Winterizing

Topic: Winterizing (Read 1609 times) previous topic - next topic

Winterizing

October 04, 2010, 11:06:32 am

Tis the time of the year, I'm surprised no one has brought it up. I have done the due diligence search of the forums and am not new to the subject, but have a couple of specific FT questions.

My ice maker does not make ice. I have no idea why, but there has to be a water line going to it. How do I winterize it? Same question for the washing machine, (the Italian thing, what ever it's called). I've never used it and have no idea what needs to be done to it. Are they easily removed? I can't imagine I'll ever use it.

Re: Winterizing

Reply #1 – October 04, 2010, 11:36:22 am

Gayland,
This link will provide a manual for the Splendide. In the manual is the winterizing procedure. I don't have an ice maker so I am no help there:

http://www.splendide.com/request_manual.htm

Re: Winterizing

Reply #2 – October 04, 2010, 12:37:16 pm

Is it a Uline?
If it doesn't make ice, the usual suspect is the ice mold heater going bad. That is the 'base' of the icemaker assembly. It heats the ice enough to 'release' it. Symptoms are - gets cold, makes one or two batches then stops.
You can buy the entire assembly or just the mold heater.

Can't really speak to the winterizing thing. I lives in FL.

Re: Winterizing

Reply #3 – October 04, 2010, 12:48:08 pm

I haven't winterized mine yet and may not if we go Winter Texan again. However it looks like there is a tube running from the Uline into the bay beneath the ice maker that runs right into the main water line drain valve. When we get stopped, I will get my owners manual to see if there is anything additional required. We are on the road between KC and OKC.

The "New 2 Me" U300 is so easy to drive I can touch type and roll down the road at the same time.

Of course Peggy is driving.

Re: Winterizing

Reply #4 – October 04, 2010, 03:01:30 pm

Dave - that's not fair! When I become king, there will be a decree that all RV'ers must winterize. The ice maker gets cold, I can use it as a freezer, but it gets no water into the trays. So therefore I can't get anti-freeze into that line. I suspect there is a screen like on the faucets, and if so, it's probably plugged with sediment, like my faucet screens were. I would hope it can be pulled out so I can get at it.

Kent - that reminds me of a Paul Harvey story, about the guy who had the new RV, set the cruise control and went back to make himself a sandwich.

Peter, thanks for the link, I'll tear into it. Looking in the archives, I see numerous people that say they don't winterize, just leave the furnace run. I've thought about that, but what happens when/if the furnace quits in the middle of the night. That's a rhetorical question, I know what would happen here, especially if it's 20 below out.

But I've been thinking, you've maybe seen the steam rising here- It seems the best/safest procedure would be to dump in enough anti freeze to fill the water heater, then do the pumping through all the lines thing, then drain the water heater back into the jugs that the anti freeze comes in for re-use next year. I know I would have to be careful to keep it clean. I don't have a bypass on the WH, and no easy way to install one that I can see.

Re: Winterizing

Reply #5 – October 04, 2010, 03:10:17 pm

On my 1999 U-270 I pulled the u-line out myself and took into a shop where they replaced the icemaker. I don't recall the steps, but the remove and repace was simple

Re: Winterizing

Reply #6 – October 04, 2010, 03:27:50 pm

If your Uline is not getting any water at all the supply line valve may well just be turned off. On my 93 with the icemaker on the same side as the sink it was plumbed to the cold supply line for the sink faucet. There was a shutoff valve there.
If its on the other side of the coach (passenger side), check under the bathroom sink.

Re: Winterizing

Reply #7 – October 04, 2010, 05:28:29 pm

Gayland,
I did the hot water heater with winterizing fluid approach the first year of ownership. That was a real PITA. The following spring I had FOT install a HW heater by-pass valve. And, yes it is a PITA to install without having to scoot the WH forward about 4 inches. I have an access opening between the storage bay & the utility bay to gain access to the valve.

Re: Winterizing

Reply #8 – October 04, 2010, 10:41:02 pm

My older Grand Villa has the ice maker hooked to the filter for the separate faucet on the sink and their is a shut off valve between the filter and the ice maker.

Re: Winterizing

Reply #9 – October 04, 2010, 11:17:55 pm

Gayland,
mid-state TEXAS requires no freeze proctection; My Pappy said-- go south young man, go south in the winter.
so here I am

Re: Winterizing

Reply #10 – October 04, 2010, 11:57:22 pm

Gayland,
I have a valve under the kitchen sink that feeds the U-line, downstream of the ADC drinking water filter. I have also removed and replaced the total icemaker subassembly in the U-line unit. It was not a difficult corrective repair at all (Long term use, w/o defrosting, led to massive corrosion in the controls).
I have winterized my freshwater system several different ways:
First year, drained all fresh water, blew down every freshwater line with low pressure air. No problems but it's a tedious process.
Second, third and fourth years, drained all systems, added RV antifreeze and (very carefully) ran each freshwater outlet until I got good indication of antifreeze out of each outlet. Then drained all tanks.
Second year, solenoid operated valve inlet to the U-line froze and destroyed itself.
Third year, toilet foot valve froze and destroyed itself .
Fourth year, the head assembly for ADC filter assembly froze and destroyed itself.
Fifth year through eleventh years, I haven't drained or put antifreeze in anything. I leave the coach on shore power, on the propane furnace set at 45 to 48 degrees, I leave the Gen Set on Auto start when it is outside the warehouse (frequently), I try to check that the furnace is functioning normally each night that it's going to go below freezing. The coach has done fine for these past six or seven years in temperatures down below zero, sometimes well below, in New England. We have travelled south in below zero temperatures (once, -20 degree F) with all fresh water systems in service.
I've obviously become a fan of the KISS principle. I was killing the coach with winterization kindness.
I have made a custom seal for the shore-power cord entry, to keep the warm air in and the cold air out.

My winterization process now:

Fill freshwater tank (good thermal heat sink)

Drain Black and Grey Tanks

Gen set in AUTO (if coach is outside) (Note coach only gets to stay inside if we have a warehouse empty, between leases.)

Shore Power Cord seal in Place

Thermostat on 45- 48 F on propane furnace.

It may not work for everyone's circumstance, but it has worked well for us.
Oh, for the past 5 years, we've been in FL by mid January thru late April, so we aren't in the cold ALL winter.
Hope this helps.
Neal

Re: Winterizing

Reply #11 – October 05, 2010, 11:12:52 am

If your coach has an Aqua-Hot it is very important that you winterize your coach. If the fresh water loop that passes through the Aqua-Hot freezes it will burst the copper coil requiring a very expensive re-manufacturing by Aqua-Hot.

The approved method of winterizing your Aqua-Hot is to completely fill the fresh water line with RV anti-freeze. Using air to blow out the water line does not remove all of the water inside the Aqua-Hot.

If you keep your Aqua-Hot turned on using electric and or diesel it will not freeze.

Re: Winterizing

Reply #12 – October 05, 2010, 11:32:54 am

Quote from: Roger Berke – October 05, 2010, 11:12:52 am

If your coach has an Aqua-Hot it is very important that you winterize your coach. If the fresh water loop that passes through the Aqua-Hot freezes it will burst the copper coil requiring a very expensive re-manufacturing by Aqua-Hot................

Roger,
Excellent point!
While putting my reply to Gayland together, it occurred to me to point out that Aqua Hot Coaches shouldn't be tempted to follow my winterization example because I have a propane furnace and roof air strip heaters for heat, not an Aqua Hot system . Then I forgot to include that point in my reply.
Neal

Re: Winterizing

Reply #13 – October 05, 2010, 11:54:09 am

In addition to having FOT install the WH by-pass valve, I added a winterizing valve at the exit port of the water pump. Additionally, I istalled some tubing from the winterizing valve with fittings to make it easier to add the winterizing fluid. Now it takes me about 15 minutes to winterize the entire system with only 3 gallons of fluid. This includes the Spendide and all other appliances & faucets...including the one in the utility bay...I forgot to do that one one year, but it seemed the fluid somehow made it to this faucet.

Re: Winterizing

Reply #14 – October 05, 2010, 02:12:54 pm

And if you have Aquahot and shore power its even simpler!

Re: Winterizing

Reply #15 – October 05, 2010, 03:10:04 pm

Quote from: Dave Head – October 05, 2010, 02:12:54 pm

And if you have Aquahot and shore power its even simpler!

Sorry Dave, I'm a Poortravel sub-member & don't have either...

Re: Winterizing

Reply #16 – October 05, 2010, 03:59:58 pm

Although I don't Winterize, a previous owner included a spare 12V water pump with hose fittings on each end.

Re: Winterizing

Reply #17 – October 05, 2010, 08:50:21 pm

Me neither - just FL sun and solar panels...

Re: Winterizing

Reply #18 – October 05, 2010, 10:55:33 pm

C'mon Neal, I had my mind made up and now you're changing it

On the bright side, your coach got a lot newer with all your experiences. Since our coaches are the same, except for the year, are they the same? I don't have Aqua heat either (Does that get me into the PoorTravel club?)

It will be in an un-heated shop with shore power, just 30 amp though. Will that power the heat strips? (How does your generator start when it's 20 below out?) How much propane do you go through in a month when it's cold? That would be another concern for me, keeping filled with propane. If we have a lot of snow it could be a problem getting out. I'm 60 miles away from
I'm thinking now, a combination of both, winterize it, but try to keep some heat in it too. I don't trust the furnace to run 5 months without quitting. I can check it daily, but if it dies and won't restart....I'll also get a couple/three electric heaters for backup.

I haven't looked for the elusive ice maker water valve yet. Peter, I have a easy method of putting in the anti-freeze so I'm going to stick with my filling the water heater, running it through the lines, and drain out the rest.

Re: Winterizing

Reply #19 – October 05, 2010, 11:08:23 pm

OK. Winterize is foolproof. But, if your have reliable electric, electric heat in coach and storage bays will work. As for propane, your supplier might come out and top the coach off, or you can get a larger cylinder and plumb it in externally. How about driving it south of the freeze line and parking it there at a storage facility oin central FL? Go visit it twice for fun.

Re: Winterizing

Reply #20 – October 06, 2010, 10:58:26 am

Winterize it for piece of mind, or move it to Dave Head's part of the world for the winter....

Re: Winterizing

Reply #21 – October 06, 2010, 04:09:16 pm

Gayland,
Sorry for the confusion factors.................but c'mon, ....................you asked.

Quote

1. Since our coaches are the same, except for the year, are they the same?
1a. I don't have Aqua heat either (Does that get me into the PoorTravel club?)
2. It will be in an un-heated shop with shore power, just 30 amp though. Will that power the heat strips?
3. How does your generator start when it's 20 below out?
4. How much propane do you go through in a month when it's cold?

Answers:
1. Some things may not be the same regarding Heat in/Heat out components;
1998's have thermo pane windows (Big difference!), one 42 Gal. (178 Lb.) capacity LP tank, a single 40K BTU propane furnace and two ducted roof airs with one 1530 Watt (12.75 Amps at 120VAC) Heat Strip each.
1a. I think that all U270's should AUTOMATICALLY qualify for the FoFum Subgroup called the "PoorTravelClub"
2. For redundancy, I have minimized all other loads and have successfully run two roof AC's (on Auto, so that they cycle) in "Heat Strip" mode, for extended periods of time, without tripping a 30 Amp supply breaker. But you need to remember that supply breakers are notoriously inexact and they age at different rates, so I was pushing my luck when you take the circulation fans into consideration. I only do it when I know that I'll be checking the coach during a cold spell. One Roof AC Heat Strip continuous on a thermostat? No Problem on a 30 Amp breaker, as long as you have minimized other loads, but that doesn't heat the basement.
3. 8KW, PowerTech Isuzu has lethargic but reliable starts on first demand. Of course, at below zero temperatures, it "pumps rocks" for a long time, just to remind me how unreasonable I am being.
4. We use the propane furnace and/or propane hot water heater and/or cook top stove and/or Weber Q barbecue essentially daily for at least six months of each year and there has only been one time in twelve years that I have used more than one full LP tank in a year.
Happy Sailing (snowdrifts)!
Neal

Re: Winterizing

Reply #22 – October 06, 2010, 04:40:57 pm

Gayland,
I'll add that the propane furnace is ducted to the storage & utility compartments; whereas the A/C heat strips do nor provide heating to the water lines on either side of the bay fore of the duallies. So be carefull. And, oh yes, the head (throne) does retain water, and if it freezes you'll be repairing that item too.

Like Tim said...peace of mind even when it gets way below freezing.

Re: Winterizing

Reply #23 – October 06, 2010, 10:16:47 pm

Well, don't want to beat a dead horse, but a couple of comments. Neal, I had to go to the spec's sheet for yours to see if the LP tank size was a typo. Wonder why they dropped it to 178 from 270 which is what mine is. I guess if you can do all you do and only need to fill once a year it's still plenty big.

Duane, we here in ND love our furry friends and so don't mind sharing, also, we have 30 cats so those rodents have to run a bit of a gauntlet.

I have hopes of getting a couple short trips in before December, so I'll depend on the heat to get by until then. Nice to know that I won't have to worry, as long as everything works.

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