Re-Fill after Winterisation

[Wizz]

This will be the first time I've refilled the water/boiler (Truma) system in the m/home since it's winter drain down.
I have researched and read about the exercise, and have found numerous suggestions for doing so.
But before I actually undertake the exercise I thought I'd ask whether you have any tried and tested methods, with a step by step guide, so that I may carry out the procedure as best possible.

 

[Kirsten]

Hi- think there are other threads re this but can’t recall headings. It is very simple ( well someone will be along to tell me I have done it wrong later I expect)
But you start to fill the water tank ( I assume that is drained too ?) and check the frost release valve is not letting it all drain out again. If this is happening shut the valve - a blue button and turning switch on top is the thing ( technical term) near heater in our Hymer. Access via Outside locker
Once there is water staying in tank turn all taps on cold for a few seconds then turn one on the hot halfway if you have a mixer. Or then turn on a hot tap slightly if you have separate hot n cold.
It will splutter as the hot tank is empty, but the cold running will draw the water through. Turn other hot taps on and increase the hot flow slowly until the spluttering stops. If there is no water coming out in hot flow put it back to cold only and turn it to hot occasionally.Turn taps off wait a few mins turn on tap to just hot and it should run smoothly. If not repeat running cold at first then increase to hot with sinks and shower.
Never needed to do this in any sequence ie kitchen sink then bathroom one.
Hope this is helpful- cat has just woken me up so was browsing half asleep

 

[poppycamper]

Depending on where you live,, think twice.... we had lovely spring type weather last week and I thought about filling van......fortunately I could not be bothered... two nights later I had minus 3.5c for 2 nights in my van. For the time it takes i will wait till just before i need to use van.

 

[rnb100]

Looks like I'm going to have to drain the system off today. I've already had a knackered water pump and kitchen tap due to not doing it, so I'll do it properly this time. I might even buy an oil heater today and have that running in there too.

 

[Wizz]

Thanks Kirsten

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[Spriddler]

Well evidently I've not been privy to the secrets of the Motorhome Magic Circle but for more than 20 years and with a variety of m/h's I've done nothing more demanding than just filled the tank and opened the taps, leaving them running until the spluttering has stopped.
I've always felt that life should be more exciting than that.

 

[poppycamper]

Well evidently I've not been privy to the secrets of the Motorhome Magic Circle but for more than 20 years and with a variety of m/h's I've done nothing more demanding than just filled the tank and opened the taps, leaving them running until the spluttering has stopped.
Life should be more exciting than that.

Well when you find out let me know cause that's all I do.

 

[poppycamper]

Hope not to many de-winterized today... possible minus 7c in places tonight. Yea probably at the top of Grampian mountains BUT better safe than sorry.

 

[fat haggis]

I put my van back into winter mode. Well I shut the blinds and it dumped it’s own waters

 

[Wizz]

Well evidently I've not been privy to the secrets of the Motorhome Magic Circle but for more than 20 years and with a variety of m/h's I've done nothing more demanding than just filled the tank and opened the taps, leaving them running until the spluttering has stopped.
I've always felt that life should be more exciting than that.

Ha ha,
Perhaps I’m just a Newbie over thinking it.......

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[BouncyBoatFolk]

Just a thought, you may want to not fill the entire tank perhaps 20 Ltrs or so but with some form of pipe/tank cleaning additive.
Allow that to work on the inner faces of the pipes, then pump that away into the grey tank, where it can do the same job there.
Then a partial refill of the fresh water tank and pull through the fresh water to ALL outlet points.
Mike

 

[Wizz]

Coincidentally Bob Earnshaw has just published (5th April) a video on YouTube 'Post Storage Motorhome Checklist' water/habitation & vehicle checks.

 

[TerryL]

Just done mine last week.

1/ Insert hose into tank filler and turn on water tap.
2/ Put hose back in filler after pressure blew it out.
3/ Turned off water and went inside to change into dry shoes.
4/ Stick bung back in water tank drain.
5/ Repeat 1
6/ Repeat 3
7/ Repeat 1
8/ Repeat 3 only changed into wellies instead.
9/ Close drain taps next to water pump - I only found these last year and forgot about them.
10/ Repeat 1 and check for any more leaks!
11/ Turn on water pump and wait a few minutes for system to fill.
12/ Close hot water tank dump switch.
13/ Answer phone and return to find water p-----g out all over the drive from tank overflow.
14/ Turn off water hose pipe.
15/ Open kitchen cold tap.
16/ Close kitchen cold tap and go look for rags to clear up the mess caused by the spluttering.
17/ Open kitchen tap VERY slowly and let run until spluttering stops.
18/ Open bathroom and shower taps slowly - learned my lesson this time.
19/ Press loo flush button.
20/ Go fetch the rags to clear up the water that spluttered everywhere.
21/ Open kitchen hot tap.
22/ Repeat 15/16 with the hot taps.
23/ Repeat 1/12/13.
24/ Remove and rewind hose.
25/ Repeat 3 after hose drained itself down inside wellies.
26/ Put van back into storage.
27/ Following day saw weather forecast - decided to risk it freezing!

Job done - simples!

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

Just done mine last week.

1/ Insert hose into tank filler and turn on water tap.
2/ Put hose back in filler after pressure blew it out.
3/ Turned off water and went inside to change into dry shoes.
4/ Stick bung back in water tank drain.
5/ Repeat 1
6/ Repeat 3
7/ Repeat 1
8/ Repeat 3 only changed into wellies instead.
9/ Close drain taps next to water pump - I only found these last year and forgot about them.
10/ Repeat 1 and check for any more leaks!
11/ Turn on water pump and wait a few minutes for system to fill.
12/ Close hot water tank dump switch.
13/ Answer phone and return to find water p-----g out all over the drive from tank overflow.
14/ Turn off water hose pipe.
15/ Open kitchen cold tap.
16/ Close kitchen cold tap and go look for rags to clear up the mess caused by the spluttering.
17/ Open kitchen tap VERY slowly and let run until spluttering stops.
18/ Open bathroom and shower taps slowly - learned my lesson this time.
19/ Press loo flush button.
20/ Go fetch the rags to clear up the water that spluttered everywhere.
21/ Open kitchen hot tap.
22/ Repeat 15/16 with the hot taps.
23/ Repeat 1/12/13.
24/ Remove and rewind hose.
25/ Repeat 3 after hose drained itself down inside wellies.
26/ Put van back into storage.
27/ Following day saw weather forecast - decided to risk it freezing!

Job done - simples!

Sounds like a standard day in " BouncyBoatLand" .
Mike

 

[Keypresser]

Try using a wide kneck water bottle pushed up against the tap outlet. Then open tap until spluttering stops, cold then hot.
Go to each tap in turn then undo the shower head and stick the end in the bottle. Open tap.
Easy. No mess.
Dont forget to clean the gauze filter next to the pump. You will be surprised what ends up in there.

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[TheBig1]

My preferred method os

turn off all taps and dump valves
put water in
open only the hot tap or the hot side of the mixer tap furthest away from the boiler
Turn on pump and leave tap open till you get a steady stream of water, no more spluttering
Turn off that tap and turn on each o the others in turn to purge any air
Repeat for the cold taps

 

[TheBig1]

Then sterilise the system if it has been laid up for ages, like most this year.

Add puriclean tablets or crystals to the tank. draw water through to all taps.
Leave for a few hours. Then ensure the waste dump valve is closed and run all taps to empty fresh and fill waste tank.
Leave a few hours to sterilise the waste, then dump the tank.
Refill with fresh water and run the taps for a bit to flush any residual steriliser out

DO NOT USE MILTON TO STERILISE THE WATER SYSTEM, IT WILL DAMAGE THE WATER HEATER

 

[Trevor Wbm]

Then sterilise the system if it has been laid up for ages, like most this year.

Add puriclean tablets or crystals to the tank. draw water through to all taps.
Leave for a few hours. Then ensure the waste dump valve is closed and run all taps to empty fresh and fill waste tank.
Leave a few hours to sterilise the waste, then dump the tank.
Refill with fresh water and run the taps for a bit to flush any residual steriliser out

DO NOT USE MILTON TO STERILISE THE WATER SYSTEM, IT WILL DAMAGE THE WATER HEATER

Ooh. I own a bar, so used some beer line cleaner - it's not being used for anything else just now - should I be out there flushing even more than I did?

 

[Ridgeway]

Step 1 is usually to close any outside drainage outlets can take a long time to fill otherwise...

After that i close the frost valve, then start the fill, then switch on the pump, open one tap and then start to get rid of the air, next tap etc.

Once it's fully bled and it's about 50% full i switch on the boiler to make sure it fires up.

On Monday the process worked well and she's ready for a few days away next week

 

[Abgs]

Handy video guide ...

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[TheBig1]

Ooh. I own a bar, so used some beer line cleaner - it's not being used for anything else just now - should I be out there flushing even more than I did?

It depends on the PH of the beer line cleaner. Milton is a fairly aggressive alkaline and erodes the stainless steel liner in the boiler

 

[Trevor Wbm]

It depends on the PH of the beer line cleaner. Milton is a fairly aggressive alkaline and erodes the stainless steel liner in the boiler

Thanks. I think I'll be OK, but will file that under 'Don't do it again'.

 

[Wannabee]

Just done mine last week.

1/ Insert hose into tank filler and turn on water tap.
2/ Put hose back in filler after pressure blew it out.
3/ Turned off water and went inside to change into dry shoes.
4/ Stick bung back in water tank drain.
5/ Repeat 1
6/ Repeat 3
7/ Repeat 1
8/ Repeat 3 only changed into wellies instead.
9/ Close drain taps next to water pump - I only found these last year and forgot about them.
10/ Repeat 1 and check for any more leaks!
11/ Turn on water pump and wait a few minutes for system to fill.
12/ Close hot water tank dump switch.
13/ Answer phone and return to find water p-----g out all over the drive from tank overflow.
14/ Turn off water hose pipe.
15/ Open kitchen cold tap.
16/ Close kitchen cold tap and go look for rags to clear up the mess caused by the spluttering.
17/ Open kitchen tap VERY slowly and let run until spluttering stops.
18/ Open bathroom and shower taps slowly - learned my lesson this time.
19/ Press loo flush button.
20/ Go fetch the rags to clear up the water that spluttered everywhere.
21/ Open kitchen hot tap.
22/ Repeat 15/16 with the hot taps.
23/ Repeat 1/12/13.
24/ Remove and rewind hose.
25/ Repeat 3 after hose drained itself down inside wellies.
26/ Put van back into storage.
27/ Following day saw weather forecast - decided to risk it freezing!

Job done - simples!

Having had boats for 30 years with very cold winter temperatures with the risk of freezing damage, there is an easier but slightly more costly solution to openingand closing numerous valves etc.. Well, more costly unless you get the drain down wrong in which case its actually much cheaper. And relatively idiot proof and simple.

Buy some food safe glycol antifreeze, and make up a 50:50 mix with clean water. Empty the systems, toilet and hot/cold water, shower etc until they splutter. Close all drain taps. Pour in the mix and run taps, toilet etc until coloured antifreeze mix comes out of all and any outlets. Go round until they're all done. Pour the mix down any drains to purge out trapped water in those. Done! All the pockets of water, nooks & crannies that could freeze will have antifreeze in them. Open drain taps to release the remaining mix, you don't need it any more.

Flush well when you recommission. Sorted.