No hot water bypass ?????

[KiwiKoues]

I am in the process of winterizing my 2006 Allegro which I acquired used this past spring. I have crawled all over this #!#!#!#! thing but cannot find a hotwater heater bypass. Water pump/connection compartment contains three valves, all of which are drains. Fresh water tank, hot water line, and cold water line.....but no bypass valve.

Any ideas

[srydve]

Look behind your hot water tank, the valves (3) are close to where the hot and cold enter the tank. May be behind a panel or shelves.

[CoastieSCPO]

On my 04 Allegro, the HW heater bypass is located under the bathroom sink. There is a wooden base in the cabinet that pulls out and the by pass is then exposed. The HW heater is just to the right of the under cabinet space.

Bob

[wa8yxm]

Two suggestions... One was already posted, the other is change your weatherization method.

There are 3 ways to winterize.

1: The pink method, also known as the WET method,, Pump GALLONS of chemicals into the lines (UG).. This costs money (About a buck fifty a gallon) and is bad for the enviorment... Though I admit this stuff is not as bad as engine antifreeze.

2: The dry method.. Blow Grabial Blow.. Hook up an air compressor to a special "Blow out plug" which costs less than 1 gallon of pink stuff usually. Open all the valves, and plow the lines out, Pause a few minutes and do it again.. keep doing it five to ten times till you no longer get any water.. Remove drain plug from water heater after the first blow and replace it Remove it again after the last blow.

Disconnect the lines to the Ice maker from its solenoid so it drains, Cycle the unit while blowing.

Finally you use about ONE gallon of PINK in drain traps and toilets.

No need to bypass heater and no "Gallons" of chemical to dispose of come spring.


Forgot the 3rd method.. I'm typing this in Townsend GA.

[KiwiKoues]

Thanks to everyone.

Earlier I looked behind the hot water heater (there is an access panel in the bathroom, even ran my hands down the water pipes, but could not find a bypass. Not to say that its not there, I very likely missed it.

Am intrigued by the "blow" method as I like the idea of less harm to the environment and am not expecting super hard freezing in the Atlanta area. Is the special connector one that I connect to my air hose? Also, where do I access the plumbing system, at the pump? And, do I need to be concerned about air pressure settings?

[xctraveler]

Not a Tiffin owner but I put the blow out plug in the city water inlet, no need to open anything up that way. Keep the air pressure to 40 PSI - your system operates at that pressure up to 50 or 60 when connected to city water.

Not sure why the Pink method would take gallons of fluid. My coach uses 1.5 gal of pink to fully winterize. I bypass the water heater and connect to the suction side of the pump so no pink goes into the FW tank or the water heater.

I have used both methods. Used to store into late December early Jan in Rochester NY so needed to fully winterize. Now I am moving out mid Nov and hope to avoid a hard freeze before me get the heat on so I just blew out the lines.

[wa8yxm]

The "Pink" method takes a least 1 gallon more than the dry method in most rigs.

And then you have to wash it out of the system too.

[xctraveler]

OK wa8yxm, I'll give you ONE gallon more, but not GALLONS as your message said. Even at $3 a gal not a major expense. Yes it does require some work to get it out of the system and that is why I have not put it in this year. If I was storing through a Rochester winter I would not risk going without it. But in GA, where the OP is, dry method should be fine if everything is blown out. If he is not in the mountains.

[dieselclacker]

I have a 2004 Allegro and live in Northwest Montana. I use the blow method for the lines, and drain the water heater by just unscrewing the nylon drain plug. I do put pink anti freeze in the drain traps in the kitchen, bath, and shower. I use an adapter that screws into the city water connection outside, you put air (40 psi) pressure to the system the same way you air a tire. Don't forget the toilet water valve. Have your wife or helper hold the valve in the flush position while you apply the air pressure from outside. I just leave the hot water drain plug out until spring. It goes without saying, that I do drain all the tanks (gray, black, and fresh) also. I put about a cup or so of the pink anti-freeze in each of the drain traps. We get temps down to -20 here, and this method works for me.

Dieselclacker

[Gouda]

If you have a washer (combo or stackable) I think you need to use the pink fluid. Blowing will not remove any water in a washer. You have you let it operate and pull the fluid in to the washer pump etc.