Water Heater Check Valve

[MHil]

Howdy!
I own a 2016 Montana High Country 305RL. In winterizing it, I drained the water heater, turned the water heater bypass valve (in the convenience center) to "On", connected a suction hose to the antifreeze inlet, and turned the Winterizer valve to 'On".
The electric pump is drawing antifreeze from the jug, but it's flowing into and draining from, the open water heater. Antifreeze is flowing into the water heater irrespective of the bypass control valve position.
Would this indicate that a check valve on the hot water outlet side of the water heater is malfunctioning? If so, how is the back of the water heater accessed in this model... by removing the rear wall of pass-through storage?
Thanks!

[nellie1289]

seems like you have a faulty valve, but if i were you and you are desperate to get this winterized then i would put your water heater anode rod back in(so you can build pressure in the system, open your low point drains until all liquid comes out, then close them for air method winterization. Hook up a compressor to your city water outlet at no more than 40 psi, and walk around and open up all the valves in the unit until they are just misting air. Dont forget any washer and dryer ports you may have, the outside shower, etc. Then open your low point drain one last time and pull the anode plug again to drain any remaining liquid in the tank. At that point, you can start working on fixing your primary problem. Since you are probably going to have some pink antifreeze in your hot water heater i would flush it good to you dont get any corrosion. Make sure you flush it good!

[MHil]

Thanks... i'll need to do that until I can unload everything, get the panel out the basement so i can access the back end of the water heater...assuming that's the access route.. i've not found a way from inside the coach, so it's looking like that'll be the way!