Today I parked the unit and decided to winterize using antifreeze, based on advice I saw here.  Got last little bits of water drained, and was able to get antifreeze to drain out of low point water tank drain and hot water drain outside.  Did not see anything coming out of the cold water drain.  Nothing coming out of the cold water tap inside the trailer, but did see it coming out of the hot water side and the shower head when hot water on. Nothing to flush with toilet.

So I made sure the unit was as level as possible and put antifreeze down drains and in toilet.  Trying to understand what I did wrong that nothing came out cold water side?  Is it because the trailer is new and it hasn't been used before?  Just don't want to mess up with our new purchase.

I did have a bit of trouble with the pump not pulling.  Went outside and followed instructions to relieve pressure with city water.  Believe me, antifreeze came out of THAT spot.  

Any advice would be appreciated.  Do I need to worry about the cold water line and the toilet or will the new unit be okay until spring?

Thanks.

I'm confused, so I'll start at the top.  Drain the water from the potable tank and the water heater.  (Make sure the water heater is off and cool and there is no pressure on the tank.  I turn on the hot water at the sink to do that.  Remove the anode to drain.)  Open the cold water faucet too to relieve the vacuum on the line. Open the low water drains, usually near the axle.  There are two or four of them.  The drain on the water tank is something else, but open that too.  When the water has stopped draining from the low water drains close them.  You do NOT want antifreeze pouring out on the ground (until you de-winterize.)

Set the water heater valves to winter positions.  (That's another discussion.  Ask or look it up if you need help with that.)  You do NOT want antifreeze in the water heater or in the potable water tank.

Find the antifreeze siphon hose near the water pump.  Open the flave at the top of the hose.  Close all of the faucets except one.  It helps to have someone flip the water pump on and off for you.  With the siphon hose in a bottle of antifreeze, turn on the pump until pink comes out of the faucet.  Close that faucet and then open every other faucet one at a time until you see pink coming out.  Don't forget the outside shower if you have one, and do NOT omit the toilet valve.  Hold the flush open until you see pink coming out!

As you did, put a little antifreeze in all the traps and in the toilet valve.

That's about it.

Oh yeah, the black and grey tanks should be as empty as you can get them.

TT

I went back out and saw pink in hot water low point but not cold.  Went back in and used more AF.  I think my mistake was that I kept a faucet open inside while still leaving the low point drains open.  Is that possible that that is why I couldn't see pink from the cold water line?  Also, held the lever for toilet and never had pink flush out.

I do appreciate the advice.  Willing to learn and don't want to damage my water lines.  

Thanks again.

The object of winterizing is to get all water out of the plumbing.  That's what the low point drains are for.  To let the water out.  Once the water is out, you close the drains.  Otherwise, you can suck up 50 gallons of antifreeze and it will all immediately end up on the ground.  (Not what you want.)

Antifreeze is insurance.  If you blow all the water out of the plumbing, theoretically, you're done.  Antifreeze replaces or, worst case, dilutes any water left in the system lowering the freezing point so that the solution in the pipes won't freeze.

Some people never open their low point drains.  That leaves a little water in the system, but that water is mixed with antifreeze when done, plus Pods are plumbed with PEX, which is almost impossible to break by freezing.  As long as antifreeze is the pump, valves, and traps, those metal or hard plastic things won't burst. 

I use the low point drains as intended, but you absolutely want to close them before you start sucking antifreeze.  If the drains are open they are the path of least resistance and antifreeze will never make it to the toilet or anywhere else, it will all pour out on the ground.

TT

Not sure why you would ever want to put antifreeze in your fresh water tank!

TT

Step 8 says: 8) Wrap the threads of the anode rod with Teflon tape, re-insert the plug and close both low-point drains.

Originally posted by Shane You can do it either way. I have been doing this for years with no problem, it just takes a bit more AF.

Shane, yeah, of course you can do it either way and antifreeze isn't all that expensive.  The thing is, I think, that you don't want to have to flush all that antifreeze out of the water tank.  I suppose if you're one of those people who doesn't drink the water from the fresh water tank it doesn't matter too much -- although it may not be all that healthy to shower with remnants of antifreeze in the tank. 

It's real easy to use the siphon hose as intended.  It's cheaper and at least arguably a little safer.  It's not a BIG deal, and to each is own....

TT

+2 to mcarter and TT.  Never heard of putting AF in the FW tank, that is a waste of a lot of AF. 

we do like David and Danette, blowing out takes about 1 minute, and then add a TOTAL of 16 oz. of AF for the 2 sink traps, 1 shower trap, and the top of the toilet.  Been doing it this way since 2012, so here I am with a bottle of pink rv antifreeze that I purchased in 2012 for 79 cents and still have enough for one more year.  Yeppir, 1 gallon will winterize my 177 for 8 years.