Water Heater Bypass isn't bypassing???

[Starchmill]

I winterized my mountaineer the other day, for some strainge reason, the antifreeze was pooring out of the hot water tank onto the ground no matter which way I had the ball valve turned on the bypass. It seemed like it was going up thru the bypass and then flowing backward into the "hot" spicket of the water heater. If I opened a faucet, it did flow forward as it is supposed too, but with the faucet closed, the pump never stopped cycling. It just pumped the antifreeze backwards into the heater. Am I doing something wrong???

[Just148]

This may help,

http://montanaadministrator.forumco....C_ID~12151.asp

[Starchmill]

I had used a kit at the pump to siphon antifreeze out of the jug so I wasn't putting any in the fresh water tank. The problem was farther down the line where the bypass for the water heater is.

[snowbunny]

Starchmill, I had a similar problem last year. Even with the bypass turned I got antifreeze flowing into the hot water tank. I have solved it by installing a new bypass with two valves, one at the top and one at the bottom. It works fine and the reason that the old one wasn't working was twofold: First, the old one had only one valve on the water intake at the botton on the heater. The hot water out at the top was supoposed to have a check valve that blocked anything from flowing IN the OUT port. The check valve was defective and allowed antifreeze in. Even after I replaced the check valve I got some antifreeze in to the hot water tank (but less than before) because the valve itself was leaking. I could watch the pink come in the lines to the valve, head up in the bypass but I also saw pink heading for the tank at a slower rate. As I said, I bought a better quality bypass and installed it and now it only takes me a couple of gallons to do the job. Good luck!

[Starchmill]

Hey Snowbunny, that is exactly what is happening. I thought the problem might be a leaky check valve. I'll change the system over to the better bypass. Thanks.