Winterizing Your RV at Home Part II: Adding Antifreeze to Your Pipes
Now that you have all the basic information you need to winterize your RV from our previous post, it’s time to get into the nitty gritty. As the temperature starts to drop below freezing, you’ll need to pay extra special attention to your RV’s plumbing system. It’s particularly susceptible to damage during the winter, so you’ll want to add antifreeze.
To help you do this properly, we’ve provided some tips to get you started. If you have additional questions, contact Pete’s RV PA in Mountville, Pennsylvania. We’re well-versed in how to prepare all types of campers for storage and ready to help you through this process. We proudly serve those from Hershey, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and York.
Empty the Tanks
If you leave water or other liquids in the plumbing system, you can put your pipes at risk of breaking. The act of expanding and contracting water as it freezes and melts can seriously damage any pipe, no matter how small the volume of water. The trick isn’t to try and completely empty the system, it’s to add antifreeze, which has a freezing point much lower than water’s.
Having said that, the first step to winterizing your pipes is to empty the tanks. This will include the freshwater tank and the two holding tanks. You’ll want to check out specific draining tips for your model in your owner’s manual, but most campers will have drainage valves near the bottom of the rig on the outside. When emptying the holding tanks, make sure you’re hooked up to a designated city intake so you’re not dumping sewage where it could be harmful. This will likely mean you’ll need to go for a drive. Don’t forget to bring your sewage hose with you.
Emptying the Pipes
Once the tanks are empty, you’ll want to make sure there’s no lingering water in the pipes themselves. With the low point drains open, this should already be happening naturally, but consider turning on your water pump to make the process faster.
When you’re finished, make sure all valves are closed and any caps you removed get put back on. The rest of this process you can do at home.
Bypass the Water Heater
You don’t want to waste gallons of antifreeze by filling up your water heater. Of all the places that’ll get damaged by small amounts of linger water, this isn’t one of those places. Most newer RVs will come with a water heater bypass that just needs to be switched on. If you don’t have one, consider investing in and installing a water heater bypass.
The Moment of Truth
Finally, you’re ready to add antifreeze. Once again, you’ll want to consult your owner’s manual. What we describe here may not be the ideal method for your camper. You’ll need a converter kit for your water pump on the inlet side so you can hook it up to the antifreeze. Then turn the water pump on.
Head to the nearest faucet and turn on the cold water. When pink liquid starts to come out, turn off the cold water and turn on the hot water valve. Once again, when pink liquid starts to come out, turn off the hot water. Repeat this process at every faucet, moving further and further away from the pump. Don’t forget the shower. When you’re finished, turn off the water pump and pour a cup of antifreeze down every toilet.
Appliances
If you have any appliances that use water--say an ice maker, dishwasher, or washing machine--check your owner’s manual on how to properly winterize them. There’s more variation when it comes to these particular features, so what we describe to you may not be what’s recommended.
And there you have it! Your RV is ready for storage. Of course, sometimes this process can lead you to other issues. Maybe you encounter a maintenance issue you need to fix, or maybe you’re just not quite getting the hang of winterization. If you need help, either from a professional technician or a friendly, experienced neighbor, Pete’s RV PA is here for you. We’ll help you with whatever RV ownership issue you’re running into. We can also introduce you to next year’s models in case you’re looking to upgrade. We’re happy to help all those from Mountville, Hershey, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and York, Pennsylvania, so contact us today for more information.