We are in the Atlanta area, with mild winters, and we don't want antifreeze in our potable water tank, but we sure don't want anything to break!. Are the procedures in the correct order? I’ve read posts here on SOI and other sites, consulted with various camper owners, studied the Scamp instructions, and watched youtube videos. I’ve drawn particularly heavily from information on www.parkedinpardise.com. Here’s what I’ve come up with but I am still unsure. Corrections and feedback welcome. Thanks, Daphne Hall
- Flush and drain black and gray water tanks.
- Empty the fresh water tank using the pet cock valve (front left corner, under the camper). Turn it 180 degrees toward the center of the trailer. Run the water pump to be sure there is no water in the tank or the pump. Close the pet cock valve back toward the outside of the trailer when it’s empty.
- Drain the hot water tank by using a 1 1/16” socket to remove the anode. Use the suction function of a shop vac and an attachment to which I’ve duct-taped a piece of clean water hose to help remove water from the very bottom of the tank. Replace the anode with fresh Teflon tape on the threads. (Or leave it out?)
- Use a tankless compressor with an air filter and adjustable pressure regulator attached to a blowout plug that is attached to the city water intake to blow out the lines—Use a maximum pressure of 40 PSI.
- Open each faucet and fixture one at a time, beginning with the ones closest to the air source and work to the ones farther away. Remaining water will sputter until there is only air released. Do this with both hot and cold settings. Don’t forget the shower head and the pump there. Flush the toilet.
- Turn off the compressor and unhook from the water intake.
- Put about a cup of RV antifreeze in the sink drain, shower drain, and toilet bowl. Flush the toilet to put antifreeze in the P-trap. (And then put antifreeze in the bowl.)
- Remove all low point drain plugs and hot water heater drain plug—the anode in my case.
- Leave faucets open?
You can use compressed air instead of running anti-freeze through the lines if you want. Some people do it that way and are OK.
But I would not recommend it.
It might work OK for simple plumbing but I doubt you can be sure that air alone will get all the water out of the pump(s), the pump filters, the valves, etc. If you run AF through each and every line, you can see it come out and know you are safe.
Scamp says to use AF. Since its new and under warranty, I would do as they suggest (except for the few times they give bad advice). RV AF is cheap and you can winterize with it for <$5.
The one thing you might want to do it add a tap between the water tank and the demand pump, so that you can pump AF through the entire system except the supply water tank. Its described on many internet sites. That will use less AF and reduce the flushing needed in the spring to avoid the after taste. That is assuming you drink from the tank which I also hesitate to recommend. The little bit of water left in the tank should not be a problem if it freezes since it wont be confined, although the water in the drain valve could be a problem.
I agree with Gordon. Your toilet valve and shower pump and filter is your most expensive items freeze and usually the first items to fail from freezing.
Checklist comments. Evidently not for a Scamp, Step 1 should be last. When you blow out the lines water goes back into yor tanks. 3. Make sure water system is not pressurized before removing WH plug. Unless things have changed Scamp uses Atwood WH;s which require 7/8 or 15/16 wrenches on the plastic water heater plug. Procedures vary depending if you have a WH by pass. Remove plug, drain, reinstall for blow out, After step 6 drain again and then re install plug. Tank should be flushed out during this step. Step 7 Put AF in shower drain run pump and add AF until you see AF in the shower drain filter. Step 8 there are no low point drains or anodes in a Scamp. I do keep the WH drain plug installed when finished to keep critters out.
Like Gordon suggested add WH bypass valves and an antifreeze pick up for your pump. You can winterize a Scamp with less than a gal. of AF. First blow out system with air then add AF. In the spring blow out AF first then flush out water system. Scamp had published a good checklist for adding AF to their trailers in years past.
Eddie
Remember to run the pump after you put AF in the shower drain to get it into the pump and filter.
SOme people use 1 gallon to winterize the whole system, that's not much money compared to the price of a pump.
(I use 2 gallons)