Alpha Dog
Middle Tennessee
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Joined: 03/19/2006
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OK, I understand about the blow plug and using 20-40 lbs pressure (depends on whose post you read)and opening one faucet at a time and always having one faucet open while blowing water out...but, my question is...
How do you blow the water out of the water pump, or is it even necessary to worry about the water in the pump.
Bear in mind that in my C, the pump is not easily accessible, so even if it has a plug or something I can't get at it.
"Arvey" (yes, we gave him a name.)
2007 Coachmen Freelander 3150SS (32' class C)
My "kids" (a bunch of Toy Fox Terriers)
Demco Kar Kaddy SS
Backup Camera System from www.rearviewsystems.com
Frank's Electronics Voltage Booster (Autoformer)
ScanGauge II
GEO method
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bgie
MA
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Joined: 02/08/2006
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I have used compressed air for a few years now. As you, I was concerned about the pump so I would run a little antifreeze into the pump using the same procedure recommended for sanitizing. This made me more comfortable. However, this season I decided to eliminate this step and just open all drains around the pump, blow lots of air through until no more mist came out. I then ran the pump 30-60 seconds until it sounded as if there wasn't any water in it. I hope this works because my pump is not easily accessed either.
Good luck, Bill
Bill and Karen
Chloe, the Golden Retriever
2006 Jayco Seneca HG33SS
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teddycp
illinois
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Joined: 03/01/2008
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Are you adding anti-freeze to your lines after you blow them out? If so and you and using your water pump to pump directly from the anti-freeze jug your pump will be protected. If you add anti-freeze to your fresh water tank and pump it through the system, your pump will be protected. Either way you should be OK. If you don't use anti-freeze, do what bgie suggested and that should be OK.
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Mark n Cheryl
Rochester NY
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Joined: 09/23/2009
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We are new and just picked up our rig this summer. since we are storing inside heated and possibly might take it out and go south for a while in the winter, I decided to just blow out the lines. I did this because there were a few nights that it dipped into the 20's before I was able to get it inside/heated. I also wanted to be able to fill the water and go if we decided to take it south during the winter. Anyway, I was able to get to my water pump. I wondered what to do. This is what I did: I drained the fresh water tank (right next to the pump). When I took turns blowing out each outlet I started thinking about the pump. so.... I ran the pump for a few seconds (something like 15 or 20 seconds). I did this with the compressed air on because I wanted to see if water was still in there. It looked like it was already empty, I did not see any water being blown through. I hope its ok, and will find out when it comes out of storage.
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skipnchar
Google Kansas USA
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Joined: 12/17/2003
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Blowing out lines ONLY in areas with really cold temperatures is a little bit risky for not only the water pump but there are usually a few OTHER areas where small amounts of water can remain (like faucets, elbows and couplings). It USUALLY does no damage but it certainly is possible and I've had a shower hose ruined in the past for just that reason. Not an expensive repair but it COULD have been. It costs very little when the RV is set up properly, to run antifreeze so you KNOW it's protected. From a time standpoint it's about the same as doing a blow out but it is a bit more trouble to put it back into operation again. Good luck / skip
2004 F-250 SCREW Long Bed (new)
OR 2004 F-150 HD (85,000 towing miles)
Rockwood 8314SS 34' travel trailer
We have enough YOUTH...how about a fountain of SMART
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old guy
Oregon (pronounced Or e gun)
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Joined: 03/15/2006
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even running the pump so that it pumps all the water out is a no guarantee it will be dry and not freeze. I went through this many years ago and had to replace water lines and the pump thinking blowing out the lines was enough. Now I have installed a winterizing valve in the intake of the pump and stick a hose into a gallon of pink and winterize every thing. Best thing to do in my opinion, a $20 investment sure saves a lot of money after the freeze. plus you only need about one gallon of pink to do the job, you even have enough left over to do the traps.
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Richmcm
Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Joined: 12/27/2004
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I don't even think about blowing out the lines. I run 2 gallon of RV antifreeze through the system. I use more so that I can add some of the pink stuff to the holding tanks also. I want to be safe and always have 2 gallons on hand in case I want to use the MH in the winter season.
Rich & Diane
2006 Aspect 26 A
Nitro 640 LX
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dceggert
SE Michigan
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Joined: 07/10/2009
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I blew out the lines on our 'new to us' Coachmen this year like I do our sailboat water system each fall. My pump is more easily accessible than yours as it is right in the open. After draining the hot water tank, blowing out all the cold and hot water lines, and completely draining the water tank I disconnected both lines from the pump and drained said lines/blew out the pump with my air nozzle.
The pink goop antifreeze makes me naucious; probably due to so many years of smelling it on the boat. I had to come up with a way of getting the water out without using the obnoxious stuff (except for a gallon into each holding tank; the gray one by dumping it down the drains; after I did the last dump after purging the lines). So I did the same on the RV for its first winterizing in our possession.
For my plug I got one that adapts to a quick disconnect off of ebay. I followed the checklist in the Coachmen manual by first draining the hot water tank and then opening all the low point drains. Once that is done I then blew out the rest by connecting my air line (set at a max of 30 psi) and opening each faucet/water source until there was no water drops/spray left coming out.
I also did one last step in the process that was not in Coachmen's checklist and opened all my low point drains when I was done while I drove to the dump station so taht anything that may slosh out of some corner would make its way out of the RV system. The last dump was to get rid of the water that went into the holding tanks from the purge process. I also filled the propane tank after I used the dunp station.
I hope this helps...
Dan
regards,
Dan
1992 Coachmen Leprechaun 265RF
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kaagee
Burlington Ontario
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Joined: 06/24/2005
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I have a friend who works in a RV Parts Dept....He loves people who just blow out the water.
His big seller in the spring is the toilet water control valve ...water gets trapped in it and freezes. 
Spend a few bucks on the pink stuff now..... Could save you a Major Headache in the spring..
Ken
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Alpha Dog
Middle Tennessee
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Joined: 03/19/2006
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I have been using pink stuff. Easy to do as my rig has the "water control panel"...just flip a lever, connect a short hose and suck the pink into the water lines. Quick, easy, effective. Bought a blow out plug a couple years ago and haven't been able to bring myself to use it...and probably won't after some of the info in these posts. The pink stuff is just too easy to use to stop using it.
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