Winterizing 2015 DS with air pressure

[wagonmaster2]

Have only done this couple of times and unsure of my procedure.
First I hook air nozzle to Black Tank wash out to be sure no water in any of the lines there.
Then empty the water filter in the water compartment there and connect the air nozzle to the city water connection to empty all the faucets and stools. Not sure how well this works on the washing machine but have always kept a 75W bulb in the machine anytime temps drop into the low 20s.
Am using a bicycle air pump and carefully watching that no high pressure builds up anyplace.

And speaking of the washing machine, if I decide to use pink stuff how many times is it best to run it thru different temp cycles like the Splendide machine required on my previous motorhome. At first the instructions for it was to just use the Warm cycle, but found out later that didn't get anything on the Hot side since the water heater was already emptyed. Found this out after 2 seasons in row that I had a leak when de-winterizing. Then they corrected their manual and said do it once set on Hot, and again set on cold. Haven't found anything on the Whirlpool machine.

[Skip426]

The problem I had ( don't ask ) with winterizing with air the way you describe , is the 12 volt pump , even if you drain the fresh tank and run the pump dry , there can be enough water in the pump strainer , or valve head, to damage those parts when the cold weather hits .
I installed quick wiring disconnects and pulled the pump from the RV , and stored it inside the house.
That also gave a chance to blow back to the fresh tank to make sure there were no low spots in that line.

[ThunderRidge]

I would not rely on air pressure alone doing a complete job of clearing all the nooks and crannies. Elbows hidden deep in walls that may hold enough water to crack when frozen and then becomes an expensive fix because of location. Of course, in Minnesota we get down well below freezing for months. Then again, how long below freezing will it take to break something?

Don’t blow out the black tank rinse unless you have the black tank valve open.

Your owners manual will help you through all the steps. Even as bad as they are on most systems the owners manual for my 2018 Dutch Star does a good job explaining the winterizing steps. The Whirlpool washing machine has instructions as well in the manual and does not have a hot water line as the machine heats its own water. What you are also doing with the washing machine is making sure you are pushing enough pink fluid through the machine to fill the P Trap.

My Dutch Star takes 9 gallons of RV Antifreeze to do the entire coach. Refrigerator water line and ice maker, dishwasher, washing machine, two toilets, hot water line to generator, all inside and outside faucets.

This is cheap insurance.

[wagonmaster2]

Originally Posted by ThunderRidge

I would not rely on air pressure alone doing a complete job of clearing all the nooks and crannies. Elbows hidden deep in walls that may hold enough water to crack when frozen and then becomes an expensive fix because of location. Of course, in Minnesota we get down well below freezing for months. Then again, how long below freezing will it take to break something?

Don’t blow out the black tank rinse unless you have the black tank valve open.

Your owners manual will help you through all the steps. Even as bad as they are on most systems the owners manual for my 2018 Dutch Star does a good job explaining the winterizing steps. The Whirlpool washing machine has instructions as well in the manual and does not have a hot water line as the machine heats its own water. What you are also doing with the washing machine is making sure you are pushing enough pink fluid through the machine to fill the P Trap.

My Dutch Star takes 9 gallons of RV Antifreeze to do the entire coach. Refrigerator water line and ice maker, dishwasher, washing machine, two toilets, hot water line to generator, all inside and outside faucets.

This is cheap insurance.

The last time I used pink stuff I used between 6-7 gallons. Good thought on the washing machine P trap, and I wasn't thinking about the black tank wash out drain valve being open. No dishwasher or line to generator and ice maker never used from last year but enough other things to get confused about.
After almost 30 years of RVing my mind still goes blank occasionally and need some refreshing from the Forum.

Appreciate all the help and advice from those who have "been there done that".

[Ricci]

Hi Wagonmaster - Do you have hydronic heating in your coach? If so I'd recommend that you not winterize with just air. The boiler fluid will not freeze but it will go below freezing temperatures and any water remaining in a heat exchanger or coil around the boiler will freeze. If you were a little further south it might not be so bad but northern OK can get really cold for periods.


Tom

[wagonmaster2]

Originally Posted by Ricci

Hi Wagonmaster - Do you have hydronic heating in your coach? If so I'd recommend that you not winterize with just air. The boiler fluid will not freeze but it will go below freezing temperatures and any water remaining in a heat exchanger or coil around the boiler will freeze. If you were a little further south it might not be so bad but northern OK can get really cold for periods.


Tom

Right Tom, it's the Oasis. At one time had the thought to follow up the air with AF but sounds like that better be more than just a thought. Things sure get sticky with technology. My first experience with an Oasis in this Dutch Star. Air does clear out a lot of water but will not rely on it to complete winterizing.

[FSU Camper]

Do you fill the water filter housing with pink antifreeze to keep it primed?

[ThunderRidge]

Originally Posted by FSU Camper

Do you fill the water filter housing with pink antifreeze to keep it primed?

No you don’t. If you follow the directions in the owners manual and move your winterization valves in the correct position there will be no pink fluid in the filter housing.

If you have never winterized your coach or have questions then please have someone who has done it show you how to do it or take it to a dealer and have them do it for you.

I have seen the consequences of improper winterization and it can get into very costly repairs.

[Dav L]

Originally Posted by ThunderRidge

Don’t blow out the black tank rinse unless you have the black tank valve open.

Don't forget the black tank also has a vent to the roof.
But yes, open the valve first. The rinse needs to leave the tank anyway.

[DRM901]

We no longer use the pink stuff in water lines. Just can't get rid of the taste. Blow the water lines with a 6 gal pancake compressor - with the output set at 20-30 psi. Open one faucet at a time and keep open for a few minutes after it is done spitting out the water. You don't need to eliminate every drop.

Use the pink stuff in all sinks & heads.

RV is located in Northern Michigan, where it gets down to -10° or more most winters. Assuming we get it winterized before it gets cold, then we've never had an issue. Now early surprise winter storms are another matter.

[ThunderRidge]

I admit to using only air pressure to blow out the lines in my 2003 Holiday Rambler Ambassador for 17 years. It always worked out and I never encountered a water leak.

However, with the Dutch Star there are just too many places that can’t be seen when winterizing to make sure all the water is blown out and the P traps are clear. The dishwasher, washing machine and the two macerated toilets. I am not willing to take the risk. If your coach doesn’t have all the extra appliances then, I would not hesitate to use only air pressure.

As far a the taste from the pink stuff. When I de-winterize, I drain the tanks and then disinfect with bleach. After running that through all the lines then draining and refilling with water until the bleach smell is gone I have found that I never notice the pink smell or taste. We have many people that drink the water in our coach and have never commented on anything about the taste.

[wagonmaster2]

Originally Posted by ThunderRidge

No you don’t. If you follow the directions in the owners manual and move your winterization valves in the correct position there will be no pink fluid in the filter housing.

I have seen the consequences of improper winterization and it can get into very costly repairs.

I have realized no pink fluid gets in the filter housing, but always wondered how or when all the piping behind the panel that mounts the water filter gets pink in them or emptyed of water. Cant see under there and most what can be seen is solid piping instead of plastic clear piping.

[rfg9585]

Originally Posted by wagonmaster2

I have realized no pink fluid gets in the filter housing, but always wondered how or when all the piping behind the panel that mounts the water filter gets pink in them or emptyed of water. Cant see under there and most what can be seen is solid piping instead of plastic clear piping.

I don't winterize at all and it gets down to single digits on some nights here in NC. I just turn on my aquahot and let it run. This is also a good practice to fire it up every so often anyways.

Doing it this way I am ready to go anytime and do not have to worry about that yucky stuff in my pipes, etc.

[PetesMH]

Originally Posted by DRM901

We no longer use the pink stuff in water lines. Just can't get rid of the taste. Blow the water lines with a 6 gal pancake compressor - with the output set at 20-30 psi. Open one faucet at a time and keep open for a few minutes after it is done spitting out the water. You don't need to eliminate every drop.

Use the pink stuff in all sinks & heads.

RV is located in Northern Michigan, where it gets down to -10° or more most winters. Assuming we get it winterized before it gets cold, then we've never had an issue. Now early surprise winter storms are another matter.

Suggest that you should use a tankless compressor or a filter if you are going to blow out the lines. Air tanks invariably are contaminated with rust, oil and dirt that you don’t need in your water system. Alas, it takes a pretty stout compressor to deliver the needed volume of air. If you use only air you should work pretty hard to get all of the water out. Even a little can settle in valves or fittings.