Winterizing Your RV

Winterizing your RV is not difficult if you know what you are doing.

Here are some things you may need before you get started:

· basic hand tools

· a cleaning wand for the holding tanks

· 2 or 3 gallons of non-toxic RV antifreeze depending on the length of your plumbing lines (never use automotive antifreeze)

· compressed air adapter (blow out plug) for use at water inlet

· water heater by-pass kit if not already installed

· a tube to connect to inlet of water pump OR a water pump converter kit

All of these items can be found at your RV store. Draining all your lines is not enough. Use one of the following methods to make sure your lines are protected.

First method, blowing out the water lines with an air compressor:

· turn off all power, shut off propane, and disconnect your RV from the outside water source

· by-pass your water heater with the by-pass valve or install by-pass kit and do it—do not drain the water heater but make sure it is off

· your owner's manual will have specific instructions for winterizing your refrigerator, ice machines, washing machine and/or dishwasher if your RV is equipped with these—follow the instructions

· dump and flush out the gray and black holding tanks—if a flushing system is not installed, use the wand to clean out the black tank and leave drains open

· open all faucets, tub faucets, showers (inside and/or outside if installed), be sure all drain valves are open to allow the water to drain—see your owner's manual for locations of all valves

· clear water from the toilet line by flushing

· connect the air compressor to the water inlet (not the water tank) using the compressed air adapter or blow out plug and apply compressed air to the system at no more than 20 psi to avoid damage—let it run until all water is blown from the faucets and drain valves

· when all lines are blown and no water remains, shut off the air compressor and disconnect

· pour one quart of RV antifreeze into the gray and black holding tanks to protect the valves and seals

· pour a pint or so of RV antifreeze in all sink, tub, shower drains and toilet to protect them

· open the water heater drain plug and pressure relief valve and allow it to completely drain—leave the drain plug open until spring

Second method, fill the entire system with RV antifreeze. This is better but uses 2 to 3 gallons of RV anti-freeze. There are two ways to fill the system with antifreeze—use the RV water pump or use an external hand pump. To use the RV water pump, install a pump by-pass kit if it is not equipped already. If your RV has a water filtration system, be sure to bypass it as well, do not get antifreeze in your filter.

Using an External Hand Pump

· drain all the water from the system following the steps used above for blowing out the water lines making sure that the water heater is bypssed—it is better to be able to blow out the system if you have access to an air compressor, but not mandatory, just be sure everything is completely drained and the water heater is bypassed

· follow the manufacturer's instruction to attach the intake siphon on the hand pump to the RV antifreeze bottle and connect to RV water inlet

· close all faucets and drain valves but leave the HOT water side of the kitchen sink open

· pump the antifreeze into the system until the pink liquid comes out of the kitchen faucet—close the hot side and open the cold side and repeat and then close the cold side

· repeat this process for all faucets—bathroom sink, tub, shower and toilet

· disconnect the pump when done

Using the Water Pump

· same as for external hand pump except you will consult the water by-pass valve instructions and attach it to the bottle to pump antifreeze into the system

· disconnect the pump when done

© 2016 DE Navarro and NavWorks Press. All rights reserved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wrote this web content article for a client who decided to close his freelance employment account and not pay me, therefore, the material became mine, since I was never paid, and so I am posting it and copyrighting it so that the client may never use it.