? About my plumbing

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Dr. Butter - 07 Oct 2006 01:52 GMT

The 75 Dodge RV I bought came with a total mess of a plumbing system.
I replaced all the burst cu pipe but one part of the original setup has
me puzzled. There was a connection from the hot water lines to the cold
water right in front of the hot water tank. there was a shutoff valve
inline with this.
To repeat cold water went in the hot water tank and came out the
outlet and besides going to two sinks and shower goes back to the cold
water lines thru a valve.
The only, and even this makes no sense, thing I can think of is the
valve is opened when its cold so warm water can keep the cold water
from freezing. But this would't really work because there would be no
way to warm the holding tank.
Ken

Reply to this Message

Frank Tabor - 07 Oct 2006 01:57 GMT

> The 75 Dodge RV I bought came with a total mess of a plumbing system.
>I replaced all the burst cu pipe but one part of the original setup has
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>way to warm the holding tank.
>Ken

It's a bypass so you can winterize it without filling the hot water
heater with antifreeze. If you can envision it, it turns off the cold
water to the water heater and bypasses it.

Reply to this Message

Dave Lee - 07 Oct 2006 04:16 GMT

>> The 75 Dodge RV I bought came with a total mess of a plumbing system.
>>I replaced all the burst cu pipe but one part of the original setup has
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> heater with antifreeze. If you can envision it, it turns off the cold
> water to the water heater and bypasses it.

I concur

Reply to this Message

Dr. Butter - 07 Oct 2006 13:35 GMT

> It's a bypass so you can winterize it without filling the hot water
> heater with antifreeze. If you can envision it, it turns off the cold
> water to the water heater and bypasses it.

Well this makes sense. I shut off the valves to and frm hot water
heater and drain it. Next I open valve between cold and hot lines and
put anti freeze in the system. I had been thinking to use airpressure
to drain lines but this sounds reasonable
thanks

Reply to this Message

Will Sill - 07 Oct 2006 14:39 GMT

I see where "Dr. Butter" <clannorm@yahoo.com> contributed:

> Well this makes sense. I shut off the valves to and frm hot water
>heater and drain it. Next I open valve between cold and hot lines and
>put anti freeze in the system. I had been thinking to use airpressure
>to drain lines but this sounds reasonable
>thanks

For the umpteenth time . . .

To winterize *most* rigs the right way:

DRAIN water tank & water heater

BYBASS water heater

CONNECT pump inlet via hose to jug of pink stuff (use tee/valve)

PUMP AF into pipes 'til it comes outa faucets (and shower, toilet)

DUMP holding tanks

For more detailed, illustrated winterizing information see
Les Doll's Painless Winterizing, at The RVer's Corner,
<http://www.rverscorner.com/articles/painless.html>.

In very mild climates you can get away without winterizing at all.
Some get by using compressed air, a few by just draining. But
if you want to be fairly sure of NEVER having to fix split plumbing
parts, the above system is as easy and foolproof as we know about.

NOTE: When "un-winterizing", flush the pipes with water BEFORE
placing WH bypass valves back to normal.

Will Sill
Don't worry about what people think, they don't do it
very often.

Reply to this Message

Sam - 03 Nov 2006 04:17 GMT

AND ..... don't forget to either empty the drain traps or add pink stuff
to them to keep the water in the trap from freezing.

Reply to this Message

Jon Porter - 08 Oct 2006 22:45 GMT

>> It's a bypass so you can winterize it without filling the hot water
>> heater with antifreeze. If you can envision it, it turns off the cold
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> to drain lines but this sounds reasonable
> thanks

Use the RV antifreeze. A gallon of it will cost you about $4 and can be
pumped into the system as quickly as the lines can be blown out, often
faster.

Signature

Jon
JPinOH

Reply to this Message