flushing out the antifreeze
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Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1602
Printed Date: 20 May 2025 at 2:39am
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Topic: flushing out the antifreeze
Posted By: drdrew
Subject: flushing out the antifreeze
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2011 at 12:55pm
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okay so dealer winterized the pod before we picked it up and now its in my driveway. getting ready to de winterize in the next couple of weeks. dealer showed me the valves by the water heater...and told me what to do....ugh i should have written it down. could someone kindly repeat the valve sequence for me for flushing out the lines? thanks so much...i'm starting to feel like im the only one asking questions on here....the lone newb.
------------- 172T |
Replies:
Posted By: marshwatcher
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2011 at 2:40pm
I for one am glad you are asking questions. We haven't received our RPod yet but expect it at the end of the month. I have started a file that contains all the "how to's" I am finding here. Thanks for asking questions. I am looking forward to the day when I can answer some of them.  ------------- |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2011 at 9:09pm
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Before changing any valves you want to flush out the antifreeze. Hook up your garden hose, then open each valve - sink hot/cold, shower hot/cold, toilet - until each one runs clear. Optimally you also want to open up both low-point drains but by the time you've flushed out everything else you probably have everything out of those lines too. Then you will change the valves next to the water heater. First find the valve that sits between the two water lines (the pipe it is attached to runs between the hot water line and the cold water line). The handle on that valve should currently be parallel to the pipe, turn it so it is perpendicular. Next find the other 2 valves (on the cold water line and hot water line). They should currently be perpendicular, turn them so they are parallel to the pipes they are mounted on. Finally, if you plan on using your fresh water tank you should sanitize the water system. One example of how to do that is here (two actually): http://rvbasics.com/techtips/sanitizing-your-rv-fresh-water-system.html - http://rvbasics.com/techtips/sanitizing-your-rv-fresh-water-system.html ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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Posted By: iamsmonk
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2011 at 9:49pm
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techntrek: when you mention 'low point drains' are you referring to the valves you open to drain the gray and black water tanks? ------------- Sherrie & Carol, Henri, Jay & Tanner 2004 Dodge Dakota w/4.7 V8 2011 r-pod 177 Let's go camping! |
Posted By: drdrew
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2011 at 11:35pm
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Perfect info on the hot water valves thank u. As for low point drains i know of the freshwater holding tank drain and then the black and grey pull valves...am i forgetting any? Thanks ------------- 172T |
Posted By: TIDALWAVE
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2011 at 9:35am
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The 'low-point' drains are small diameter (usually white plastic) tubes which hang below the RPod. They are used to drain the water out of the fresh water pipes when winterizing the Pod. Usually the drains are ended with small twist-on caps. Spin them off and water should drain out. If the Pod is brand new, the factory used compressed air (no water) to test for leaks and make sure that there was no fresh water to freeze in the lines. A Pod that has been winterized with RV antifreeze should have a small amount of pink water which will drain out of each low-point drain. Don't forget to drain the hot-water heater...usually the tank is drained and left empty using the heater bypass pipes when winterizing. If pink water comes out of the heater drain...someone didn't use the heater bypass and you will have to flush out the water heater tank also. I found that even after draining the antifreeze out of the lines, the glycol antifreeze will leave a slight taste to the stored water, even after several flushouts/uses. There are several water-taste treatments sold which claim to kill the taste but if you check the bottle contents, it is usually a bleach component. So you trade a glycol taste for a chlorine taste. I treat my fresh water tank with an RV chlorine water treatment solution each spring to kill any bacteria which may be in the water tank and purify the water lines. (it takes a minimum of about 3-4 hours sitting in the tanks and lines to be effective). So I end up with either an antifreeze taste or a chlorine taste. After a complete tank fill and water line flush and drain, I fill a gallon milk container with water mixed with baking soda and pour it into the water tank. I then fill the tank enough to pump the soda water through all of the lines (including the water heater tank. I usually let the soda water sit over night and then do another complete drain/flush. The soda water flush really does remove any residual taste to the water. ------------- TIDALWAVE |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2011 at 1:07pm
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Excellent info, tidalwave. And yes, those are the drains I'm talking about and not the waste drain(s).
Something that we discussed here a few months ago, and its worth pondering - the active ingredient, Propylene Glycol, is in the alcohol family. So it should have some sterilizing properties. I couldn't confirm this online, other than finding it is a secondary ingredient in hand sanitizers, most likely because it is also a moisturizing agent. I also found that experiments were done in the past to see if it would reduce bacterial growth in the lungs if inhaled - useful in a hospital setting to reduce pneumonia. If true, most of the water system will be sanitized already in the Spring, with the exception of the hot water tank and the fresh water tank. Since they should both be stored mostly dry there shouldn't be much bacteria there, either. Bleaching the system might not be necessary... ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: TIDALWAVE
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2011 at 6:58pm
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I agree that the Propylene Glycol does have some antiseptic properties. I usually add the 'chlorine treatment into the freshwater tank in the Spring to kill any bacteria that might have grown since the Fall. I don't add RV antifreeze to my freshwater tank...It would take a couple of gallons of antifreeze to reach the water pump tank outlet. On my Pod, the freshwater tank drain is at the lowest part of the tank so there is only a film of water remaining. RV antifreeze is fairly expensive and I only use it via the 'antifreeze-winterizing' hose installed at the factory adjacent to the water pump. Thus the pump and water pipes down line are protected without leaving antifreeze in the water tank and subsequent taste residue in the tank.
------------- TIDALWAVE |
Posted By: Pawpod
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2011 at 8:04pm
Well some more good info. Tnx  ------------- Ready to pod around! |
Posted By: drdrew
Date Posted: 21 Feb 2011 at 3:16pm
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aside from the hot water heater valves...is there another valve that needs to be turned prior to flushing? i was watching a video today and it looked like they turned a valve to get the pump to accept the antifreeze? where might that valve be on the 172T? just dont want to break anything!
------------- 172T |
Posted By: Hawkeyes
Date Posted: 21 Feb 2011 at 3:30pm
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I am so glad you are asking (and getting answered) these questions. I think we are a month away from de winterize. Dr Drew, are you in Northern or Southern Missouri? ------------- Hawkpod 2013 Surveyor Sport 189 2017 Chevy Silverado |
Posted By: drdrew
Date Posted: 21 Feb 2011 at 4:44pm
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i'm thinking about 3 weeks. i am in central missouri. columbia.
------------- 172T |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 22 Feb 2011 at 8:38pm
The valve near the water pump should only be turned to the "antifreeze" setting while doing the winterization, after that you should turn it back. It won't hurt if you leave it on the "antifreeze" setting, but if you don't turn it back then in the spring you'll wonder why you are getting almost no pressure in the water system. Like I did last spring. 
------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: drdrew
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2011 at 9:39am
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hey tech can you tell me where to find that valve?
------------- 172T |
Posted By: TIDALWAVE
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2011 at 10:16am
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Somewhere near the pump there should be a hose with an open 'dead-end' It is connected to the main pump hose with a T-fitting valve. If you turn the valve in one direction, the pump will pull water from the water tank, turn it in the other direction and the pump will suck air through the 'antifreeze' hose because you don't have the open end of the hose stuck into an RV antifreeze bottle.
------------- TIDALWAVE |
Posted By: drdrew
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2011 at 10:58am
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thanks
------------- 172T |
Posted By: drdrew
Date Posted: 13 Mar 2011 at 4:49pm
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For those interested in the172t i found it behind a panel under that stove cabinet nearest the floor. Had to remove 2 square head screws. I replaced the screws with a velcro system for easier access in the future. ------------- 172T |