Author Topic: Winterization Method Inquiry  (Read 2532 times)

Jack W Hannah

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Winterization Method Inquiry
« on: January 04, 2025, 04:57:59 PM »
In the past I used the diverter valve, located in the rear basemen compartment, to pump antifreeze into the plumbing to winterize my 2002 Patriot equipped with a Hydro-Hot unit.
This year I'm considering Just pouring 6 gallons of antifreeze into the freshwater tank and pumping from there.
Is there any downside to this alternate method?
Additionally, does anyone have another method they recommend?

Thank you.
Jack Hannah
2002 Patriot 40B, Monticello
Cat 3126, Magnum Series B

Joel Ashley

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Re: Winterization Method Inquiry
« Reply #1 on: January 04, 2025, 11:38:12 PM »
That was standard practice on our old Pace Arrow that had an open access water fill port, at least for sterilizing and then sodafying things.  For winterizing we just opened faucets, toilet valve, and the main drain to clear lines, then blew them out with compressed air.

But on Monty Rae it’s more important to protect the hydronic unit and perhaps an icemaker valve, and washing machine via a cup of antifreeze in the washer drum and one rinse cycle to protect the pump.  Blowing the lines is easy enough, but unreliable when it comes to certain components like the icemaker valve and especially the hydronic unit, where a tiny bit of trapped water can cost thousands in repairs.  Simply disconnecting the icemaker valve line or depending on its heat tape has proved unreliable also, so when winterizing I also cycle the icemaker until antifreeze shows at least on the output side of the valve if not the ice tray. 

Getting back to your question, I don’t see why you can’t add antifreeze to the tank.  However, our large tanks would seem to me to require a lot more of the pink stuff just to reach the tank pickup, much less then fill the lines.  Later, when dewinterizing, it’d be trickier to save fluid for future use, via the tank drain (yeah, some of us do that, albeit via the faucets back into original containers).  You’ll also have to take time to thoroughly rinse the tank. 

It would seem easier overall to just use the existing diverter system, and it would use less antifreeze.  6 gallons likely will not be enough in the tank to allow for the amount needed before the pickup can get enough fluid to fill the hydronic unit and all spigots.  And you would have to waste any dumped from the tank next spring if you didn’t go to the effort to catch drain effluent.

Joel
Joel and Lee Rae Ashley
Clackamas, Oregon
36.9 ft. 2006 Monterey Ventura IV, aka"Monty Rae"
C9 400HP Cat
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Jack W Hannah

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Re: Winterization Method Inquiry
« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2025, 05:41:02 PM »
Good info!

Thanks Joel
Jack Hannah
2002 Patriot 40B, Monticello
Cat 3126, Magnum Series B

Richard Davis

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Re: Winterization Method Inquiry
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2025, 10:18:30 PM »
Jack
I would NOT put the "pink stuff" in my fresh water tank.  I did that once when I did not know any better.  It is better to just drain the fresh water tank and leave it empty.  The smell and taste of the pink stuff is next to impossible to get out of the fresh tank.  My wife complained to me for months after I made that mistake.  It is relatively easy to get the pink stuff flushed out of the Aqua-Hot and water lines, but not so out of the fresh tank.  I guess there remains enough in the bottom of the tank that each time you flush it you are just diluting it and that taste lingers.
Richard. 
06 Monterey Ventura IV, C9 400 hp
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Eric Maclean Co-Admin

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Re: Winterization Method Inquiry
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2025, 02:36:52 AM »
Jack
Richard is right what he is referring to is called staining it is when the plastic of the tank takes on the taste of the antifreeze it can also happen if you use too heavy a concentration of bleach to sanitize the tank .
The best way to winterize your system is to drain the tank and pump antifreeze through the system using the water pump .make sure you get the antifreeze through the aqua hot , washer dryer, ice maker and dish washer if you have one also don't forget the wet bay faucet my coach I added an extract valve with a pex line in the pump compartment to allow me to suck antifreeze straight from the one gallon antifreeze containers.

Eric
1997 Patriot Yorktown
3126-B
2009 Chevy HHR
Roadmaster falcon tow bar
Demco Air Force one tow brake.
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