We have a 2006 Jayco 1207. We have never actually done the winterizing ourselves. We were told to bypass the water heater. Do we want to do that? If so, does anyone know how? I have also heard that if you blow out all the lines, you don't even need to pump antifreeze through? If anyone could give me a quick winterizing pop ups for dummies that would be great. We don't have a toilet..just the sink. Thanks.
Yes, you would want to bypass the water heater, because if you don't, you'll need an extra 6 gallons of pink stuff (non-toxic antifreeze - the ONLY kind to use in your water system; DON'T use the blue antifreeze you get for the car!!) in order to fill the water heater before any of the pink stuff is available to run through your lines. If your camper is not equipped with a bypass valve, you can buy aftermarket bypass kits. In any case, be sure to drain the water heater as part of winterizing.
Words of wisdom. First, make sure there is not any hot water in the tank when you attempt to bypass it. Run cool water thru it til the water is cool to the touch from a sink. Turn off city water and relieve all water pressure. Bypass the tank and release any water pressure from the hot water tank relief valve.
Reason being is I was in a hurry winterizing my trailer at a campground last year. Bypassed the hot water heater and unscrewed the drain plus without releasing pressure. It was not a pretty sight and almost got me scalded !
Open the 110v breaker for the water heater and don't close it till the heater is full and vented next spring.
It is much easier to bypass and drain the water heater, drain the fresh water tank and pump the pink stuff through. No need to mess with blowing it out with air.
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How to do it. First drain the water heater. Then you will have to find the pipes that go to it from the city / fresh water system. May have to do it from the inside, or even from the outside thru the access pannel. Any way. there should be 2 valves. One on the pipe that run directly into the WH. Close it. And one on a pipe that runs up beside the WH to the pipe coming out of the WH, and going to the rest of the trailer. Open it. How to tell open or closed? When the handel runs WITH the pipe. It is open. When the handel runs across the pipe. It is closed.
Now. Easiest way to pump the RV Antifreeze thru. Disconnect the hose from the fresh water tank at the pump inlet. Hook up a short lenght of hose to the inlet of the pump. A short piece of old white water hose is perfect. Then put the other end into the antifreeze jug, and turn on the pump. Go to the sink, and first turn on the cold. Let it run until pink comes out. Turn it off, then turn on the hot and run till pink runs out. you are almost done. Now turn OFF the pump, and go out, and CAREFULLY push in on the center of the city water connection. that will let the water run out, and allow antifreeze to run out as well. Stand back as there should be some pressure on it.
OK good to go.
With only a sink. you shouldn't even use a whole gallon
This how I winterize. Purchase and install a by pass kit for your water pump. Purchase or borrow a small compressor. Purchase an adapter to screw into your city water supply to allow you to blow compressed thru your water lines. Purchase four gallons of plumbing anti freeze. Drain your fresh water tank. Drain your hot water heater. Blow some air into the system, you should hear this escaping thru your hot water heater drain. Locate three valves near your hot water heater. Reverse each of these. You have now by passed your hot water heater. Now turn on your kitchen sink taps and blow air thru the lines until no more water is coming out. Turn off the kitchen taps and turn on the bathroom sink taps and blow some air thru the lines. Same for the shower, toilet and outside shower. I repeat the process but probably don't need to. Now open your antifreeze and pump it thru your system using your water pump. Kitchen sink, bathroom sink toilet outside. Now pour about two cups of anti freeze into each trap. And you are done.
Glenn & Karen
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Let's not forget folks when your here your talking to folks that own a PopUp and not a TT,5er, or MH. About 30% don't even have a water pump, just a hand pump faucet.
For those folks it's pretty simple. I just drain the tank as far as it will go. Some folks have a drain on the tank others don't. For those without a drain keep the Ben Gay handy from all the hand pumping. Been there had to do that. Then I pull the line off the tank and put it in a jug of the pink stuff (RV antifreeze) and pump till the color coming out of the faucet is the color of the stuff in the jug. This also fills up the sink P trap. And your done.
Don't bother putting AF in the fresh water tank. The little bit remaining evven if it freezes solid has plent of room to expand. Not to mention the pink stuff is already diluted 50/50 with water. Any water in the tank will just raise the freezing point of the AF and besides it takes forever to get the AF taste out of the wtaer come spring.
Oh and come spring don't forget to put the hose back on the tank. Ask me how I know this. I had a really clean floor after putting 5 gallons of water in the above floor tank and having to mop it up.
For more information search this Forum for `winterizing'. You could start with the Folding Trailers Section and branch out from there if you still have questions.
Dick_B
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Still the question. Why blow, and use antifreeze? No need to do both. Air blows out the water. So that's all you need, and Antifreeze displaces the water, that's all you need. No need to do both. Your just trying to get the water out. Either way does that. And IF you are using 6 gal of antifreeze. Something ain't right.
mike4947 wrote: Let's not forget folks when your here your talking to folks that own a PopUp and not a TT,5er, or MH. About 30% don't even have a water pump, just a hand pump faucet.
Mike, I'm guessing if she has a WH, she has a pump. All previous posts had good info. May I summerize?
If you're from Oswego, then you will want to use antifreeze. (I blow out my TT and use antifreeze, but my pop-up gets A/F only.)
If you have a WH then you will need a bypass on it to winterize easily. Here is what one looks like. The page has a link to "winterizing tips."
Once you have a bypass on the WH (accessed from inside the trailer), then use it to isolate the water heater and follow these steps in order.
1) Open the pressure relief valve at the top of the water heater. This is accessed from outside the trailer. Remove the drain plug and drain the WH. Replace the plug. Any remaining water will have enough space to expand without damaging anything. Take the cap off your sink drain outlet.
2) Drain the fresh water tank, or pump it dry.
3) Install one of these so you won't have to disconnect the tank feed to the water pump but once.
4) Put hose from the valve into a jug of antifreeze and turn on the pump.
5) Open faucets one at a time until the sputing and sputtering stops and a steady flow of pink stuff emerges.
6) Close all faucets before turning pump off.
7) Return valve on water pump inlet to normal position. Otherwise, you may forget to do so come spring. The pump and all lines and traps are now full of antifreeze.
8) Go outside to the city water inlet and using a wooden dowel or something on the soft side, depress the pin allowing antifreeze to escape. (stand to the side).
9) Replace caps on inlet and drain.
10) Rest easy when temps plummet.
Since winterizing is done every year, put WH bypass and antifreeze feed kits on now. Next year's winterizing will take 10 minutes.
Hope this helps,
Teach
Wright and Penny
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If your camper is not equipped with a bypass valve, you can buy aftermarket bypass kits. In any case, be sure to drain the water heater as part of winterizing.
