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WINTERIZING
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8300 Pan American Frwy.
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87113
DECEMBER 2019
ISSUE # 2232

Wint erizing Your RV
When RV owners hear the word ?winterize,? it conjures up thoughts of protecting
the RV plumbing system from freezing temperatures. The definition for ?winterize?
is to prepare something, such as a house or automobile, to withstand cold winter
conditions. This is interesting because RVs are both a house and a vehicle. So, in
addition to winterizing the RV plumbing system, we need to be concerned about
preparing the RV?s interior, exterior, and chassis components for the harsh winter
months too.
With that said, the most logical place to start is to protect the RV plumbing system
from damage, since this is the number one problem RV owners face during
periods of freezing temperatures. If you don?t protect the RV plumbing system, any
water remaining in the water lines or tanks can freeze, expand, and break fittings
and lines. This can be a very costly mistake next spring.
When I explain how to winterize the RV plumbing system, my goal is to make it as
simple as possible and 100% foolproof against any damage caused by freezing
temperatures.
The result is a seven-step process to winterize the RV plumbing system:

Before you get started, there are a few items you will need.
These items can be found in most RV parts stores:
Nontoxic RV/Marine antifreeze. The amount depends on the
layout and length of your plumbing lines. Two to three gallons
will usually do it.
A water heater bypass kit, if one is not already installed on the
water heater.
A tank cleaning wand to clean and flush the black water holding
tank if the RV does not have a built-in tank flushing system.
A water pump converter kit or tubing to connect to the inlet side
of the water pump.
Basic hand tools to remove and install drain plugs.

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Note: Always read your RV owner?s manual for
unit-specific winterizing guidelines. Some RVs
come equipped with built-in winterizing
controls.

Follow t he st eps below t hat apply t o your RV:
Step #1: If there are any inline water filters, remove them. If you
have an inline filter at a sink faucet, there should be a bypass
hose you can install when the filter is removed. Locate and drain
the fresh water holding tank. Drain and flush the gray and black
water holding tanks at an approved RV dump station. If the RV
doesn?t have a built-in tank flushing system, you can flush and
clean the black water holding tank with a tank flushing wand
while you are at the dump station. Drain the water heater tank.

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Caut ion: Never drain the water heater tank when it is hot or
under pressure. With no water connected to the RV and the
12-volt water pump in the ?off? position, open a hot water faucet
to remove any pressure on the system. Allow the water heater
tank some time to cool before draining. Remove the drain plug
or anode rod. You can open the pressure relief valve located at
the top of the water heater to assist in draining the tank faster.

St ep #2: Open all the hot and cold water faucets and flush the
toilet to help get remaining water out of the plumbing lines.
Don?t forget the outside shower, if equipped. Locate and open
the low point water drain lines by removing the drain plugs.
There is one for both the cold and hot water lines. You can use
the 12-volt water pump to help force most of the remaining
water out of the system, but turn the pump off as soon as the
system is drained to prevent damage to the pump. Recap all
drains and close all faucets.

St ep #3: Bypass the water heater. The majority of RVs come
equipped with a water heater bypass kit. If your RV does not
have a bypass kit installed, the water heater tank will fill with RV
antifreeze before it goes through the water lines, wasting six or
ten gallons of RV antifreeze. You can install a bypass kit or have
one installed by a local RV service facility.

St ep #4: Install a water pump converter kit to introduce the RV
antifreeze into the water system. Another option is to
disconnect the inlet side of the water pump (the line coming
from the fresh water holding tank), and connect a section of
tubing from the water pump inlet into a one gallon jug of
RV/Marine antifreeze.

St ep #5: Turn the 12-volt water pump on. It will pressurize the
system and start pumping the RV antifreeze throughout the
water system. Start at the water faucet closest to the 12-volt
water pump, and slowly open each valve until the pink-colored
RV antifreeze appears. Replace the antifreeze container as
required. Repeat this process on all faucets from the closest to
the farthest away. Don?t forget the outside shower, if equipped.

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St ep #6: Flush the toilet until antifreeze appears. Pour a cupful
of antifreeze down each drain. Pour some RV antifreeze in the
toilet, and flush it into the holding tank to prevent any
remaining water in the tank from freezing. If your water heater
is equipped with an electric heating element, turn the switch off.
This will protect the element if the RV is plugged in while in
storage. Make sure all faucets are closed.
St ep #7: Consult your RV owner?s manual for specific
winterizing instructions for icemakers and washing machines.
Your RV plumbing system is winterized, but as I mentioned
earlier, don?t forget to prepare other items on the RV for cold
weather storage too. Now you won?t have any unpleasant, not
to mention costly, surprises waiting for you next spring when it?s
time to go camping in the RV.

Thank you for t aking t he t im e t o read
about WINTERIZING YOUR RV.
" I look forward to providing more helpful info in
the future.
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