Two Drain Hoses on Bottom of RV?

[JJHoneck]

There are two hoses coming through the floor of our RV on the driver's side, just aft of the dualies. Are these drain hoses? If so, what, exactly, are they draining?

The other night I added 2 gallons of anti-freeze to the fresh water tank. The next day, I noticed that something had been dripping out in the vicinity of those drain hoses, not enough to puddle but enough to leave a wet mark on the asphalt.

What's going on here? The fresh water tank is no where near capacity, with only 2 gallons added, and we're not hooked up to shore water at this time.

Thanks for any advice!

[Jim Stewart]

You have several drains on the bottom of the MH.

You have separate hot and cold low point water line drains, there are valves to open and close these drains to drain most of the water out of the lines.

You have an overflow drain for the fresh water tank that has no valve.

You have a condensation/defrost drain from the refer that is sometimes piped to the bottom of the MH, but not normally.

If you have a Washer/Dryer on a tray, they often will have a drain and plumbing to the bottom of the MH in case of overflow or leaks.

You have a fresh water tank drain.

Based on the fact you have two drains there, it is probably the hot and cold water line drains. If you ran the pump after you added Antifreeze to the tank, there will be antifreeze in the water lines as well. The valves are usually plastic ball type valves and sometimes they can drip. The Antifreeze you used is normally pink, put a paper towel below the drains with a few rocks on it to keep it from blowing away. The next morning, if it's pink, you know where it's coming from. If it is the valves, tighten them closed and repeat the test if still pink, you may want to replace one or both of the valves.

[wa8yxm]

If your rig is a gasser.. I'm guessing they are draining condensate off the air conditioner evaporator coils.

If it's a diesel... Well, I don't know where they put the evaporator on a Diesel but that's a guess there too.

Low point drains are a good option as well.. Usually A/C drains are one on each side of the vehicle near the firewall. on a gasser. Dash on a Diesel.

[JJHoneck]

Thanks for the info. I think I've traced them down to the hot and cold water "low point" drains.

Should I open those up when I winterize the RV?

[Jim Stewart]

Normally, you would turn off the pump, open all faucets in the MH including the inside and outside shower (if so equipped) and then open the low point drains until the water stops running. This drains the majority of all of the water out of the lines and hot water tank.

Then close all faucets and outside shower (again if so equipped) put the RV antifreeze in your fresh water holding tank, turn on your pump and turn on all faucets (both hot and cold sides individually) one at a time until the pink stuff runs out of each faucet. When finished you now have antifreeze in all water lines, hot water heater, water pump and fresh water tank.

Be sure to shut off any water supply for an ice maker and disconnect the ice maker waterline at the other end.

If you do have a water filter or water filter system, either bypass the filter or shut off the water supply to the filter and drain, you should not run antifreeze through the filter.

In addition, you should start with an empty grey and black tank. Pour the RV antifreeze down each sink drain, shower drain and toilet. You now have antifreeze in each of the traps and holding tanks.

Some people do the above and just blow out the lines rather than use antifreeze, I am opposed to that practice based on the potential of missing a low loop in a line and risking freezing. As you can imagine, it does take a lot of antifreeze to it this way based on the size of your MH and hot water heater.

[Triker56]

Why do you need to put antifreeze in the fresh water tank?
It is never been a problem to use the fresh water pump and suck the antifreeze right out of the 1 gal. bottle. On any RV I have owned since 1972.

And no one mentioned a by pass on the water heater. Use it before pumping any antifreeze.

I have to admit it has been over 10 years since I have needed to winterize.
Full time fixes that chore.

[Jim Stewart]

You are correct you can just suck it up using the pump or on some units are equipped with a tube for just that purpose. Also many older units do not have a hot water heater bypass.

[JJHoneck]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Stewart Normally, you would turn off the pump, open all faucets in the MH including the inside and outside shower (if so equipped) and then open the low point drains until the water stops running. This drains the majority of all of the water out of the lines and hot water tank.

Is that necessary when you use antifreeze? Here's what I did:

1. Poured 3 gallons of antifreeze into the fresh water tank
2. Closed off the water heater valves.
3. Ran the water pump and opened all faucets until they ran pink.
4. Flushed the toilet until it ran pink.

Is this insufficient? It seems to me that this would get antifreeze into every pipe, including the traps?

[sknight]

Pushing the water out with the antifreeze should do the trick but it'll take a little extra because the water dilutes the mix a bit. Since I couldn't find my blow through adapter I used the antifreeze to push the water out and it took a gallon more than usual to get a good solid pink flow. On dry lines as soon as it's pink you shut it off.

But get this bit of good luck over the years, I always blew out my water heater, bypassed it, antifreezed it and went on with life. Last year I went to change my anode rod as part of the first trip checkout and the water heater was still full! It would seem that blowing it out doesn't do much on a heater tank, least not mine! Original unit, I'm surprised I haven't busted it!

Popped the anode out when I was done this time. Been doing this awhile but still learning!

[dirko]

Hi Ho: Isn't it amazing how many different ways people have found to winterize? For 30 years with 3 MH's and a house in Wyoming we have just used compessed air and have had no problems.

Maybe it depends partly on how cold it gets. In Wyoming -30 to -35 deg. F. was the norm. Here in Utah it rarely gets below zero (but we've had a week of near zero temperatures this last week).

The pink stuff just feezes solid at about -35 deg. I also don't like the hassle of removing the stuff from the system, but as I said there are lots of roads to Rome.

Dirk

[born2camp]

The Pink stuff does NOT freeze solid. It goes to more of a slush when freezing but that is so it will expand along the pipe and not bulge to burst the pipe. I would NEVER put the pink stuff in my freshwater tank. Hook it up to the pump and let it get pumped in that way. As far as a hassle to remove from system???? Simply turn on the faucet(s) and flush in the springtime. But if you added to your fresh water tank you have alot of flushing to do.

[hillbilly3]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Stewart You are correct you can just suck it up using the pump or on some units are equipped with a tube for just that purpose. Also many older units do not have a hot water heater bypass.

I had to add a tee, valve and hose to my 96 Southwind, It takes only about a gallon to run through all the lines, and it is a lot quicker and easier as Jim wrote.

[indiana journey]

Don't forget to drain the waterheater.
Indiana Journey

[Flagelpater]

Just a couple of things I have learned along the way.

You need to drain the low points even if you are going to just blow the system out with air. The air may not lift the water out of the low spot just above the valve.

Do Not trust the Hot Water Heater Bypass Valve. As you are pressurizing with the Pink Stuff any leakage past the Bypass Valve will put Pink Stuff in the W/H. Make sure you drain it before you start putting water back in. Otherwise, although only on the Hot Water side, you will have a diluted mixture for quite a while.

If you have Laundry PROVISIONS ONLY, and use the Pink Stuff, you need to purge the Pink Stuff out as you add fresh water back into the system. Otherwise, the Pink Stuff may stay up there, high in the system, until many miles later you go through some wild gyrations, like a switchback, and the high spot becomes a lower spot. Low and behold, the Pink Stuff moves and mixes with the fresh water, and you will have a very strong odor when it gets heated by the water heater.

If you are traveling to warmer conditions do not add water until you get into above freezing conditions. Wouldn't want to have to Winterize and deal with a breakdown at the same time.

FWIW