sgtks84
Ohio
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Joined: 02/20/2006
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I have an 08 Rockwood Highwall. It's about time to winterize. How do i tell if i have a hot water heater bypass? And if I don't how difficult is it to install one, keeping in mind that hanging a picture is about the limit of my skills with tools.
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bondebond
The bluest spot in Kansas
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Joined: 07/16/2008
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Did a Google search on "rv hot water heater bypass" and came up with the following results. Second result has pictures of the plumbing you'll see behind the water heater.
Google results
Several other results have links to the kits you can buy.
It does help to have prior plumbing knowledge, but not required. My experience thus far is that it is often harder to work on RV plumbing, due to tight spaces and often tension placed on the tubing from trying to make tight turns and hit access holes that don't exactly line up. But if you're going to use RV antifreeze, I would definitely install (or have installed) a bypass.
I don't use antifreeze, and therefore don't require the bypass kit nor the effort needed to clean it out of the lines in the springtime. But, to each their own.
Myself, The Boss, and two wanna-be Bosses
2006 Jayco 1007
Yum...nature is tasty.
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sgtks84
Ohio
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I was always under the impression you had to winterize. I had a class c up till last year and thought it was optional. I live in Ohio so maybe that makes a difference.
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bondebond
The bluest spot in Kansas
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I live in Kansas and I winterize. I remove water from my waterlines and tanks. I prepare my battery for winter. Mothballs, etc.
Same for when I lived in northern Wisconsin.
We're just talking different methods.
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He Ruide
Cincinnati Ohio
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Joined: 08/30/2006
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Here is a picture of my bypass. The bypass is the white hose and associated brass values/connectors.
Hope this helps.
Ruide
Fleetwood Evolution E3 - Yellow (DW let me get a Yellow one since she wanted an E3 with a slide out  )
Hummer H2 - Black (DW vetoed the Yellow one, but I got two Yellow Hummer Folding Mountain bikes  )
My Pics and Mods and My Weekly Blog
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Luv2Camp23
Ohio
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Joined: 11/04/2005
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I live in Ohio and winterize. Two years ago I waited a little too long and found my water pump head cracked when I went to test it before dry campinging the following season. I run the pink stuff into the lines but my friend for the past 6 years just blows his lines out with compressed air and he has had no issues. My concern with blowing out only is that you use the city water hook up to blow out the lines and thus are not blowing air through the water pump head that feeds off of the water tank. You do not need a heater bypass UNLESS you would like to save 6 gallons of antifreeze. The first time you winterize, you will save more money by adding the bypass kit if you do not already have one installed.
Link to my MODS
http://community.webshots.com/user/luv2camp1http://community.webshots.com/user/luv2camp1
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