Tube below the water pump with the shut off valve?

[Ramblinman]

While winterizing my 2010 Hawk I was trying to use the clear hose to below the water pump. I thought I could use it to draw the anti-freeze out of the bottle. But no luck! Could somebody please explain to me what it's for and how to use it. Thanks!

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

Its the low point water drain tube.

When the valve is open any excess water in the water lines can drain out.

Make sure both sink faucets are open For Better Draining Results.

 

[griz]

if u move here u would not have to worry, ha ha

 

[AK Nomad]

4WCampers aren't set up for winterizing like you want to do. I added a siphon kit before the pump, so I can switch to a clear tube that draws antifreeze from a bottle (not the tank). I also added a bypass to the water heater. I don't put antifreeze in the water tank or the water heater, but I do fill the lines pump with Camco Winter Ban -100. I drain the tank, water heater, and blow out the hose connection before filling the lines with antifreeze.

example siphon kit http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/pump-converter-winterizer-kit/6279
example heater bypass http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/quick-turn-by-pass-kit/15717

 

[esimmers]

Everyone's comfort level is different, of course, but I've not had any freezing problems with the following steps each fall. My 2009 Hawk has the pump, hot water heater, outside shower, and that clear plastic hose Ramblinman is asking about. I find it's easy to get all the water out of the system so that no anti-freeze is necessary. FWC gave me the basics of these instructions and they work well.

1. Drain the water tank and leave the drain valve open. (Leaving the valve open reduces the possibility of damage from any freezing drops of water in the drain line. This gets rid of any water in the tank that you wouldn't want to freeze.

2. Open the sink faucets (pump off) to relieve pressure in the lines and then go outside and drain the water heater by removing the drain plug. This drains the water in the tank that might otherwise freeze. Put the drain plug back in the water heater so the hot water lines can be blown out in the next step.

3. Connect the shower head, open the sprayer and both outside hot and cold faucets. Turn on the pump and run it until water no longer runs out of the shower head or the sink faucet. This clears out the pump and blows out the lines to the sink and shower.

4. Turn off the pump but leave the sink faucet on. It doesn't make much difference if you close the shower faucets or not because when you unplug the shower head the camper half of the fixture seals the water line.

5. Open the valve to the clear plastic hose and drain out any water remaining there at the bottom of the system.

That should do it. You might want to drain the waste water P-trap under the sink, but I always forget and haven't ever had a problem.

One nice feature of the water system is that my Hawk came with an extra valve located below the pump which closes off water from getting into the water heater and the hot water lines. This is a great advantage for people who want to use the system for cold water during winter camping but don't want the hassle of blowing out the hot water system when the excursion is finished.

 

[DanT]

Good write-up esimmers, I've had similar results but using air on all your steps, about 20-30psi (good volume is the key). I don't think there is a p-trap on the drain if you look, just a nice straight drop to the outside. This should work for most applications.

Sent from my SM-G900P using Wander The West mobile app

How do you get 20-30 psi into the system ? I'm assuming the tank has a bypass valve ?

 

[BFH4N]

When you folks talk about blowing out the system, where are you introducing the air?

-Bernard

 

[pvstoy]

Something like the blow out attachment that screws onto the outside hose connection to attach a hose to. The connection that you run the inside faucets without the water pump, but city hose pressure. You can use this http://www.amazon.com/Valterra-P23500VP-White-Blow-Out-Plug/dp/B00594A4OO

Can pick them up at Wal-Mart or any RV store.

 

[AK Nomad]

additional thoughts...
The hose connection T's into the water lines "after" the pump, so blowing out the lines that way would not necessarily clear the pump or lines rearward. Obviously the pump has a checkvalve preventing flow back to the tank. Also, depending on pump internals and mounting configuration, blowing out the lines or running the pump dry may or may not remove all the water from pump. Once the siphon kit is installed, it takes just a minute to suck a quart or so of antifreeze into the lines. Each spring, I disinfect and flush the system which takes care of removing the antifreeze.

 

[DanT]

Thanks Kilroy.
AK Nomad, it's nice to winterize without antifreeze (providing method is effective), especially if you want to use the camper occasionally during the winter. I've always used anti freeze in my hard side camper but there plumbing systems were a little more involved. It sounds like the "Stan Method" is doing the trick without antifreeze.

 

[AK Nomad]

DanT, I agree completely. The OP used the words "winterize" and "antifreeze" and so I felt compelled to share my experience. Like Alaska, Alberta winters can be truly cold, unlike other places where you might "want to use the camper occasionally during the winter." Ha ha! I hope I relayed the message that winterizing with antifreeze is no big deal, I do it every year, and I feel safer using it in a cold climate. Obvously I would prefer not to introduce antifreeze to my water system, but I think it provides the protection that I need.

 

[esimmers]

CAMCO makes a blow out plug in brass or plastic, available from Walmart, Amazon or your local RV dealer. It has water hose male threads and screws into your city water input connection. You use your air compressor ( set to 20-30 PSI so you don't rupture your piping) to blow air into the other end of the plug. This forces water out of your system so there's none left to freeze in the winter. The blow out plug is particularly handy for systems where water might not otherwise drain out of low spots in the plumbing. Shouldn't be necessary with a FWC system but it's fun to do and cheap insurance.

 

[AK Nomad]

I don't see how the little camco plugs blow water out of the pump. Nothing (air or water) flows backward through the pump, so unless you pressurize the tank, you are not clearing water out of the pump.

 

[AK Nomad]

gotchya Kilroy.
if i could access the pump I would try it