WINTERIZING: is there a best order when running RV fluid through FRESH water lines?

[Bacchus]

You can buy a winterizing valve kit at most RV supply places.
Installed in the line from FWTank to pump it avoids disconnecting / reconnecting fittings. Simply attach the short hose and turn the valve.
The bypass kits contain 2 valves and a short connection hose that runs between the valves. Turn w valves to bypass the water heater.
Installed once it avoids the need to disconnect / reconnect and risk leaks or cross threads.
https://www.campingworld.com/pump-c...nCtYY8xZ3DzgGmmgO5gaAl4DEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[capran]

Hey Capran: here are two things to make your life easier. (i have the same boat)
1: cut the fresh water hose between the tank and the pump and install a simple disconnect garden hose coupling. Makes draining tank and putting pink into the pump easy. Just connect a short hose to the pump side and stick in the pink jug.
2: The lowest part of our boat is by the forward bilge pumps. There is a hot and cold water line that runs close by. Cut these lines and install a "T" and attach two shut off taps. (home depot). After you have run through the pink, you open these taps and drain the system. much of the pink can be recaptured in a low tray and dumped in the holding tank. Leave taps open all winter for drainage into the bilge.

Bonus answer: As others have said there is no need to put anything in the fresh water tank when empty. When my marina lifts the boat out he always goes stern high, which any little bit of water in the tank runs out and into the bilge.

My problem is now laying in bed thinking if i missed anything!!

Barrie

Thanks for the suggestion. As to the hose that goes from the tank, I think I could handle that, as it's traditional hose. although with just a little heat gun that hose came off quite easily which I put into the RV jugs. When I get back home I'll google "disconnect garden hose coupling". seems like thats a big hose but I don't know the diameter I'll need. That would be simpler. My PEX lines go along the port side bow to stern stringer, on the side where all the pumps are. I'm just not sure about cutting into the PEX and doing sharkbite fittings. (one of the pex shark bites came loose this summer and I used some thin line to put pressure on the sharkbite, with no more leaks the rest of the summer. Hooking up to the compressor wasn't too bad. I have a little fitting forward of the pump that is either a backflow preventor of a tiny filter, and it's a small diameter line, probably 3/8 to half inch, and I have easy access to that for the compressor attachment. Just finished winterizing for the 2nd year. By emptying the lines of all faucets to the point of sputtering, both hot and cold, I have 2 gallons of fluid left in the hot water tank, which I hooked up a hose and drained. after all was done- sputter drain, compressed air, add RV fluid, hook up compressed air for a final blow and drained the hot water tank of the RV fluid, it was about 4 hours and a total of 8 gallons of antifreeze. (I did again use the Lowes RV fluid but others have said the one from West Marine have no alcohol in them and might be better, but I had already bought the Lowes "Splash" -50 fluid this year. (and I had used that on my sailboat for 21 years.). I also used compressed air to blow out the salt water washdown line, but did not put antifreeze in that. And With the 3 gallons (1 1/2 each) for 3 toilet flushes, in the holding tank, also ran the macerator long enough to see pink at the bucket to catch it which I dumped into the yard outhouse (less than a gallon). left all lines open, but feel pretty confident got most of the fluid out of the fresh water side. But like you said, I just don't feel 100% confident to MOT put RV antifreeze in. and despite my lists, I will still lay awake and wonder if I missed anything. BTW, last year at start up time the Vetus bow thrusted didn't work. Long story short is the mechanic suggested we turn it on every couple months for a micro second. he said sometimes the dust on the brushes get rusty, and bumping it a few times helps prevent that. all in all, it was a better year than the first, slowing figuring out the maneuvering. New batteries need another year to start developing full capacity but still monitoring closely.

 

[Bacchus]

The fitting I linked above includes the hose necessary to stick into a jug of pink.
Once you install the 3 way valve in the tank to pump line you simply screw on the hose supplied and turn the valve to pump pink thru the water system.

 

[Helmsman]

The fitting I linked above includes the hose necessary to stick into a jug of pink.
Once you install the 3 way valve in the tank to pump line you simply screw on the hose supplied and turn the valve to pump pink thru the water system.View attachment 142604View attachment 142605

Bacchus, does that 3 way valve prevent AF from flowing backwards into the fresh water tank?

 

[Bacchus]

Bacchus, does that 3 way valve prevent AF from flowing backwards into the fresh water tank?

Yes, a 3 way is much more than just a T the 2 valve position are...
1- allows flow from tanknto pump inlet
2 - allows flow from the hose / hose port to the pump inlet

If you switch the valve back to normal tank supply with pink in the pump inlet you can get a small amount (tubing contents between pump & 3 way valve) that might drain back to the tank. If that is not desired there are ways to avoid it... use compressed air to blow the line out; leave the valvenin winterize position until spring and just run a jug of fresh water thru the pump before switching back to normal tank position / flow.

The water heater bypass kits contain 2 of these valves and a connector hose that connects the 2 side "bypass" ports. Drain the htr tank ( I use comp air and a hose overboard) throw the WH valves to bypass before using the pump inlet 3 way valve a hose for supplying pink AF to the FW system. By openning all H & C faucets, showers, etc (don't forget windshield washers if fed from FW system) and FW winterizing done. I leave mine in bypass positions until spring and usually hook up to shore water to flush all the H & C lines well BEFORE turning power on to the water htr. I'll then switch from bypass to normal WH flow and do a little more flushing.
The key to avoiding any pink AF in tank is to make sure you have a way to completely drain the tanks. I installed a plugged PVC T in the low point in line than connects my 2 FW tanks to easily & positively drain my tanks.
I have read & agree that a small amount of water in a tank is not a problem for the tank... my concern I didn't want to learn the outcome hard way is... if there is water in a tank outlet or cross connect fitting will it burst the fitting or us there enough room for expansion back into the near empty tank??? I'd rather not find out the hard way so I make sure my tanks are empty. I have sometimes left the T plug out so that if water remains in the tank and moves during haul out ( I winterize in the water before the yard pulls the boat and winterize engine)

That's the unabridged story but hope it helps.
Installing the valves is a little more work but only once and then winterizing, flushing is EZ with only need to run valves.

I've modified my AC cooling system (based on suggestion by a TFer that was smarter than I was) to make winterizing EZ. Happy to share if there is interest in AC cooling syste... just let me know.

 

[Helmsman]

Thanks Don. I will order one for the FW system. I would rather avoid pink in the water tanks.