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Aviatordave · 11-05-2019, 07:34 PM

Hey Folks,

New here to the forum but not completely new to rving. My wife and I bought a Forest River Puma, 31 foot trailer a couple years back and I have a question about winterizing it.
1st winter I just drained everything via the low point drain (We only have one drain underneath. I’ve read where others have a main tank drain and low point drains for both hot and cold lines.) our drain point has a valve, no cap.
We usually use the potable water tank and pump when camping. Once in a while we can hook up water to the city water hookup. This was the case last year and so when winterizing for the 2nd time, I found myself thinking about how we don’t need to have the pump on when there is city water pressure hooked up.
This made me wonder why water doesn’t spray out of the city water hookup when the pump is on. The seemingly obvious answer is that there is some kind of one way check valve between the city water line and the rest of the system. Add pressure from city water side, check valve opens and allows water to the system. Remove city water pressure, check valve closes and stops water from being pumped out of the city water outlet by the onboard RV water pump.
Seems straight forward if that’s how it works.
Then I thought, is there a slug of water sitting in that line between the hookup and the check valve that can’t escape when I up open the low point drain to begin winterizing the system???
The manual mentions winterizing with air and/or antifreeze methods but they are very generic steps. The manual clearly applies to lots of models of trailers. Reading lots of forum posts about these methods reveal a lot of personal preferences chock full of individual rational for everybody’s own peace of mind. I get that.
I’m inclined to think that because the manual doesn’t address purging the line leading from the city water hookup that somehow it drains when I open the low point drain . . . But for the life of me I don’t know how that would work.
So last winter I used air to blow the city water line by hooking up air pressure and just opening up the kitchen faucet until I got air. Then I unhooked the air and winterized the whole trailer with RV antifreeze. No problem unwinterizing this past spring. No leaks or burst lines.

Am I being overly cautious? Does the city water line input to the rest of the system somehow drain when I open the low point drain or do I need to blow it out?
I wish I could find a diagram of how the plumbing works. My RV has a full cover for the undercarriage so I can’t crawl under it and look at the plumbing.

Does anybody know how Forest River handles draining of the city water line?

Thanks in advance!
-Dave

TonyMac · 11-06-2019, 02:35 PM

For me, draining the city water line occurs when I blow air thru the water system. I do this twice; once to blow out the water, and again after I pump antifreeze, to blow out the antifreeze. After that much air, it has nothing left to freeze.

lwmcguire · 11-06-2019, 03:26 PM

All the lines never drain completely so act accordingly

Aviatordave · 11-06-2019, 10:51 PM

To be sure, I feel confident that I’m winterizing well. I’m just curious about the city water line. Does one NEED to use air to get the water out of it?

Let me phrase it another way. If you didn’t use any air during your winterizing process, and just drew in antifreeze to the system (Opening all the faucets, etc until they all run pink . . . )
Would one be at risk of not having purged the city water line of water?

jeanluc001 · 11-07-2019, 02:26 AM

what i do on my mh is turn pump on with system on city water. then push on valve at the connection to the hose should get water to shoot out then air. hose unconnected.theres a valve in the opening at hose connection antifreeze will come out.

cavie · 11-07-2019, 02:56 AM

The check valve you speak of is at the city water connection behind the inlet screen. Remove the screen/washer combo when you winterize and depress the check valve with a screw driver. Stand off to the side. A little pressure and water will come out. There is also a built in check valve inside the water pump. When you dewinterize You can put a jug of clear water Thru the pump first like you did with the anti freeze. That will remove the 2 or 3 ounces of anti freeze left in the pump. Just run the pump for about 1 min then then hook up the city water and proceed to purge the rest of the RV of anti freeze. Personally I don't bother with that step.

1st winter I just drained everything via the low point drain (We only have one drain underneath.

Chances are your RV is built like mine with NO low point drains. The single line you are finding under the RV is Your FW tank drain. Every RV has one. I, like you, have only one drain so that would be the FW tank drain.

FYI. Go to your CP User top left of this page and scroll down to Signature. Fill out what ever information you wish. Year make and model of you rig will be very useful. That info will appear at the bottom of all your post as mine does below and you don't have to type it in each and every time you post.

Aviatordave · 11-07-2019, 11:00 PM

AH HA!!!!

Thank you Cavie!! (And you as well, jeanluc001!!)

That all makes complete sense, having the check valve be right at the beginning of the city water hookup. I had some paradigm in my head that it was further down the line. Can’t tell you why I thought that, I really had no idea where it was. Just that there had to be one. That I can open it by depressing it with a screwdriver is a huge help to know.

You’ve completely satisfied my curiosity on that front.
Thank you very much for your patient explanation of how it works.

So this check valve within the pump . . . Which way does is prevent water from flowing?

cavie · 11-09-2019, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aviatordave

AH HA!!!!

Thank you Cavie!! (And you as well, jeanluc001!!)

That all makes complete sense, having the check valve be right at the beginning of the city water hookup. I had some paradigm in my head that it was further down the line. Can’t tell you why I thought that, I really had no idea where it was. Just that there had to be one. That I can open it by depressing it with a screwdriver is a huge help to know.

You’ve completely satisfied my curiosity on that front.
Thank you very much for your patient explanation of how it works.

So this check valve within the pump . . . Which way does is prevent water from flowing?

Back into the FW tank.