Winterizing trouble shooting

mitig8r · 10-09-2022, 04:41 PM

I am trying to winterize my 2015 Keystone Cougar 5th wheel, which I have done successfully in prior years. On my RV, I have a water pump located in the underneath storage compartment (why would a manufacturer ever put it down there, where it takes a tiny acrobat to get to it?). The water pump has a bypass valve which can be turned to a clear vinyl hose that is inserted into the antifreeze bottle. As I said, it has worked fine in prior years. This year, the water pump sucks up about a quart of antifreeze and then stops (mind you, this RV takes a bit over 6 gallons of antifreeze to fill all the lines). As far as I can tell, all the faucets have been drained and closed, the hot water heater bypass valve is in the proper position, and so on. Any ideas on why my water pump would shut off prematurely?

I initially posted this need for assistance in an older post and I don't think it's still active. I read all those great responses and have checked and I don't have a pin coming out of the valve. The pump will come on for 10 seconds to suck up the antifreeze (about a quarts worth) and then it just stops. It's supposed to get down to freezing here in the Rockies tonight and I am clueless how to fix this. Any help wold be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

**sourdough** · 10-09-2022, 04:47 PM

So you flipped to the pump to fill from the anti freeze then turned the pump on. You said all the faucets etc. are closed....the pump will shut off. I has to pump water out of something.

bkelly1955 · 10-10-2022, 01:44 AM

looking for video to winterize 2023 22rbs with tankless hotwater heater. where to connect antifreeze, I dont see any by pass valves or bypass kit ??....there is no information in my manual for this hear and model....please help

ChuckS · 10-10-2022, 04:55 AM

Six gallons is a lot of RV antifreeze... I blow out my 2014 3010RE Alpine every year and then use RV antifreeze.. I use exactly 2 1/2 gallons...

I prefer to blow out with air first to displace all the water ( except whats in water pump ) and then use the antifreeze to purge water pump of any possible water..

Sounds like in you case you arent opening faucets to allow the liquid to flow and pump builds pressure and shuts off

mitig8r · 10-13-2022, 01:34 PM

As always, you all are a wealth of information. Just to be sure, you are saying that all the faucets should be OPEN? I follow a set of written instructions that specify that I should open all faucets, to allow the water to drain out, but then CLOSE them before using the water pump to draw in the anti-freeze. And that method has worked for me for several years. The other issue with having the faucets open (it seems to me) is that I have to crawl into the storage compartment underneath the camper to get to the water pump. How am I supposed to know when antifreeze starts coming out of the faucets? I am venting about Keystone's placement of the water pump--it makes absolutely no sense to put it down in the underneath storage area.

jfk69 · 10-13-2022, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mitig8r

As always, you all are a wealth of information. Just to be sure, you are saying that all the faucets should be OPEN? I follow a set of written instructions that specify that I should open all faucets, to allow the water to drain out, but then CLOSE them before using the water pump to draw in the anti-freeze. And that method has worked for me for several years. The other issue with having the faucets open (it seems to me) is that I have to crawl into the storage compartment underneath the camper to get to the water pump. How am I supposed to know when antifreeze starts coming out of the faucets? I am venting about Keystone's placement of the water pump--it makes absolutely no sense to put it down in the underneath storage area.

It won’t pump if the faucets are closed. If they’re closed, there is no “demand” for the pump to turn on and address. You should be able to put the tube in the bottle of antifreeze and then go up and turn on each faucet individually until pink flows out. Do both hot and cold. Then move to the next faucet. Change bottles of antifreeze as needed. I start with the faucet furthest away and work closer to the pump as I go.

**flybouy** · 10-13-2022, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jfk69

It won’t pump if the faucets are closed. If they’re closed, there is no “demand” for the pump to turn on and address. You should be able to put the tube in the bottle of antifreeze and then go up and turn on each faucet individually until pink flows out. Do both hot and cold. Then move to the next faucet. Change bottles of antifreeze as needed. I start with the faucet furthest away and work closer to the pump as I go.

If the water lines have been drained then the pump will start the moment it's turned on. It's pressure that activated the switch to start or stop. I open faucets then open low point drains. Close all faucets, turn pump valve and stick winterizing hose in the antifreeze jug.Then open faucets furthest from pump and turn pump switch on. After it runs pink, close and work my way to the faucets closer to the pump until I've bleed them all. If you turn on the pump with all faucets closed you will build up air pressure in the lines that's higher than the water ( or antifreeze) pressure. Air will compress, water will not.

mitig8r · 10-13-2022, 04:52 PM

Thanks to both of you for the further explanation. I guess my memory of prior years' winterizing is wrong--not surprising, given that I am starting the long slide into old age!

bkelly1955 · 10-14-2022, 12:17 PM

ther is no pump winterize valve installed on this new 2023 cougar 1/2ton

larryflew · 10-20-2022, 07:45 AM

Ditto on our 37 foot Alpine only taking 2.5 gallons. Our Alpine had the plumbing to do the winterizing all from the water compartment which had the valves and hose fitting for bypass, drains, antifreeze hose etc.

This works MUCH better with 2 people. I man the antifreeze and my wife opens faucets. I just holler when time to change bottles of antifreeze. I do not blow the lines out first but I have before. Currently do not because we typically do the winterizing on our way back from AZ to MN in March or April and it's usually still freezing so we do it about Iowa in a park.

DDuncan51 · 10-20-2022, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mitig8r

Thanks to both of you for the further explanation. I guess my memory of prior years' winterizing is wrong--not surprising, given that I am starting the long slide into old age!

I hear ya.

**flybouy** · 10-20-2022, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mitig8r

Thanks to both of you for the further explanation. I guess my memory of prior years' winterizing is wrong--not surprising, given that I am starting the long slide into old age!

Reminds me of the elderly woman in the doctor's office. She said she has terrible gas but fortunately no one else knows because they are silent and don't stink. The doctor gave her a prescription and told her to return in 2 weeks.

2 weeks later she's back and says that the pills didn't help but in fact made things worse. Although still silent, now her flatulence smells really bad. The doctor said "Now that we have your sinus infection cleared up we can work on your hearing."

Marinerjoe · 10-21-2022, 01:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bkelly1955

ther is no pump winterize valve installed on this new 2023 cougar 1/2ton

My 2022 26RBS didn’t come with the winterizing valve either. I picked the Camco winterizing kit up at West Marine and put it in. Fortunately for me, there was plenty of room and access wasn’t terrible to do it.

Joe

jasin1 · 10-21-2022, 03:42 AM

for my boats and the rv i have a 10 gallon bucket? or close to it ..looks just like a 5 gallon on steroids….i dump as many gallons as i need for each application into the bucket and put the hose in…more for the diesel boat engines and generator and less for the rv ..boat engines i disconnect the seawater intake hose and put in the bucket..i can winterize by myself this way if i want to …i tend to lean towards working alone as most people find my cussing and muttering to myself to be …let’s say ..somewhat …. “off putting”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjNqLOorulI

dutchmensport · 10-21-2022, 05:17 AM

I didn't read all the posts, and hopefully by now you have successfully winterized. If you have not done so yet, then the only thing I can think of that might stop the suction from happening is a pin-hole in the clear intake hose you stick in the RV antifreeze bottle. If it has a pin hole, that would account for why it starts and then simply stops, yet the pump is still running.

For what it's worth, in all 3 of my previous campers and my current one, I stick the hose in the antifreeze bottle, flip the switch over to RV antifreeze.

.... two trailers I had to disconnect the intake line from the fresh water tank and attach another hose to stick in the bottle.

... one trailer I installed a switch over valve with a permanent clear hose. The switch over valve was located right at the intake of the water pump.

... my current fifth wheel has a valve in the convenience center to simply flip over to antifreeze with a separate port to attach the intake hose.

Anyway... after sticking the hose in the bottle, I flip on the water pump and let it pressurize. I NEVER low-point drain the water first. This keeps the pressure up.

Now, one by one, I turn on each faucet until it run pink stuff.

It's only AFTER the water lines are pressurized that I turn on the faucets, one by one, cold then hot. Turn everything off, go the next faucet. Once all the way around, I repeat again in case any residual water backflowed into a line that was already winterized. Second time is just a short shot.

In my current 41 foot Montana .... 1.5 gallons of pink stuff. Now that I have a washing machine installed .... 4 gallons. The washing machine demands a lot more.

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