Completely drain all the water from the system by opening the drains on your water heater, fresh water tank and any drain valves in your water lines.
Open all taps, hot and cold, depress or turn toilet valve and drain shower hose by opening tub tap and putting shower control in the “ON” position. When all water has drained from the system, turn your water pump on to expel any water remaining in the fresh water line.
Make sure that holding tanks are completely drained.
Some people prefer to blow the system with air, although there is nothing wrong with doing so, it is not necessary: non-toxic antifreeze is heavier than water and will push any remaining droplets ahead of it.
Next, close all taps, drains, etc., making sure that the city-water check valve is secure or plug the service port.
Now, because we want to put NON TOXIC ANTIFREEZE through the hot lines as well as the cold, you must by-pass the water heater. Some of you are fortunate enough to have a by-pass already on your unit. For those that don’t, you should install one and save the time and effort it takes to by-pass each year. If you are content to by-pass each year, then you must detach the hot and cold lines from the back of your water heater and join them together.
Next, we introduce the non toxic antifreeze to the system by removing the inlet hose on your pump and inserting it in the antifreeze container. If your inlet hose is not long enough, you will need a length of hose to do the job. The hose can be saved for the next year.
Now, once again- Are all the taps closed? If everything is ready, turn on your pump and go to the furthest tap and open it till you see the coloured antifreeze come through. Do the same with the hot tap, then go around your trailer and open each tap. DON’T FORGET THE TOILET: Depress the pedal until you see the coloured antifreeze coming in the bowl.
Shut off the pump and release the pressure by opening any tap.
Go outside your trailer and remove the screen at the city water, take a rubber ended pencil or equivalent and depress the inner stem, STAND CLEAR, and allow the coloured fluid to run out.
You are finished except for your drains; each drain should have about a glass full poured down it; don’t forget the tub or shower.
Open the by-pass on the water heater or remove the temporary by-pass.
Do not be concerned about a small amount of water remaining in the fresh water tank, it will not crack the tank, the water will freeze upward and not outward on a large area like this.
If equipped, your black holding tank rinse inlet will need to have a cup of antifreeze pumped into the black tank hose inlet using a winterizing hand pump.
Please keep in mind these are general instructions.
We recommend winterizing be done by an experienced RV Technician.
