first time dewinterization ??

[jbanske]

model 26 bhsw

I had the dealer winterized in the fall

looking to flush the plumbing with the pink antifreeze..i am told there are low point valves that need to be released (raised) in the trailer from a family member that has a hybrid jayco- he said he found his in the bathroom under the sink..i looked but there is a panel attached covering the floor area
any help as to IF these exist in my model and 2 wth they may be???

[Seann45]

Look underneath the rig for 2 small hoses sticking out.. (usually together) they might even have valves on them.. if so open those valves do the flush close the valves and your done.. if there is no valve then go inside the RV to where the hoses stick down and look... they will be behind a door or some such easy to access panel.

[jbanske]

found them...by the black water tank release

[Fyouberg]

Everything I read here describes filling the fresh water tank and using the pump to flush the antifreeze out of the system. Our first trip in the new Jay Feather 23RL will be to a state park with shore water and power. Is it necessary to use the water pump or can I just drain the low point drains, run shore water through to flush and then close the water heater bypass valve and fill the water heater and then turn it on? Am I missing something here?

[JFlightRisk]

Yes, you can flush it out with the hose connected for city water. Depending on how much plumbing is involved with the pump, There will still be a little antifreeze in the pump and its connecting plumbing, assuming it was properly winterized through the pump itself, which it probably was. You can flush out that part by running water through the pump from a jug or bucket, from the attached winterizing hose.

[Jagiven]

Originally Posted by Fyouberg

Everything I read here describes filling the fresh water tank and using the pump to flush the antifreeze out of the system. Our first trip in the new Jay Feather 23RL will be to a state park with shore water and power. Is it necessary to use the water pump or can I just drain the low point drains, run shore water through to flush and then close the water heater bypass valve and fill the water heater and then turn it on? Am I missing something here?

Yes you can, will you have sewer hookups? Note, some RV antifreezes leave an aftertaste in the pipes, it is safe, just a taste. I found if I flush a few hundred gallons of water through the pipes, the taste is gone. Hence the sewer hookups. I flush at home and I do dump the grey water onto my bushes next to the HTT. But if done at camp your grey tank will fill very quickly, and most CGs do not like people dumping their tanks on to the ground.

Also every spring I like to sanitize the water system. I add a bleach solution to the FW tank, fill with water, use the pump, to distribute the solution through all the lines, and let it sit. They say 4 hours is all you need. I just let it sit over night and then flush the lines the next day.

Good Luck

[Fyouberg]

Thanks. So I guess this means that city water bypasses the pump entirely. Right? It sure would be nice if Jayco provided schematics of the plumbing system.

[JFlightRisk]

Originally Posted by Fyouberg

Thanks. So I guess this means that city water bypasses the pump entirely. Right? It sure would be nice if Jayco provided schematics of the plumbing system.

That's right.

[Bassdogs]

Don't fret, we all were new to this at one point. Just keep asking and then practice. Take your time and do things step by step. Its really not rocket science but it is important that you follow the same procedure each time you winterize and dewinterize.

As others pointed out if you use the pink stuff, there is a residual smell/taste after you flush the system. The best way to clear that is to first flush fresh water thru the system. Then fill the fresh tank about 1/2 way and add a cup of bleach and then let it sit for a couple hours. Then turn on the pump and open each faucet and let the water run for a couple minutes and go to the next and do it again. Remember the shower , the toilet, and the outside shower if you have one. After running the bleach water thru the system open the low point drains and pump the rest of the water in the tank . When the tank is empty add a few gallons of water and flush it thru the system again opening each faucet. Then do the low point drains and dump the rest of the water. I would do a 2nd flush of fresh water to get all the bleach out of the tank and then you should be good to go. Don't open the bypass to the water heater until you have completed the above flush process. Some people run the bleach water thru the water heater but I choose not to since there has not been any pink stuff in that tank.

Enjoy

[Fyouberg]

Would it be wise to try forgoing all the flushing and deodorizing by just using compressed air to clear the lines after use? Something like this:

1. Open all faucets and low point drains
2. Open water heater bypass and drain water heater
3. Connect compressed air to city water inlet (oil-less compressor only)
4. Set air pressure to 40psi and turn on
5. Close each faucet as all water is expelled (don't forget toilet)
6. Disconnect air and leave low point drains open

If a procedure something like this would provide sufficient freeze protection, it sure would make year round camping more doable. Would it also drain the water pump and related plumbing?

[RichR]

Originally Posted by Fyouberg

Would it be wise to try forgoing all the flushing and deodorizing by just using compressed air to clear the lines after use? Something like this:

1. Open all faucets and low point drains
2. Open water heater bypass and drain water heater
3. Connect compressed air to city water inlet (oil-less compressor only)
4. Set air pressure to 40psi and turn on
5. Close each faucet as all water is expelled (don't forget toilet)
6. Disconnect air and leave low point drains open

If a procedure something like this would provide sufficient freeze protection, it sure would make year round camping more doable. Would it also drain the water pump and related plumbing?

You still need to add antifreeze to the drains.

[Jagiven]

Originally Posted by Fyouberg

Would it be wise to try forgoing all the flushing and deodorizing by just using compressed air to clear the lines after use? Something like this:

1. Open all faucets and low point drains
2. Open water heater bypass and drain water heater
3. Connect compressed air to city water inlet (oil-less compressor only)
4. Set air pressure to 40psi and turn on
5. Close each faucet as all water is expelled (don't forget toilet)
6. Disconnect air and leave low point drains open

If a procedure something like this would provide sufficient freeze protection, it sure would make year round camping more doable. Would it also drain the water pump and related plumbing?

Some people do, exactly as you stated. I do this before I apply antifreeze, to ensure maximum antifreeze protection. I am always concerned about a broken fitting, primarily somewhere hard to get to, like behind the shower.

One year, I blow out the RV first, and let it sit overnight, then I tried again. I was surprised by the amount of water that came out the next day.

Luckily I can flush my lines at home. I know a few people who make their first and last camp out each year at a CG with full hookups, and they to do it there.

[Aspengran]

I’m new to dewinterizing, too. We are at a campground and need to dewinterwize. No water or sewer hookups and a holding tank of fresh water. We do have a portable storage tank that we can drain grey and black water into and pull to the dump station when we’re camping for a couple of weeks. We opened one of the drains into a bucket...it looks as if that will drain the fresh water tank.
My husband wants to turn on the water pump, fill the pipes, and then run it out through the grey water system. Will that work?

[Windygorge]

I am trying to de winterize my jayco jayflight slx154bh. brand new trailer. it doesn't seem water is entering the waterheater no matter which dirction i am turning the valves. i had the propane on, but aborted when i felt it might get to hot if water isn't in tank. which direction does it need to be to fill water heater??

[Windygorge]

If you have a video or pictures thats even better. THere are 2 valves. one low for cold water and one high for hot water.

[MontanaRick]

Originally Posted by Jagiven

Note, some RV antifreezes leave an aftertaste in the pipes, it is safe, just a taste. I found if I flush a few hundred gallons of water through the pipes, the taste is gone.

My previous trailer, I used whatever antifreeze I found, and I had this aftertaste issue, took forever to get rid of it. Did some research. I now get the antifreeze that only has polypropylene glycol as the active ingredient. It now takes me a gallon of water to get the water running clear (my 195RB does have pretty simple plumbing) and I have no aftertaste issue.

I bought it at Home Depot, where they had two brands, one polypropylene glycol, one with ethanol. The ethanol is less expensive, but I would never buy it again. If you have a dealer do it, I would insist they use the "good stuff".

In answer to the main question, it's easy to run it through the pump using a jug or bucket of water, and you get it all that way, including the antifreeze in the pump. So that's what I would recommend.

[GuanoJuano]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuPO5hKdo8A

I saw this on This Old House. When I blow out my lines for winterizing I leave all the valves open afterwards. This explains why this works even if for some reason you can't get 100% of the water out. Growing up I always thought the reason to run a trickle of water from the faucet on really cold nights was to keep the water moving but now I know it is to relieve the pressure. I keep a small compact air compressor in my truck to blow out the lines before I head home from Florida back up to the cold.

[lefoster]

responding to Windygorge.....My owner's manual had a picture of which way the valves should be turned to by-pass the water heater, and how they should be set for normal operation.
This forum and YouTube videos are very helpful.

[4U2C]

Originally Posted by Windygorge

I am trying to de winterize my jayco jayflight slx154bh. brand new trailer. it doesn't seem water is entering the waterheater no matter which dirction i am turning the valves. i had the propane on, but aborted when i felt it might get to hot if water isn't in tank. which direction does it need to be to fill water heater??

Did you get an answer? I have a 185RB (basically the same plumbing and shower, sink and water tank in the same location along the same wall, I assume) and just did my water lines today.

A couple of points to note
1. Make sure you have at least a 1/3 of a tank of fresh water (indicated on the wall meter or visually in the tank) and your trailer is level. Verify that the clear tube going into a valve that is connected to a blue line is closed, near the water pump. This clear connection is where you can draw water or antifreeze in for WINTERIZING) and should always be closed as it will reduce the pumps ability to prime and may cause the pump to cavitate.
2. There most likely are 3 valves on your water heater. All of them but one should be open (value in-line with line, not in the "T" position), the 3rd valve should be closed. My 3rd valve on the hot water heater has this knob up against the foam insulation and is mid-way up the tank on red lines, and is closed. If it wasn't obvious to you yet, assume any blue line has colder water going in or coming out of it, and all red lines have hot water flowing through them.
3. Make sure to close the shower and sinks knobs, turn on water pump (should hear the pump build pressure, then stop making noise) then open the cold water knob on the sink. It should spit air and water for a bit (30 seconds?) and you should hear the water pump turn on. Once it is flowing just water and no air, close the knob and repeat on the shower cold water.
Repeat on hot water knobs.

From the outside of the trailer with the water heater door open, confirm the brass valve is closed and that the plastic plug is tight and not leaking. No need to light the hot water heater until you confirm it is full of water, by step 3. above. Note if you bypassed your empty water heater and lit it, it wouldn't take long to burn up the element inside the water heater. If you don't know if the water heater has water, slightly unscrew the plastic plug until water starts to seep out.

Another way to do this is to connect to "city water" on the outside and repeat the above steps with the water pump off. There is a valve to fill the water tank via the city connection I believe, but would not use that due to easily over filling and over-pressurizing the water tank.

Lastly, confirm your low point drain (located physically outside underneath your water tank) is closed. If you open it temporarily, it should drain water.

My 185RB Baja (Rear Bath) also has two different style valves in the bottom door under the "pantry", located on the floor. Make sure these are closed. These are used when winterizing your trailer to drain water out of the tub and sink.

Winterizing note:
My suggestion would be to purchase or build an air compressor connection for your "city water" connection when ready to Winterize. You simply blow air in and open the sink and shower, but more on that later. There are other things to open, but none require any antifreeze. I live in Central Oregon where a good portion of the winter gets below 32 a lot of nights, and have not had any issues with frozen lines when done correctly.