De-winterizing and Fresh Water Sanitization Guides

[JohnDar]

When I dewinterize, I use air pressure to push it out of the faucets into the tanks. Then put a small pail under the low point drains to catch it from them. Same for the outside shower. Then I pump clean water from a jerry can through the system. When we get to our site, I flush thoroughly with the city water hook up.


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[JohnD]

This is what the hot water bypass valve looked like in our Trail Runner and our Prowler:

Note the half red/half blue pipe with the valve in the middle

John, you said:

"Before I do anything else at this point, I like to fill a pail with clean water and and run it through the water pump to get the anti freeze out it, but not letting it run the pail dry so that clean water stays in the pump so that the antifreeze doesn't come back into the pump."

Do you pour the pail of water into the fresh water tank? Am I correct that when hooked up to city water, the pumps aren't used, so the pail of water would have to go in the fresh water tank, right?

When you locate your water pump you'll find a white hose (look just behind the hot water heater bypass valve in the photo above) connected to it with the other end not connected to anything.

This is the hose that the antifreeze is pumped into the system during winterization, and is also the way to run that pail of water into the pump to flush out the antifreeze.

In our previous Heartland Trail Runner TT, the water pump was located under the sofa right inside the rear entrance door (it had two entrance doors).




"Then I drain and flush the fresh tank twice, then put about 1/3 tank of water back in the fresh tank, then run the pump to get the bleach out of it, then using city water hookup I flush the bleach water out of all of the faucets."

At what point do I open the valves to the water heater and run fresh water into it? Should I avoid letting any bleach water into the water heater?

I try not to get any antifreeze or bleach water into the hot water heater.

Don't know if it would hurt anything, but neither sounds like they should go in there for any reason.

Once you've gotten all of the pink stuff out of the rest of the water system to your satisfaction, then you can close* the bypass valve, then open the cold water in valve to the hot water heater and use your city water to fill the water heater.

* If this valve is open while you are camping you will get warm water, not hot water at the faucets as open it will allow a mix of hot and cold water to the faucets.

 

[FrontRangeTraveler]

Excellent help everone, and much appreciated!

I found the water pump (behind a panel next to the "island" kitchen sink cabinets) and figured out that I had to close the valve to the hose and open the "main" valve to get water pumping from the fresh water tank. I thought that should flush any antifreeze from the pump before I turned on the city water flow (and turned the pump off).

No snags, though it's too bad someone wasn't shooting video when I goofed and opened the hot water tank drain plug while city water was still on. Luckily, I hadn't turned on the heater. D'OH!

One (hopefully) small concern: I hand-tightened the hot water tank drain plug, but it still had a trickle of water coming out with the bypass closed and both cold and hot valves open (again, no heat yet). I can see just a smidgen of threads on the male part of the plug, so should I use a wrench to tighten it all the way? It's a very flexible plastic plug, and it doesn't appear that there is any kind of plumber tape or similar stuff on the threads.

I also noticed water dripped constantly every few seconds from the low drain valves (which were closed) while hooked up to city water. I used a pressure regulator and had the city water spigot wide open, which from my reading is how it should be to get acceptable water pressure. Do I need to have the low drain valves looked at?

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[FrontRangeTraveler]

That looks like the anti-siphon valve for the black tank flush. If campground water pressure goes negative, it prevents contamination of the campground water supply.

Most water heaters have 1 switch for 120V AC electric operation and a 2nd switch for propane/12V operation. You can get more information from our Water Heater Usage Guide. And our Water Systems Guide and Winterization Guide may help you locate the water heater bypass valve(s).

Is there anything that needs to be done with the anti-siphon valve during winterizing or de-winterizing?

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[danemayer]

Excellent help everone, and much appreciated!

I found the water pump (behind a panel next to the "island" kitchen sink cabinets) and figured out that I had to close the valve to the hose and open the "main" valve to get water pumping from the fresh water tank. I thought that should flush any antifreeze from the pump before I turned on the city water flow (and turned the pump off).

No snags, though it's too bad someone wasn't shooting video when I goofed and opened the hot water tank drain plug while city water was still on. Luckily, I hadn't turned on the heater. D'OH!

One (hopefully) small concern: I hand-tightened the hot water tank drain plug, but it still had a trickle of water coming out with the bypass closed and both cold and hot valves open (again, no heat yet). I can see just a smidgen of threads on the male part of the plug, so should I use a wrench to tighten it all the way? It's a very flexible plastic plug, and it doesn't appear that there is any kind of plumber tape or similar stuff on the threads.

I also noticed water dripped constantly every few seconds from the low drain valves (which were closed) while hooked up to city water. I used a pressure regulator and had the city water spigot wide open, which from my reading is how it should be to get acceptable water pressure. Do I need to have the low drain valves looked at?

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Put Teflon tape on the threads for the hot water tank drain plug and tighten it reasonably tight. Just keep in mind you'll have to untighten it in the future. The Teflon tape will help with that as well. Buy at least 2 rolls so when you need more, and run out on the first roll, and there are no nearby stores, you won't be in a ditch.

If you have a pressure regulator that's keeping the pressure below 60 psi, the low point drains shouldn't be leaking. And it would be unusual for them to be leaking. So I have to ask if you're sure they're the low point drains? Can you see and have you tried operating the valves?

 

[FrontRangeTraveler]

Put Teflon tape on the threads for the hot water tank drain plug and tighten it reasonably tight. Just keep in mind you'll have to untighten it in the future. The Teflon tape will help with that as well. Buy at least 2 rolls so when you need more, and run out on the first roll, and there are no nearby stores, you won't be in a ditch.

If you have a pressure regulator that's keeping the pressure below 60 psi, the low point drains shouldn't be leaking. And it would be unusual for them to be leaking. So I have to ask if you're sure they're the low point drains? Can you see and have you tried operating the valves?

The water is definitely dripping from the low point drains (they're clearly marked and water was draining out of each tube as I was flushing the antifreeze from the system). And yep, I was able to operate the valves with the expected results.

However, I can't say with certainty that the dripping water is coming from those valves specifically. I suppose it could be leaking somewhere above and running down the outside of the PEX lines, but that will take closer investigation. The thought of water leaking somewhere above the low point drain valves on what is basically a new rig is really unsettling.

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[FrontRangeTraveler]

My water pump is kicking in for a second every few minutes, and water is definitely leaking down the outside of the low drain PEX lines, which are located near the rear of the rig, next to the black tank pipe, and roughly under the bathroom sink, as best as I can tell.

If we take the TT out for four nights hooked up to city water, am I risking damage to water system, or other components? I see no evidence of any leak inside the rig at any sink or drain.


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[danemayer]

My water pump is kicking in for a second every few minutes, and water is definitely leaking down the outside of the low drain PEX lines, which are located near the rear of the rig, next to the black tank pipe, and roughly under the bathroom sink, as best as I can tell.

If we take the TT out for four nights hooked up to city water, am I risking damage to water system, or other components? I see no evidence of any leak inside the rig at any sink or drain.


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IFFFFFFF the low point drain valves are the source of the leak, all the leaking water is outside and you won't have any damage while using the trailer. BUTTTTTTT, if the leak is inside the coach, you're risking damage to the trailer structure. Consequential damage can create a dicey situation with respect to factory or extended warranties. You need to figure out what's leaking.

 

[FrontRangeTraveler]

IFFFFFFF the low point drain valves are the source of the leak, all the leaking water is outside and you won't have any damage while using the trailer. BUTTTTTTT, if the leak is inside the coach, you're risking damage to the trailer structure. Consequential damage can create a dicey situation with respect to factory or extended warranties. You need to figure out what's leaking.

The water is coming down the outside of the PEX lines where they protrude through the underbelly liner. I don't think I have the skill to remove that liner and start looking for leaks. This really stinks on a 6 month old rig where the water system was never used even once until this week when I started de-winterizing it.


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[FrontRangeTraveler]

I'm not getting any hot water yet (on shore power) with the hot water tank bypass valve closed and the cold and hot valves (intake and output, respectively, I assume) open. There is a high pitched sound coming from the hot water heater or something connected to it that can be heard if the hatch is open or closed.

Does it take longer than 15 - 20 minutes for the water to get hot? I'm also on city water, if that matters. Correct me if I'm wrong, but a valve is closed if it's perpendicular to the pipe, and open when parallel to the pipe, right?


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[FrontRangeTraveler]

Sorry for the flurry of questions, but I've also noticed my hot water pressure at every faucet, inside and out, is not as strong as the cold water (on city water or pump, shore power or battery). Is that normal?


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[danemayer]

I'm not getting any hot water yet (on shore power) with the hot water tank bypass valve closed and the cold and hot valves (intake and output, respectively, I assume) open. There is a high pitched sound coming from the hot water heater or something connected to it that can be heard if the hatch is open or closed.

Does it take longer than 15 - 20 minutes for the water to get hot? I'm also on city water, if that matters. Correct me if I'm wrong, but a valve is closed if it's perpendicular to the pipe, and open when parallel to the pipe, right?


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You've got it right about the bypass valve positions. As for how long it takes to get hot water - you might get some warm water at 15-20 minutes.

The high pitched sound isn't normal and needs to be investigated. The leak needs to be investigated.

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Sorry for the flurry of questions, but I've also noticed my hot water pressure at every faucet, inside and out, is not as strong as the cold water (on city water or pump, shore power or battery). Is that normal?


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If the difference is at all faucets, there's a restriction early in the hot water lines - maybe related to the water heater noise, or maybe it's related to the leak.

 

[FrontRangeTraveler]

You've got it right about the bypass valve positions. As for how long it takes to get hot water - you might get some warm water at 15-20 minutes.

The high pitched sound isn't normal and needs to be investigated. The leak needs to be investigated.

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If the difference is at all faucets, there's a restriction early in the hot water lines - maybe related to the water heater noise, or maybe it's related to the leak.

This is where the high pitched sound is coming from (the black felt area). Nothing in the owner's manual or heater manual makes it obvious what this is, other than "T'STAT" likely being for the thermostat (which worked fine with regard to the furnace and AC heater).

Very slight movement of the brown wires (to see if they were loose) stopped the high pitched sound, but also caused a clicking sound behind the black felt-covered area.

I have no idea what's under that, but guessing it's circuit board or relays to the thermostat? I'm assuming the water heater is on or off, no thermostat needed or required. Again, the photo should be in portrait orientation.

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[FrontRangeTraveler]

You've got it right about the bypass valve positions. As for how long it takes to get hot water - you might get some warm water at 15-20 minutes.

The high pitched sound isn't normal and needs to be investigated. The leak needs to be investigated.

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If the difference is at all faucets, there's a restriction early in the hot water lines - maybe related to the water heater noise, or maybe it's related to the leak.

That would make sense if the leak is in the hot water line, causing the pressure to drop.

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[JohnD]

If the electric isn't working right on the hot water heater you should still be able to use it on propane.

However, as Dan said, we need to figure out where the leak is.

When hooked up to city water you shouldn't even need to use your pump or the fresh water tank, so turn the pump off.

After that . . . are you still getting the leakage?

No matter what you should report your issues to your dealership so that they can know and record the problem in case you need to use the warranty to fix this problem.

Too bad you aren't coming to the Colorado Heartland Owner's Club (HOC) Rally in Ft. Collins next weekend . . .

You'd probably be all fixed up in an hour or two.

Even if you can't attend the whole weekend, perhaps you can drive up and meet the crew . . .

You'll want to join the club after that!

Again, if I can help I can come down to the Springs sometime . . . although I'm pretty booked up next week!

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This is where the high pitched sound is coming from (the black felt area). Nothing in the owner's manual or heater manual makes it obvious what this is, other than "T'STAT" likely being for the thermostat (which worked fine with regard to the furnace and AC heater).

Very slight movement of the brown wires (to see if they were loose) stopped the high pitched sound, but also caused a clicking sound behind the black felt-covered area.

When I hook up the city water to fill the water lines, I generally open up that valve at the top of the water heater to let the air escape while it is filling up (see, I'm not as dumb as I look . . . but almost! ).

Once water starts coming out of it I close it.

 

[FrontRangeTraveler]

If the electric isn't working right on the hot water heater you should still be able to use it on propane.

However, as Dan said, we need to figure out where the leak is.

When hooked up to city water you shouldn't even need to use your pump or the fresh water tank, so turn the pump off.

After that . . . are you still getting the leakage?

No matter what you should report your issues to your dealership so that they can know and record the problem in case you need to use the warranty to fix this problem.

Too bad you aren't coming to the Colorado Heartland Owner's Club (HOC) Rally in Ft. Collins next weekend . . .

You'd probably be all fixed up in an hour or two.

Even if you can't attend the whole weekend, perhaps you can drive up and meet the crew . . .

You'll want to join the club after that!

Again, if I can help I can come down to the Springs sometime . . . although I'm pretty booked up next week!

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When I hook up the city water to fill the water lines, I generally open up that valve at the top of the water heater to let the air escape while it is filling up (see, I'm not as dumb as I look . . . but almost! ).

Once water starts coming out of it I close it.

I'm definitely not using the pump while connected to city water, and it leaks either way anyway. I also noticed water dripping off of the black tank drain pipe where it exits the underbelly covering.

I didn't try the water heater on propane, but the furnace still blows hot (though not as hot from the vent near the bed--I wonder if that's by design), and the fridge worked fine on propane, so that system seems to be working properly.

That would be great to attend the rally (and have our problems resolved), but we plan to be in La Veta Memorial Day and exploring the area around the Spanish Peaks until next weekend. If it seems like we can make it up that way, I'll let you know. I think we'll be joining the Colorado HOC, I just don't know when exactly. Maybe once our rig is squared away.

I guess we'll have to dry camp next week and wait until we can get it back to the dealership and figure out what the issues are. It should be easier for Camping World to diagnose the problem since we still won't be able to use the toilet or water system.

So the brass connector that resembles a water spigot in the photo opens with the lever to allow air to escape? Wouldn't water coming out of that damage the electrical components/connections that might be under the black felt area?

I'm puzzled how I can get a tool on the water heater drain plug to loosen/tighten it in such a constrained space. I can't even remove it to put Teflon tape on it.

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[JohnD]

I'm definitely not using the pump while connected to city water, and it leaks either way anyway. I also noticed water dripping off of the black tank drain pipe where it exits the underbelly covering.

I didn't try the water heater on propane, but the furnace still blows hot (though not as hot from the vent near the bed--I wonder if that's by design).

That would be great to attend the rally (and have our problems resolved), but we plan to be in La Veta Memorial Day and exploring the area around the Spanish Peaks until next weekend. If it seems like we can make it up that way, I'll let you know. I think we'll be joining the Colorado Owners Club, just don't when exactly. Maybe once our rig is squared away.

I guess we'll have to dry camp next week and wait until we can get it back to the dealership and figure out what the issues are. Should be easier with still not being able to use the toilet or water system.

So the brass connector that resembles a water spigot in the photo opens with the lever to allow air to escape? Wouldn't water coming out of that damage the electrical components/connections that might be under the black felt area?

I'm puzzled how I can get a tool on the water heater drain plug to loosen/tighten it in such a constrained space. I can't even remove it to put Teflon tape on it.

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I bought a socket that is the same size at the water heater drain plug and keep it on a socket wrench inside the off-door basement door for when I need it.

As for the Heartland Owner's Club (HOC) . . . if it wasn't for the HOC, we would be camping in an SOB (Some Other Brand) trailer right now . . . but the HOC was enough to keep us in the fold!

We had an experience with our previous Heartland bumper pull trailer that would make most people opt out of RV'ing for life and into a hotel deal (actually got me kicked off this forum for awhile), but the friends and family we met in the HOC kept us here!

Join the club . . . I guarantee that you will not, for one minute . . . regret it!

And again . . . if you need me . . . I'll drive down to the Springs from Denver and help you figure this out!

THAT is what the HOC is all about . . . we are family!

 

[FrontRangeTraveler]

I bought a socket that is the same size at the water heater drain plug and keep it on a socket wrench inside the off-door basement door for when I need it.

I couldn't get a socket wrench or any other kind of wrench into that tiny space. Nothing in my tool box will fit. The copper tube running in front of the drain plug is too close, and wires connecting to the assembly the copper tube runs into restrict the work area. It might work if I can find a thinner socket wrench. I may have to ask Camping World or other Mallard owners what they use.

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[JohnD]

I couldn't get a socket wrench or any other kind of wrench into that tiny space. Nothing in my tool box will fit. The copper tube running in front of the drain plug is too close, and wires connecting to the assembly the copper tube runs into restrict the work area. It might work if I can find a thinner socket wrench. I may have to ask Camping World or other Mallard owners what they use.

Now that I think about it, our Trail Runner was just like yours, behind the copper tube.

I used an open ended wrench on the white plastic nut.

 

[Mattman]

When I got my NT. I went through and checked all my water line fittings I could touch when I de winterized. They are black compression ones around the lines. A few seemed a little lose to me. Like by hand I turned them half a turn. To tight will crush them. But looked for leaks one the system was pressurized so I didn't have any surprises first time out.
I think my NT has the same water heater. I can reach my water heater nut with a deep half inch drive socket. Maybe a small extension to get threw the tubes.
I usually hear a high pitch noise as well. Not very loud. But I hear it outside.