Low point drain caps

CrazyCain · 09-07-2020, 11:27 AM

My brother in laws job didn't allow him to camp at all this year and finally has a couple of free weekends coming up towards the end of Sept. SO he needed me to De winterize his camper, type of guy that pretty much just pulls his trailer.
SOOO, i went there yesterday, oh he had a Big Box ("General" Description of the place

) RV center winterize it last fall because he had warranty work done on it. When i went there i noticed the caps where not on the low point drains, but in with the HWH compartment outside. HUH..

I'm like, uh why did they take them off. Usually you take them off at De winterizing....I could see inside the trailer that they did use anti freeze because there was some on the floor near the pump. and all the other evidence of being used was there, drains, stuff in the sinks and all..

When we filled the FWT and turn on the pump, not to much anti freeze came out of the faucets...

Am i missing something here, did they blow the lines out and just pour antifreeze down the traps and into the toilet? I do not blow my lines out so i have no idea.....that would explain why the caps are off i guess...

Javi · 09-07-2020, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrazyCain

My brother in laws job didn't allow him to camp at all this year and finally has a couple of free weekends coming up towards the end of Sept. SO he needed me to De winterize his camper, type of guy that pretty much just pulls his trailer.
SOOO, i went there yesterday, oh he had a Big Box ("General" Description of the place

) RV center winterize it last fall because he had warranty work done on it. When i went there i noticed the caps where not on the low point drains, but in with the HWH compartment outside. HUH..

I'm like, uh why did they take them off. Usually you take them off at De winterizing....I could see inside the trailer that they did use anti freeze because there was some on the floor near the pump. and all the other evidence of being used was there, drains, stuff in the sinks and all..

When we filled the FWT and turn on the pump, not to much anti freeze came out of the faucets...

Am i missing something here, did they blow the lines out and just pour antifreeze down the traps and into the toilet? I do not blow my lines out so i have no idea.....that would explain why the caps are off i guess...

Could be, that's all I do... but I live in Texas and camp between cold spells..

**chuckster57** · 09-07-2020, 11:39 AM

I wonder how much they charged him? You can’t run antifreeze in the lines with the low points open. And they spilled?

I’d be looking for a refund myself.

CrazyCain · 09-07-2020, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuckster57

I wonder how much they charged him? You can’t run antifreeze in the lines with the low points open. And they spilled?

I’d be looking for a refund myself.

I know, i showed him that when the caps are off, the water runs right out. They charged him $120.00

**sourdough** · 09-07-2020, 12:13 PM

Yep, they pulled a fast one. A 5 minute blow out and 1/2 gal of antifreeze = $120 (well maybe 15 minutes). As Javi, that's all I do but I live in W TX and the lowest temp ever seen by the owner of the insulated storage facility where we keep it is 36 degrees inside. I'd be having a conversation with them.

**flybouy** · 09-07-2020, 01:54 PM

I'll give him a discount! I'll do that for an even C note.

Customer1 · 09-07-2020, 02:31 PM

I remove the caps after running antifreeze. There is no benefit to leaving the antifreeze in the lines.

skids · 09-07-2020, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuckster57

I wonder how much they charged him? You can’t run antifreeze in the lines with the low points open. And they spilled?

I’d be looking for a refund myself.

Maybe they did the low points with antifreeze last by uncapping them and then just left the caps off.

**chuckster57** · 09-07-2020, 06:01 PM

We don’t winterize out here, but my thinking: why spend the time and money to pump antifreeze if your going to open the low point drains and let it drip out?

Just asking.

**JRTJH** · 09-07-2020, 06:25 PM

I haven't seen a "new delivery from the factory" during winter in several years. Back then (around 2016) the trailers arrived at dealer lots "winterized at the factory"... All of the low point drain caps were stored in the water heater front access area (behind the water heater door). They sat on the lot like that (no low point drain caps) until they were sold and the PDI was done. I never gave it any thought, but if they were winterized at the factory, why were the low point drain caps in the water heater ???

So, could it be that the factory winterizes trailers and then removes the low point drain caps for some reason ??? Following that, could it be that the "big box RV store" that winterized this trailer actually did "what the factory does" and all of us, for all these years, have simply been "missing a step in the factory procedure" ?????

Hmmmmm

**chuckster57** · 09-07-2020, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRTJH

I haven't seen a "new delivery from the factory" during winter in several years. Back then (around 2016) the trailers arrived at dealer lots "winterized at the factory"... All of the low point drain caps were stored in the water heater front access area (behind the water heater door). They sat on the lot like that (no low point drain caps) until they were sold and the PDI was done. I never gave it any thought, but if they were winterized at the factory, why were the low point drain caps in the water heater ???

So, could it be that the factory winterizes trailers and then removes the low point drain caps for some reason ??? Following that, could it be that the "big box RV store" that winterized this trailer actually did "what the factory does" and all of us, for all these years, have simply been "missing a step in the factory procedure" ?????

Hmmmmm

And all the units I have seen from the factory have the low point drains closed and only the FW tank cap in the WH compartment. East vs. West thing?

**JRTJH** · 09-07-2020, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuckster57

And all the units I have seen from the factory have the low point drains closed and only the FW tank cap in the WH compartment. East vs. West thing?

I suspect that you likely get units from both factory locations ??? It's been at least 4 years since I observed a dealer inspect a factory delivery so the entire process may have changed since then ?????

Brentw · 09-07-2020, 07:47 PM

Well, I open drains, drop the water, close them up, pump anti freeze to all points, open drains again and let it drop. Antifreeze is in all the nooks that don't drain, that's all I need it for. Don't need to have all the lines full. Also saves flush time in the spring.

**sourdough** · 09-07-2020, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brentw

Well, I open drains, drop the water, close them up, pump anti freeze to all points, open drains again and let it drop. Antifreeze is in all the nooks that don't drain, that's all I need it for. Don't need to have all the lines full. Also saves flush time in the spring.

I'm thinking (now into a dangerous area) that if we flush the lines with antifreeze then dump it and leave the low points open, what's the difference between blowing the lines out then putting antifreeze in all the traps etc.? Ahhh, just things to thing about....

tech740 · 09-07-2020, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

I'm thinking (now into a dangerous area) that if we flush the lines with antifreeze then dump it and leave the low points open, what's the difference between blowing the lines out then putting antifreeze in all the traps etc.? Ahhh, just things to thing about....

In the south I think that would work. In the north, I think there is benefit to knowing that there is antifreeze in the points that are not supposed to be low, and other little nooks and crannies that air may have allowed residual to collect in. I usually leave mine full and drain in the spring. I wish my water heater bypass was at the water heater not the docking station. I have a 30 foot run of pipe to the heater then a 20 foot run from the heater to the valve before it goes to fixtures. I end up blowing all that out and hoping it drains to the water heater if residual builds up. At least the heater tank has the anode removed and gives room to expand.

**flybouy** · 09-08-2020, 04:46 AM

Justin Wilson the Cajun Chef used say he was a safety engineer (he was in real life) because he wore a belt and suspenders. I like that approach.

I use compressed air to blow out the lines then pump the pink stuff thru via winterization valve on FW pump. At the minimal cost of the antifreeze I think it's cheap insurance. Then I remove all three drain caps and set them inside the front compartment as that's where my FW pump is.

Why? My thinking is the the only need for the antifreeze is to replace the water that won't drain. This makes chasing the antifreeze out in the spring a lot quicker.

Question. On the factory placing the caps in the WH compartment. At the factory, do they actually connect city water and check for leaks? From what I've read, I don't think they test the blank tank flush!

Javi · 09-08-2020, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flybouy

Justin Wilson the Cajun Chef used say he was a safety engineer (he was in real life) because he wore a belt and suspenders. I like that approach.

I use compressed air to blow out the lines then pump the pink stuff thru via winterization valve on FW pump. At the minimal cost of the antifreeze I think it's cheap insurance. Then I remove all three drain caps and set them inside the front compartment as that's where my FW pump is.

Why? My thinking is the the only need for the antifreeze is to replace the water that won't drain. This makes chasing the antifreeze out in the spring a lot quicker.

Question. On the factory placing the caps in the WH compartment. At the factory, do they actually connect city water and check for leaks? From what I've read, I don't think they test the blank tank flush!

On a note... I used to talk to Justin Wilson often when he was selling for fertilizer Mississippi Chemical Company.. and I hired one of his protégés to sell for us.

**JRTJH** · 09-08-2020, 05:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flybouy

Justin Wilson the Cajun Chef used say he was a safety engineer (he was in real life) because he wore a belt and suspenders. I like that approach.

I use compressed air to blow out the lines then pump the pink stuff thru via winterization valve on FW pump. At the minimal cost of the antifreeze I think it's cheap insurance. Then I remove all three drain caps and set them inside the front compartment as that's where my FW pump is.

Why? My thinking is the the only need for the antifreeze is to replace the water that won't drain. This makes chasing the antifreeze out in the spring a lot quicker.

Question. On the factory placing the caps in the WH compartment. At the factory, do they actually connect city water and check for leaks? From what I've read, I don't think they test the blank tank flush!

I can't speak for "today's procedures" but the last time I toured the factory (2018) the Cougar line had an "air pressure device" that was connected to the city water inlet, pressurized to 50PSI and left for 15 minutes. If the system remained pressurized (no ideal the tolerances deemed pass/fail) they removed the device and winterized the system.

I didn't see any "failures" so that could mean one of two things:

1. Quality work with no defects.....

2. Defective plumbing that was "not repaired" and winterized anyway.....

I have no idea which was/is the practice. I'd hope if they identify a problem, they fix it, or at least make note of it so the dealer can fix it... However ?????

**flybouy** · 09-08-2020, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRTJH

I can't speak for "today's procedures" but the last time I toured the factory (2018) the Cougar line had an "air pressure device" that was connected to the city water inlet, pressurized to 50PSI and left for 15 minutes. If the system remained pressurized (no ideal the tolerances deemed pass/fail) they removed the device and winterized the system.

I didn't see any "failures" so that could mean one of two things:

1. Quality work with no defects.....

2. Defective plumbing that was "not repaired" and winterized anyway.....

I have no idea which was/is the practice. I'd hope if they identify a problem, they fix it, or at least make note of it so the dealer can fix it... However ?????

Sounds like they follow "typical" plumbing practices in using air to test. Seems off that they would winterize the system when no water was ever present.

CrazyCain · 09-08-2020, 06:52 AM

Well i guess whatever way it was done was ok, confused as all H*ll..LOL I leave the caps on after i winterize, been just fine the last 4 yrs, so no worries about that kind of stuff....
When I ran H20 through the system there were no leaks or anything. Still wondering why they charged him 120.00.. Told him to check his receipt . BTW, Extended warranty work was replacing the FWT, which was leaking..

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