Winterizing 2019 Anthem

[Dippelj]

As owners who live in the great white north, we find winterizing is something we must do every year unless we are fortunate enough to be in the south for the winter. This year heading to a warmer climate is not likely so it’s a “winterizing year”.

Before reading on, please know that I’m no RV expert but have winterized several units over the past 30+ years. My method “works for me” and is what some would call an overly cautious (use both air and pluming anti-freeze) but we have all been warned about damage and costs where aqua-hot systems are involved. This post is simply a step by step process that works for me that I did yesterday and wanted to post before I forgot all the steps.

Folks, the goal here is simply to provide one account of what one owner does. There are no guarantees and I’m not suggesting anyone follow this but it has worked for me for years and I’m hoping it gives some confidence to those who might be attempting this for the first time. That being said, I am hoping that others will chime in with their suggestions for things I might have missed so I can adjust the post.

Ok, let’s get started....

Winterizing 2019 Anthem

- Buy 30 litres plumbing anti-freeze
- Open drain valve for fresh water tank and allow fresh water tank to drain
- Open drain lines for low point drains (wet bay lines that run out bottom of compartment)
- Remove outside main water filter from cartridge (located in wet bay) using provided wrench
- Remove drinking water filter in wet bay and replace with provided water line
- Remove water filter from refrigerator and replace with provided bypass plug
- Store all filters for replacement after de-winterizing or buy new filters to replace
- Attach air pressure nozzle adapter to end of hose on hose reel
- Set pressure regulator on air compressor to 25 psi and attach to end of fresh water hose reel line
- Close both hot and cold low point drains
- Open outside shower hot water and allow air to force water out of hot line
- Open outside shower cold water and allow air to force water out of cold line
- Open and close all hot and cold water taps in coach (one at a time) including shower and refrigerator drinking water and ice maker allowing all water to expel
- Don’t forget to open drinking water tap at sink
- Run dishwasher and washing machine through filling and drain cycle
- Flush toilet
- Remove air pressure and close all taps
- Completely dump black and grey water waste tanks using macerator
- Remove macerater hose and store
- Put winterizing hose into plumbing anti-freeze container (use a 5 gallon pail makes this easier)
- Open winterizing valve so pump is supplied by 5 gallon pail
- Open and close all hot and cold water taps one at a time, letting tap run until pink fluid appears
- Flush toilet until it re-fills with pink solution
- Run drinking water at fridge and sink until it runs pink
- Allow ice maker to try to refill
- Turn off refrigerator breaker
- Dump some plumbing anti freeze down each drain to fill P-traps
- Use a hose and funnel to pour plumbing anti freeze into macerator hose outlet until macerator full

Hope this help,
Jim

[jbhobbs54]

Don't forget to run the washing machine to get anti freeze into that as well. Run the pump to drain the washer to makes sure the drain lines all have anti freeze in them as well.

[Gary.Jones]

Although born and raised in NW Pennsylvania (where the lake effects snow from Lake Erie used to produce beautiful and deep snowfalls (not sure they still do any more)), I sure hope that I never have to worry about learning the fine points of winterizing, but do sure appreciate you providing the step by step process. Maybe some day I will be skiing down Colorado finest ski slopes when the AquaHot goes out, and I need to make an emergency winterization, and this will have been carefully saved on the hard drive that is never far from me, to guide me in my novel efforts.

Thanks!!

Gary

[jestal]

Make sure the hose adapter you use to connect to air pressure does not have an orifice in it. Most of the air quick connect water hose adapters have a very small hole (meant to limit air pressure I assume) but it really slows down the air flow when blowing the system out I drill out the orifice completely and use the pressure regulator on the air as you describe. I use 45 PSI to get a little more action. The reservoir in the refrigerator for cold water/icemaker will clear better with more air flow.

Use a piece of duct tape to hold the winterizing hose to the bottom of the bucket so it doesn't curl up and suck air prematurely.

Make sure the winterizing hose is firmly seated and sealed at the winterizing valve fitting. mine seems perpetually loose and sucks air. Just loosen the nut, slide the hose on firmly nd retighten the fitting holding the hose firmly in place. The tygon tubing seems to creep with time and loose the seal in the fitting.

let the dishwaser and washing machine fill and start to cycle to get antifreeze thru the internal plumbing of each of the units. There is more there than just the fill and drain. The washer really needs to be filled on cold, warm and hot water settings individually to fill all the supply lines and solenoids with antifreeze.

I use air then a camco hand pump to purge the black tank flush plumbing. The camco pump will force antifreeze thru the black tank flush but the check valve makes it a little harder so you might plan on a clamp on the pump hose to keep it from blowing off the pump and adapter fittings ((don't ask, just put the clamp on!)

I also use the camco hand pump to fill the hose , hose reel and supply line to the coach from the reel with antifreeze after blowing it out. just a little water in the brass hose reel fitting (that allows it to rotate) has cracked two hose reel fittings I have seen in the past so I make sure it is filled with antifreeze. The winterizing hose house/ pump will not do this for you . You need a separate supply of antifreeze to pump it into the hose.

Have caps and screw in plugs for all the water fittings handy do seal the opening and keep the antifreeze in, especially at the end of the hose and the black tank flush line.


While you have the winterizing hose in the bucket with antifreeze leave the house pump on and move the lever from city fill to fresh water tank fill. The house pump will backflow antifreeze into the fresh water tank. Since the fresh water tank never really completely drains I push a few gallons of antifreeze back into the fresh water tank to protect any fittings from the tank that might have residual water in them.

When you are pumping antifreeze thru the hose/hose reel to fill it you can also move the lever to fresh water tank fill position and hand pump some antifreeze into the tank and fill the line from the valve to the tank in that direction.


The other item I get anal about on our '13 classic is the air conditioning condensate drain lines. I blow the lines out with air then use the camco pump to force some antifreeze back up the drain lines from the end that dangles near the front and rear caps. Three condensate drain lines that seem to stay full of water from the last time the AC has been running. Have a helper on top of the coach and the antifreeze will spill out the little drain pans on the bottom of the unit. i don't know if there is a precedure to protect the later units with condensate pumps??


If you have an adjustable pressure regulator and gauge on the campground hookup end you also want to blow out that line and the pressure regulator and then fill it with antifreeze. I have lost two pressure gauges in the past winters from residual water in the bourdon tube inside the gauge. That is brass and is easily damaged by residual water.

Good luck. hint: 30 liters will probably not be enough antifreeze to do all this.....

[Dippelj]

Some good additions. Thank you.

[Dippelj]

Something else I forgot to mention is to release the back flow valve on the fitting where the reel hose enters the city water fill. Don’t forget to disconnect the brass fitting and remove the screen and use something to “push” on the valve to remove pressure and allow antifreeze to fill the fitting. See attached picture....

I also decided I would remove the macerator hose and I ran some antifreeze through the macerator itself. Maybe overkill but I will sleep much better on the coldest of nights.

By the way, you were right Al, I probably used 40 litres by the time I was finished.

[Xmcdog]

Wow! A lot to this. A lot more than my fiver. I can usually get it done with 2 gallons.

Thanks to all for the information.

[Dippelj]

Yes, it takes quite a bit of antifreeze anytime an aqua-hot system is involved. I just received a nice document from Entegra (thank you Lee) that is a step by step for winterization. I didn't know this document existed when I started this post but I'm glad to see there is an Entegra produced document. I would use it as the official guide and use other comments and suggestions on this thread to help provide any extra information or tips from owners. I have received permission from Joyce to post so here it is.....