Winterizing

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Tools/Supplies I Use:

  • Adjustable wrench OR 22mm socket wrench

  • Bypass kit

  • Pail/dish basin

  • Pliers

  • RV Antifreeze

  • Paper towel or rag

Outside:

Dump Tanks

  • Drain grey/black tanks at the dump station and flush with hose, if possible.

Drain Hot Water Heater

  • Open up the service door for the hot water heater

  • twist off the plug using a wrench (mine is adjustable - the bigger one) and let the water and sediment flow out (it’s a tight space and finicky to twist off, so patience is required). I’ve stripped the plastic plug and discovered that a 22 mm socket wrench with a long skinny adaptor also works, likely even better than the wrench (that I’ve cursed multiple times!)

  • Open the pressure valve at the top.

  • Once the water is finished emptying, close the pressure valve at the top

  • Return the plug to the hot water tank using the wrench. Before putting back in place, add some “tape” (ours is white, thin stretchy tape like stuff) around the plug to preserve the threads on the plug (just wrap it around once - it sticks to itself)

  • We were advised to have extra plugs on hand, but we haven’t had to replace ours yet (we’ve winterized 3 times). Edited to add that, at the end of our 6th season, I’m on my 3rd plug, since I stripped the plug trying to get it out in our most recent winterization. Another edit: at the end of our 8th season, while in New Brunswick, we managed to strip our plastic plug. Luckily, at the next campground in St Andrew’s they had a “fix-it” guy on staff. He came, managed to get the plug out and replaced it with a brass plug that had a square end instead of a hex end. So, off I went to find a new piece for my socket set… It worked very well though!

Drain Fresh Water Tank

  • Open the value to the fresh water tank that’s under the dinette (you could also run the pump and drain it into your black/grey tank, but we’ve usually already done our last dump for the season and don’t want anything else in the tank, so we drain it using the valve under the dinette).

  • The black valve to drain the fresh water tank should be parallel to the white pipe (or running in the same direction as the white pipe).

  • Once drained, close the valve.

Drain the Low Point Drains

  • These are found under the trailer - one is red and the other is blue.

  • Once they are finished draining, close them again.

  • They are closed when they are parallel to the wheels.

Inside:

  • The starting point for hot water tank valves (in the closet under the hatch door): The cold and hot valves, on the sides, are open (parallel to the tubing), the hot water bypass at the back, is closed (perpendicular to tubing).

  • To Winterize, close the cold and hot water valves and open the bypass valve.

  • Under the dinette, where the fresh water tank is, detach the pump from the fresh water tank. There may be a bit of water still in the pipe, so you’ll want to have something to wipe it up with (I used paper towel).

  • Attach the bypass fitting to the pump and then attach the winterizing hose to the bypass fitting using the part of the nozzle that’s perpendicular to the pump. Place the end of the “hose” in the RV antifreeze bottle and open up the bypass fitting (so that the switch is perpendicular to the fitting)

  • Turn on the pump and watch the antifreeze go thru the tubing so that the pump pressurizes. Then, using a basin, turn on the shower taps individually (both hot and cold) until the anti freeze starts coming out the shower head. Do the same thing with the sink hot and cold taps (if you have other sprayers or taps, you will need to do the same thing with them). Note: once the pump is pressurized, you’ll need to turn on the taps in order for the anti freeze to move through (I’ve made this mistake more than once now and sat wondering why the anti-freeze wasn’t pumping through the clear pipe!).

  • The notes from Can Am RV say to go outside and depress the check valve in the fresh water connection/city water connection and to cover it with a rag when you do this or you will get anti freeze all over you. This allows the anti freeze to come out the inlet. But I maybe did it wrong because when I opened it, nothing came out and I don’t know what the check valve is! Edited: at the end of Season 9, I managed to pull the little screen off and pressed the valve. Only a drop of water came out, and not any antifreeze. ChatGPT helped me sort this one out!

Finishing up:

  • Back in the closet, open the cold line on the water heater to allow some antifreeze into the bottom of the tank and to displace any water in the valve (you should hear a swish for this). Turn the pump on to allow a little bit of anti freeze into the heater and then close the cold water line again.

    NOTE: I feel like this step is not necessary as when I go to de-winterize in the spring, I end up having to flush the hot water tank over and over again to get the antifreeze out, which is long and time consuming. This statement came from a handout that we received from Can Am RV when we bought Holly, but it’s not a statement I’ve seen anywhere else! Edited: Again I used ChatGPT to ask this question and it told me NOT to add any antifreeze to the bottom of the hot water tank. It should make dewinterizing a breeze next season (the assumption is that when I opened the low point drain, the entire tank emptied…).

  • Remove the hose from the bypass valve and then remove the bypass valve from the pump. Replace the fresh water tank connection to the pump. Use some of the white sticky tape to preserve the screw threads. Wipe up any excess water on the floor.

  • Pour about 2 cups of antifreeze down the sink and shower drains and flush the toilet with some as well. I left a tiny bit in the toilet bowl.

This process takes about 1 gallon (3.78 Litres) of RV anti freeze (give or take), but I was generous with it this time. I could have done it with a little less, but didn’t care to have a jug with only a tiny bit of antifreeze left in it.

I’ll need to get a new jug for next year!

A few QUESTIONS that I haven’t found the answer for:

  1. Should we keep the plug in the hot water heater out for the winter and replace during our de-winterization? I’ve been putting the plug back in once I’ve emptied the tank. Edited: Putting the plug back is the easiest process, in my opinion.

  2. Should we keep the low point valves open after winterizing and only close during the de-winterization process? I think the answer is no… if you leave them open, the antifreeze will flow out through them and we don’t want that. Edited: I also close them.