Pipe connections to Winterizing Valve - did I screw up???

[skyguy]

This summer I mentioned that a couple of the plastic elbows at the brass three-way valve for winterizing my Bighorn cracked and leaked.

I replaced those with brass fittings, but now I wonder if I got the pipe connections mixed up.

With the valve set to "winterize", I can draw antifreeze thru the cold water lines. I don't seem to be able to draw winterizing fluid thru the hot water lines.

With the valve set to "normal", I get hot water from the hot water taps, and cold water from the cold water taps, normal operation.

Looking at the three pipe connections, from front to back (front meaning the front of the RV that hooks to your tow vehicle) they lead to:

Intake side of the water pump
Intake (at the bottom) of the hot water heater
Hot water supply (at the top of the hot water)

My guess is the two near the front are connected backwards????

Anybody want to let me know the correct connections??? This is a Bighorn 3670, 2010... and I know the valve connections are behind the wall in the basement.

Thanks!!

Al S.

 

[olcoon]

Al,
I'm not familar with the winterizing process on a Big Horn, but it almost sounds like the hot water heater hasn't been bypassed. Did you drain your hot water heater? I do know that has to be done to winterize any rig. On our Elk Ridge, I have to change the position on (I think 3 valves), plus change the position of a valve in the basement. The valve in the basement allows for getting the anti-freeze into the lines. Again not being familar with the Big Horn, it seems kind of odd that flipping one switch would take care of 3-4 valve changes. But I know that there more "goodies" on the Big Horns, so maybe that 1 switch takes care of everything.

 

[codycarver]

Hi Al, Here is photo of mine. (winterize lever) The right side hose is to the winterizing hose that goes thru the wall to the UDC, center to the pump, and the one on the left goes down into the bowels of the trailer.

 

[skyguy]

Just to be clear Dave....
There are two valves in the UDC. One is for the Hot Water bypass, and on my rig, that is the lower valve. My upper valve is the Winterization Valve - the one that you switch when you want to suck AntiFreeze into the lines.

Knowing things are always subject to change, your lower valve may well be the winterizization, and not the Hot Water ByPass.

in any case, if we are both talking about the Winterization valve, then it sounds to me like I got the two hoses on the left in your photo (and what I call towards the back - being away from the hose on the right which lies towards the front of the RV) BACKWARDS.

So I got a project coming up some day - the hoses are full of antifreeze now (or blown clear thanks to my air compressor) so this may be continued next spring....

BTW - this was all working fine, the winterization went smooth as silk the previous two fall seasons, until I disconnected the hoses and got them mixed up.

Thanks for your efforts! See you next June if not sooner!

Al S.

 

[codycarver]

The photo in the first post is the winterizing valve and it is below the water heater bypass on my rig. This photo shows the water heater bypass set up. Looking forward to June. If you have time after Gillette come on over to Cody. We are havening a rally the following weekend.