Re-Winterizing

michellep

michellep

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2014
Posts
488
Location
NW TN
My dealer did the new trailer's first winterizing. I flushed out the pink stuff after I hit the road a couple of weeks ago.

My question - there are below freezing temps still in the picture where I live in TN. If the trailer is in its new garage (unheated, uninsulated), should I put the pink stuff back in?

As I type this, I am answering my own question - YES, I should. I don't know for how long the temps will dip below freezing.

Perhaps I should think about getting that new garage insulated? :)
 
When we had a smaller trailer and under the same circumstances, I had used a small infra-red space heater inside the cabin to keep the inside well above freezing and this radiant heat kept the internal pipes from freezing. If the "below deck" tanks are drained well then it's not such an issue for them. In any case, my little heater would cycle on for about 10 minutes every hour (on a low setting) and keep everything inside at least 45 degrees. I only turned it on when I knew the temps were going to be below the freezing mark. It didn't cost a great deal of money either. I came under some flak for suggesting such a blasphemous solution on another forum so I'm not recommending you do this. All I'm saying is that I did this for a season and never had any plumbing issues what so ever. The main reason I chose this path is because we were using the trailer off and on throughout the season and it didn't have the easy siphon pick up for replacing the anti-freeze. It had to be done through the fresh water tank using the cabin water pump so it wasn't very efficient either to do the standard routine.
 
Why is that a blasphemous solution? Sounds reasonable to me, except I'm a chicken leaving an unattended heater plugged in!! I figure if it's in the garage, the wind isn't going to help blow away any heat. I might try that in the future - make life easier.

BUT, I winterized. OMGosh - it was beyond easy. The valves are different than the '08 X-160. Easy-peezy. Took me all of five minutes - most of the time spent trying to prop the bed up!

Since I never used the outside shower thing, and it was previously winterized, I did NOT re-do it today. Is that okay?
 
It was considered blasphemous because it was thinking outside the conventional box and the forum moderator was a judgemental know it all :?

As for leaving the heater unattended, no biggie either. It has automatic shut off for over heating as well as tipover protection in case it somehow falls over (it automatically shuts off). It's infra-red so it doesn't really get that hot itself so I never worried about it. When you leave on your trips, you don't shut your home heating off do you ? :D Just kidding :LOL:

The fact that the trailer is in an enclosed area is what makes the heater such a good idea as you wouldn't need to run it much to keep it above the freezing mark.
 
On the other hand, Michelle, think how great it would be to insulate your RV garage -- you could comfortably do your off-season repairs and modifications in the garage! Then add a really great workbench, and maybe a wifi repeater so you can watch youtube "how-to" videos on replacing the water heater anode, or rewiring the circuit board on your fridge, or carburetor maintenance on your generator . . . . the possibilities are mind-altering!
 
I could probably do the walls myself. The ceiling would be the challenge - it's 14' tall!

Hey, why don't we have a huge Working Gathering in NW TN. I'll cook wonderful meals for all your smarty-pants who know how to do stuff...and you can show me, too...

Seriously - my homemade pizza is to die for... :)
 
Purchase the air nozzle that screws into your fresh water tàp on outside of trailer. Use a small tank compressor with a air chuck that clips onto the piece you screw into the fresh water tap. Set regulated air pressure to 25-30 psi and go opening the faucets the air will blow all the water out of the lines. Drain the hot water tank first and close the water line valves to it then blow the lines. Add the pink stuff to the sink traps and toilet bowl, your done. Used my trailer this past weekend in New Orleans but had to blow the water out before heading back north to cold central MS. Took me about 30 minutes at the camp site to clear the lines before departure.
 
OMGosh - am I glad you mentioned the hot water heater! I forgot to drain it. Luckily, it's still daylight and warmth enough to do that!! Whew, that could have been a mess!

Oh, do I need to do anything with 1) the water pump and 2) city inlet? (I have already pumped the pink stuff through the lines two days ago.)

And I'm all about thin, crispy crust and the sausage and the cheese. No foo-foo pizzas are made in this kitchen...George would be rolling over... :)
 
I am pretty sure you do not need to do anything with the city inlet -- it contains water when you are hooked up, but it drains as soon as the hose is removed.

I am not sure about the pump. On one hand, it does not draw water until the tap is opened, which would indicate that it does not contain water until it turns on. On the other hand, I suppose it is possible that there is some water inside the internal diaphragm, which acts to prime the pump. I am hoping that someone more knowledgeable will chime in on this issue.

I must confess that I have never come close to winterizing -- this winter, it has almost never gotten below 40, and rarely below 50 at night. We did not turn the heater on in our house once this year. I just turned off the furnace pilot light for the season. We are now into the season where we eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the patio by the pool, wearing sweaters. It has barely rained a drop. California is going to dry up and blow away, and we will all have to move back to America.
 
If you winterized by pulling the pink stuff through the pump then its already winterized. If you do the compressed air route you'll need to cut the pump on for a few seconds to clear any water in it. A few seconds is all it takes so don't go overboard running the pump dry as damage to it will occur. I used to do the pink stuff in the lines but its expensive and I have to winterize then unwinterize to often. I prefer the compressed air route. Pink stuff is still a must in the sink traps and toilet though.
 
Well, thank goodness yet again for this Forum - I forgot the P traps. They are now happily gurgling away on some freshly-poured pink stuff...
 
Michelle, if you didn't drain the water heater did you bypass it when pumping the antifreeze into the lines? Hopefully you did. It's been far below freezing here in WKY and although I thought about the air route, I decided to go with the pink stuff. Takes less than 2 gallons and since ours has the siphon line from the factory it was easy enough.
 
Michelle, if you didn't drain the water heater did you bypass it when pumping the antifreeze into the lines? Hopefully you did. It's been far below freezing here in WKY and although I thought about the air route, I decided to go with the pink stuff. Takes less than 2 gallons and since ours has the siphon line from the factory it was easy enough.
 
Michelle, if you didn't drain the water heater did you bypass it when pumping the antifreeze into the lines? Hopefully you did. It's been far below freezing here in WKY and although I thought about the air route, I decided to go with the pink stuff. Takes less than 2 gallons and since ours has the siphon line from the factory it was easy enough.
 
I did bypass the hot water heater. I just forgot to drain it! But I got it drained before last night's temps dipped below freezing. Didn't get the pink stuff in the p traps until this morning, though. Hope no damage was done!!

Thanks for the list, Dan. Wasn't there a list on the old Yahoo group? I think I'll go look for it - it's toooooo dang cold here to go out and clean MoW, although she certainly needs it!!

Gotta take 'er up to the dealer for yet another fridge fix, so I can't get 'er parked in her new garage.
 
Well, shoot - I was just reading the list Dan found and read about the low point drains...I forgot to do that, too.

Since pink stuff came out of all the faucets and the toilet, not having used the low point drains should be okay? Or do I need to go out there and do it all again?
 
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