If a travel vehicle is not used or heated when there is a risk of frost, the water-carrying system must be protected from freezing. Otherwise the result can be considerable damage, affecting not only the destruction of components in the water system but the whole vehicle through leaking water.
Follow this step-by-step guide to protect your motorhome from water damage.
For completeness, we also present the procedure with antifreeze here. However, we recommend following the method without antifreeze.
Winterizing the Water System in Your Motorhome – How It Works
To start, make sure you are somewhere you can easily drain a possibly large amount of water.
- Empty the water tank(s) using the drain valve.
- If there is no drain valve: Open all taps and empty the tank via the pressure water pump.
Caution with large water supplies: give the water pump a break of 15 minutes after every 15 minutes so it can cool down. - Open all taps (including the valve or drain at the lowest point of the water system) to remove the remaining water from the lines.
Important: Be sure to remember the drain of the hot water boiler, especially if it does not drain by itself when there is a risk of frost! - Disconnect the lines from the water pump connections (have a tub ready to catch the water) and let the pump run until no more water comes out.
- Remove the cartridges from any drinking water filters and store them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Switch off the power supply to the pump.
- Leave all taps open so that any remaining water that might freeze has room to expand.
Winterizing the Water System with Antifreeze
CAUTION:
If you use antifreeze, be sure to use a non-toxic product suitable for drinking water!
Vehicle antifreeze must NEVER be used for this, as it is highly toxic! If you follow the procedure for completely draining the system described above, no antifreeze is needed.
How it works
- Pour a sufficient amount of antifreeze-water mixture, according to the manufacturer’s instructions, into the previously emptied tank.
- Open the taps one at a time until the colored liquid comes out.
- Close all taps.
- Switch off the power supply to the pump.
Takeaways
Winterizing your motorhome and protecting it from frost damage in the water system takes little effort.
💧 If there is no drain valve, pump the tanks empty via the pump by opening the taps and all drains.
💧 Disconnect the pump from the system and pump it empty, remove the water filter cartridges.
💧 If you use antifreeze, make sure when buying that it is safe (non-toxic and suitable for drinking water! NO vehicle antifreeze!)
💧 It’s best to set a reminder on your phone in good time so you definitely don’t forget to winterize.
💧 Use the opportunity to also do a tank and system cleaning, so everything is fit and fresh for the start of the new season.
Everything you need for the water system in your camper and motorhome – including these beautiful stainless steel sinks and folding faucets – you will find here:
Did these tips for winterizing the water lines in your motorhome or camper help you? Pass them on to your friends too, so they don’t have to worry about frost damage to their water systems:
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