I've drained all the water out of my travel trailer's storage tanks and pipes and am about to pour pink antifreeze into the system.

I've read about a "bypass kit" that lets you pour in the antifreeze without needing to completely fill the water heater, but I haven't been able to find why this should be necessary. You only really need to get all the water out of the system, and then put in enough antifreeze to get pink out of every tap (hot and cold), don't you? I don't get why the water heater would need to be completely full for you to circulate the antifreeze through the system.

I figure if the water heater tank fills when I pour the antifreeze in, then I can just turn on the pump and open the hot water taps to get antifreeze in the hot loop, and it should drain down enough into the cold storage tank for me to get it into the cold water loop too once I close the hot loop and open the cold loop ... right?

 

Right --- BUT. You could save yourself the $ and only buy ONE gallon of antifreeze instead of whatever you have to buy. And it takes FOREVER to get rid of that lousy taste in your coffee!!!! Don't cheap out. Buy the bypass kit. It'll also save a lot of time by not filling the H.W. tank.

 

So you're saying that until the water heater is full, I wouldn't be able to get any pink out of the taps? So I'd have to just keep pouring in tons of antifreeze?

Alternatively, could I just make sure I get all the water out of the system (I have a compressor and a threaded adapter to blow out the water) and not use antifreeze except maybe in the drains?

I think I'll taste some of this pink stuff and see just how offensive I find it to be.

 

Yes, the pump will run until the water heater is full. If you need to use the fresh water tank when camping you should make sure to turn the pump on before you leave home when filling the tank as the heater should be empty in the spring. I usually forget to do so and as such am a few gallons short of full first trip of the year.

You can blow out the system but it would still be a good idea to put a little in the tank and run the pump before blowing it out. I have an adapter for the air compressor to hook up to the fresh water inlet and blow mine out that way but I have a sink faucet, water heater and outside shower being it is a pop up.

These are the humble words of MisterCMK sent on the go...

 

As others have said, without the bypass, you would have to fill the hot water tank to get pink stuff thru the HOT water lines. Does your TT have a place to pump in the pink? A lot of times that is also part of the bypass kit.

Water heater on mine is 12 gal. and at 3.50/gal that is a lot of $$. As it is ours takes a little over 2.5 gal only because it has washer/dryer hookup and 4 p-traps (don't forget to fill those) that need filling.

 

My cold and hot lines fill with a little less than a gal.... but I buy 2 so I can add to the toilet and P traps..then save the open (but not empty) until the following year and then I only have to buy ONE gallon. It will pay you to buy the by-pass kit...here's a link to one such kit.

 

I remove my line coming from the fresh water tank and attach a hose to the pump then I don't have to put any in the fresh water tank just pump it right out of the jug..

 

I NEVER put any in my FWT.... takes too much to clean it out. I simply drain the tank coming home from the last campout of the season and reinstall the cap after I get home. My RV has a "fill from bottle" line from the on-board pump from the manufacturer. Nice touch from Arctic Fox. (Northwood RV).

 

Not a lot left to say. If you have a washer/dryer, make sure you cycle on both hot and cold to fill the valves. As noted do the commode as the valve is very susceptible to freezing.

I drain the water heater first so as not to forget it as that is the only thing that really costs in all of this, then I shut off the bypass valves on the back.

I carry a pump with me and I pump in anti-freeze through the city water inlet and open all the fixtures one at a time until I have steady pink. Air pressure works fine, but you do have to be obsessive. Fill the traps and that's about it. if you have an ice maker make sure not to forget it. That little valve on the back is what usually freezes.

Although it sounds like I am chasing away work, I encourage folks to do their own. It just doesn't require a tech.

Steve

 

It takes about 30 min to avoid a world of hurt!

 

I guess maybe I should see if anyone has installed a bypass already, or if my water heater has one built in. Thank you for the responses.

 

I open all my low point drains and fresh water tank. Once drained I close all points except the fresh water tank.

Fresh water tank I leave open all winter.

Then I usually drain the hot water heater.

then with the by pass pump the pink thru each trap and shower starting with the farthest away.

 

I think there a multiple variations, all of which work. Maybe simply having a routine and sticking to it is the most important.

Steve

 

Take a look at your HW heater as it quite possibly has a check valve and a shut off. If not, the kits are less then $20 and for a 2 valve kit. Next, Camco makes another kit that's installed at the water pump inlet. It's a valve that allows you to siphon antifreeze directly into the system from the water pump downline. Don't get any in your fresh water tank or hot water tanks unless you really like the taste of propylene glycol for an entire season. Any water that may remain in any of the tanks after draining wont do any damage if it freezes. You have to make sure that all of the valves are either dry or best yet, have antifreeze. Additionally, most, if not all trailer manufacturers are using polyethlene tubing or PEX (another type of polyethlene) which if there is a small amount of water in a bend, they will expand some, not fail like copper would (had copper in an old Kountry Aire-it WILL fail) If you have a ceramic SeaLand toilet make sure that there is antifreeze in the vacuum breaker or face a fairly expensive repair. A plastic Thetford - no vacuum breaker to worry about. We have a good size 5er with outside shower and full bathroom along with the kitchen and I can do the winterizing with just over a gallon and a half. It could be done with less, but I make sure that it's full strength, not diluted with any water that may be left in the system. Ours was done yesterday at 70 degrees which was a lot more fun then my usual procrastinated delay - at the first snow of the season

Some folks advocate a full system blowout which is probably the best way before installing tha antifreeze. I never have blown the water system out over 35 plus years and only had one minor leak in that old K-A, easily repaired with a brass compression fitting

 

As a second generation RV owner, I finally did my own winterizing. The place where I store my trailer just got too expensive. My dad has been doing the same thing for the 28 years of owning a motorhome.Dumps the hot water tank. He just blows the lines out. Keeps all faucets in the on position. Undo the shower hose connection. Unhooks the water pump. Dumps antifreeze in the traps. Washes the exterior and roof. Finally covers the RV. Nothing fancy just something simple like a Harbor Frieght or Tractor HD tarp.

On Sunday, my dad told to grab the trailer from storage and bring it over for a wash and winterizing. When I realized how simple what my father had done for so many years, I felt foolish not doing this sooner. I got several seasons of grime off the roof. Gave the outside a good wash and will picking up a trap this weekend to get the trailer covered up. In the spring, I will just take the trailer over to my parents for pre season check up and buff it out when my dad does his.

This has worked him for so many years, why mess with a good thing.