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malsbeaver · 12-23-2014, 07:43 AM

I posted in the Class A discussion thread but since this is specific to Hydro Hot thought maybe better to go to the owner's forum. I am new

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We bought a 2006 Beaver Monterrey Languna IV in July 2014. My question is on winterizing. I have done lots of research so I have just about everything figured out now, but i still have one question. I hope it is one.

Background: We live in Georgia, and the rig is stored at an indoor warehouse. It is about 30 minutes from home. We did go one cold morning to pick up the rig and it seemed to still be 50 in the warehouse. We also seem to take the rig out in the winter, so for winterizing we don't want to fill it with antifreeze. We just blow the lines out with air. Again since it is not normally too cold here and we are inside we felt this was fine. We will be taking it out again in Jan and then leaving it till March (no trips planned till then), i want to make sure it is properly winterized.

My last questions were basically on the Hydro Hot and water pump since we only dump pink antifreeze in the drains. I was concerned about the water pump as we are not to turn it on without water or antifreeze, dont want to blow the motor. Well in reading on BAC about hydro hot, it looks like they say you HAVE to put antifreeze in.

The good thing is that will take care of the water pump and i will have to hook it up to the anitfreeze. My question on the hydro hot. When i read the manual it says to run pink through all the lines, someone on BAC said you can just run it through one sink, but my question is how do i know it got through the HH. Another thing i read said make sure the HH has antifreeze. How do i do that? Is that merely running the hot water in the kitchen sink until i get pink stuff? The good thing is that doing that will take care of the pump.

Ok so two more questions. If i have to take pink stuff to the kitchen sink, is there anything special i need to do when i take it back out besides run water through it till it is clear? Final question and this one is stupid (sorry) what kind of hose do i buy to hook up to the water pump to put in the bucket with the antifreeze? I dont think i have a hose, and i will want to do this when i get back from FL in Jan. I am lucky the weather will not be super cold the next two weeks so not worried at the moment.

Thanks

MandG-Fun · 12-23-2014, 01:37 PM

Lets start with your statement: "i want to make sure it is properly winterized". The only proper way to winterize a HH is to use the pink stuff. If you don't want to risk a "very very" expensive repair by cracking your internal fresh water loop this is your only option. Using air will not guarantee that water won't collect in the low points of the coil. You may be able to get away with blowing it out, but maybe not. You need to weigh the risk v/s the cost of prevention and be prepared for an $8,000 repair bill if you are wrong.

Some people don't like to use the pink stuff. For me its no issue, the stuff is not toxic and the cost of broken water pipes or water pump make it a no brainer.

If your coach does not have an existing winterizing loop perhaps the easiest thing for you to do is buy a winterizing kit that has the valve and hose that you can splice into the inlet hose going to your water pump. Then run the pump to get the pink stuff into every faucet hot and cold side which will also do your pump. Don't forget to winterize your ice maker and washing machine if you have one.

When the freeze risk is over just hook up a hose or fill your fresh water tank and run everything to flush it real well.

When you are winterized you can still use the coach heat function of the HH.

Bob&AnnaMari · 12-24-2014, 11:40 PM

I'll take it one step further; an Aqau-Hot owner who lives in climate where it will freeze who does not winterize with the pink stuff is asking for trouble. It has been documented that you cannot get enough air to run through the lines to get all the water out of the heat transfer coils in the Aqua-Hot/Hydro-Hot boilers. Just use the pink stuff and run it from the water inlet through any hot water faucet until it is pink. And, for the sake of the rest of your plumbing, run it until you see pink out of every faucet, toilet, and shower head.

You do not need to turn on the boiler to run anything through the heating elements. This side of the boiler already has anti-freeze in it. All the water (fluid) to the heating stations is already protected against freezing. You do not touch this.

When you want to de-winterize just flush the system with water until it is clear. You are fretting over all this way too much just like I did the first time I did it. It is all much simpler than folks describe. And there is nothing in the pink stuff that is going to hurt you. It is the car antifreeze that kills. The pink stuff is formulated so that it is non-toxic to humans. I don't drink it. But, I also don't fret things if a bit is left over when I clear the lines. It is usually the shower or something like that where I forgot to flush everything.

Just be sure to protect yourself when you have your coach in freezing conditions. I would be surprised, with today's prices, if you could even get your boiler replaced for 8 grand. It is just not worth the risk.

JerrySat · 12-26-2014, 08:07 PM

I agree about the payback potential for 3 or 4 gallons of pink stuff. In response to finding the hose to add the antifreeze, if you look around in the bay where your water pump is I think you will find a hose with the end just laying there. The connected end should go into the line going to the water pump. In my 08 Contessa the hose is clear plastic and is long enough to reach outside the bay. With the hydrohot you don't want a bypass, you want to pump the hot water loop full of pink stuff.
Jerry