Water tank draining
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Forum Name: I need HELP!!!
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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12819
Printed Date: 29 Apr 2024 at 8:57pm
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Topic: Water tank draining
Posted By: Buckeye
Subject: Water tank draining
Date Posted: 04 May 2019 at 9:29pm
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Ok, another newbie question; and don't laugh uncontrollably... When I winterized the Pod in the fall, I watched a YouTube video that recommended blowing out the water lines, which I did, and draining the gray water and sewage tanks. The next step was to pour some antifreeze in the water tank and run the water pump until it came out the faucets. The remainder stayed in the water tank over the winter and put it away for the winter. Now it's spring... Do I have to pump it all out, probably about two gallons, with the water pump or is there another, simpler way? Craig feeling "new guy stupid"  ------------- Craig-retired teacher of the blind Carol-retired legal admin asst Spot and Sam-the miscreant Shih-tzus "Politically incorrect with no real changes expected...” Former 2017 Rpod 180 F150 5.0 4x4 |
Replies:
Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 04 May 2019 at 9:45pm
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You should not have put antifreeze in the tank. We'll discuss that later. What you need to do is get it out of there by opening the drain on the tank and letting it all run out. Recapture it if you want to. When it's out, run water in the tank and drain it, two or three times. When the antifreeze is out of there, run fresh water through all of the faucets, toilet, shower, etc, until the pink stuff is gone. Then you might want to fill the tank again and put some vinegar in the water to get rid of the antifreeze taste and drain it again. TT ------------- 2010 176 FJ Cruiser |
Posted By: Buckeye
Date Posted: 04 May 2019 at 10:31pm
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Thank you. Thought I screwed up. Drain it from the drain in the middle of the tank or the one on the side of the tank? Craig  ------------- Craig-retired teacher of the blind Carol-retired legal admin asst Spot and Sam-the miscreant Shih-tzus "Politically incorrect with no real changes expected...” Former 2017 Rpod 180 F150 5.0 4x4 |
Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 05 May 2019 at 12:49am
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My tank doesn't have a drain on the side. You want which ever is lower. TT ------------- 2010 176 FJ Cruiser |
Posted By: Buckeye
Date Posted: 05 May 2019 at 6:34am
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Thanks, Tars. I just read the creating an instruction & maintenance manual folder/thread/topic and techntrek's post (excellent instructions). I have the answer about how to do it next time. This forum is a Godsend for us newbies. Craig feeling better about the problem...
------------- Craig-retired teacher of the blind Carol-retired legal admin asst Spot and Sam-the miscreant Shih-tzus "Politically incorrect with no real changes expected...” Former 2017 Rpod 180 F150 5.0 4x4 |
Posted By: Kup-Pod
Date Posted: 05 May 2019 at 6:51am
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Avoiding this problem in the future? First thing is locating your pump and your hot water tank (I'm not sure where it is on the 180 but it's probably not far from the fresh water tank. Second, there should be two 3-way valves on the connections to the hot water tank that you can use to isolate your hot water tank - you don't want to waste antifreeze by filling your hot water tank Third, near the inlet to your pump, there should also be a 3 way valve attached to an open ended hose. Swtich the 3-way valve so that you can pump directly from the jug of antifreeze. When you're done make sureyou switch it back to sucking from the tank otherwise you'll be confused next spring. Finally, remove the anode from the hot water heater to drain that tank and drain your fresh water tank. Once you've done it once, it's easy. ------------- 2017 RP-178 2021 F150 5.0l "Lead me on a level path" |
Posted By: Buckeye
Date Posted: 05 May 2019 at 7:19am
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Thank you for your response. I feel as if I have much to learn...but am very interested in doing it. Craig ------------- Craig-retired teacher of the blind Carol-retired legal admin asst Spot and Sam-the miscreant Shih-tzus "Politically incorrect with no real changes expected...” Former 2017 Rpod 180 F150 5.0 4x4 |
Posted By: Richand Cindy
Date Posted: 05 May 2019 at 7:52am
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What you did was not wrong (from the perspective of winterizing your lines) and was probably alot easier to do than then the recommended approach. Access to the valves on a 180 is under the bed. So you have to lift the mattress off and then unscrew the plywood bottom, lift that and then you will see the tank and the valves. If you do a search on this board there have been a number of mods to get to this better. Someone even cut a hole through the RPOD and made an access door! We found it so difficult we paid our storage guy to do it. On our boat there is no access to the tank periord so not valves. You must add the antifreeze to the tank. It takes forever to wash it out in the spring. Very wastefull and since we do not use the sink much we stopped adding water to the tank. If you can do it the recommended way next time you will be saving the environment ------------- OLD 2017.5 RPOD 180 + 2015 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk NEW: 2018 Passport Elite 23RB + 2017 Ram 1500 Diesel |
Posted By: Jeepinator
Date Posted: 05 May 2019 at 1:13pm
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You should always release the tank pressure before attempting to remove the anode. Pressure relief valve is up and to the left of the anode. ------------- 2018 Jeep Wrangler Willys 2017 179 |
Posted By: Buckeye
Date Posted: 05 May 2019 at 1:40pm
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Thanks. Learned that last year...glad I had on throwaway clothes. Is there a picture somewhere of the pressure relief valve in the proper position, i. e. lever up or down? Craig in sunny LSL learning something new every minute...
------------- Craig-retired teacher of the blind Carol-retired legal admin asst Spot and Sam-the miscreant Shih-tzus "Politically incorrect with no real changes expected...” Former 2017 Rpod 180 F150 5.0 4x4 |
Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 05 May 2019 at 1:55pm
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You can also release the pressure by turning on the hot water in the sink and let it run until it runs out from the residual pressure. Leave the pump off. The problem with using the PRV is that it's not really made for repeated use as will not always seat sufficiently after being used because of crud building up around the valve. I've had this happen a couple times with a household water heater and ended up having to replace them. ------------- Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 05 May 2019 at 6:19pm
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Since 2012 this is the method I have used: As lostagain (Fred) wisely advises, turn off your water pump and turn hot and cold water on, this will release any pressure in your lines. Access the 3 way valves and turn all 3 to winterization mode. Drain HW tank. Take a air hose (I limit it to 90 psi) and have a line open, connect air hose to pigtail under sink and open the valve downstream from the pigtail you connected to (about 12 inches away) turn air on and one by one open taps one by one until nothing but air comes out, always have one open before closing the former, this process takes maybe 90 seconds on our 177 and that is going through each tap 2 for the kitchen sink, 2 for the bathroom sink, and the one for the toilet flush twice each. Turn air off and close the 3 way valve. Turn off last valve you left open. In the past I would check my low point drains for water but after 3 years of doing this and maybe finding a drop or two in each I haven't even checked them for the past 5 years and have had no leaks. I then take 16 oz. of RV anti-freeze and pour almost 5 oz. into each of the 3 traps and leave about 1 oz to put on top of the toilet flapper to keep the seal moist during the winter. Entire process takes about 15 minutes from start to finish.
------------- God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 06 May 2019 at 5:09pm
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I don't see the advantage to NOT putting A/F in the lines. I siphon the A/F thru the siphon hose on the pump, and run it into the lines. No A/F in the H/W, or Fresh water tank. But I still sanitize the F/W tank, and all the lines in the spring, so pushing out a little pink stuff isn't really much of an issue. I just hate needing to rinse the F/W tank a few times. Wastes a lot of water. ------------- 2017.5 Rp-172 2020 R-pod 195 2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl I'll be rpodding |
Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 06 May 2019 at 5:56pm
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I think there is some call on where you live, I don't use AF, but if I lived in the East or North I would certainly consider. I use pressure air and have never had anything freeze, course always a chance. If that chance happened I'd adjust. ------------- Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |