The seasons are changing and it’s time to winterize your RV. This RV service must be performed if you intend on storing the vehicle for the cold-weather months. Follow these steps from the team at Unlimited RV, and your RV will be well-prepared for the winter ahead.
Drain the Water Tanks
It’s crucial to avoid letting sewage stay in your RV during the winter. In addition to serving as a breeding ground for various bacteria, the water in those tanks can freeze and cause serious problems. Drain both, beginning with the black tank and moving on to the gray tank. After draining both, use a cleaning wand or specialized black tank cleaner to clean the black tank.
Drain the Water Heater
Additionally, you’ll need to remove the water from your water heater. Make sure to turn it off and let it cool to be certain it is no longer under pressure. Connect your RV to city water while the water is off. From there, you can open the pressure relief valve and remove the drain stopper or anode rod with your socket wrench. This will enable water to drain. After draining, increase the water pressure and flush the sediment for two to three minutes.
Add Antifreeze to Water System
In order to properly add antifreeze to your RV, you must first turn off the water heater. Antifreeze shouldn’t enter the water heater at any point. A bypass may already be implemented in some RVs. Locate the water heater service door on the outside of the RV and line it up with the location of the water heater feed inside to find it. There is almost always an access panel inside that you must remove. Remove the panel to access the valves and make the necessary adjustments to correctly bypass the water heater using your drill and square tip driver bit.
Before removing the stopper and draining the fresh water tank, make sure the water pressure is off. Turn on the faucets to allow flow. When finished, plug the low-point drains and shut off all the faucets. If your RV is equipped, locate the siphoning hose and insert it inside the gallon of antifreeze, or use a siphoning kit. Unlock the valve. To start the antifreeze flowing via the water system, turn on the water pump.
Open low-point drain valves or remove low-point drain plugs to let water drain out, starting with the lowest valve and working your way up. Close the valves or tighten the plugs after the water becomes pink, which indicates that the antifreeze has reached every inch of the pipes. Any outdoor showers or faucets should be turned on. Run the hot or cold side until it becomes pink, then shut it off and run the other. Repeat these steps for indoor faucets, turning on one side of each faucet until it flows pink before closing it and turning on the other. After that, repeat the procedure for each toilet until you find the antifreeze.
If these steps seem a little more involved than you’d like, Unlimited RV would be happy to help. We are conveniently located in Prospect, CT, and provide quality RV maintenance and repair. If you’re looking to join the RV fun, we have new and used RV sales as well. Contact us today at (203) 527-7026 to request a quote.
Source: https://blog.campingworld.com/rv-basics/how-to-winterize-your-rv/