Winterizing Laredo 298 SRL

[jsmith948]

Looking for some info (facts and/or opinions) regarding winterizing.

Our Laredo has the "convenience center" located at the rear L/H side of the pass through storage compartment. The water pump is located behind a panel just inboard of the convenience center. This places the pump about midships with the FW tank at the very rear of the trailer. My question is: Does the water in the long input line from the tank to the pump drain back into the tank? I don't plan on using anti-freeze. We will see early morning temps of 28-32 with an occasional night in the low 20's (but that is rare). We usually just blow the lines out and put some anti-freeze in the p-traps and waist tanks and on top of the toilet seal. I just don'y know about the line from the tank to the pump.
On our previous trailer, the pump was located directly above the FW tank and I assumed it drained back into the tank. I'm not sure that is the case with this trailer. It seems we would have to wait for the pump to prime (fill the long input line) each time we were to use the pump. Since we get water flow immediately, I believe the water stays in the line and doesn't drain back into the tank.
Hope all of that makes sense. Given our weather, I am probably concerned for no reason - I would just feel better if I knew there was no water in this line. Thanks in advance for any insight anyone might offer.

[flybouy]

I'm just guessing but have you ever siphoned anything using a hose, or held your finger over the end of a straw and removed it from the glass? I suspect the same physics is the reason your pump doesn't prime each time. If all faucets are closed it acts like your finger on the straw. when you go to winterize the valve for sucking up the pink stuff should allow air in and release the water to flow to a lower point.

[JRTJH]

I would think that each trailer (even the same model built side by side) could have a different routing of the fresh water supply hose from the FW tank to the pump. One could have a slight rise at the FW tank followed by a slight downslope to the pump while another might have a slight rise at the pump preceded by a slight downslope back to the tank. With these two "identical trailers" one would drain toward the pump and one would drain toward the FW tank. Which do you have ???? Impossible to answer, but if I were you, I'd remove the FW inlet at the pump and use compressed air to blow water back into the FW tank. That way you'd know it is essentially empty.

If you're only going to blow out your hot/cold water lines, be sure to leave the taps turned on so water won't be trapped inside and possibly damage the faucets if you should have a hard freeze.

[jsmith948]

Isn't this forum great? All you have to do is ask and the info is there. I was thinking that I would have to disconnect the line from the pump - not a big deal except for getting my old bones into position to work on the pump Didn't think of this last year - got lucky and didn't have anything freeze.
Thanks for the quick responses
Jack