How To Winterize A Camper Hot Water Heater

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If you lot enjoy camping ground but take to an RV rather than a tent, then you lot know there'due south work to be done at the end of the camping season. When you're done camping ground for the yr, and it's time to leave your RV dormant for the winter, you need to have the appropriate steps to winterize an RV. Yous don't want to discover burst pipes come spring!

1

Allow all water to bleed from the fresh h2o holding tank. To drain the water from your RV, you'll need to open what'south called the "petcock." Do not be tempted to drain the water heater yet -- that has to exist done afterward you add antifreeze.^[one]
2
Bleed the blackness and gray holding tanks. Yous should besides flush both tanks at this time.
- If your RV does not come equipped with a built-in arrangement, you should clean the tanks out with a wand or a product designed to clean both of the tanks.
- Have all the tanks' contents to your local dump station.
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3
Open up any cold and hot water faucets in the RV. That includes those for the sinks, toilet and shower. If yous don't, air tin't come out the other end!
- Flush your toilets a few times to make certain all the h2o's gone!
4
Attach a compressed air adapter to the RV's water lines. This is commonly known as a "blowout plug." Information technology can exist purchased at all hardware stores and probably even your local Walmart.^[2]
- Technically, it'southward fastened to the "H2o Intake Fitting."
5
Employ a standard air compressor, such as one used to inflate tires, to blow air through the water lines. The air from the compressor volition strength any remaining h2o out of the lines. This isn't 100% necessary, merely it helps to continue your antifreeze from becoming diluted.^[iii]
- Pressure should be 30 pounds per square inch (maximum of 50 psi).^[iv]
half-dozen

Supersede caps on all the drains, and shut all the cold and hot water faucets. Reclose your petcock, too.
7

Detach the compressed air adapter from the RV. And the compressor along with it!

i
Choose your method of calculation antifreeze. There are three ways to exercise this:
- From the inside using a water pump conversion kit
- From the outside with a hand pump
- With or without a featherbed
  - Nosotros'll be addressing the water pump with a bypass method. The science behind the pumps is the aforementioned. Withal, without a bypass, you just have to add together much, much more antifreeze. Regardless of whether or not you have a bypass, practise not drain your water heater earlier adding the antifreeze.
two

Disconnect the water line that connects the fresh water tank to the fresh water pump. Attach the pump upstream of the water tank. That is, the antifreeze will go in before the tank.^[5]
3
If possible, featherbed your water heater. This will save you gallons and gallons of antifreeze. Yous don't have to exercise information technology, only it makes everything much simpler. A few RVs have them congenital in, but nigh do not.^[vi] To bypass your water heater:
- Turn off the water heater
- Disconnect the water supply (the above step)
- If installing for the beginning fourth dimension, disconnect the hot and cold lines going in and out of the water heater
- Connect the bypass, post-obit the instructions on the package
- Close off the same hot and cold lines and open the bypass
iv
Place the disconnected end of the water line in a jug of RV antifreeze. That's the pink kind, not the green kind. The pinkish kind is RV antifreeze, which is GRAS -- generally regarded as safe. The greenish kind is toxic. Not that you lot'd be swallowing any, but, you know, just in instance.
- Approximately 2 to iii gallons (7.6 to 11.4 liters) of antifreeze should exist plenty to make full the RV's unabridged plumbing system, provided a featherbed is installed. If y'all don't accept one, you demand equally much antifreeze as the h2o heater tin agree, usually half-dozen to 10 gallons.^[iv]
5

Turn on the fresh water pump, and allow it to run every bit it pulls the antifreeze into the plumbing system of the RV. Alternatively, as discussed, use a hand pump continued to the city water hookup.^[7]
6
Kickoff from the highest and work to the everyman signal in the fresh water system. Yous'll probably start at the kitchen sink -- turn on the hot faucet and run it until it turns pink -- that is, filled with antifreeze. All the water has been flushed from the system! Then, run the cold faucet until it's pink, too.
- The general order is kitchen sink, bathroom sink, shower, toilet, and outdoor shower. Run each of these until you see a strong shade of pink in each.
  - You lot may need to affluent the toilet several times until the RV antifreeze comes out at a steady rate.
7

Pour virtually 3 cups (. 72 liters) of antifreeze into the toilet and in each drain. This includes the washing motorcar, ice maker, and outside shower! Don't forget nigh those. The specifics of your RV will need to exist taken into business relationship here. Refer to your manual for more specific guidelines.
viii

Take the water line out of the antifreeze jug, and reconnect information technology to the fresh h2o tank.
9

Locate the water heater, remove the plug and drain it. This is always done final.

one
Remove all food, laundry, and valuable items. Kind of a big duh, huh? The terminal matter you want is an exploded two-liter of orangish soda all over your fridge. Non to mention mice and ants.^[8]
- And as for valuable items, why would y'all leave them in an RV for six months? And the laundry, well, it'southward only all-time to leave everything clean so when you come back in the spring, there's a lot less work to do.
two

Fix annihilation that's broken. Your RV is going to exist sitting and stewing for a while -- not good for any machine (or human for that matter). To make sure it makes it through, set everything at present. You'll be glad you did.
3
Encompass all vents and holes. Hopefully you already have some blazon of mesh guard for your exhaust pipe and whatnot to protect against mice, but make sure all the vents and holes are covered now. You don't desire birds (call up of the roof), rodents (pipes), or bugs (seams) making your RV home.^[9]
- Check the entire RV for places that bugs or animals may be able to go into. Just because yous're non using it doesn't mean they should get to!
4

Take the weight off the tires. If you leave that much weight on the one side of the tires, they could grow weak over fourth dimension. So leave your RV on blocks, taking the pressure off the tires.^[10]
5
Cover it with a breathable material. While you don't want snow and rodents getting into your RV, you also don't want mold and mildew to start growing underneath your tarp. So if you exercise cover information technology, embrace it with a material that breathes.^[11]
- You lot may desire to put rags on top of the sharp corners of your RV so that breathable textile doesn't rip. For good measure!

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Add together New Question

Question

How exercise I tell if my RV is winterized?

All your close-off valves should be placed in the "off' position. A special winterizing chemic much similar an anti-freeze color is placed in the lines for the wintertime, and all petcocks to the water heater etc. should be in the open position - unless, again, a chemical was used in which then they would exist closed.
Question

If the water heater is drained final just not blown out, what keeps it from freezing any left-over water in it?

Our Atwood water heater transmission says that there will be about 2 quarts of water left in it after draining, and it is okay if that amount freezes.
Question

Is there any reason not to utilise leveling jacks to salve weight on tires for storage?

The big hydraulic jacks on motorhomes may be ok for this purpose, but not the corner jacks on most travel trailers. They are only designed to accept some weight off the suspension to stop movement when y'all are moving around inside. They volition warp the frame if you lot leave a trailer'south weight on them for whatever time, especially if you run them up loftier plenty to get most of the weight off the tires.

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Most RV parts stores will have the supplies needed to winterize an RV.
Your possessor's manual will take information about the preferred method of winterizing your particular model of RV.

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Never use automotive antifreeze in the lines of an RV, as this can cause damage to the plumbing organisation.
Be sure to open the pressure relief valve when draining the water heater. Allowing the h2o to bleed while it is under pressure, or hot, can lead to injuries.

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Things You lot'll Need

Pump (water or hand)
Bypass kit (optional)
Antifreeze (minimum 3 gallons)
Tank-cleaning wand
Tarp of breathable fabric
Air compressor
Adapter ("blowout plug")

About This Article

Article Summary X

To winterize an RV, start by draining the water from the fresh h2o, black, and gray property tanks. You should besides open any cold and hot water faucets and flush the toilet a few times to make sure all of the water is out. Next, attach a compressed air adaptor to your RV'due south h2o lines and blow air through the water lines using an air compressor, which volition force out whatever remaining water. Finally, add antifreeze to your RV's plumbing system to protect it throughout the winter. To learn how to protect your RV from a rodent infestation during the winter, scroll downward!

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