Winterizing the Fresh Water System with RV Antifreeze
Drain and Flush the RV Water Heater
You will need to drain the water heater of all water.
Turn the water heater off and let it cool down.
Also, turn the water pump off or turn off the city water hook-up.
Now that the water heater is cool and doesn’t have any water source, open the pressure relief valve to relieve any residual pressure in the tank.
Now you can remove either the drain plug/cap (Atwood/Dometic) or the anode rod (Suburban 1 1/16” Socket). This will let the water drain out.
Don’t drain the water heater if it’s hot or has pressure built up. Wait until the temperature and pressure come down.
Once drained, turn the water pressure on and flush out the sediment for 2-3 minutes. Or purchase a tool for flushing out the tank, this can be more effective in thoroughly cleaning the water heater tank.
After removing the anode rod leave it out during winter; If needed purchase a replacement to reinstall in the spring.
Bypass the Water Heater
Bypassing the water heater is an important step that shouldn’t be skipped. If a bypass kit is not used you will waste 6-10 gallons of RV Antifreeze by filling the water heater tank. The best way to do this is to purchase a By-Pass Kit that will permanently stay on the water heater. Some RVs will already have the by-pass kit installed. Before adding RV anti-freeze to your RV, you need to make sure you bypass the water heater by turning the levers on the valves in the right direction.
To find the water heater, locate the RV water heater service door that is on the exterior of the RV. This will give you access to the front of the water heater. This is where you drain the water heater and relieve the pressure. To access the rear of the water heater there is quite often an access door/panel on the inside of the RV directly behind the water heater. This is where you install the bypass kit.
On-Demand water heaters have requirements that may differ from most RV water heaters. See the manufacturer’s guidelines for winterizing.
Drain the Freshwater Tank and Low Point Drains
Before draining the fresh water tank be sure the water pump or the city water is turned off. Most freshwater tanks have a drain valve and or “Low Point” drain valves. Low Point drains may be actual valves or ½” fittings with caps that get removed to drain the water. Not all RVs have Low Point drains.
Opening the faucets will allow the water to drain more quicker and more thoroughly.
When finished, close all the faucets, and close the low-point drains or valves.
Locate the Water Pump
You can purchase a water pump conversion kit that hooks up to the water pump permanently and allows you to easily run RV antifreeze through the RVs freshwater system. Some RVs already have this kit installed.
After the kit is installed open the valve. Turn on the water pump to allow the antifreeze to start flowing through the water system.
Open External Faucets and Valves on the Outside of the RV
To get the RV antifreeze through the system you will start low and work your way up. Open or loosen the low point and leave open until the RV antifreeze starts to come out. This will appear pink in color or similar. After the RV antifreeze comes out of the fittings close the valves or re-tighten the plugs. Turn on any outside showers or exterior faucets, running one side (hot or cold) until it runs pink then close it and run the other.
Open Internal Faucets, Showers, and Toilets
Repeat the previous step for the interior faucets. (Kitchen, Shower, Bathroom) starting with one side until it runs pink then closing it and running the other side. Do not forget the toilet. Step on the pedal or turn the hand flush until you see the RV antifreeze running into the toilet.
Drain and Flush the Black and Gray Water Tanks
You might be draining some water into your holding tanks during the winterizing process, this step might be best done last to make sure all of the liquid is removed. Wastewater shouldn’t be left in the holding tanks any time of year but more importantly, if left through the winter months it can freeze and cause expensive repairs. Drain both, starting with the black water tank and then the gray water tank. Once both are drained, clean and flush and then one final drain to make sure they are empty.
Pour Antifreeze Down P-Traps
After that, you should pour some additional antifreeze down the drain of each sink, shower, and toilet in the RV to ensure the exterior termination pipes don’t freeze over winter. With all that done, you should double-check that the water heater’s heating element is turned off and all faucets are closed.
Winterizing the Fresh Water System with Air
Dump the Black and Gray Water Holding Tanks
Dump the Black and Gray water tanks. Holding tanks should be stored empty to avoid the waste/liquids from freezing possibly causing expensive repairs.
Drain the Freshwater Tank and Low Point Drains
Before draining the freshwater tank be sure the water pump or the city water is turned off. Most freshwater tanks have a drain valve and or “Low Point” drain valves. Low Point drains may be an actual valve or ½” fittings with caps that get removed to drain the water. Not all RVs have Low Point drains.
Opening the faucets will allow the water to drain quicker and more thoroughly. When finished, close all the faucets, and close the low point drains or valves.
Bypass the Water Heater
Bypassing the water heater is an important step that shouldn’t be skipped. If a bypass kit is not used you will waste 6-10 gallons of RV Antifreeze by filling the water heater tank. The best way to do this is to purchase a By-Pass Kit that will permanently stay on the water heater. Some RV’s will already have the by-pass kit installed. Before adding RV anti-freeze to your RV, you need to make sure you bypass the water heater by turning the levers on the valves in the right direction.
To find the water heater, locate the RV water heater service door that is on the exterior of the RV. This will give you access to the front of the water heater. This is where you drain the water heater and relieve the pressure. To access the rear of the water heater there is quite often an access door/panel on the inside of the RV directly behind the water heater. This is where you install the bypass kit.
Drain and Flush the RV Water Heater
You will need to drain the water heater of all water.
Turn the water heater off and let it cool down.
Also, turn the water pump off or turn off the city water hook-up.
Now that the water heater is cool and doesn’t have any water source, open the pressure relief valve to relieve any residual pressure in the tank.
Now you can remove either the drain plug/cap (Atwood/Dometic) or the anode rod (Suburban 1 1/16” Socket). This will let the water drain out.
Don’t drain the water heater if it’s hot or has pressure built up. Wait until the temperature and pressure come down.
Once drained, turn the water pressure on and flush out the sediment for 2-3 minutes. Or purchase a tool for flushing out the tank, this can be more effective in thoroughly cleaning the water heater tank.
After removing the anode rod leave it out during winter; If needed purchase a replacement to reinstall in the spring.
Open all of the Faucets
Now you will need to open the faucets inside and outside the RV. Bathroom, Kitchen, Outside Shower, or Clean Up Faucet. Don’t forget to flush the toilet until water stops flowing as well to make sure most of the water is removed from the toilet lines. Leave the faucets open even after the water stops flowing.
Turn on the RV Water Pump
Turn the water pump on to remove any leftover water. Turn the water pump off the water is not flowing or spraying out of the faucets and toilet.
Using Air Compressor Fitting
Use the Blow Out Adapter you purchased those screws into the city water hook-up. Use an air hose and connect it to the blow-out adapter and the air compressor.
Using Air to Blow Out the Water Lines
Make sure all of your valves and faucets are open. Set the air compressor to between 30 and 50 psi (DO NOT set the pressure higher than this) and run it in 30-second increments until no more water comes out of the faucets or valves.
Turn Off All Faucets and Close any Open Valves
Check that all of the faucets, Valves, Low Point Drains are closed.
Beyond the Freshwater System:
This section dives in the rest of the RV including pointers for those that are living in their RV through the winter months.