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Topic: No bypass for winterizing my water heater? (Read 905 times) previous topic - next topic

No bypass for winterizing my water heater?

Our water heater is located behind the U-line ice maker, with no easy access on the inside of the coach. Do I just use the two low point drains under the couch or end up filling the water heater until enough RV antifreeze makes its way into the system?
Couldn't I just pressurize the water heater with about 30 PSI while running the antifreeze thru the system? Would this keep the antifreeze out of the heater but in the system?
Kinda curious as the winters get pretty darn cold up here and I don't want to find leaks in the spring. Our water heater does not have a bypass on it (I believe) and probably couldn't install or reach back under to turn the valves anyway.
Nitehawk,  Demolition Lady, & our NEW master, Zippy the speeding BB cat.
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED
Oshkosh chassis, 8.2 DD V8
2006 Saturn Vue AWD

Re: No bypass for winterizing my water heater?

Reply #1 –
You could try to just blow out the lines.
I don't trust that I will get everything drained so I bite the bullet and and buy about 12 gallons of the RV antifreeze and fill the entire water heater and then pump through the 12v pump till antifreeze comes out of all the faucets.
I also run the dishwasher and washing machine so the lines are filled and the drains are filled and flushed.
1995 U320C SE 40'
Jeep 4x4 Commander - Limited - Hemi
"The Pack"  Yogi and Diesel our Airedales -  Charlie our Boxer/Akita mix. Gone but NEVER forgotten Jake our yellow Lab.
NRA Law Enforcement Firearms instructor - Handgun/shotgun
Regional Firearms instructor for national Armored Transp. Co.

Re: No bypass for winterizing my water heater?

Reply #2 –
I drain EVERYTHING, then blow out the entire system, then pump the system full, including the water heater, then run each faucet (hot & cold) and the toilet until antifreeze comes out , then drain the entire system-including water heater and fresh water tank. Then I go around and pour more antifreeze in each drain. I disconnect the water line to the U-line ice maker and drain that. I pour two gallons of the antifreeze I drained from the system into the black water tank thru the toilet and also the bathroom sink.
After our last outing I did a complete and thorough drain of all tanks so I know they are clean. Adding the antifreeze assures me that the Valterra valves will be protected and won't dry out by spring.
I remove the water filter and discard it--new one in spring. I clean the U-line "radiator" of cat hair and I go outside and clean the furnace compartments, the refrig compartment and the water heater compartment.
I check all fluid levels, change the oil & filters, remove all bug carcasses from the front and then go around and check for loose screws at the beltline moulding and the end caps. Lastly I check and recaulk suspect areas of deteriorated caulk.
I fill the diesel fuel tank, add one bottle of Startron diesel treatment, turn off the propane, remove batteries (coach, engine, smoke & carbon monoxide detectors, clocks, etc) and label all.

OOPs. Forgot to add that we do the peppermint/cayenne pepper/cotton ball and dryer sheets to several places.

DONE!!!!
Nitehawk,  Demolition Lady, & our NEW master, Zippy the speeding BB cat.
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED
Oshkosh chassis, 8.2 DD V8
2006 Saturn Vue AWD

Re: No bypass for winterizing my water heater?

Reply #3 –

I installed one of these at the TOP of the manifold (where the supply and hot return from the water heater plumb in). Supreme Permanent By-Pass Kit 12"

It took 5 minutes to install. The 12inch hose wasn't long enough (I'll have to take a pic and show), but I bought a 30" one off amazon: Fluidmaster B4F30 Faucet Connector, Braided Stainless Steel - 1/2" I.P. Female

I just bypass it while pumping antifreeze. I drain the water heater. Then I open the bypass some to put a little bit of antifreeze in the bottom of the water heater.

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1998 U270 34'

Re: No bypass for winterizing my water heater?

Reply #4 –
I had FOT install a winterizing valve for the water heater and then I installed switching valve at the water pump inlet with plumbing for the antifreeze suction. Takes me 3 gals of RV antifreeze and 5 minutes to winterize. Includes the Splendide. Well worth the upgrade.
Peter & Beth Martin
No Forrest? What have you done?
MC# 15890 until Dec 2016; FMCA #F329677
Cincinnati, OH

Re: No bypass for winterizing my water heater?

Reply #5 –
 I still do not understand the aversion to blowing out the entire system and leaving valves etc open. I have been doing this over the years if we did not go away and never a problem, and we get some really cold winter weather here. I put AF in drains though.
I do not see Irrigation people filling sprinkler lines with AF ???
John H
Coachless, now use aircraft. 2003 Ford Travelair TC280 class C. Super shape. Just for 1 yr .
1994 Ford E350 ClassC,total renovation inside and out. Now sold.
2000 U295  36' Cummins 350 c/w Banks Stinger, Resonator upgrade,Solar, LED lites.Residential fridge with slide out pantry. Build 5674. Sold
ex 92 GV 022C ored Cummins. Sold
ex 95 GV240 cat 3116. Sold
2017 Mini cooper s & 2016 land Rover LR2 HSE  LUX.
jhaygarth@aol.com    SKP #130098
treat everyone as you would like to be.

Re: No bypass for winterizing my water heater?

Reply #6 –
NH.....I was lucky enough that the PO installed a bypass kit in our '89 because your right it is pretty tight back there!  I had to dremmel out a bigger hole to fit my hand back there from under the sink.  With that said I blow out ALL the lines with air for 30 plus minutes and leave every valve open for our Michigan winters.  I did the same thing in all my TT in the past with no problems. (Minus forgetting the U-line valve last year, my first with FT...I forgot it). Pink stuff goes in all my drains and I open and shut the drain valves a couple times as well.

Dryer sheets and bars of "Irish Spring" soap in all compartments too....red squirrels hate it I guess Lol

Jeff
Jeff & Carrie
2023 Geneva 31VA
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED "The Button Pusher" - GONE 🥺

Re: No bypass for winterizing my water heater?

Reply #7 –
Clever to use regular after-market water heater bypass on top of manifold.

We made our bypass by connecting hot water heater cold-in to an unused cold [A] manifold valve and hot-out to an unused hot manifold valve. And then connected a new hose from other unused hot [C] & cold [D] valves. Normal - open A & B, close C & D. Bypass close A & B, open C & D. We have not had to winterize our coach.

Re: No bypass for winterizing my water heater?

Reply #8 –
I never put the bypass on my 270.  I just filled it with antifreeze then when there was stuff in the lens I emptied it  out again. It was cheap and no extra connections to leak.  I only had to do it 5 times and then I built a garage.
2025 Wanderbox Outpost 32 on F600 Expedition Motorhome
2015 Born Free Royal Splendor on Ford 550 nonslide version  for sale
Former Coaches  covering. 360,000 miles
1999 34 U270
2000 36 U320
2001 42' double slide U320
2018 Jeep Rubicon

Re: No bypass for winterizing my water heater?

Reply #9 –
Attached is picture of my bypass install. I also installed a similar valve on the inlet of the pump that put in bypass and suck antifreeze in the pump. The pump connections are quick disconnect, so that's another option as well.

I put both hot water heater bypass valves in bypass, drain the hot water heater, and run the pump and ensure pink comes out of all hot and cold. I crack either valve on the hot water bypass to dump a little pink in the water heater.

Bypass the water filter, and unhook the icemaker line, shoot pink thru it, then let it run once to get pink in the valve (overkill, but it takes 2 minutes).

I drained the fresh water tank, leaned the coach over to get as much out as possible. With the water pump on and sucking antifreeze, I opened the fresh water tank fill to get some pink in the tank. Another option is to push antifreeze back up the drain line (drain valve open) to the tank. This also ensure antifreeze gets on the supply side of the pump BEFORE the bypass fitting.

My coach doesn't have a washer/drier, but the valves on the manifold to the clothes washer were open. I had to pull a drawer out and ran pink thru them and then shut the supply off at the manifold.

Ensure holding tanks are drained, then dump a bit extra pink down the traps and checked to make sure it made its way to the holding tank valves.

Don't forget the OVERFLOW holes in the toilet if you have them. I think it's a trap, so water could freeze in there?!? I dumped pink in with a small funnel/hose.

NOTE: I did drain and blow out the lines before I started pumping pink. When I opened faucets, I still got a fair amount of clear water before pink came out....especially in the shower.

Now that I have the coach set up to winterize (it lived in Florida and Texas), I can do the whole thing in about 10 minutes.
1998 U270 34'

Re: No bypass for winterizing my water heater?

Reply #10 –
Thanks to your post I was second guessing if I got the U-line all line unhooked....just left the barn and sure enough I forgot. Thanks Nitehawk!
Jeff & Carrie
2023 Geneva 31VA
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED "The Button Pusher" - GONE 🥺
 

Re: No bypass for winterizing my water heater?

Reply #11 –
I'm right there with John Haygarth,  Just blow it down good and put AF in the drains.  Add AF to the tanks to protect drain valves after draining them.  Fresh water tank is good by just draining.  Have a good winter  ----  Fritz
Fritz & Kathy Johnson
1991 36'