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PROCEDURE FOR WINTERIZING THE DISCOVERY |
TOOLS NEEDED:
1/2 inch open end wrench (for ice maker lines) Small spanner wrench (for HW drain) Large Funnel (to place under water line drains) Siphon hose (for HW tank)
If winterizing with air, you may also need a small screw driver (to remove inlet water screen), an air inlet shrader valve, and a small portable electric air compressor.
FIRST DRAIN TANK AND ALL LINES.
1. Open all faucets including outside spray hose.
2. Open fresh water tank drain.
3. Turn bypass valve to "ON", and open both water line drains.
4. Open antifreeze inlet valve to drain water pump.
5. Open pressure release valve on HW heater tank and THEN remove tank drain plug.6. Remove ice maker feed hoses from BOTH sides of electric relay valve and drain. Then close shut-off valve. Reconnect top hose, but leave bottom off for now.
7. While everything is draining, install bypass hose around drinking water filter under the galley sink.
8. Wait for fresh water tank to completely drain, then CLOSE pump bypass valve to drain internal water lines. Leave bypass valve in "OFF" position (valve UP).
9. Siphon last gallon of water out of HW tank.
WINTERIZING WITH ANTIFREEZE (The "Pink Stuff")
The easiest way to get antifreeze into the water lines, is to buy a Camco Winterizing Kit. It consists of a brass valve that you put in the water line between the pump and the line from the tank. (I mounted mine right at the pump.) The valve switches the pump intake between the tank feed, and a short plastic hose that you insert into the bottle of antifreeze. That way the water pump does all the work of pushing the
antifreeze into all your water lines. (Alternately you could simply disconnect the line to the pump and connect a smaller hose in its place to suck antifreeze out of the bottle.) By using this method, you do not have to put antifreeze in the fresh water tank. You only need about three gallons of antifreeze, plus one more if you have a washing machine.
1. After everything is completely drained close all drains, plugs, and faucets.
2. Turn the hot water tank by-pass valve to prevent antifreeze from entering the hot water heater. (In my 36T, it's under the closet floor, and you push it to the down position.) You do NOT want antifreeze in your hot water tank.
3. Start with the outside shower hose in the water service compartment. That way you can see that the antifreeze is entering the pump OK. Spray hose until it comes out pink on both hot and cold side.
4. Go inside the coach and do the same with every faucet - both hot and cold. Don't forget the drinking water faucet in the galley (you already removed the filter, right?), the shower, the toilet and the toilet hose.
5. Go outside, and open the the valve on the ice maker feed line to winterize that. Then close the valve. Leave it disconnected, as you will have to push out the antifreeze in the spring before reconnecting the line to the ice maker solenoid valve.
6. If you have a washer, do the following......
a. Run spin cycle a while to completely drain system.
b. Remove and clean the trap screen on the bottom right. Then reinstall it.
c. Turn washer on warm/warm setting to get antifreeze onto both lines.
d. Turn on washer until you first see antifreeze enter the drum.
e. Run spin again to drain.
f. Empty any excess antifreeze from tray in top left corner.
7. Now pour a little antifreeze into each drain on the galley sink, bathroom sink, and shower to protect the p-traps.
WINTERIZING WITH AIR
I sometimes winterize with air only, if I am going to be using the coach during part of the winter. Some folks say this is not as good as using antifreeze, but I've never had a problem. You be the judge. I usually winterize with antifreeze during the coldest months of Dec, Jan, & Feb, unless I am using the coach. In any event, here's how I do it with air.
First do steps 1-9 above to drain system. Then...
1. After everything is completely drained close all drains, plugs, and faucets. DO NOT switch the hot water tank bypass valve.
2. Prop open toilet valve (so air pressure will not build up).
3. Connect elec. air compressor to water inlet with air inlet shrader valve. You may have to use a small screw driver to pry out the filter screen on the inlet.
4. Go inside coach and open each faucet, both hot and cold, one at a time. Include toilet, bath sink, shower, and galley sink. Keep each open until water stops draining and "gurgling" stops.
5. With air on, cycle Washing Machine to remove any water inside.
6. Air blow ice-maker line by opening shut-off valve. Then close valve and reconnect line.
7. Lastly air blow the outside spray hose line. Empty any water from the water pump filter. Then shut off compressor.
8. Pour enough antifreeze into drains for sinks and shower to fill P-traps. Also pour some into the bottom washer lint trap.
DE-WINTERIZING IN THE SPRING
1. Open pump bypass valve.
2. Partially fill fresh water tank (using city hose hook-up).
3. While tank is filling, turn on water pump to prime it, until water freely flows out sprayer hose with bypass open.
4. When you have several gallons of water in tank, turn off water supply and turn bypass back to "normal" closed position.
5. Run all internal faucets with pump on to allow air or antifreeze to escape.
6. Open ice maker shut-off valve and pump fresh water through that, then reconnect the feed line.
7. Re-install drinking water filter under sink.
8. Run the washer through a warm/warm cycle with water only before you use it for clothes.
9. If you used the hot water tank bypass valve, you can put that back to the "normal" position now.
10. I usually clean or replace the filter screen at the water pump at this time.
11. Flush the fresh water tank and refill. Use "freshener" as necessary.