hot water heater help

[kennyb79]

so my first trip out with the new to us 94 29' coachman. I thought I had a good handle on things but I couldn't get any hot water. I pulled the drain plug before leaving home and emptied it. then flushed it when I got to the campground. I finally asked a nice guy from canada in an Holiday Rambler, and he told me about the H pattern in the water lines and what valves to close/open. That worked kind of.....and I never would have found them without his help.

I now have hot water, but still an antifreeze smell, can you ever get rid of that odor? the wife hates it. also, I have two small strange looking valves that appear to go down thru the floor, are these drains? should they be open or closed, and what do they do? and what a place to put all of them, under the bed....thats crazy

[tnarvs]

as far as the small drains ,, i wold say they are what they call the low pint drains ,, but i am wondering why u have antifreeze smell in the hot water lines ,, if u had the bypass as from what u said i think u do ,, u should have not gotten any anti in the w/h ,, unless a valve has gone bad ,, but have u sanitized the water system ?? u can do this with bleach ,, but let us know back on what u find ,, hope this helps

[rvten]

Did someone put antifreeze in the fresh water tank? Running fresh water through the system will clean it out.

[kennyb79]

The hot water tank was full of antifreeze. and then it was bypassed after it was winterized I didn't sanitize the system because I left the system winterized until I got out of the freezing weather. also, I don't use the water for drinking or cooking, I was just going to use it for showering...but I couldn't ge the water to heat up. I don't think there is antifreeze in the fresh water tank, I didn't try flling or using the tank I was using the water system off the campgrounds water supply. also it looks like it'll be below freezing when I get home, so I'm planning on draining the water tank and I have an air fitting going into the fresh water connection so I can blow the water out of the lines.

[Senior Chief]

If they winterized it with the pink stuff (and not by blowing it out with air) they HAD to have run antifreeze through the fresh water tank and on into all the fresh water lines and drains, or else your fresh-water pump could have frozen.

Its very odd that the water heater was full of antifreeze- the whole point of the bypass valves is so you do not have to buy 6 gallons of pink stuff just to fill the water heater. You set the by pass valve and pull the drain plug so the water heater sits empty, then you only have to buy enough antifreeze to fill your fresh water lines and p-traps.

How long did you flush your fresh water system before using it?

[kennyb79]

previous owner showed me how to winterize it using the pump and a hose, and said it took 7 gallons to winterize. after doing my own research I realized that I should pull the drain plug on the water heater before I left and I drained a lot of antifreeze.

then I flushed the system for at least a half hour at the campground but it still ran pinkish and foamy, it stills smells like antifreeze.

now that I'm home, I'll pull the plug and run the water directly thru the heater and out the plug to flush it. I also opened the drain on my fresh tank and a small amount came out.

In my opinion, it makes more sense to just drain everything and push air thru it to winterize it, but how do you make sure you get all the water out? if I close the water heater bypass lines, they look lower than the tank and it seems like they'd keep water in them that would freeze.

[ccook129]

you or somebody forgot to bypass the hot water tank,when winterized,should not get any antifreeze in the hotwater tank.To get the smell and taste out you have to flush fresh water thru the system several times.

[rvten]

Next winter. Turn the HWH by pass drain the HWH. It should take less than e gallons of antifreeze to do the job.
no antifreeze in fresh water tank.

[Senior Chief]

Your answer is: just keep flushing it- this includes fresh water tank and W/H. It will eventually rinse clean.