I am a relatively new owner and have not been able to find the procedure for de-winterizing. I had the local RV dealer winterize it with the pink fluid but am thinking I should be able to flush/refill water myself. Just can't find any documentation. Thanks much! Tom. 1978 Royale dry side bath.
De-Winterizing
- Thread starter tmdcfc20
- Start date
I find that the pink stuff has a flavor that doesn't dissipate unless I treat the first batch of fresh water with a bit of bleach. Just a cap full of bleach and fill the tank.
Your RV center may have left your hot water heater drain open, and there may be a water heater bypass you would just switch the valves around for that. I would call them and just ask what is needed since you want to use it now.
Once you get fresh water in it, just run each faucet / shower until the pink disappears.
It is really tough thing to describe as most plumbing systems have been modified. But usually it should be just as simple as using the coach. Fill it with water and go. Might take a use or two to get the pink antifreeze flushed out entirely.
But there are valves and such that can complicate things. Mine has a few valves i added. But i can winterize and de winterize in a few minutes.
One nice thing about de-winterizing. Doing it wrong just means a little water on the ground. Flip a valve that was missed and move on. Cant hurt anything.
But if you winterize wrong it can cause damage
But there are valves and such that can complicate things. Mine has a few valves i added. But i can winterize and de winterize in a few minutes.
One nice thing about de-winterizing. Doing it wrong just means a little water on the ground. Flip a valve that was missed and move on. Cant hurt anything.
But if you winterize wrong it can cause damage
As a new owner I hope you have found bdub's web collection of two years worth of reading material!
Specific to your posted question start with page 21 and 22 of Coachmen specific owners manual:
The builder schematic of a rear bath (not the same as yours, but a lot of overlap)
Both of those links are found on his collection of manuals page
and an even broader collection is found here
Not sure if you have a water heater bypass kit - if not I would recommend it highly as it allowed me to use about 1.5 gallons of drinking safe rv antifreeze (don't ever put engine antifreeze in house system, it is poison) instead of six or seven gallons. The kit will pay for itself in one use. All it does is prevent the hot water tank (usually 6 gallons) from having to fill up before the pipes fill up.
Specific to your posted question start with page 21 and 22 of Coachmen specific owners manual:
The builder schematic of a rear bath (not the same as yours, but a lot of overlap)
Both of those links are found on his collection of manuals page
and an even broader collection is found here
Not sure if you have a water heater bypass kit - if not I would recommend it highly as it allowed me to use about 1.5 gallons of drinking safe rv antifreeze (don't ever put engine antifreeze in house system, it is poison) instead of six or seven gallons. The kit will pay for itself in one use. All it does is prevent the hot water tank (usually 6 gallons) from having to fill up before the pipes fill up.
Another thing to consider is the type of "pink stuff" RV antifreeze to get. If possible try to get Propylene glycol based antifreeze rather than alcohol based. I've used both and I've had the best experience avoiding alcohol. It is more expensive.
Types of RV Antifreeze
Ethanol-Based
Also known as alcohol-based antifreeze, this type of antifreeze is the most affordable option available. It works by raising the freezing point of water to help keep your pipes from bursting. However, there are many downsides to using alcohol in your water system. For one, it can affect the taste of drinking water and the smell can be unbearable. Also, it may require quite some effort to flush it out of the system. Another thing is, alcohol tends to dry out rubber seals so you may experience leaks and have to replace the seals at the end of the cold season.Propylene-Glycol-Based
Propylene glycol is a synthetic type of alcohol that also raises the freezing point of water. It’s the best type of antifreeze for your RV’s water system since the compound is odorless, tasteless, and non-toxic. Also, it’s good at retaining moisture so it will help condition and prolong the life of the rubber seals.
I think you want to lower the freezing temperature of water instead of what the article I copied said "raising the freezing point of water to help keep your pipes from bursting"
After the annual winter draining of both tanks, I close off the tanks using by-pass fittings installed on both h and c water lines and pump pink into the system. The pink only fills the lines from the pump to the bathroom and kitchen sink so it takes very little, maybe a quart or so to do the job. I usually pour the rest of the gallon down the shower drain and toilet, into the black tank.
In spring, I fill the tanks again with fresh water and open up the by-passes, pumping the pink out of the faucets until the water runs clear. That takes just a minute or two and I'm all de-winterized.
In spring, I fill the tanks again with fresh water and open up the by-passes, pumping the pink out of the faucets until the water runs clear. That takes just a minute or two and I'm all de-winterized.
I basically do the same as boybach (Larry), but I lost a water heater once so now I pump a little antifreeze into the water heater before I go to bypass. In the spring I have a truck stop with water by the dump and just hook up to city water and open the dump and run water through the heater and everything else for five minutes or so to flush everything clean. I sweeten the fresh water tank with a little bleach and rinse it out as well. It doesn't take very long and I trust the water for drinking, cooking and everything else. It's worked for us for decades.
