Please don't laugh...

[BKBandit]

We have a 2016 Keystone Montana 3402RL 5th Wheel and this is our first time winterizing. We have a convenience panel and are wanting to bypass the water heater before adding antifreeze to the lines. To turn ON the water heater bypass, should the valve be facing horizontal or vertical? I think it should be Vertical (up and down), while my husband thinks it should be Horizonal (side to side). He said I am interrupting the diagram incorrectly. I understand it doesn't help that my pic is sideways, but is the bypass valve in the ON position in the above image? Please help...lol

[rohrmann]

The handle down is the normal position, with the handle as pictured to the ON position, the water heater will be bypassed. This valve turns off water flow to the water heater tank and the check valve on the hot water port on the tank keeps water from back flowing into the tank when bypassed so antifreeze doesn't enter the tank. The attached drawing I made years ago shows the plumbing of the convenience center from the back side, and the blue lines in the valves show the normal flow.

[MandK]

Welcome to the MOC! rohrmann’s reply above is correct (just so you are hearing it from more than one person, this is the internet after all and the plumbing hasn’t changed in the years since he made that diagram. A month or so after we bought our Montana I took down the pass through wall in order to view the plumbing behind the wet bay to better understand how it works and how it’s routed and took a picture of it. At some point later, he posted that diagram for someone and I compared it to my plumbing photo and it is spot on, chances are, yours is the same. Take a screen shot of his diagram and you will have a great future reference. Again, welcome and enjoy your rig.

[dhuhn]

In your picture the water heater is not on bypass it is normal flow to hot water heater. when you turn it horizontal the bypass would be on.

[Carl n Susan]

To put the valve in the "Winterize" position (aka ON -bypassing the Water Heater), the handle should be horizontal. The vertical position is "Normal" mode which lets water into the Water Heater

[BKBandit]

Thank you all so much! Appreciate it!!

[Hortense]

The smarter-than-me folks above answered you well, but I'll add one thing that might also help.
I make checklists for several things, because otherwise I'll miss a step from time to time and that can matter a lot. I have one for winterizing - there are several threads on here that helped me do that.
I find those switch labels so non-intuitive that I found myself wondering about it every year. So I put the position in the checklists, rather than just saying ON/OFF.
Put switch in the winterize ON position (horizontal).
Put switch in the water heater bypass ON position (horizontal).

[BKBandit]

Thank you for the suggestion. Yes, I am working on a checklist now. Appreciate it!

[Kenneth]

One positive way to check this is in bypass. Is to take out the anode rod and hook up a water supply in the normal position. If water comes out the anode hole. It’s in the normal position. If no water then it’s in the bypass mode.

[DutchmenSport]

Originally Posted by Kenneth

One positive way to check this is in bypass. Is to take out the anode rod and hook up a water supply in the normal position. If water comes out the anode hole. It’s in the normal position. If no water then it’s in the bypass mode.

If you do this (after you do this), then put new labels in the convenience center and remark the valve so the next time you'll have no questions which position is which. Make your own labels and call the positions whatever makes sense to you. Position the labels so there's no doubt which way the valve need to be flipped.