Owners Manual Air Pressure Method seems wrong...

[CMYK]

So I decided to winterize my new 287BHSW by using the Air Pressure Method rather than the Antifreeze method.

Let me tell ya, I followed the owners manual method but no water actually came out of anything! While the compressor was cycling on/off for 10-15 minutes I was sitting there thinking, how in the world should this be working when every single point of exit is open all at the same time???? There's ZERO compression to force anything out. All it did was gurgle a little bit of water in the hot water heater, but even then nothing came out.

Here's what the manual suggests (abbreviated version):

1. Water heater bypass should be off to let air go through water heater, remove the water heater plug
2. Open ALL the faucets in the RV and the outdoor shower
3. Open fresh water tank drain
4. Connect the blowout plug and blow air from compressor for 30-60 secs then turn the water tank shutoff valve to off.
5. Continue blowing out lines for 5-10 mins.
6. Fill the p-traps with anti-freeze.

After a quick Google search I totally changed up my procedure to the following:

1. Water heater bypass should be ON, with plug removed.
2. Closed all the indoor and outdoor faucets except for the kitchen hot water tap (which is the one farthest from where the city water input is).
3. Open fresh water tank drain to drain all fresh water.
3. Turned the water tank shutoff valve to off.
4. Connected the blowout plug and watched as a LOT(!!!) of water that was supposedly already drained (according to the manual), came out of the kitchen hot water tap.
5. Sequentially opened each tap moving from the front to the back and drained every bit of water left.
6. Opened the low point drains to confirm there was nothing left.
7. Filled the p-traps with anti-freeze.

I love my Jayco and so far I think the only defective part I've found is the owners manual - lol!

[bankr63]

Okay, so now we know WHY Jayco has removed the compressed air winterizing from the owner's manuals. That would be all the repairs necessary for owners following their instructions.


Good thing you found a better method, but if you are anywhere up near the frost belt, I would suggest a full AF winterize. Belt AND suspenders is always the safest...

[mike837go]

Originally Posted by CMYK

...snip...

I love my Jayco and so far I think the only defective part I've found is the owners manual - lol!

X2!

I've found more is missing than is wrong.

Like, tank capacities....

[CMYK]

Originally Posted by bankr63

Okay, so now we know WHY Jayco has removed the compressed air winterizing from the owner's manuals. That would be all the repairs necessary for owners following their instructions.


Good thing you found a better method, but if you are anywhere up near the frost belt, I would suggest a full AF winterize. Belt AND suspenders is always the safest...

The manual with my 2017 trailer still has the compressed air option, so maybe in some models they removed this option, but not all I guess?

The amount of water in the system that came out after I changed up the procedure was astounding. I can almost guarantee that I would have ended up with a burst pipe somewhere. I wouldn't mind using AF if it wasn't for the lingering aftertaste in the water that seems to stick around for a while.

[bedrck46]

I have used the AIR BLOWOUT method for over 35 years and never read the manual on how to do it.


Where you went wrong in following the manual was once you removed the drain plug from the heater and left the valves in the normal summer position and water that was in the tank drained out and the when you connected air it had nothing to push out and just like electricity it took the path of least resistance.


CMYK I hope you also opened the flush valve on the toilet to blow out ant water in that valve

[CMYK]

Originally Posted by bedrck46

I have used the AIR BLOWOUT method for over 35 years and never read the manual on how to do it.


Where you went wrong in following the manual was once you removed the drain plug from the heater and left the valves in the normal summer position and water that was in the tank drained out and the when you connected air it had nothing to push out and just like electricity it took the path of least resistance.


CMYK I hope you also opened the flush valve on the toilet to blow out ant water in that valve

Yeah, the manual's method doesn't make any sense whatsoever from a pressure standpoint. I hope they remove/revise the procedure in the manual for others...

I flushed the toilet and waited until only air was coming out, then kept flushing for about 15 secs after that.