New RV Homeowner's Guide: Preparing The RV For Winter Storage
Posted on: 15 November 2015
Congratulations on owning your own RV! There are a few things you need to know and do to make sure it is ready to be stored over the cold winter. There are areas in the RV that have to be drained of water and filled with antifreeze your pipes and water storage tanks don't crack or burst. Here are 4 steps you need to take to prepare your new RV for winter storage.
Step One: Remove Inline Water Filters
Water filters are located along the water lines in some RVs (check your owner's manual to determine if your RV has them and where they are located). The filters are placed in holding cups that are screwed to lids connected to the waterlines. Unscrew the lid and take out the filters.
Step Two: Drain Water
Water has to be drained from the tanks holding fresh and waste water. The waste water tank should be drained at an RV pump-out station. You also need to drain the water from the hot water tank – make sure the water is no longer hot, or you could injure yourself. The drain valves are located at the bottom of each tank.
Opening all the faucets will help release the pressure in the waterlines so they drain easier.
Step Three: Flush Lines
Open the drain valves on the waterlines (these are also located at the lowest point in the lines) and turn on your water pump. The pump will force residual water out of the lines. Make sure you turn the pump off as soon as the lines are clear of water so the impeller on the pump doesn't overheat and burn out.
Close all the valves and turn off the faucets once the lines have been flushed.
Step Four: Add Antifreeze
Only use environmentally friendly RV antifreeze. Place a hose to the inlet side of the water pump (check your owner's manual for the precise location of the water pump on your specific RV model) using a water pump converter kit. Place the other end of the hose into the container of antifreeze.
Turn the water pump back on and open one faucet at a time. When the antifreeze starts pumping through the faucet, turn it off and move to the next faucet until antifreeze has thoroughly saturated the system.
You will need to flush the toilet several times until antifreeze appears in the bowl. Make sure you also add antifreeze to the drains – about a cup or two will do for each drain.
These are the basic steps for preparing the water system for storage over the winter. You should consult your owner's manual or check with your RV service center to make sure your RV doesn't have any special setups that also have to be cleared of water.
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