installing water heater bypass

rrohrer · 09-24-2012, 06:47 AM

My previous camper had winterization bypas kit in it. My passport doesn't. I am gonna put one in. Looks like they have kits that sell for about 15-20 bucks. Is this all I'll need? looks like kit just comes with a three way valve and a piece of tubing to draw in the antifreeze.

parkgirl · 09-24-2012, 06:58 AM

You're talking about a water pump by-pass, right? Not a water heater by-pass. The water heater by-pass stops the antifreeze from entering the hot water tank, the water pump kit with the t-valve allows you to pump antifreeze directly from the jug into your system 'by-passing' your fresh water tank (and without filling your water heater if its by-pass is on). Make sure you put the kit on the right thing! (and hopefully you do already have a by-pass on the hot water heater. That is more commonly installed).

Unfortunately in our model the water pump is in a ridiculous location and is not easily accessible for putting on the kit. Keystone advises using the freshwater tank, pouring antifreeze in there and then pumping it through the system. Takes a bit more antifreeze but that's what we're doing this year and we'll see how it goes.
Good luck with yours.

Bushman512000 · 09-24-2012, 06:59 AM

I would check You trailer out Most have a valve to by pass the HWT. My new to Me Cougar has 1 valve in back of the heater washard to see but its there.All it does is stop the water from getting in the heater ..drain from the water heater plug remove the rod I leave it out all winter replace it with a new one in spring...Bushman hope this helped

rrohrer · 09-25-2012, 10:38 AM

thanks. I gotta take a closer look at it when I get it from storage.

SteveC7010 · 09-25-2012, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rrohrer

My previous camper had winterization bypas kit in it. My passport doesn't. I am gonna put one in. Looks like they have kits that sell for about 15-20 bucks. Is this all I'll need? looks like kit just comes with a three way valve and a piece of tubing to draw in the antifreeze.

Bypasses on the water heaters are pretty standard these days. Most of them now are one two-way valve on the cold water "in" port. The hot water "out" port has a one-way check valve which is the other half of the bypass.

There should be a piece of pipe going from the two-way valve up to the hot out line.

Flip the valve one way and the cold water flows into the heater and hot water out. Flip it the other way and the cold water is directed up the little pipe to the hot water lines. The check valve prevents the water from flowing into the tank via the hot water "out" port.

This link should take you to a nice write up that I did for the Sunline group a couple of years ago. It explains the older types of bypasses as well.
http://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/do...do=file&id=423

rrohrer · 09-27-2012, 07:58 AM

Thanks. My water heater is under the bunk in the rear and I have to unscrew and remove the plywood to get in there. No Biggie, but not something I have done since purchase. I remember basically how it is setup. I was just slightly nervous about cutting the water lines and getting everything put back together to ensure tight, no leaks. Maybe Keystone does recommend putting the antifreeze through the fresh water tank, but I know noone that does it that way and I don't intend to either. I haven't joined the Sunline forums to view your video, but will if I run into trouble. For now my plan is to get one of the camco kits for 15-20 bucks and see if I can figure it out after my last trip for the season here in pa.

2011 keystone · 09-27-2012, 09:13 AM

Befor you buy the kit make sure what type of water pump you have.
if you have a flowjet pump like mine the kit they sale online will not work it is made for pumps with threaded water line hook ups my flowjet has a quick release water line fitting. If this is what you have you can go to your local rv dealer and pick up a extra fitting for about 3 dollars and some 5/8 rubber hose from one of the big box stores for about 5 dallars and you will be good to go.

rrohrer · 09-27-2012, 09:27 AM

good info. i will check it out before ordering

rrohrer · 09-27-2012, 12:40 PM

well i do have a flojet. Also have a bypass valve on the water line. Thought for sure I didn't when I did walkthrough in spring. Too many beers by the campfire fogged my memeory I guess! Thanks for your responses everyone.

parkgirl · 09-27-2012, 12:59 PM

Okay, rrohrer, now you're really getting me confused. You're still talking about the heater in your previous post (about it being in the bedroom behind the screw panel) and yes the heater should have a bypass valve on it. This valve is to STOP antifreeze from going into the water heater it is NOT for use to pump antifreeze through the system. For that you have to look at the WATER PUMP.

Are you now talking about the pump? Our heater is in our back bedroom, our pump is under the drawers in the kitchen beside the sink. Our pump (on a 2013 Keystone Hideout) does not have a kit installed to be able to use it to pump antifreeze through the system. It is also not easy to access the water inlet valve but through all the help on this forum (festus2 and steve eboe), and checking our Flojet installation manual, and a visit to our dealer, we have picked up an easy snap in connector that we will try to install blind this weekend (we can't see the inlet valve but can feel it). The snap in connecter has a hose attached to it to suck in the antifreeze.

Sorry if I'm repeating myself, rrohrer, but there are two bypasses, one for the water heater, one for the water pump.
parkgirl

rrohrer · 09-27-2012, 02:55 PM

Moral of the story is I had my previous camper for several yrs. and knew how everything worked. I'm still virgin to this one. I was talking about bypassing the water heater to avoid having to fill it with antifreeze. Their is a valve in the line to do this. I saw the clip on the flojet water pump. I have to re-look at it to see how to draw the antifreeze in. I can get to it pretty easy and it sounds like you have a much harder time getting to yours. I believe along the inlet line to the pump was a hand thread. Maybe I can just unthread it and attatch something to draw the antifreeze in. I only took a quick look today(had to be home to get kids off the bus). I did find the adaptors to fit right onto the flojet online for about 3 dollars. If I need it I'll just have to get one. Don't think I need the whole 20 dollar kit though as the water heater has a bypass valve present in the line.

rrohrer · 10-15-2012, 08:26 PM

so for winterization, I have ordered a quick clip that will attatch to the feed side of my water pump. I have a bypass valve at the intake port of the water heater. There is a path(hose) from this point up to the outflow hose at top of water heater. there is no valve up there to turn. won't antifreeze go back into water heater from this port or is it one way only? my previous camper had valve at both ports. thanks.

SteveC7010 · 10-16-2012, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rrohrer

so for winterization, I have ordered a quick clip that will attatch to the feed side of my water pump. I have a bypass valve at the intake port of the water heater. There is a path(hose) from this point up to the outflow hose at top of water heater. there is no valve up there to turn. won't antifreeze go back into water heater from this port or is it one way only? my previous camper had valve at both ports. thanks.

The old style water heater bypass system used two valves to divert the water past the water heater.

In the new ones, the upper valve is replaced by a one-way check valve that blocks water from flowing into the heater but allows hot water to flow out as needed.

You are good to go.

rrohrer · 10-16-2012, 02:37 AM

thanks steve. I kinda thought there was something present like that.

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