Winterizing question

[rollingdownthehighway]

I'm getting ready to winterize our rig (my first time) and read several lists including some good ones on here, watched some vids on it, however, I never see anything mentioned about the black tank flush I'm assuming you run the pink stuff through that as well?


sorry for the dumb questions, but my first time winterizing with it at a seasonal site for the time being and want to cover all the basis on it.

[Daryles]

You can, but it gravity drains from the anti siphon vacuum breaker valve under the bathroom sink to the flush port and to the black tank.

[rollingdownthehighway]

Ok, thanks, wasn't sure, wanted to double check. . thanks

[BB_TX]

When you are winterizing and pumping the pink stuff thru the pipes, make sure to run pink stuff thru your outside shower faucet, both hot and cold. Then connect the outside shower hose to your black tank flush connection, turn on either faucet and pink stuff will go thru the flush line.

Water may drain from the anti siphon valve down into the black tank. But it will not drain from the anti siphon valve back out the flush connection in the wet bay if that connection has a check valve. I removed my anti siphon valve and water would not drain either direction as you can see by the pink stuff in my flush lines where the anti siphon valve was removed. (the other 2 lines are to my shower)

And don't forget the pink stuff thru your low point drains also.

[Lee-CI]

Be sure to run some pink stuff through your washer faucets too whether or not you have a washer installed

[rollingdownthehighway]

Originally Posted by Lee-CI

Be sure to run some pink stuff through your washer faucets too whether or not you have a washer installed

We never installed those

[Rondo]

I also do the "Blowout" method of winterizing the Monte and only dump about a gallon or so of the pick stuff down the drains and into the toilet. I leave some of the pink stuff in the toilet bowl to keep the seal soft and moisturized.

The idea of making sure your washer lines are winterized whether you have one or not is important. Those lines have water in them whether you have a washer hooked up or not (unless you have put in shutoff valves down in the basement area. Also that water in those lines can get stagnant and cause some real smelly problems (if no washer is hooked up) if is not either drained periodically or capped off or have shut off valves installed on them. When winterizing and you have shut off valves installed the "low point drains will drain any water that might be in the lines between the shut off valves and the fill line so make sure you open the low point drains and let them drain out completely also. I actually use the air when blowing the rest of the system out to clear those lines also. Also don't forget to blow out your fresh water tank filler line.

[rames14]

Mike, regardless of whether or not you installed, the washer/dryer “prep” still has water in it and all units have the prep. Be sure to winterize those and also dewinterize this spring.

[rollingdownthehighway]

Originally Posted by rames14

Mike, regardless of whether or not you installed, the washer/dryer “prep” still has water in it and all units have the prep. Be sure to winterize those and also dewinterize this spring.

hmm, we haven't done anything with them in the 5 years we've owned it and we bought it new, even de-winterize them. Never thought I had to since the washer was never used.

[rames14]

If you do winterize it, be prepared to be gagged. Water gets in that plumbing and stagnates. If you ever get bad smells you can’t trace down, that is many times the source.

[jimcol]

Originally Posted by rollingdownthehighway

hmm, we haven't done anything with them in the 5 years we've owned it and we bought it new, even de-winterize them. Never thought I had to since the washer was never used.

If you de-winterized them you flushed the stagnant water out.

[Dan50]

Originally Posted by rollingdownthehighway

We never installed those

But there will still be water in the supply lines to the W/D connection point.

[Mark7]

Good advice here but I'll add one more step.

Open the low point drains before you do anything else. When they are open, open every valve so vacuum doesn't stop any water from voiding the system. This will get most of the water out, including the W/D lines. That will prevent dilution of the pink stuff.

Also, don't forget the bypass valve on the water heater! I did... ONCE!. That can get expensive if you think you're going to pump it full of antifreeze. Hard to flush out of there too in the spring.

I go overboard just because I can I guess. I blow it all down and then still pump in the pink stuff. Guess I want moisture on all the valves and seals in the off season to keep them from drying out.

[RMcNeal]

Mark, if you're in Fargo, North Dakota, you really can't go overboard when winterizing. It gets "North Pole" cold up there. :-). I almost lost my eyesight once when visiting due to freezing air.
Just to add to the mix, I don't have a washer/dryer yet, so I put cut off valves that have drains on them in the basement behind the basement wall. That way there is no water going up into the bedroom closet. No need to winterize and no stagnant smelly water anymore.

[rollingdownthehighway]

Update:

I winterized the rig took all of 10 minutes and most of that was realizing that I had no screen in the winterize guard inlet to open it up. Once I added that, then it went quick. Winterized all of it, started with the kitchen sink (3700LK rear kitchen, furthest point) low point drains, washer hookup, toilet, bathroom since, shower, kitchen sink and outside "shower" last. I'm buying 2 more gallons to just add down the drains into the tanks for some "insurance".

This was my first time winterizing it, and thanks to everyone for the input.

[jeffba]

one thing I did, was I put an inline valve on both washer lines where they tee off. this way I don't have stagnate water in the lines and do not have to winterize them

[Daryles]

Originally Posted by jeffba

one thing I did, was I put an inline valve on both washer lines where they tee off. this way I don't have stagnate water in the lines and do not have to winterize them

I did the same

[Dan50]

Originally Posted by jeffba

one thing I did, was I put an inline valve on both washer lines where they tee off. this way I don't have stagnate water in the lines and do not have to winterize them

Will there not be water up to the cut-off valves though?

[RMcNeal]

Originally Posted by Dan50

Will there not be water up to the cut-off valves though?

There is, but in my case, I put the cut off valves at the tee where the cold and hot water lines feed the washer dryer behind the basement wall. There's only about 2" of pex at that tee and the water flows on past to feed elsewhere in the trailer.

[jeffba]

Originally Posted by Dan50

Will there not be water up to the cut-off valves though?

I put them right where they tee off. the shut off valve is close enough to the tee that regular water flow will keep it fresh. 2" vs 12'