So You Want To Winterize?

1. Drain water completely by opening all faucets, floor drains and drain cocks on fresh water tank and hot water tank.  Using low pressure (40-50 psi) compressed air hooked-up to your city water connection can speed up this process.
2. Bypass hot water tank by disconnecting hot and cold water lines from it and connect the lines together by means of the appropriate bypass kit. Make sure all connections are tight. To make things easier, install an appropriate water heater bypass kit.
3. Remove water line from between water pump and fresh water tank. Connect a long enough piece of proper size water line to the pump with the other end placed in a gallon of Virgin Propylene Glycol non-toxic Antifreeze (as a permanent and convenient option, install an antifreeze ‘pick-up kit’) . An alternative, just pour antifreeze into fresh water tank and pump it through your water system (this method will require more antifreeze).
4. Close all faucets and floor drains and place bypass valves in the winterizing position if you have one.
5. Start Water pump. If an air lock prevents pump from siphoning antifreeze, open a floor drain until antifreeze is “picked up” by pump.
6. Starting with the closest cold water tap to pump, open until antifreeze appears. Close tap. Continue to next cold water tap and repeat until each cold water outlet emits antifreeze. Now do each hot water tap and outlet. Don’t forget the shower head.
7. Flush the toilet until antifreeze appears. Allow a pint or so to go into your holding tank. Leave about a ½” of antifreeze laying on the toilet trap. It’s a good lubricant for the seals.
8. Disconnect the check valve from the pressure water intake to ensure there is no water laying in the check valve or water entrance cap.
9. Reconnect the check valve and the water lines to the hot water tank and allow a small amount of antifreeze to run through the hot water tank.  Or switch your water heater bypass into the flow through position and allow a small amount of antifreeze to run through the water heater.
10. Check underneath your RV along the entire water system to see if there are any drain cocks below the water lines. If so, open each one until antifreeze begins to flow.
11. Turn off the water pump. Reconnect water line from fresh water tank to pump or disengage your ‘pick-up kit’. Pour a quantity of antifreeze into your fresh water tank for the winter. Open all faucets and floor drains to allow excess antifreeze to run off. Collect this run-off and pour down each of the sink and tub traps. Be sure to use enough. Leave All Faucets, drain cocks and floor drains open for the winter.
12. Now is a good time to inspect your roof for any repairs or resealing that may be required.

Hope this has been of some help to you. Have a good winter. See you Next Season.