This is a subject discussed here before, however I have some specific questions. It gets quite cold here in Massachusetts, it was 30 here last night. I think I should use antifreeze instead of just blowing out the lines. Has anyone gone this route? Where is the bypass for the hot water heater (is there one)? Are there any hidden floor drains other than those in the water compartment? It looks as though the plumbing system is designed to use the water pump to pump the antifreeze through the system, is this how it is done? There are many general check lists for doing this, but Barths can be unique and I don't want problems in the spring. Help here would be greatly appreciated.

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William B. Goodwin

The bypass is an aftermarket accessory, likewise the fitting to fill with antifreeze. There may be pictures of them in the Camping World catalog, or an internet site.

If you have a bypass, it will be on the back of the water heater with a flexible line running between two valves that bridge the inlet and outlet fittings.

An antifreeze fill fitting should be near the water pump, with a valve to open and close it, and a flexible tube to suck the antifreeze out of the jug.

Drain valves are something else. I imagine every rig is unique. Just keep looking for 'em wherever you can reach water lines.

I haven't winterized for quite awhile, we usually head south, but I used to drain everything in sight, pressurize the system with air through the water inlet (not the water tank fill) and push air through until the bubbling diminished. Then I''d close all the drain valves and open the faucets one by one until bubbling diminished.

This always did the trick , but I haven't lived where winter temps stay below freezing for thirty years.

Putting antifreeze in after you've drained everything is quicker than my technique, but slower when you go to fill in the spring. You just have to do the time-consuming bit at the beginning of the season, not the end.

Antifreeze on top of blowing down is a belt and suspenders approach, but probably a wise thing to do in Mass.

Just a note that should be titled "was my face red." Drained the Barth, and started pumping in the pink antifreeze. Boy, this thing takes a lot of antifreeze!? Actually, the water filter, was taking the color out of the antifreeze! DUH! Had always watched for the color change before.

Last year I dumped about 4 gallons of antifrees in my water tank and then turned on the pump and then one fawcet after another until they all ran pink. Seemed to work, then I just cleaned everything out in the spring.

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Short cuts always take longer

1985 28 foot Regal
Dave and Deb bowers

Dave, I thought about doing this but didn't really want the antifreez sitting in the fresh water tank all winter. Also, I really don't want the antifreez to get into the hot water heater. Should I not really be concerned about these things???

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William B. Goodwin

Thanks again to everyone who commented in the posts here. I have now completed winterizing the water system. I put on a by-pass kit for the hot water heater and proceeded to pump antifreeze through the entire system. It took me about three gallons to fill the plumbing and I dumped a half gallon into each holding tank. Everything went well. Thanks again.

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William B. Goodwin

Remember to drain the hot water heater. You only forget that once. Been there, done that.

My winterizing routine is, after draining all the water, I blow out the lines with low-pressure air. I've rigged up a male quick-release garden hose connector to a male compressed air line connector... rubber hose, two hose clamps. Screw it into the water feed, apply low pressure from my garage compressor, open the drain valves, then the faucets, one at a time, repeat until blown out. I prefer this to the anti-freeze in the system... less flushing and sanitizing in the spring. Just make sure you don't forget the toilet valve. Lots of small water passages there, even if you use the pink antifreeze, remember to cycle the toilet valve!

Not always having access to my shop compressor I have been relying on my shop vac for winterizing for the last 10 years. I open the shore water inlet and all faucets. This accomplished I turn on the pump and run until the water tank is empty. At this point I by-pass and drain the hot water heater. With the heater out of the system I then run the vac on each faucet individually with the others off but the shore inlet still open. Once this is complete for all taps I close the shore inlet and add a gallon of antifreeze to the water tank and pump to the furthest faucet, this step may takes two gallons to fill the lines in some models, until the color is apparent. Once I see the color I then open the adjacent faucet and get that line filled, adding antifreeze if necessary. When I have color in these farthest lines I work back toward the tank and pump including toilet and shower. When there is color in all lines add an extra gallon to the tank and pump an equal portion through each faucet, catch some from each and dump into toilet. When all is complete I then use the shop vac to empty the system again. This is easy on my boat since it has no mixing faucets so I can open the adjacent cold and hot lines, hold the vac to one and check for suction on the adjacent faucet and it is very easy to tell that both lines are empty.
I have a heat exchanger from the starboard engine to the hot water heater and it uses discharge water so I vac it empty then vac antifreeze thru it to winterize. Not sure if this last applies at all. FWIW, Tim

on our barth i learned the hard way that there are also 2 drains for hot and cold underneath the floor panel of the bathroom sink. boy were those suckers hard to find when i had to replace!
mike

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mike foster
83-35' regency 8.2 detroit towing 98 cherokee classic 4x4