30X Winterization

[Antper]

Havn't seen a video on 2019 30x winterization around. I get most of of the how too on draining heater tank and bypassing it. There is a shut off valve on my canister filter it seems.Is that just to replace filter while under pressure or to bypass it? Am i just better off removing the canister off and close shut off and winterizing around it or do I remove the water and filter in canister and install it back on? is that valve closed off on canister cutting off my flow of antifreeze to the entire plumbing supply? Thanks in advance.

 

[Rice1951]

If the valve is in the water line before entering the filter then, yes, it will turn off the flow of antifreeze when winterizing.
You have a couple options. Remove the filter from the canister and introduce antifreeze into the system. This will require a little more antifreeze to displace the water in the filter canister.
Or you could bypass the filter canister (you still should remove the filter) and then winterize.

I do not know if your water system filter has a bypass. On my coach there is a valve on both sides of the filter canister. Jayco supplied a short piece of hose with connections to connect to the valves to allow the canister to be bypassed. Yours may be different so hopefully someone with your model will chime in. There should be a water system winterizing procedure outlined in your owners manual so I would recommend looking that over as well. Good luck.

 

[Antper]

Thanks

 

[Antper]

Forgot to also ask do any of you blow air through plumbing before running Antifreeze through lines?

 

[Rice1951]

I personally do not do the compressed air procedure but there are many that do. They will blow out the lines and then pour RV antifreeze down the drains to protect the traps. If your water system is faucets, toilet, HW heater and shower then it is pretty straightforward. If you have an ice maker or washer then it gets slightly more complex. It will take a little longer to winterize the first time you do it but you will gain experience and confidence and a sense of satisfaction plus the added benefit of not having to pay someone else to do it.

 

[Isaacs]

My last camper had a filter which I didn't think to remove when I winterized. It filtered the pink stuff right out and it came out clear! And, of course, it got plugged up.

 

[Antper]

No ice maker or washer and thanks

 

[Antper]

I feel more confident seeing pink come out of the system then hoping the air blew all the water out. I'll probably just go anti freeze. I thought most did both.

 

[Antper]

Last thing is my dealer states that not all antifreeze solutions are great at not harming the rubber seals in the plumbing.need to buy a quality brand. Is there a particular brand you all recommend? I usually buy the walmart brand for my boat winterize.Also Do We need to put a protective coating of some lubricant on the toilet flap seal? The flap that opens on flushing.

 

[Rice1951]

The cheaper RV antifreeze will have alcohol in it and is flammable. The better RV antifreeze has propylene glycol without any alcohol and is not supposed to leave a bad taste when you flush it in the Spring. It also is supposed to help lubricate seals. Check the label for contents rather than choosing a brand.
When you winterize your toilet always leave some antifreeze in the bowl so your seal is never open to the air. On that same note, during regular use always leave a little water in the bowl for the same reason. Your seal will most likely outlast your ownership of the RV.

 

[Isaacs]

Last thing is my dealer states that not all antifreeze solutions are great at not harming the rubber seals in the plumbing.need to buy a quality brand. Is there a particular brand you all recommend? I usually buy the walmart brand for my boat winterize.Also Do We need to put a protective coating of some lubricant on the toilet flap seal? The flap that opens on flushing.

If you look online at Walmart's RV antifreeze, they show a picture of the label that indicates there is no alcohol in the ingredients. When I went to the store to buy it the alcohol was present in the ingredients along with polypropylene glycol; otherwise it was the exact same item. Bait and switch?

They used to carry Prestone at Walmart that was alcohol free but I haven't seen it in a couple of years. I was able to find some decent stuff at Home Depot, seemed a bit pricey.

 

[Antper]

If you look online at Walmart's RV antifreeze, they show a picture of the label that indicates there is no alcohol in the ingredients. When I went to the store to buy it the alcohol was present in the ingredients along with polypropylene glycol; otherwise it was the exact same item. Bait and switch?

They used to carry Prestone at Walmart that was alcohol free but I haven't seen it in a couple of years. I was able to find some decent stuff at Home Depot, seemed a bit pricey.

Save on the antifreeze price but spend extra on seal repairs later. Rather spend the little extra on the better formula. Thanks for the feed back