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macnim View Drop Down
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Posts: 4 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Winterization
    Posted: 04 May 2017 at 9:35pm
Followed the Winterization posted by techtrek, posted Nov. 17, 2009.  This was so wrong!!!!  Lost the hot water heater and the toilet seal.  $$$$$ later I provided this tip to the certified service tech and he was shocked but not surprised to see such an erroneous post.  The anode rod has to be removed and the drain plugs left open.  A very expensive lesson has been learned.  I now wonder if techtrek has his own service repair company and he is drumming up business.  This post should be deleted it is so wrong!!!
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macnim View Drop Down
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Posts: 4 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 May 2017 at 9:40pm
The post is by techntrek 
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Tars Tarkas View Drop Down
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Posts: 1446 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 May 2017 at 11:17pm
I just reread the post and don't see any problems.  What specifically do you disagree with?  Your comments about the anode and the (low point?) drains seem wrong.  (Although there seems to be some ambiguity about the anode in there.)  And what happened to your toilet seal?

TT 
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macnim View Drop Down
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Posts: 4 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 May 2017 at 7:36am
When winterizong all drains must remain open.  The anode rod needs to be removed and stored for the winter.  By keeping the low point drains closed the moisture that naturally occurs during the winter melts and freezes ergo the toilet seal cracked.  If you leave the drains open the moisture has a place to escape.  The post is so wrong for those of us living where the winter is real real winter, according to the experts who service R pods.  
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furpod View Drop Down
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Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 May 2017 at 7:38am
Originally posted by macnim

Followed the Winterization posted by techtrek, posted Nov. 17, 2009.  This was so wrong!!!!  Lost the hot water heater and the toilet seal.  $$$$$ later I provided this tip to the certified service tech and he was shocked but not surprised to see such an erroneous post.  The anode rod has to be removed and the drain plugs left open.  A very expensive lesson has been learned.  I now wonder if techtrek has his own service repair company and he is drumming up business.  This post should be deleted it is so wrong!!!



He doesn't. That document has been followed by hundreds of owners without issue.

Having actually winterized quite a few times over the years, there is no issue I see with it. The anode doesn't need to be left out if the WH is drained and bypassed, and in fact I ALWAYS replace mine at the end of the procedure.

The toilet seal, and I admit I am not sure what you are talking about, nothing on the toilet is affected by winterization besides the plumbing itself.

I have to admit, I am not sure about "drain plugs left open" either.. but GUESSING you mean low point drains, and NO, they have to be closed in order to pump anti freeze through the system.

As far as what a RV tech told you.. having many years experience, I can tell you most techs don't know squat.
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Tars Tarkas View Drop Down
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Posts: 1446 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 May 2017 at 7:55am
The "experts who service RPods" are mostly on this forum.  The guys at RV service centers are rarely more expert than the people you will find here.  Beyond that, there are nearly as many opinions on the exact best practice for winterizing as there are RV owners.

As for leaving the anode out, that's fine, except bugs and mice can crawl in the hole.  The only important issue is that the water is drained from the tank.  Period.  Anode in or out makes zero difference after that as far as winterizing goes.

It sounds like you are talking about the inlet valve on your toilet.  Mine froze and cracked a couple of years ago here in Nashville, where the winters aren't very real by most standards.  The problem in my case, and probably yours, is that there wasn't any or enough antifreeze run through the toilet.

I agree totally with FurPod regarding low point drains.  After letting the water out of your system, cap them and run antifreeze through everything.  Really, it doesn't matter too much if you cap them or not as long as all of the water is out of the lines, pump, etc.  Capping them means the antifreeze stays in the system where you want it instead of running out on the ground.  You'll waste a lot of antifreeze trying to get it to the toilet if you're pouring it on the ground as fast as you pump it into the system.  But air or antifreeze, it doesn't matter as long as there's no water.  No water means no moisture needs to escape.  No water is the whole point of winterizing. Some people with real winters don't use antifreeze, they use only air.  After my toilet broke, I really advocate for antifreeze.  If there's a bit of moisture left in the toilet workings it will be antifreeze or at least diluted antifreeze, good to about minus 25.

TT
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macnim View Drop Down
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Posts: 4 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 May 2017 at 7:56am
I give up just wanted to let people know that following this blog can be very expensive and your right you don't know about the toilet it is plumbing related.  Reader beware go to a real web site like Forest River for advice.
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Posts: 261 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 May 2017 at 7:59am
Yes you have to remove the anode rod to drain all the water out of the hw tank. And after seeing the antifreeze come out of the low point drains, there by meaning no water is in the lines, the low point drain caps can be put back on. Some where macnim you and your service tech person have misread the instructions. As for the toilet seal, if after seeing the antifreeze come into the bowl, again meaning no water in the line there. If you put antifreeze on top of your "closed" toilet seal, to be left there till de-winterizing, your seal will be fine. Just finished year #5 of de-winterizing and no problems. As I've said you've missed a step somewhere.   Good luck
Ron & Shirley
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Leo B View Drop Down
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Posts: 4508 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 May 2017 at 8:46am
I have followed the winterization instructions for years and never had a problem and I also live in a place with real winter.
I also agree with Tars Tarkas there are numerous folks on this sight that I do consider experts and Techntrek is definitely one of many.
Leo & Melissa Bachand
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ron_whitt View Drop Down
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Posts: 261 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 May 2017 at 8:52am
LOL just thought, I also live where there is "real" winter...   -35 to -40C for days at a time.... And this year ... LOTS of snow on top of that....
Ron & Shirley
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