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This is the third time I've winterized this trailer (Fall at home and early Spring when returning home). This is my second Fall season with this trailer.
These are also my notes for next time 8>) ...
My first post about how I winterize was on the Appliances, Electronics, and Technology forum "Furrion tankless water heater freezing" thread (11-23-2022). It includes a reference to free Lippert Technical Institute water heater training. I've benefitted from the posts on that thread since then. Thank you all.
This year I cut a 4" hole (10" from outside edge, 10" from floor) in my pass-through barrier so I could reach in and snap-turn the over-pressure valve.
- Managing pressure on the blowout adapter
I use a purchased air blowout adapter to which I've added a ball valve and a cheap pressure regulator. That way I can run the compressor/tank in the garage at full pressure and have control at the point of use. I set the regulator to 20 PSI, open the valve (the pressure drops to zero) then turn the regulator until I get 20 PSI again.
Reference: These are the openings I let air and anti-freeze through (not listed in any particular sequence).
- rear of trailer quick connect cold water fitting
- Nautilus P1 panel hot and cold valves/quick connect
- low point drains
- sink valves hot and cold
- shower valves hot and cold (and the shower hose)
- toilet flush valve
- water heater heat exchanger inlet strainer
- water heater heat exchanger drain plug
- water heater over-temperature valve and drain tube
- black tank flush (there is a backflow preventor under the bathroom sink and the hose segment from it to the black tank has a low point laying on the floor behind the pass-through barrier)
- also open and close the fresh water tank drain gate valve to be sure there is not water standing on top of the gate.
- catch anti-freeze pushed through the lines in a bucket to pour into the black tank.
- pour fresh anti-freeze to fill the sink and shower drain traps.
-Begin the procedure
With the P1 panel set to "City Water" I connect the blowout adapter to the white city water connection. I use heavy yellow Teflon tape on the hose connection threads.
- insert a quick connect fitting (Valterra PF247007 Quick Connect Hose Adapter or the coiled hose furnished with the trailer) to the rear quick connect fitting.
- managing the pressure on the blowout adapter, push air and water out of the trailer rear end.
- close the blowout adapter valve and let the compressor tank pressurize.
- open the faucet valves inside the trailer.
- open the low point drains.
- managing the pressure on the blowout adapter, push air and water through the open valves and drains. Remove the connector from the trailer rear.
- close the blowout adapter valve and let the compressor tank pressurize.
- close the inside valves.
- close the low point drains.
- managing the pressure on the blowout adapter, I ask my wife to step on the toilet flush valve while pushing air and water through it.
- connect a hose to the Nautilus P1 panel quick connect and open both valves pushing air and water through them.
- close the blowout adapter valve and let the compressor tank pressurize.
- close the Nautilus P1 panel quick connect valves.
- open the water heater inlet strainer and drain plug
- managing the pressure on the blowout adapter push air and water through the hot water heater.
- put the strainer back in (loosely)
- snap the over-pressure valve (repeatedly)
- close the blowout adapter valve and let the compressor tank pressurize.
- close the drain plug (loosely)
- open the low point drains again
Reference: Nautilus P1 panel user instruction manual
The section titled: "Winterizing Plumbing Lines and Fixtures"
-Continue by using the P1 manual "Winterize" instructions
- set the P1 panel to "Powerfill" and the panel valves (not the black one) to 45 degrees.
- managing the pressure on the blowout adapter push air and water through the low point drains.
- close the blowout adapter valve. Disconnect the blowout adapter.
- set the P1 panel to "Winterize".
- close the low point drains.
-Reference (and the black tank flush air blow out)
- I use a full-hookups site before arriving home to clean the black tank and drain the tanks.
- before pumping anti-freeze into the trailer I use a five gallon bucket to drain anything remaining in the tanks. I use a lid if transporting this bucket from storage 8>).
- leave the black tank dump valve open.
- connect the blowout adapter to the black tank flush.
- managing the pressure on the blowout adapter push air and water through the black tank flush.
- close the blowout adapter valve. Disconnect the blowout adapter. I am finished with the air.
- close all of the dump valves.
- open and close the fresh water tank drain valve.
- shake the anti-freeze bottles to mix any solids that have settled out.
- pump anti-freeze through the trailer.
- anti-freeze will not be pumped through the water heater during this procedure!
- I ask my wife to switch bottles as I open and close the same quick connects and inside valves (hot and cold) including the toilet (but exclude the heater because it is not in the circuit). Close the valve or quick connect when you are sure only anti-freeze is coming out.
- I do the longest lines first starting at the rear quick connect.
- catch the anti-freeze in a bucket. When finished I pour it into the black tank.
-After the Nautilus P1 manual procedure is complete: winterize the heater and black flush using a manual plunger pump
- set the P1 panel to "City Water".
- open the hot water heater inlet strainer and drain plug.
- using a manual plunger pump, push anti-freeze through the heater (with the trailer lines full of anti-freeze, it has nowhere else to go).
- close the strainer first (tightly) and push more anti-freeze through the drain plug.
- close the drain plug (tightly).
- I ask my wife to use the manual plunger pump (pull the handle and put a static pressure on the plumbing) and I snap the over-pressure valve (repeatedly) until I see pink coming out of the drain tube. That means there is anti-freeze in the mixing bowl. The mixing bowl is the most difficult item to winterize, so extra effort/time for this step is worth the effort.
- use the manual plunger pump to push anti-freeze through the black tank flush line.
- pour anti-freeze into the sink and shower traps.
- wipe up any excess anti-freeze to prevent stains.
- flush the manual plunger pump with clean water.
This is what I do. I think it is comprehensive, but I could be wrong. Your comments are welcome.
These are also my notes for next time 8>) ...
My first post about how I winterize was on the Appliances, Electronics, and Technology forum "Furrion tankless water heater freezing" thread (11-23-2022). It includes a reference to free Lippert Technical Institute water heater training. I've benefitted from the posts on that thread since then. Thank you all.
This year I cut a 4" hole (10" from outside edge, 10" from floor) in my pass-through barrier so I could reach in and snap-turn the over-pressure valve.
- Managing pressure on the blowout adapter
I use a purchased air blowout adapter to which I've added a ball valve and a cheap pressure regulator. That way I can run the compressor/tank in the garage at full pressure and have control at the point of use. I set the regulator to 20 PSI, open the valve (the pressure drops to zero) then turn the regulator until I get 20 PSI again.
Reference: These are the openings I let air and anti-freeze through (not listed in any particular sequence).
- rear of trailer quick connect cold water fitting
- Nautilus P1 panel hot and cold valves/quick connect
- low point drains
- sink valves hot and cold
- shower valves hot and cold (and the shower hose)
- toilet flush valve
- water heater heat exchanger inlet strainer
- water heater heat exchanger drain plug
- water heater over-temperature valve and drain tube
- black tank flush (there is a backflow preventor under the bathroom sink and the hose segment from it to the black tank has a low point laying on the floor behind the pass-through barrier)
- also open and close the fresh water tank drain gate valve to be sure there is not water standing on top of the gate.
- catch anti-freeze pushed through the lines in a bucket to pour into the black tank.
- pour fresh anti-freeze to fill the sink and shower drain traps.
-Begin the procedure
With the P1 panel set to "City Water" I connect the blowout adapter to the white city water connection. I use heavy yellow Teflon tape on the hose connection threads.
- insert a quick connect fitting (Valterra PF247007 Quick Connect Hose Adapter or the coiled hose furnished with the trailer) to the rear quick connect fitting.
- managing the pressure on the blowout adapter, push air and water out of the trailer rear end.
- close the blowout adapter valve and let the compressor tank pressurize.
- open the faucet valves inside the trailer.
- open the low point drains.
- managing the pressure on the blowout adapter, push air and water through the open valves and drains. Remove the connector from the trailer rear.
- close the blowout adapter valve and let the compressor tank pressurize.
- close the inside valves.
- close the low point drains.
- managing the pressure on the blowout adapter, I ask my wife to step on the toilet flush valve while pushing air and water through it.
- connect a hose to the Nautilus P1 panel quick connect and open both valves pushing air and water through them.
- close the blowout adapter valve and let the compressor tank pressurize.
- close the Nautilus P1 panel quick connect valves.
- open the water heater inlet strainer and drain plug
- managing the pressure on the blowout adapter push air and water through the hot water heater.
- put the strainer back in (loosely)
- snap the over-pressure valve (repeatedly)
- close the blowout adapter valve and let the compressor tank pressurize.
- close the drain plug (loosely)
- open the low point drains again
Reference: Nautilus P1 panel user instruction manual
The section titled: "Winterizing Plumbing Lines and Fixtures"
-Continue by using the P1 manual "Winterize" instructions
- set the P1 panel to "Powerfill" and the panel valves (not the black one) to 45 degrees.
- managing the pressure on the blowout adapter push air and water through the low point drains.
- close the blowout adapter valve. Disconnect the blowout adapter.
- set the P1 panel to "Winterize".
- close the low point drains.
-Reference (and the black tank flush air blow out)
- I use a full-hookups site before arriving home to clean the black tank and drain the tanks.
- before pumping anti-freeze into the trailer I use a five gallon bucket to drain anything remaining in the tanks. I use a lid if transporting this bucket from storage 8>).
- leave the black tank dump valve open.
- connect the blowout adapter to the black tank flush.
- managing the pressure on the blowout adapter push air and water through the black tank flush.
- close the blowout adapter valve. Disconnect the blowout adapter. I am finished with the air.
- close all of the dump valves.
- open and close the fresh water tank drain valve.
- shake the anti-freeze bottles to mix any solids that have settled out.
- pump anti-freeze through the trailer.
- anti-freeze will not be pumped through the water heater during this procedure!
- I ask my wife to switch bottles as I open and close the same quick connects and inside valves (hot and cold) including the toilet (but exclude the heater because it is not in the circuit). Close the valve or quick connect when you are sure only anti-freeze is coming out.
- I do the longest lines first starting at the rear quick connect.
- catch the anti-freeze in a bucket. When finished I pour it into the black tank.
-After the Nautilus P1 manual procedure is complete: winterize the heater and black flush using a manual plunger pump
- set the P1 panel to "City Water".
- open the hot water heater inlet strainer and drain plug.
- using a manual plunger pump, push anti-freeze through the heater (with the trailer lines full of anti-freeze, it has nowhere else to go).
- close the strainer first (tightly) and push more anti-freeze through the drain plug.
- close the drain plug (tightly).
- I ask my wife to use the manual plunger pump (pull the handle and put a static pressure on the plumbing) and I snap the over-pressure valve (repeatedly) until I see pink coming out of the drain tube. That means there is anti-freeze in the mixing bowl. The mixing bowl is the most difficult item to winterize, so extra effort/time for this step is worth the effort.
- use the manual plunger pump to push anti-freeze through the black tank flush line.
- pour anti-freeze into the sink and shower traps.
- wipe up any excess anti-freeze to prevent stains.
- flush the manual plunger pump with clean water.
This is what I do. I think it is comprehensive, but I could be wrong. Your comments are welcome.
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