Winterizing question
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Topic: Winterizing question
Posted By: steveterrynpoppy
Subject: Winterizing question
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2021 at 4:45am
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Going through the process for the first time. Curious: I felt pretty certain that the hot water tank would not be empty. We used our 2021 171 pod a week ago and had plenty of hot water. We released the pressure valve, removed the anode rod ... and no water drained. Not a drop. Is it possible that this tank drains from the low point drain somehow? We had already drained those. Just want to make sure there is no water in the tank during our cold VT winter!
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Replies:
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2021 at 6:33am
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It must have drained from the low point. If you take out the anode and open the PRV any water left in there should drain. If it bothers you you want to be 100% sure you could refill everything and this time take out the anode before opening the low points. If water drains out of the tank doing it that way then you'll know. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2021 at 7:09am
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I just learned something new from your post. Funny thing is that the low point drains were never used on our 177 until the 5th year of ownership. The sticker was a good 3 feet away from where they actually were and the other problem was that they were both covered by a good 4 inches of foam all the way around, looked like a hornet's nest! When they were finally located and after using compressed air to blow out the water lines, each cover was taken off, and much to my surprise about 1 to 2 drops of water came out of each. Apparently the compressed air was able to evacuate the water out as far as the low point drains. Since then, they haven't been used or accessed. Maybe the plumbing on the older pods (ours was built January 2011) was engineered in such a way that they were only needed if you didn't use compressed air. Only for the first year did we use the 2 gallons of RV antifreeze and suck it through the system - and even though we never opened the low point drains - fortunately never had leak or freezing issues. ------------- 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: offgrid
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2021 at 7:32am
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The low point drains are for sure intended to be used without needing compressed air. That plus antifreeze is the standard approach, I doubt FR even considers that someone would use compressed air and no antifreeze. Whether gravity draining using the low points is sufficient to not need antifreeze is something someone braver that I am might be willing to test. If you use the standard gravity drain procedure and then follow up with compressed air does much additional water come out? ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2021 at 8:37am
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OG, being left handed I tend to do things backwards a lot.  I will make a note of this and try doing this next spring as a test to see. Up to this point I have only done it once whereas I used compressed air and then opened up the low point drains only to find a couple drops of water in each. The beauty of this approach is two-fold: no after taste in the lines (yes we use our FW tank for drinking) from the antifreeze and only use 16 oz. RV antifreeze each winter to winterize. On the 177 each of the three traps get 5oz. and the toilet gets 1oz. to keep the seal moist. Northern Michigan winters are a good test and so far, after 10 winters no problems encountered. ------------- 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: offgrid
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2021 at 10:57am
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Jato, I have no problem with either winterizing approach. Both done right work fine, done wrong you can get freeze damage either way. I'm just curious if gravity draining alone would work without either antifreeze or air. With a well designed water system where all lines slope downhill it ought to. Seasonal vacation homes are often winterized that way. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: steveterrynpoppy
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2021 at 3:45pm
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Thank you all! We are new owners...and really want to take no chances with our new pod, so we'll blow out the lines and add antifreeze. Can't hurt. I also found this post from techntrek (in 2014): An alternative for the water heater is to open the low point drains and then open the overpressure valve (near the top of the water heater, on the outside). It takes about 10 minutes, but it works. I feel better now, reassured our hot water heater is drained. So much good info in these pages. So glad to have this resource! Maybe someday we'll actually help someone else!
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Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 30 Oct 2021 at 4:33pm
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OG you make a valid point and I do plan on trying this out next spring. I will de-winterize everything and fill up HW tank and get air out of system. Next, I will open all faucets and open the low point drains as well as open the valve for the toilet. After all is 'supposedly drained' I will hook up the air gun and blow out to see how much, if any water comes out. I think before using compressed air I will also pull the anode out of the HW tank and turn the valves to winterization again to see if that drains as well. If I didn't have it already winterized and ready for winter I would do it now, but being a cheapskate I would have to use an additional 16 oz. RV antifreeze to get it ready for bed again, don't want to break the bank!
------------- 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: steveterrynpoppy
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2021 at 5:30am
| FYI...we drained everything (low points, faucets, toilet, hot water tank) and then used the air compressor. I'd say we got a few teaspoons of H2O out of the low point drain w the air compressor. Probably not enough to cause an issue? Then we ran antifreeze throughout. |
Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2021 at 5:49am
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Be sure to pay special attention to draining the toilet valve. I thought I had everything blown out well, but when I took my first trip after winter I found the valve had cracked and was leaking. It doesn't hurt to disconnect the water line at the valve and blow air through the valve while you hold it open.
------------- Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
Posted By: Subee
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2021 at 7:20am
| Newbie here, we knew most of the other stuff on winterizing, but not sure how to disconnect the water line at the toilet valve. Would you mind explaining what you did? We don't want to miss anything. |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2021 at 8:31am
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Simply put ... you don't. If using compressed air open the foot valve or lever as if you were flushing to evacuate all air in the line and do this a couple times to verify all water is out. If you are using the suction method using RV antifreeze do the same as above and keep line open until you see the pink stuff coming out of the line and running into the toilet. Leave an ounce of antifreeze on top of the lid as well to keep the seal moist throughout the winter. If you don't do this last step there is a good chance the seal will dry and crack and you will have to replace it come spring. ------------- 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: Pod_Geek
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2021 at 9:39am
Yup...always works for us. ------------- 2020.5 R-Pod 195 Hood River 2018 RAM 2500 6.4L |
Posted By: Subee
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2021 at 9:41am
| Cool beans. Got it!! |
Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2021 at 7:49pm
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Jato, I did that and there was still enough residual water in the valve that when it froze, it broke the valve housing causing the leak. And, I found it on a Saturday evening with no RV parts stores available at least until the next Monday. We managed with a jug of water, though. Subee, there is a water line to the toilet valve that you should be able to see. It's kind of like the water supply lines to a sink, only shorter. Some have convenient wings on the nut that you can grab and unscrew the line. Just be sure to have some rags available in case any water leaks out, unless, of course, you have a wet bath. My plan is to disconnect the supply line and blow some air through the open valve (held open by pushing the pedal down or, in some models, pulling the lever forward. But, as with any plastic plumbing stuff, be really careful not to cross-thread it and don't over tighten the fittings. ------------- Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |