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Dewinterize

Oregon_Camper

Forum Moderator
Staff member
Step 1 - Double check your water heater is still in by-pass mode

Step 2 - Sanitize the fresh water tank. 1/4 cup bleach for every 15 gallons of water. Fill your tanks with this formula...run this bleach water through your lines...allow to sit for 24 hours. Drain entire tank...fill with fresh water...run water through lines....sit for 24 hours. Drain tank and fill again. Flush water lines until you no longer smell bleach. Done...now you will have a CLEAN tank and water lines. I do this every Spring when we take the RV out of Winter storage. Doing this will also push all the RV Antifreeze out of the water lines. Mate sure you remember to flush the outside water quick connect too. If you have washing machine, that need to get flushed as well. Might want to refer to the washing machine owners manual for exact steps for your model.

Step 3 - Turn water heater back to normal mode. Attach city water and allow water heater to fill. Open faucets again, making sure you no longer small bleach. Shouldn't be much and there was never any in the water heater.
 

Larrysixseas

New member
Step 1 - Double check your water heater is still in by-pass mode

Step 2 - Sanitize the fresh water tank. 1/4 cup bleach for every 15 gallons of water. Fill your tanks with this formula...run this bleach water through your lines...allow to sit for 24 hours. Drain entire tank...fill with fresh water...run water through lines....sit for 24 hours. Drain tank and fill again. Flush water lines until you no longer smell bleach. Done...now you will have a CLEAN tank and water lines. I do this every Spring when we take the RV out of Winter storage. Doing this will also push all the RV Antifreeze out of the water lines. Mate sure you remember to flush the outside water quick connect too. If you have washing machine, that need to get flushed as well. Might want to refer to the washing machine owners manual for exact steps for your model.

Step 3 - Turn water heater back to normal mode. Attach city water and allow water heater to fill. Open faucets again, making sure you no longer small bleach. Shouldn't be much and there was never any in the water heater.
Thank you
 

mooree

Member
Dewinterizing your RV should start three to four weeks before your first trip. Make sure that water lines are secured. You should un-bypass the hot water tank first, then close the bypass valve using its knob or handle. Combine the liquid bleach with water and pour it into the tank using a funnel. Turn on the water pump to fill the hot water tank; the water pump will automatically turn off once the system is pressurized.
 
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themaniam1

New member
Also, if you rig is plumbed for a dishwasher, I have found that that stub line will hold a little RV antifreeze in it and takes a while for it to purge out. To expedite this, pull the bottom drawer where the dishwasher would be and you will see the stubbed hot water line and the stop valve. Simply put the stop valve in a bowl and open it up while the lines are pressurized and drain out the some water into the bowl. You may have to do this a two or three times. You will know if you need to do this if you get a burst of foamy water in the kitchen sink when the hot water is turned on. If you don't, then the line is clear. Like mentioned above, purge you external lines, the on with the quick connect and the hot and cold by the Nautilus (valve) unit.
 
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