Winterizing and antifreeze seeping in HW Heater

[jstadler]

HI I have a 2017 Montana 5th wheel 3820 FK. I turned the two valves one to winterize the other to bypass the water heater. I pumped antifreeze in with the water pump and had some antifreeze still go into the hot water heater.

I have hear this will happen is one of the check valves is bad on the hot water heater.

If this is true is it the cold or hot? It was a small stream so I was able to winterize the rig. Always something!

Thanks

 

[Big Ed]

I’m not sure I have never had that happen did you pull the rod out of the hot water heater?

 

[Daryles]

Looking at the diagram one of our members made,
Could be
the bypas valve
The Cold water check valve,
Or
The hot water check valve.

I use compressed air to blow out the pipes then pour antifreeze into the traps and holding tanks.

 

[bobbecky]

Why antifreeze is entering your WATER HEATER is because the only check valve that is on the hot water port is leaking, allowing antifreeze to enter the tank. The check valve needs to be cleaned or replaced.

https://www.amazon.com/Valterra-P23...ater+heater+check+valve&qid=1677974984&sr=8-2

 

[jstadler]

Possibilties

Looking at the diagram one of our members made,
Could be
the bypas valve
The Cold water check valve,
Or
The hot water check valve.

I use compressed air to blow out the pipes then pour antifreeze into the traps and holding tanks.

So it would be the bypass valve, or the two check valves but not the winterizing valve?

 

[jstadler]

HI sorry for two responses they moved my post, here is my question and thanks for the diagram.

So it would be the bypass valve, or the two check valves but not the winterizing valve?

 

[jstadler]

HI sorry for two responses they moved my post, here is my question and thanks for the diagram.

So it would be the bypass valve, or the two check valves but not the winterizing valve?

 

[jstadler]

Thanks Ed yes that is where the antifreeze came out of

 

[jstadler]

Could it not go through the cold side if the bypass valve is bad?

 

[bobbecky]

There is only one check valve and that is on the hot water port on the back of the water heater. That stops water from entering from that port. The bypass valve keeps cold water from entering into the cold water port of the water heater tank. The check valve is the most likely culprit when this happens. You get crud that accumulates in the water heater tank and that is what obstructs the check valve from closing fully. Regularly draining the tank and flushing the white debris out helps avoid this.

I'm very happy everyone still likes that plumbing diagram I drew years ago while we were at the Western Rally at Seven Feathers in Oregon, when the check valve in our water pump failed and it was overfilling our fresh water tank. That was in June of 2014.

 

[BB_TX]

I agree with Bob that it most likely the check valve on the water heater output connection. Those sometimes get crude from the water heater in them and don’t close completely. A flush wand used after draining the WH when winterizing helps get most of that sediment out.

The bypass valve is a 3 way ball valve and those are typically very reliable.

 

[Daryles]

Rohrmann,
Thanks for the diagram.
It is most helpful. I refer to it regularly.
Any diagrams are most welcome when Keystone won't provide.

 

[BillandLisa]

Looking at the diagram one of our members made,
Could be
the bypas valve
The Cold water check valve,
Or
The hot water check valve.

I use compressed air to blow out the pipes then pour antifreeze into the traps and holding tanks.

I have found that using compressed air like talked about above is a much better/easier way to winterize and is not hard to make an adapter from your local big box home improvement store. You need a threaded connection to go on the end of your air compressor hose that then mates up to a 90 degree swing valve (to allow you to start and stop air flow as needed) and then goes to a male water hose fitting. Only precaution is set the air pressure at no more than 40psi so you don't over pressurize the piping. If you have a canister water filter in your supply line somewhere you DON'T want to pump antifreeze through it as it will kill the filter material, but you also don't want to leave the shell of the filter filled with water as it will rupture the bottom of the canister if it freezes (I have proven this works). Using air pushes all the water out of the canister and I use less than a gallon of antifreeze in the traps and holding tanks.

 

[DutchmenSport]

The only problem I see with winterizing with compressed air (which I do sometimes), is blowing out the ice maker.


The other item is the washing machine. It's a Spledide stackable. According to the instructions for the machine, there are no options for winterizing with air, only RV antifreeze. So, for both the ice maker and the washer the lines have to have RV antifreeze, so it just makes the most sense to use RV antifreeze for everything. I do often blow out the antifreeze after I do that part. But haven't found a way to blow out the ice maker or the washer (yet).