Winterizing coach

[Gerald Farris]

I just received a question from a fellow club member about winterizing a coach, and since I have never winterized a coach in the 12 years that I have owner a Beaver (if it freezes I am to far north), I do not feel like an expert on the subject. So I thought that I would ask my fellow club members how you handle the matter in the cold country.

Question;
(Gerald, the tech who is going over for the spring check out  states that the pink antifreeze we install for the winter months here in Iowa should be installed and then flushed and not to leave in all winter long.  never knew this.  so decided to ask someone that's experienced with this.)

Gerald

[Tom and Pam Brown]

Gerald,

I left the pink anti freeze in this winter as it states on the instructions.  It makes no sense to me to I stall and then drain.  Maybe I missed something.

[Mark Bryant]

Gerald

When I winterize I only need to winterize for a month or two and leave it in.

My question is how and with what would the tech flush the system and it still be protected from freezeing?

Does not sound right to flush after winterizing!!!

06 Monterey

[Gil_Johnson]

[size=14][/size]The benefit to draining it is that it may help get the taste out sooner in the spring.  The procedure I've used with my Beaver and past boats is the same.
-- Remove any water filter element.
-- Drain all the water that will drain.
-- I use an air compressor set to 45psi and blow out all lines.
-- Blow antifreeze through the lines.  This is because you can never get all the water out.
-- Pour some antifreeze in all drains and the toliet.

There are some other steps for some items, like the washer and ice maker.

Gil

[Dick Simonis]

Depending on the coach, there may be a piece of tubing dangling on the suction side of the water pump.  If so, just put the tubing in the jug of antifreeze, open the valve, shut the feed valve and run the pump until the water from all faucets run pink.  Some hot water heater may have a bypass valve, if so drain the HW heater and open the bypass.  If they have a aqauahot, that has it's own set of instruction as does the icemaker.

A lot depends on where they are located.  Here it gets into the high teens, low 20's and I never winterize.  Just leave the Hurricane set at 45 on days the forcast calls for a freeze.

Tough to think about winterizing when the temp is 106 outside.

[Dave Blystone]

i always leave the red pop in the system
to do the icemaker i have a short electrical cord with  2 spade lugs on the end. i unplug the water valve electric connections and plug in the short cord. i plug the other end into a 110 outlet that will open the water valve letting the pink anti freeze to get into the mold of the icemaker.  i then unplug the short cord and plug in the oringinal wires.  i hope this helps.   i also do about 100 boats a year this way. lol i winterize boats for a liveing at least i did before retirement.
 
dave and edie
2001 patriot 33
cat 3126

[Mark Bryant]

Gil

Aqua-Hot says not to use air pressure through the hot water system as it may damage the coils. That's the reason I use the pink stuff, otherwise I use air pressure also.

06 Monterey

[Wayne Tull]

We are in Iowa and I follow the remove filters, blow out the lines, pump the RV antifreeze through the lines/fixtures, extra for the drains/tanks (so no water collects on valves) and leave until ready to use coach again.  Exceptions being I just disconnect the Ice maker, hot shot, filtered water fixture and just blow them out. I installed a valve to separate them out from the rest of the water lines.  It does take a while to get this all flushed back out the system.  I guess my concern on not leaving it in the system would be it freezing if it was just a small amount and it separated.  No actual knowledge based reason, just want to error on the side of my mental happiness.

[Gil_Johnson]

Mark,

45 psi is going to hurt the Aqua Hot.  What Aqua Hot wants folks to realize that blowing the water out WILL NOT get all the water out of an Aqua Hot.  The first owner of my coach knows that well.  Keep in mind I push pink stuff through the lines are blowing them out.  I say on how much pink stuff I use and have plenty in any valleys to prevent freezing.

Dick,

The pick up tube is a great idea, my Contessa has one.  Just keep in mind this does not protect the line from the holding tank to the water pump.

Gil