Winterizing, and the hot water heater

[Randy]

When winterizing my freshwater system, I've simply pumped as much water out of the system that I can, added several gallons of potable antifreeze, and pumped it through the system until the pink antifreeze is discharged from each faucet. This uses several gallons of antifreeze, though, since the six gallon water heater winds up full of antifreeze.  This year I thought about draining the water from the heater, which I figured would allow me to use less antifreeze when winterizing the system. I didn't do it, however, because I couldn't think of a good way to get the antifreeze pumped through the empty water heater to the faucets downstream. I just added my usual several gallons of antifreeze, and pumped it through. Am I missing something?Randy

 

[Barry]

Do it With 1 Gallon

Drain your hot water Heater first. Then set up a bypass valve or just connect the input and output lines. During winter leave the heater empty and it will take less than a gallon to fill the remaining lines (on my 34')Saves lots of time flushing the system in spring too!Barry

 

[Bill O'Donovan]

Me too

I've done it exactly your way for years and it worked fine. This year I managed to get Blaster to unfreeze the water heater valve. I opened it up and the water was pink, so I shut it and took a nap.

 

[Mickey Goodman]

Winterizing The Hot Water Heater

I disconnected both in and out water lines to the hot water heater and capped of the lines. I then took my shop vac and sucked out the all the water in the heater. I punped out as much of the water out of the tank as would go through the faucets and them put 2 gallons of the pink stuff in the tank, turned on each faucet until it ran pink, had a beer and went home.

 

[Rip Edmundson]

Bypassing the hot water heater when winterizing

We did the same thing. We drained the hot water heater, connected the input line to the hot water heater to the output line from the hot water heater. We disconnected the line from the water tank to the pump and fed antifreeze into the line and ran it throught the cold and hot lines simultaneously. It took less than a gallon. I put the lines back together so it is ready for the Spring.Had to buy a couple of caps and elbows to accomplish the bypass. Put them in a sandwich bag and hung from the bottom of the gally sink, which is in front of the water heater.Good luck.

 

[Hugh McCully]

Install a bypass

At a local RV dealer, I found a watertank bypass kit. It was comprised of two valves that install on the "in" and "out" of the water tank, and a jumper hose that goes between the two valves. I needed a longer jumper than was supplied, but that was found at the local plumbing supply/hardware store.To winterize, I drain the hot water tank, shift the bypass valves 90 degrees to the bypass position, and pump the pink anti-freeze through until it runs out of both hot and cold lines.

 

[Paul Akers]

Buy it at WM also

I bought a bypass kit from WM for about $25. Just flip a shut off valve and the water heater is isolated from the water system. Then just open the release valve on the water heater and let it drain into the bilge.Another hint: On my boat, the water lines are threaded the same at a flexible home shower hose. You can buy the "jumper" hose in the hardware store or use an old one from home.