Hate to bring up winterization......but.....

[nothermark]

From what I have seen draining the tank and leaving the drains open leaves a bit of water but not enough to make an ice sheet that will split the tank. With the valve open there is no water in the drain line to be a problem. The hot water heater has the same problem but they seem to do fine if emptied. I assume any ice sheet simply moves up the tank side when it expands.

When de winterizing it is also a good time to sanitize. Add the appropriate amount of bleach to the fresh water tank, fill with water and let it run through the lines. You might want bottled water to drink during the first tank. Depends on you and whether you overdo the bleach or not. ;-)

You can also add a tablespoon or two to the hose and connect up to city water then hook it up to a faucet and run water through the system to get a stronger flush for a short burst if you think you need it. Same for any other material you might want to flush with. I would still put bleach in the tank. Check the clorox web site for amounts depending on the amount of water. You want water treatment on disinfection amounts. The last I looked they had both and they are different. If you are doing the city water you can go heavy as it will be gone shortly.

[bamaboy473]

I have a basic question about how much draining is really necessary. My garden hoses have never been emptied, and occasional hard freezes have never harmed them. If the hoses are not connected to faucets, the expanding ice just oozes out of the ends of the hose.

My thought has been that only contained water will expand a container to breaking, and water that has a place to go, will expand out of the container.

If you open taps to give water room to expand, and then help the process by draining most of the water from a system, what advantage (besides peace of mind) is gained by going those few extra miles?

[ChallengerRN]

Use your jacks and raise one side of your coach and all the water will drain out of your fresh water tank.

Russell

[Finally]

Originally Posted by bamaboy473

I have a basic question about how much draining is really necessary. My garden hoses have never been emptied, and occasional hard freezes have never harmed them. If the hoses are not connected to faucets, the expanding ice just oozes out of the ends of the hose.

My thought has been that only contained water will expand a container to breaking, and water that has a place to go, will expand out of the container.

If you open taps to give water room to expand, and then help the process by draining most of the water from a system, what advantage (besides peace of mind) is gained by going those few extra miles?

Good question. Most garden hoses are made of rubber and will expand and contract a little. The hoses in your rig are hard plastic, no give, so those will crack. It only takes a little bit of water to freeze. If water is left in the p-traps, they could crack as well as the faucets at the valves. I blow out my system with air, then add the pink stuff everywhere accept my fresh water tank. I drain that tank as much as possible and leave the valve open.

[Finally]

Originally Posted by hogdriver

Curiousity question. As a Florida resident we don't "do" winterizing but maybe someday I will. When the spring thaw arrives how do you get the pink stuff out of the water system? Do you just flush a lot of water?

What do you do with water in the tank? From what I've seen you can never get it completely empty. Do you put pink stuff in there also?

Yes, flush with water.

I do not put pink stuff in the fresh water tank. I tilt the rig with the jacks, drain the tank and leave the valve open.

Cant wait to get to Florida full time so I don't have to deal with heavy snow and cold temps. Less than 2 years.

[Curtisgeiger]

Originally Posted by ChallengerRN

Use your jacks and raise one side of your coach and all the water will drain out of your fresh water tank.

Russell

What is the possibility of popping out the windshield when tilting the coach using the jacks?

Curt



Sent from my iPhone

[HHIDan]

Originally Posted by hogdriver

Curiousity question. As a Florida resident we don't "do" winterizing but maybe someday I will. When the spring thaw arrives how do you get the pink stuff out of the water system? Do you just flush a lot of water?

What do you do with water in the tank? From what I've seen you can never get it completely empty. Do you put pink stuff in there also?

Yes you flush a little water and it all comes out fast enough. In theory you can drink the pink stuff so a little bit left won't cause any harm.

And no you don't put ink stuff in the water tank, no need. If there is a little bit of water left in the tank it will freeze but there is a lot of space in the tank for the little bit of expansion needed.

Personally I prefer to blow out the water with an air compressor as opposed to using the pink stuff. I only use pink in the drains and in the aqua hot system.

[ChallengerRN]

Originally Posted by Curtisgeiger

What is the possibility of popping out the windshield when tilting the coach using the jacks?

Curt



Sent from my iPhone

Not sure. I'm on coach # 4. I've done it many times. Never an issue. More problem with aliens and my windshield. Had rock hit my windshield going into Roswell NM. Figured an Alien got me !!

Russell

[brobox]

Originally Posted by Curtisgeiger

What is the possibility of popping out the windshield when tilting the coach using the jacks?

Curt

Curt, just a slight off level is all that is needed, not enough to torque the windshield. It's raising one of the front wheels off the ground that can cause the windshield to pop.

[ChallengerRN]

Ya. That where I'm at. One inch up drains water tank. I'll do the same thing when I want to clean my black tank. Stick a hose in the stool --cleans everything out good !!

Russell

[Bondad]

There is really no need to completely empty the fresh water tank. The reason for winterizing is to prevent water from freezing and bursting a line. If water freezes in an almost empty tank, it will simply expand upwards - kind of like a small pond. There's no risk of it splitting the tank.

[bamaboy473]

Originally Posted by Bondad

There is really no need to completely empty the fresh water tank. The reason for winterizing is to prevent water from freezing and bursting a line. If water freezes in an almost empty tank, it will simply expand upwards - kind of like a small pond. There's no risk of it splitting the tank.

An earlier response suggested that water that froze in a P trap could crack it. My question is why freezing water wouldn't simply expand with the least resistance, upward into the air space of the down pipe?

Has this actually happened to anybody? Just curious, not starting a row

[nothermark]

The weak point seems to be valve bodies. I had one crack so I open and close all valves while the system is pressurize with antifreeze. All I can figure is that enough water was trapped in one to freeze and crack before I started doing that. It was a hot water bypass valve I assume I closed it with water in the core hole.

I would not try running things like P traps without antifreeze. The work of putting it in is far less than the work of replacing the pipe.

[Finally]

Originally Posted by brobox

Curt, just a slight off level is all that is needed, not enough to torque the windshield. It's raising one of the front wheels off the ground that can cause the windshield to pop.

Exactly, just a slight tilt.