Winterize Precept 31UL

[JB newowner]

Has anyone posted a video how to winterize a Precept 31UL?

I have the residential refrigerator with ice maker and water from the front door. I am not sure if I need to turn off a valve to block the antifreeze from going into the water line. Nor do I know where that valve would be located.

I think I know how to do everything else. All I get on YouTube when I search for Precept is sales pitches.

Thanks

[Twoshadycampers]

Remove the vented panel below the front of the fridge which is held on with 4 screws. Our valve is to the right side of that area.

[Boattrash]

Do you need to drain the tubing going to your dispenser and ice maker?

[Kevin Cooper]

The book on our Alante has the winterization process in it. I put pressurized air through everything at 40 psi, turn off all things not wanting antifreeze in, like water heater, then put in antifreeze.

[youracman]

Last year, I just went with the 40psi air purge.....lots of it. I did walk away and leave the purge on for about 3 hours while the fridge's ice maker went through several ice cube harvesting cycles to be sure. Then the pink stuff in the p-traps and about a half gallon down the commode. For the fridge, many let it make pink slushy ice cubes ..... probably more fool proof than my long purge approach but I didn't want to have to de-winterize the ice maker and cold water tank in the fridge come spring.; although most say it isn't that big a deal.

BTW- There is a thread somewhere about just draining the supply line to the fridge. One guy at least, got to have the fridge pulled and a broken (frozen) inlet valve replaced using that method. Draining ain't good enuff.

Good times and safe travels to ya.

[Paul P.]

For 30 yrs I've only used the antifreeze method to winterize my MH's and have never had a problem. If you have a hot water tank as opposed to a tankless system, then you would want to by-pass the hot water tank(should be instructions in your owners manual) and then drain the tank from the outside by removing the drain plug. If you have the tankless hot water heater then all you need to do is turn it off as you will want the antifreeze to go through it to protect the water lines in it. Then since I have 2 full baths plus washer/dryer I pour antifreeze in a clean 5 gal bucket and make the connection for winterizing in the wet bay. I do have to pour some in the hose to get a "prime" before putting the hose in the bucket in order for the pump to pull it through. Then it is just a matter of opening every faucet both hot and cold until it runs pink. Don't forget the toilets and outside shower in the wet bay. The washer has a procedure to pull in the antifreeze through both hot/cold as well. For my Whirlpool fridge, first I remove the filter, otherwise it will filter out the pink coloring ruining the filter and preventing me from seeing when I have "pink" coming out the water dispenser. Then, leaving the antifreeze solution connected to the water supply, I leave the fridge with icemaker "on" until I get "pink sludge" for ice cubes (takes a couple of hrs). I also pour some antifreeze in all the drains and toilets and drain the low water points in the wet bay. When de-winterizing just run the water through everything until no more pink.

[Rice1951]

Just an FYI. If your coach has a macerator and that is the only thing you use to drain your tanks, there will still be water left in both your grey and black tanks and associated piping. The macerator is great for emptying the bulk capacity of your tanks in a hurry when getting ready to leave a CG but not so much for winterization purposes. To remove the last drop of water from your system you need to use the larger hose connected to your drain and let gravity do its thing.
The first time I winterized I used the macerator to empty the tanks and thought I was good to go. Then I put a bucket under the drain, took the cap off and opened the valve to make sure. At least 2-3 gallons of water poured out. So I don’t trust the macerator for draining the tanks for winterizing anymore although I do make sure to still run antifreeze through it.
If you only use the macerator for draining you might get by for a short cold spell but it will bite you if you have extended periods of cold temperatures.

[JPpgmpa]

Followed the instructions in the owner's manual to winterize our Precept, but I'm just not sure it came out right. Drained the hot water tank and Fresh water tanks. Couldn't get antifreeze to siphon in the Winterize position. Finally found that if I turned the blue handle on the Nautilus panel to six o'clock that antifreeze would siphon. However, when I turned on taps to check on antifreeze flow, I got a lot of spitting and hissing from air in the line, finally some minimal flow of pink stuff (kitchen sink was very minimal). I could be wrong, but it seems to me that instead of completely draining the fresh water there should be some water in the system and lines to add antifreeze to so that the (now) antifreezed fluid can be pumped through the coach. I am stuck doing this myself since I have the coach stored at a military base and I can't bring a tech in to do it.

[Paul P.]

I would wait to drain the water out of the fresh water tank, until after winterizing so you can make sure there is no air in the lines(only water) when you start pumping the antifreeze.
These are the instructions I found to winterize the Nautilus P3 control system from the Nautilus mfg web site (see link below)
Nautilus Panel Winterize Troubleshooting Steps
Steps to follow before submitting any type of claim due to not winterizing;
1.Disconnect hose.
2. Make sure all low point drains are closed.
3. Open a cold faucet to relieve system pressure and leave open.
4. Throw all handles in the opposite direction of winterize and then put them back in the winterize position.
5. If there is a water filter on the outside of unit, fill filter with winterize solution and make sure lid is tightly sealed so air
can’t get through.
6. Remove screen washer from City Water inlet and turn it around so cone is facing towards Nautilus panel and put it
back into water inlet. NOTE: When winterizing is finished, return screen washer to original position.
7. Make sure the hose being used is less than 3 feet long.
8. Connect short hose to the City Water inlet on Nautilus panel making sure you have a tight connection that will not
allow air to enter the inlet.
9. Place bottle or bucket of winterizing solution level with or above the inlet on the Nautilus panel so the fluid is not
fighting gravity.
10. Place free end of short hose in winterizing solution.
11. Turn on pump switch.
12. Winterizing fluid should be flowing into the Nautilus panel.
13. When finished winterizing, disconnect hose from Nautilus panel.
15. if problems persist with winterizing, contact your dealer or the RV manufacuterer.
Here is a link to several of the Naulitus wet bay systems, click on the one you have and there is a lot of info. https://www.bandbmolders.com/index.php/nautilus/