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Old 10-22-2017, 08:29 PM   #1
Jet334
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Newbie winterizing

Two questions here MHC 2017 model 310RE
1) went to drain my water heater and found a plastic plug And no anode is this typical for dealer not to supply one?
2) my Owners manuel is useless basic info only.I want to blow out my water lines should I use the freeze guard port or the city water port? And which port to add antifreeze. Also there is a winterize valve to the right of city water should this be on when adding antifreeze and blowing out lines?
Added pictures of convenience center
Thankyou in advance for any advice
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Old 10-22-2017, 08:45 PM   #2
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We full time so I haven't winterized in 7 years so I'll let someone else answer that part. On the water heater you need to know what kind you have Suburban has an anode rod and needs one. Atwood doesn't have one and if one is added it may actually damage it. If you have an Atwood, you're good and you just have a drain plug.
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Old 10-22-2017, 08:49 PM   #3
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Yes, thanks I do have an Atwood.
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Old 10-23-2017, 07:23 AM   #4
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Correct, only the suburban heater uses an anode. If you want to keep it simple, put 3-4 gallons of anti freeze in the fresh tank and pump it through with the water pump through all fixtures with the heater bypassed. Don't forget the washer hook ups/outside faucet/low point drains etc. In the spring flush it out real good and sanitize the fresh water tank and lines with a cup or so of bleach in a full tank of fresh water
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Old 10-23-2017, 08:37 AM   #5
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If you are going to put antifreeze in the lines, there is no need to blow them out first.
1. Put switch in the winterize ON position.
2. Put switch in the water heater bypass ON position.
3. Connect a short piece of water hose to the winterize inlet and drop the other end into a jug of antifreeze. Or pour 3-4 gallons of antifreeze in a bucket and drop the hose into that. I bought a cheap 10' fresh water hose at Walmart and cut it to about 4'.
4. Turn on the water pump.
5. Open a low point drain until you see pink stuff. Then close it.
6. Repeat with second low point drain.
7. Turn on an inside cold water faucet until you see pink stuff. Let some run to put pink stuff in trap. Turn off cold. Repeat with hot water.
8. Repeat one at a time with all other faucets.
9. Do same with toilet.
10. Do same with outside shower faucet.
11. If you have a clothes washer, follow Splendide (or whatever brand) instructions for winterizing washer.
12. Connect a short hose from your outside shower to your black tank flush inlet and run some antifreeze thru the flush lines.
13. Drain water heater and flush it out well getting all the settlement out.
14. Drain the fresh water tank.

The pump will start and stop as you open and close the faucets. Watch the antifreeze jug or bucket carefully as it will suck the antifreeze out quickly and start to suck air if you let it get low.

You can winterize by putting antifreeze in the fresh water tank, but then you have to flush that tank well to get it all out again in the spring.
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Old 10-23-2017, 11:18 AM   #6
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Thanks everyone for the simplified advice,I got it now.Had a travel trailer for years it was easy to winterize and never had a surge protector.but with this new fiver it’s diffrent Thanks Again!
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Old 10-23-2017, 03:42 PM   #7
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You don't have a anode rod in the new Atwood water heater it has an alum tank only the
suburban one take a anode rod but you should still drain it and flush it out as fare as antifreeze you can ether put in water tank or use the winterize function in your center
witch ever works best for you.

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Old 10-27-2017, 07:47 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jet334 View Post
Two questions here MHC 2017 model 310RE
1) went to drain my water heater and found a plastic plug And no anode is this typical for dealer not to supply one?
2) my Owners manuel is useless basic info only.I want to blow out my water lines should I use the freeze guard port or the city water port? And which port to add antifreeze. Also there is a winterize valve to the right of city water should this be on when adding antifreeze and blowing out lines?
Added pictures of convenience center
Thankyou in advance for any advice
May be a dumb question but.. the red and blue water lines in the pic.. is that to drain the water heater? Have a 3625re and the search isn't helping me much.. thanks
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Old 10-27-2017, 08:34 PM   #9
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No sir red and blue water lines are drain lines for faucets,as stated above if you have an Atwood water heater the drain plug is located behind the small door on the road side it’s a plastic plug you unscrew with a socket also open the safety valve just above to release any air in the tank.
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Old 10-27-2017, 08:46 PM   #10
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The red and blue lines are your low point drains
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Old 10-27-2017, 10:02 PM   #11
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Also on mine I have a drain valve for the fresh water holding tank underneath at the back.
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Old 10-27-2017, 10:08 PM   #12
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BB TX,
Your instructions are great and take into account things I would not have thought of myself and I know plumbing really well (oilfield)! I think that those instructions should come STANDARD with all Keystone campers! Alas the owners manuals are all but useless. About all they have is CYA safety info. to limit mfg. liabilities. No real useful info at all! Thanks for your post!
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Old 11-06-2017, 11:05 AM   #13
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Do you have to run antifreeze thru the fresh water fill?
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Old 11-06-2017, 02:53 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by liv2hnt View Post
Do you have to run antifreeze thru the fresh water fill?
No
Lynwood
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Old 11-06-2017, 06:55 PM   #15
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Not trying to disagree with anyone, but the line running from the pump to the fresh water tank on all of my Keystone RVs has been a white reinforced/ flexible line (not pex like the rest). In my case, this line runs from the front of the camper to the back,(from pump to tank) around 25 foot +-. This line sags between everything it rests on. So water will sit in the low spots if not blown out of protected with antifreeze. I do believe this line is less aped to bursting from freezing, but I would not take that chance since to would be a royal PITA to replace.

I have mentioned on other posts and treads that, to me the only way to be 100% sure of no freeze ups happening you have to get antifreeze into every plumbing line. To me the easiest way to do this is to put 3-4 gallons in the fresh water tank and pump it through all fixtures until you see pink. Easily done in less that 15 min.

Yes, you have to flush the system out really good in the spring, but you should be doing that anyway and sanitizing the system with bleach.

The only draw back I can see is for those of you that have newer units with no gravity fresh water fill port, then you would have no choice but to blow that line back into the fresh water tank.
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Old 11-07-2017, 08:43 PM   #16
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Thanks for the replies, I just ran antifreeze thru the quick disconnect in the convenience center into the fill line and black water flush. I don't have a gravity fill only the power fresh or whatever it's called. Supposed to be down in the teens here on Friday guess I'm done till I can retire in less then two years. Should only have to winterize one more time. Then I'm just going to go where it's warm.
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Old 11-08-2017, 03:40 PM   #17
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liv2hnt, That's the best excuse I have heard to move to a warm climate during the winter LOL. I think I will join ya when we retire.....
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Old 10-15-2018, 10:09 PM   #18
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More rookie questions on winterizing

Quote:
Originally Posted by BB_TX View Post
If you are going to put antifreeze in the lines, there is no need to blow them out first.
1. Put switch in the winterize ON position.
2. Put switch in the water heater bypass ON position.
3. Connect a short piece of water hose to the winterize inlet and drop the other end into a jug of antifreeze. Or pour 3-4 gallons of antifreeze in a bucket and drop the hose into that. I bought a cheap 10' fresh water hose at Walmart and cut it to about 4'.
4. Turn on the water pump.
- Will this work on 12v power? I ran the generator just in case. I could not hear the water pump. It's usually loud enough that I expected to hear it over the generator.
- In what position should the City Water switch be during this winterizing process (Normal Flow or Fill)? I know for "normal use" the pump is not to be used when the fresh water supply is City Water (Normal Flow), but rather when the supply is from the fresh water tank. Does this switch matter at all when winterizing?

5. Open a low point drain until you see pink stuff. Then close it.
6. Repeat with second low point drain.
7. Turn on an inside cold water faucet until you see pink stuff. Let some run to put pink stuff in trap. Turn off cold. Repeat with hot water.
8. Repeat one at a time with all other faucets.
9. Do same with toilet.
10. Do same with outside shower faucet.
11. If you have a clothes washer, follow Splendide (or whatever brand) instructions for winterizing washer.
12. Connect a short hose from your outside shower to your black tank flush inlet and run some antifreeze thru the flush lines.
13. Drain water heater and flush it out well getting all the settlement out.
14. Drain the fresh water tank.

The pump will start and stop as you open and close the faucets. Watch the antifreeze jug or bucket carefully as it will suck the antifreeze out quickly and start to suck air if you let it get low.

You can winterize by putting antifreeze in the fresh water tank, but then you have to flush that tank well to get it all out again in the spring.
I have added my questions within the quoted text, above.
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Old 10-16-2018, 08:09 AM   #19
Md.FireFighter 3791RD
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One more thing i like to add to this winterizing list is. The little valve with a hose going to fill fresh water tank in the convenience compartment for filling fresh water tank must be winterized also. Was told by a service guy who does winterizing said when blowing out lines with air compressor, switch the valve to fill as if your filling your tank with water and blow that line out also. He told me even if you don't use that valve which i don't use he said the valve over time could leak and freeze that hose and bust and if at a later date decide to use that valve to fill tank ,could be a problem if the valve or line is busted.
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Old 10-16-2018, 05:51 PM   #20
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Hey guys,
I just had my own question here dealing with winterizing. I'll upload the pictures but I have a 3910FB and I was having an issue getting the antifreeze to be drawn into the coach. I had a piece of hose screwed into the upper left port. It looked like there is some sort of check valve that is not working correctly i believe. I had a valve open after looking on here for some answers. I didn't know what i did wrong or if there was a special hose with a little nipple to press the check valve. Just trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. Thanks!
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