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Topic: Winterizing a coach {split from Re: Aqua hot and Coach heat] (Read 1172 times) previous topic - next topic - Topic derived from Aqua hot and Coach heat

Winterizing a coach {split from Re: Aqua hot and Coach heat]

Quote from: mkc1962 –
I have not researched it yet but was sort of wondering what most folks due to winterize.  I m guessing keeping the wet bay from freezing is more designed for those that travel during extreme cold vs winterizing protection. We personally like traveling when its cooler but not Frozen, was thinking just like our 2nd home in the mountains, I would drain all liquids and use the pink stuff in all the traps.

If you have an AquaHot and a washer/dryer, you should run pink stuff through all plumbing including the AquaHot (or risk a $10K rebuild cost) and through the washer/dryer to properly winterize.  You cannot simply drain the lines as there will be water left in places like the AquaHot coil, the washer, the fridge icemaker line, and the shore water hose reel.  The AquaHot and washer winterization warning is in the owner's manual.

The low point drains on the coach do not drain the AquaHot, the washer, or the icemaker line.

Also run pink stuff through the toilet, including rinse wand and flush with it (via the water pump to get all lines) if you have a VacuFlush toilet.

It takes about 5-6 gallons and you can suck the antifreeze in via the water pump with a short hose adapter.  For the shore hose, unfurl it and let it drain fully. 

It sounds involved, but it usually took us less than 1/2 hour and doing it on the last warm-ish, calm day after the last use and before the first freeze was a routine process.

Re: Winterizing a coach {split from Re: Aqua hot and Coach heat]

Reply #1 –
Quote from: Michelle –
If you have an AquaHot and a washer/dryer, you should run pink stuff through all plumbing including the AquaHot (or risk a $10K rebuild cost) and through the washer/dryer to properly winterize.  You cannot simply drain the lines as there will be water left in places like the AquaHot coil, the washer, the fridge icemaker line, and the shore water hose reel.  The AquaHot and washer winterization warning is in the owner's manual.

The low point drains on the coach do not drain the AquaHot, the washer, or the icemaker line.

Also run pink stuff through the toilet, including rinse wand and flush with it (via the water pump to get all lines) if you have a VacuFlush toilet.

It takes about 5-6 gallons and you can suck the antifreeze in via the water pump with a short hose adapter.  For the shore hose, unfurl it and let it drain fully. 

It sounds involved, but it usually took us less than 1/2 hour and doing it on the last warm-ish, calm day after the last use and before the first freeze was a routine process.
Was my plan, I sort of do similar with a house we have in the Smoky mountains. There I drain all lines, use air pressure to also blow the lines, then leave the ends open, but then only use the pink stuff in the traps. Once you get used to the process, and have all the simple devices to do it with, its not a hard task. In 16 years of owning not ever an issue. We leave the house for months with no heat on and often weeks of single or zero temps. IF we go up for a long weekend, very easy to put back in service and to re-winterize.

As we often enjoy traveling during the cold seasons, needs to figure out the best way to also do the RV for such use.

I have read where several drain, but then use space heaters in key areas to keep them warm enough to not be an issue.

Based on Rogers comment
The basement thermostat has no off position.  If your coach is being stored and the outside temps get cold enough it will turn on the circulating pump even if the heat sources (120v or diesel) are not on.  The basement thermostat has three wires.  I added an inline three wire connector and disconnect the thermostat while the coach is stored in cold weather (and winterized, of course).
Sounds like the THERMOSTAT for the circulation pump needs to be disconnected regardless what winterization method is used.


Re: Winterizing a coach {split from Re: Aqua hot and Coach heat]

Reply #2 –
Quote from: mkc1962 –
Was my plan, I sort of do similar with a house we have in the Smoky mountains. There I drain all lines, use air pressure to also blow the lines, then leave the ends open, but then only use the pink stuff in the traps.

Instructions for the AquaHot especially (ask Rudy) and Splendide will tell you blowing air through is inadequate to protect those, so just don't neglect to run antifreeze through them.

Re: Winterizing a coach {split from Re: Aqua hot and Coach heat]

Reply #3 –
Quote from: Michelle –
Instructions for the AquaHot especially (ask Rudy) and Splendide will tell you blowing air through is inadequate to protect those, so just don't neglect to run antifreeze through them.

Point made,

IF one were to pink stuff the entire rig, What stops any of the pink from making it into the under the sink water filter?
guess ill have to buy the pink stuff in case lots, as if we use it during the winter. like our house would have to re-winterize after each use, and 5-6 gals each time is 1/2 a case. We may live in the deep south, but have seen teens for days as early as just b4 christmas and as late as late march.

If its more to it than section 5-2 of the owners manual.
anybody got a good step by step write-up/ link to another post etc... on what is the preferred total rig winterization? I know bits and pieces and can no doubt figure it all out, but why re-invent the wheel. I'll also check the forum for no doubt this has been discussed to death in the past.

Bob,
Thanks for the info on your Dometic setup. I ran the roof heat for a few minutes when checking out the rig, but overlooked running the AH side. As I have not run my systems in a month or two other than road running the engine, I was planning to run all systems today, I'll be sure to test the dometic/AH side of things. Thanks for the tip on your fix if its needed.

Re: Winterizing a coach {split from Re: Aqua hot and Coach heat]

Reply #5 –
[split secondary discussion on winterization]

Re: Winterizing a coach {split from Re: Aqua hot and Coach heat]

Reply #7 –
Mike,  If you only open the utility bay hot water faucet, the pink stuff only goes to that one hot water faucet after traveling through the fresh water loop in the heater.  So the heater is winterized but no pink stuff in the kitchen filter(s).

Re: Winterizing a coach {split from Re: Aqua hot and Coach heat]

Reply #8 –
I leave the filter on, winterize, then throw the filter away and buy a new one in the spring.
I dont have a hot water heater bypass so I plan on 20 gal of pink antifreeze to run through the system, includes the washer and dishwasher cycles.
Dont forget to drain and flush with RV antifreeze the outside faucet, all the drains, faucet and shower locations. Refrigerator cold water/ice maker, I disconnect the water line going to each and let them drain out, then blow out with my mouth.
Pink antifreeze is cheap compared to freeze damage, and it tastes good.

Re: Winterizing a coach {split from Re: Aqua hot and Coach heat]

Reply #9 –
You can remove the filter and add a bypass plug to the filter holder. Then you get pink stuff through the drinking water faucet.

If takes 5-6 gallons to do everything with an Aquahot, maybe more with a W/D but not much.

I blow everything out making sure to open and close every faucet and drain valve including the shower, toilet and wet bay faucet.  Drain the fresh water tank and empty the waste tank.  Pink stuff shouldn't get in the fresh tank, some will get in the waste tanks.

Make sure the valve from the fresh tank to the pump is closed then hook up the pump to a big bucket of pink stuff.  It will suck up 3 gallons in a minute. Open and close each valve, hot and cold, every one until pink stuff comes out and then do them all again.  Catch any overflow from the cold and hot line drains, put a couple cups in every sink and shower drain.  Make sure the toilet flapper is covered.  Remove the suction line from the pump and reconnect it to the water line.  That's about it.  Remember when you de-winterize to open the tank to pump valve.

I have a disconnect on the water pump so that it doesn't inadvertently get turned on.

I usually hook up to city water to do the initial flush of all the lines then add 50 gallons of so of water to the fresh tank with a tbsp of bleach, let it sit for a while, pump water through all the lines for a second flush then drain the fresh tank and refill most of the way with a bit more bleach and flush the lines again.  Now put in a new undersink filter and flush water through that as well.  You should be good to go,

About an hour to an hour and a half at each end of the process with practice and $20 for pink stuff.  Way better than anything being frozen.

Re: Winterizing a coach {split from Re: Aqua hot and Coach heat]

Reply #10 –
Rudy,
Good point to point out.

Lon,
Have you maybe drunk too much of that  pink stuff?..."tastes good too"....just kidding good humor.
20 gals vs others comments of  average 5-6,  you must have way more fluid paths than the average system?

Roger,
Thanks for the PDf and all the details.
I like your idea aabout the disconnects on both the water pump and the previous comment about the wet bay Stat.

still between my 2nd home where I go through maybe 2-4 gallons a year, and this much for the rV, might as well buy it by the case if I can.

Re: Winterizing a coach {split from Re: Aqua hot and Coach heat]

Reply #11 –
Quote from: mkc1962 –
Rudy,
Good point to point out.

Lon,
Have you maybe drunk too much of that  pink stuff?..."tastes good too"....just kidding good humor.
20 gals vs others comments of  average 5-6,  you must have way more fluid paths than the average system?

Roger,
Thanks for the PDf and all the details.
I like your idea aabout the disconnects on both the water pump and the previous comment about the wet bay Stat.

still between my 2nd home where I go through maybe 2-4 gallons a year, and this much for the rV, might as well buy it by the case if I can.

Running a cycle in the Washer and the Dishwasher uses a fair bit of antifreeze. I also have a 10 gal water heater tank that has no bypass, it needs to be filled and antifreeze run through the hot water lines, kitchen, bathroom, shower, outside faucet.

Re: Winterizing a coach {split from Re: Aqua hot and Coach heat]

Reply #12 –
Yep, more stuff than I have. I do have a washer, but no std water heater or DW.

Re: Winterizing a coach {split from Re: Aqua hot and Coach heat]

Reply #13 –
Being in Louisiana and our MH is stored at our house Im wondering if its necessary to run the pink.  We like camping in the winter but do get our share of teen temps but not uncommon for the weather here to fluctuate from the teens to the mid 60's.  Im wondering if I could drain and then blow the lines out.  Ive also got several space heaters I used in our camper when we got the hard freeze that shut Texas and Louisiana down at the first of the year.  Sad part is a week after the freeze I was working in a t shirt lol. 

Can I run the aqua hot with the water lines drained?

Re: Winterizing a coach {split from Re: Aqua hot and Coach heat]

Reply #14 –
Eddie, it is absolutely necessary to run the Aqua Hot with the fresh water lines drained when stored in freezing conditions.  You can never ever drain or blow out the water in the bottom of the many fresh water loops in the heater.  Allowing the AH coolant to go below 32 degrees F will freeze the residule fresh water.  A $10,000+ mistake.

So, with the interior thermostats set to 50 degrees F and the basement thermostat set to 40 degrees F, turn on the electric element and diesel burner when below freezing temps are expected.  Open cabinet doors below the sinks to let warm air into the cabinets where the water lines are located.

As long as you have the grid power and diesel, you are good to go. If you loose grid power, start the gen.  As long as you have more than 1/4 tank of diesel you are good to go.  No draining necessary.

Hope this helps

Re: Winterizing a coach {split from Re: Aqua hot and Coach heat]

Reply #15 –
Quote from: Rudy –
Eddie, it is absolutely necessary to run the Aqua Hot with the fresh water lines drained when stored in freezing conditions.  You can never ever drain or blow out the water in the bottom of the many fresh water loops in the heater.  Allowing the AH coolant to go below 32 degrees F will freeze the residule fresh water.  A $10,000+ mistake.

So, with the interior thermostats set to 50 degrees F and the basement thermostat set to 40 degrees F, turn on the electric element and diesel burner when below freezing temps are expected.  Open cabinet doors below the sinks to let warm air into the cabinets where the water lines are located.

As long as you have the grid power and diesel, you are good to go. If you loose grid power, start the gen.  As long as you have more than 1/4 tank of diesel you are good to go.  No draining necessary.

Hope this helps

Thank you Rudy.  The more I read the more Im thinking I need to add a suction line to the Sureflo and a plug for the water filter.  Highly doubt we will camp in February which typically is our coldest month.  Good to know I can run the aqua hot with the water lines drained.  Im also reading the solenoid for the ice maker is prone to crack in freezing conditions.

Re: Winterizing a coach {split from Re: Aqua hot and Coach heat]

Reply #16 –
Eddie, if you put fresh water antifreeze into the coach till ONE hot water faucet is flowing pink, the Aqua Hot is winterized.  Now, you can drain and/or blow the water lines to your hearts content.  The Aqua Hot can now be stored turned OFF in freezing conditions.