another winterizing question

[jujustad]

My husband and I did our first winterizing yesterday. We live in a relatively temperate climate...western Washington...but we can get 5 to 10 degree temps. We opted for draining the water heater and running the water pump for 30 seconds per the manual, blowing out the lines with air, and putting anti-freeze in the drains. I was reading other winterizing posts today and saw that someone suggested putting 2 gallons of RV antifreeze into the fresh water tank, turning on the pump and drawing pink stuff out of all the faucets. Then in the spring sanitizing the water tank. I would probably opt to sanitize the water tank yearly anyway. It seems that there are so many ways to do this process! Does the above method, antifreeze in the tank, sound like it will protect the water pump and lines without damaging anything with the use of anti-freeze or should we stick with the dry method that we've already done?
I'm sorry!...I know that this question has probably been asked and answered before!

[Terrydactile]

You can put anti freeze in the fresh tank and pump it through out if you want to. You will need to clean that out of the fresh tank in the spring. If I were you I would take the suction line off of the water tank and stick it in the jug of antifreeze and then pump it through out. This way you don't have the anti freeze and its bad taste to deal with in the spring.

Some folks just blow the lines out and thats it but I do that as well as using anti freeze. Better safe than sorry for a little more trouble. Don't forget the outside shower and to drain the water heater. Also make sure the low point drains and dump valves are drained dry and antifreeze protected if you desire.

[SteveC7010]

If you have already pumped antifreeze throughout the fresh water system and drained all of your tanks, you are pretty much good to go. I would not re-do the winterizing at this point.

You might want to pay some attention to the holding tanks. I just did an extensive write up in another current winterizing post: http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/sho...4457#post54457

Also make sure you'd drained the FW tank completely. I usually leave the drain open all winter, but that's personal preference.

[jujustad]

so the suction line is attached to the water pump? Is this what everyone is referring to when talking about a by pass kit? to make it easier to suck antifreeze into the system and bypass the fresh water tank?

[SteveC7010]

Originally Posted by jujustad

so the suction line is attached to the water pump? Is this what everyone is referring to when talking about a by pass kit? to make it easier to suck antifreeze into the system and bypass the fresh water tank?

The suction line and valve is called a winterizing kit which is usually installed just before the pump on the intake line from the FW tank.

A bypass (or bypass kit) is the valves and piping installed on the backside of the water heater to take the heater out of the system so it can be drained and still keep a closed system for winterizing.

Your description of the winterizing kit is accurate except that instead of "bypassing" the freshwater tank, you are actually disconnecting the FW tank.

I think it is prudent not to mix the two labels so that we all know what is being discussed. We had a previous thread where the original poster kept referring to the "bypass kit" but was actually asking questions about the winterizing kit. It made it very difficult to figure out what he was talking about at first because he had questions about both items in the same post.

[jujustad]

thank you everyone Now I get it!

[allis15]

Link to the 2 kits:

Pump winterizing kit
http://www.campingworld.com/shopping...rizer-kit/6279

Hot water bypass kit:
http://www.campingworld.com/shopping...pass-kit/15717

Gary