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Topic ClosedWinterizing no pink in hot water lines

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ampete View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Winterizing no pink in hot water lines
    Posted: 17 Oct 2020 at 11:46am
I am winterizing our 2014 171; I have followed techntrek list, watched and followed moose rv tips, and watched and followed John Marucci's video.
All the tanks are empty, including the hot water and fresh water tanks. Low point drain plugs are now closed, but were opened and drained. At the stage to put anti-freeze in the lines and:

The valves are as follows on the hot water tank: perpendicular (closed) for blue to blue, perpendicular (closed) for red to red, and parallel (open) on red to blue;
When sucking the anti freeze via the water pump, all goes well on all cold lines and NOTHING comes out (not even air sounds) on hot water lines in either the kitchen or bath sinks.  I tried with the low point drains open and closed with the same results.
What am I missing?  Thanks for your help 
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JR View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Oct 2020 at 4:15pm
On John Marucci's video he has 3 valves one is on the pump which determines what the pump draws from the fresh water tank or the short hose (used for anti-freeze bottles). Then he has one, the second valve, on the water heater discharge hose (hot water on the top of the tank) and the third valve is on the feed side (cold water) for the water heater.  

In using his setup you position the valve handle in the direction you want the flow going.  If the valve handle is on valves 2 & 3 are pointing toward the water heater, that is setup for using the water heater and not in the bypass mode.  If both handles are pointing in the opposite direction then the flow of water is bypassing the water heater.

My assumption is that on your 2014 you have a different configuration with the valves.  From your description of the valves the red to blue valve should be in the open position which you have indicate that it is (that allows cold water to enter the hot water side of the system.  The red to red valve should be set to allow water to flow from the red to blue valve into the hot water system and not back feed into the water heater.  The blue to blue valve should be closed going to the water heater.  You should even have a dedicated cold water line to the cold water system.

From the results you are having I believe that your red to red valve is set incorrectly.

Hope this helps but when you get ready to use the water heater just insure that it is getting water and is pressurized before turning on any heat either gas or electric.  
Jay

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ampete View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Oct 2020 at 5:28pm
Thank you Jay...I will look at the red to red line. Trying to upload a photo or two.

The hot water tank is located under the bed, while the water pump is located near my kitchen sink beneath a lower cupboard. The water pump functions perfectly, sucking up the pink antifreeze from the open ended hose when the cold lines are open.  

This past summer the hot water heater and tank worked well. The valves were set opposite of what they are now for winterizing, if that helps?

I appreciate your input. Thanks
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JR View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Oct 2020 at 6:51pm
Sorry about the thought that I had but looking at your pictures my thought was incorrect and with how the piping is plumbed I don't know just how to bypass the water heater.  Just opening the red to red will not work?  Sorry.
Jay

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ampete View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Oct 2020 at 6:56pm
That's okay.   I'm glad the photos were helpful.  Thanks for trying.  
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Tars Tarkas View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Oct 2020 at 8:31pm
It looks to me like your valves are in the wrong place (and in the wrong orientation).  In your pictures the pair of valves to the right of the valve in the middle should be to the left of the valve in the middle.  Your cold water is going nowhere past the first valve on the bottom, and if it did, it would not get past the valve at the top.  There's no way you're going to get water out of the hot water taps with this set up.

It's not a huge deal, but you have some significant plumbing you have to do to fix this.

Look for Google images of Suburban RV water heater winterizing valves.

TT
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ampete View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Oct 2020 at 8:42pm
Oh. Our water works great all summer long. We have hot water when we want it using both propane and/or shore power.  Our cold water has good pressure too.

Do you mean that we can't winterize correctly, but the system works ok for the summer?

Thank you for your ideas.
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ampete View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Oct 2020 at 8:56pm
I just watched the "Teach Me RV, Keystone RV Center" video on hot water tank valves.  I see what you are saying.  The valves on the hot and cold lines should be between the hot water tank input and the "bridge". Not "follow" the bridge.  Is that what you're seeing?  

This is a 2014. I wonder how it has been winterized all of these years.  We bought used.

 I appreciate your ideas and your time.  Thank you. 
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Badweissenbier View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Oct 2020 at 8:56pm
Yes the center one is supposed to pass antifreeze from the cold line into the hot line. However it is past the cold shutoff so it can’t do that. It’s on the wrong side of both valves.
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ampete View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Oct 2020 at 10:20pm
I appreciate you all for pointing it out and I think I see it too now.  Guess I'll stop beating myself up for not getting any pink to flow through the hot faucet lines.  

Thanks for looking at my trouble and for posting your observations.  It's been very helpful.

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