having a check valve!
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Old 06-15-2007, 05:07 PM   #10
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Glenn and Lorraine

Most all newer water heaters do have a complete bypass. Use the water heater bypass when winterizing and just pull the anode rod to dump the water heater. This is also a good time to inspect that anode rod and replace it if necessary.

BUT, I have an even easier way of winterize. Stay put wherever you are and just before that first freeze head that rig south until the temps stay above freezing. Than each day that it starts getting colder head further south until the chance of freezing no longer exists. Wait out the northern freezing temps in that location, be it in Florida, RGV of Texas or Arizona. DO NOT head back into the freezing north country until the freezing temps have moved on. Usually sometime in May.
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Old 06-15-2007, 05:09 PM   #11
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[ a great idea head south for the winter, ok i m going to do it. plust the water tastes terrible for awhile after you unwinterize yuck
quote]Originally posted by Glenn and Lorraine

Most all newer water heaters do have a complete bypass. Use the water heater bypass when winterizing and just pull the anode rod to dump the water heater. This is also a good time to inspect that anode rod and replace it if necessary.

BUT, I have an even easier way of winterize. Stay put wherever you are and just before that first freeze head that rig south until the temps stay above freezing. Than each day that it starts getting colder head further south until the chance of freezing no longer exists. Wait out the northern freezing temps in that location, be it in Florida, RGV of Texas or Arizona. DO NOT head back into the freezing north country until the freezing temps have moved on. Usually sometime in May.
[/quote]
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