Positions of valves in Wet bay

[cerda]

I have a Bullett 287 QBS. I am confused about the positions of the valves in the wet bay. In particular, the Winterize valve and the Bypass valve. With the pump on I get water from the freshwater tank. With the hot water heater on, I get hot water from the hot water faucets. However, the labels on the valves seem wrong to me. I've search the forums and found there was a problem but I've not found a clear explaination of what they should be.

My valves are both in a horizontal positon. The labels make no sense to me.
The winterize valve can move vertically downward, which I assume is have the pump suck from the winterize outlet and not the freshwater tank. The bypass valve can move vertically which I assume is to bypass the hot water heater.

What should the valve positions be?

[chuckster57]

Welcome to the forum

The “winterize” valve is for the water pump. You point the valve towards the way you want it to be. In your picture the winterize valve is ON, meaning you hook up antifreeze bottle to the winterize port, turn on the water pump and run antifreeze through the fresh water system.

The Bypass” valve determines if fresh water goes into the water heater. In your picture it is off meaning fresh water will go into the water heater so you can have hot water.

When you winterize the winterize valve should be in the ON position and rv antifreeze hooked up to the winterize port after turning the bypass to bypass.

If you’re using the trailer the winterize valve should be OFF and the bypass should be OFF.

[bobbecky]

If you turn the WATER HEATER bypass to the bypass position, that turns off cold water to the water heater tank, and there will also be a check valve on the hot water outlet of the tank that keeps water or antifreeze from going backwards into the water heater tank if you have to winterize the trailer. If you do that, you need to remove the anode or drain plug on the outside of the tank to drain water from it.

[cerda]

I did an experiment this morning. With the Winterize switch in the shown position the faucets will run for as long as they are on. They seem to be pulling water from the fresh water tank. When the switch is pointing down, the faucets run for a while and will stop. I think the lines are emptyed and no water is pulled from the fresh water tank.

I think the label is wrong.

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by cerda

I did an experiment this morning. With the Winterize switch in the shown position the faucets will run for as long as they are on. They seem to be pulling water from the fresh water tank. When the switch is pointing down, the faucets run for a while and will stop. I think the lines are emptyed and no water is pulled from the fresh water tank.

I think the label is wrong.

If you hook up a jug of RV antifreeze to the “winterize” threaded inlet, you’ll find you have antifreeze running out of the faucet. Make sure you turn the bypass valve to bypass.

[snoobler]

Originally Posted by bobbecky

If you turn the WATER HEATER bypass to the bypass position, that turns off cold water to the water heater tank, and there will also be a check valve on the hot water outlet of the tank that keeps water or antifreeze from going backwards into the water heater tank if you have to winterize the trailer. If you do that, you need to remove the anode or drain plug on the outside of the tank to drain water from it.

do these exit check valves ever go bad? I can pressurize my wh, but I can't get anything out of it. Filled tank with pump until exterior relief valve gave water, but the only way I can get water to the hot side of the faucets is if I bypass the WH.

[bobbecky]

Yes, the check valve can fail, either fail to open, as in stuck closed, and the check valve can also fail to close all the way, so if the BYPASS valve is placed in BTPASS, it will allow water to enter the HOT exit port back into the water heater tank. If you are not getting HOT water from your faucets when all the valves are in their normal positions, yes, the check valve could be stuck closed. This is what the check valve is likely to look like and is what the one in our rig looks like.
https://www.amazon.com/Valterra-P234...3426352&sr=8-2

[snoobler]

Originally Posted by bobbecky

Yes, the check valve can fail, either fail to open, as in stuck closed, and the check valve can also fail to close all the way, so if the BYPASS valve is placed in BTPASS, it will allow water to enter the HOT exit port back into the water heater tank. If you are not getting HOT water from your faucets when all the valves are in their normal positions, yes, the check valve could be stuck closed. This is what the check valve is likely to look like and is what the one in our rig looks like.
https://www.amazon.com/Valterra-P234...3426352&sr=8-2

Thank you very much.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/dqDBhjMXbRDzNLnm7

I removed the elbow fitting from the check valve, and could push the white plastic part in a bit with my pinky.

After reattaching and loosening the elbow fitting by hand, I get a little dribble of hot water, so it doesn't seem like it's completely closed off.

I have another winterized trailer on site. I may see if it's compatible. It has a manual 3 valve system, so it might not even have a check valve.

Thanks again,

Steve

[jxnbbl]

Originally Posted by cerda

I did an experiment this morning. With the Winterize switch in the shown position the faucets will run for as long as they are on. They seem to be pulling water from the fresh water tank. When the switch is pointing down, the faucets run for a while and will stop. I think the lines are emptyed and no water is pulled from the fresh water tank.

I think the label is wrong.

I took delivery of a new trailer at the end of 2021. When prepping it for my "walk through" the tech noted that it was labelled incorrectly. They didn't change valves or anything but took the labels off and I think they had to cut one in 1/2 and repositioned them so they made sense. They have worked fine in the last 2 years. I will pose a picture later of the new positioning.

He noted it was the 3rd trailer he had to do it to (at that time)

[jxnbbl]

Actually happened to have one on my phone.... It looks like he just made his own labels and depicts what us probably your problem too.