This is probably somewhere on the site... but I haven't been able to find it.
We need to winterize our ice maker. We don't need to winterize the entire rig.
When we have winterized before we were doing the whole system. I can do without ice, I will not go without water.
Any helpful hints?
You will find the procedure included in the "How to Winterise Your Redwood".
It is located in the Technical Library/ Common Problems & Solutions/Inside Coach/Plumbing - Sinks & Faucets
1) Reach inside the freezer and lift the ice maker bar upward. It will lock in place. Don't put too much pressure upward.
2) Turn the valve off under the sink.
3) Disconnect the line from the valve under the sink. You will need a Crescent wrench and you will need to hold the valve while you turn the nut.
4) Go outside and pull the cover off to the lower portion behind the refrigerator.
5) Look for the wires connected to the solenoid and disconnect one lead. Wrap it with electrical tape.
6) Disconnect the water lines attached to the solenoid. Both sides. Be ready with a towel to catch the water. It will drain down from the ice maker.
7) Hang the end going down into the RV over the side.
8) Go back inside and now apply air pressure to the line. Use you imagination...
9) Go back and use a rag or paper towels to dry out the ice try.
10) You're good to go til next year!
Alternate plan if you use pink anti-freeze....
1) Put the ice maker in the up position.
2) Drain down your water heater tank and put in by-pass.
3) Go outside and remove the lower cover to the back of the refrigerator.
4) Locate the ice maker solenoid. Disconnect one of the wires and tape it up.
4) Disconnect the ice maker lines (both sides of the solenoid) Drain. Be ready with a towel to catch the water draining from the top side.
5) Bag up the top side to keep bugs out and to keep it clean.
6) In the Utility Compartment, there is a hose hanging in the bottom with a plug on it. Remove the cap and place the hose in your 1-gallon pink jug. (I actually get a plastic container that can hold 5 gallons)
8) Inside the garage, there will be a small door on the side panel. Open that door and locate the fill bypass valve located near the 12V pump. Open that valve.
9) Now have someone hold the hose located at the bottom of the solenoid out away from the RV.
10) In the utility compartment, turn on the 12V electric pump until pink comes out.
11) Once pink arrives, turn off the pump. Go inside and close the water valve under the sink.
12) Proceed by opening all of the other valves in the RV until pink flows.
13) Go back to the ice maker and absorb the water in ice making compartment using paper towels.
Your good to go.
SIDE NOTE...Don't forget to sanitize your system next spring!
Good luck!
Side note again...We're full-timing and I drained mine as well using the air method. I don't want to take any chances on that line freezing. What a pain it would be to replace it. An ice bag from the local convenience store is a whole lot less trouble and expense!
Just an update... George got the ice maker winterized.
He used the first steps from GipCTravelers:
1) Reach inside the freezer and lift the ice maker bar upward. It will lock in place. Don't put too much pressure upward.
2) Turn the valve off under the sink.
3) Disconnect the line from the valve under the sink. You will need a Crescent wrench and you will need to hold the valve while you turn the nut.
4) Then Used air compressor to blow out the line.
Because of how we are set up with the skirting, he didn't need to do anything with the solenoid.
Just an update... George got the ice maker winterized.
He used the first steps from GipCTravelers:
1) Reach inside the freezer and lift the ice maker bar upward. It will lock in place. Don't put too much pressure upward.
2) Turn the valve off under the sink.
3) Disconnect the line from the valve under the sink. You will need a Crescent wrench and you will need to hold the valve while you turn the nut.
4) Then Used air compressor to blow out the line.
Because of how we are set up with the skirting, he didn't need to do anything with the solenoid.
Excellent!
After removing the CorPlast bottom, that's when I discovered the ice maker water line was not insulated from under the island all the way to the solenoid. AT the solenoid, there was a small amount of heat trace. The concern I have is for the water line running under the frame and out to the refrigerator. It is not heat traced nor wrapped. With your skirting, I can see where you might be protected up to the exterior of the RV but when it goes out to the refrigerator from under the slide, double check that area. It is not insulated. And I am curious...How were you able to blow out the line if you did not take it loose at the solenoid (both sides)? Was the ice maker calling for water and you were able to blow all the way up to the ice maker without disconnecting? Otherwise, how were you able to clear the line? Legitimately curious...
Could you clarify if these directions are for a residential refrig or a Norcold RV fridge? Thanks.
Norcold specific...
I'm not familiar with the residential's hooked up yet.
Just an update... George got the ice maker winterized.
He used the first steps from GipCTravelers:
1) Reach inside the freezer and lift the ice maker bar upward. It will lock in place. Don't put too much pressure upward.
2) Turn the valve off under the sink.
3) Disconnect the line from the valve under the sink. You will need a Crescent wrench and you will need to hold the valve while you turn the nut.
4) Then Used air compressor to blow out the line.
Because of how we are set up with the skirting, he didn't need to do anything with the solenoid.
George, not sure that you are keeping the water line/solenoid from freezing if you don't disconnect the water line below the solenoid so that you could blow the line out. If just disconnected from the valve under the sink and then blow with air I am not sure how much you got out without taking the line off. We also remove the line headed up to the ice maker from the solenoid. Your 38RL is very similar to our 36RL. Probably has close to 15 to 20 feet of 1/4" line to empty. No pink stuff in the ice maker lines for us.
Chris
2012 36RL
We have a residential refrig.
After I disconnected the water, I let the ice maker run to drain most of the water in the line. (it made ice through 3 cycles) The solenoid opens when ice maker is making ice. I made an attachment with plumbing parts (from Home Depot) that connected the air compressor to the RW water line under the sink, to blow out the water. I ran the compressor at a low output pressure that night. The next morning I recharged the compressor and ran it again. This time all of the compressor air ran through which should indicate there was no water in the lines.
I will check the lines outside just to make sure.
question folks after reading all this conversation am not feeling fuzzy about my refrigerator, when i winterized the unit for the first time, drain all water from system, and then i used the winterizing line my coach came with and pumped RV antifreeze through the entire unite running the pump in till it ran out of everything i think i pump about 3-4 gallon and even dump extra in drain,toilets, backwater tanks, some one tell me were i messed up first time with this REDWOOD
It sounds like you are putting your RV up for the winter....
It also sounds like you ran pink everywhere except the mention of the refrigerator ice maker line. Is that correct? The pink is non-toxic.
For the refrigerator, you didn't mention which refrig you have (Norcold or Residential).
For the Norcold, re-read the previous post. If you leave water in that 1/4" PVC line, you will likely experience a rupture and you may damage the solenoid located directly behind the fridge. When water expands, it will damage these parts.
In our 38GK, I pulled down the CorPlast and discovered the line is not insulated. We are full timing and I drained ours even though there is some heat below. The problem is that the underbelly is not sealed except in the drop-down area. Even then, there is no insulation to protect the tanks or lines. Only "bubblewrap". See pics in previous post...
When we previously stored ours for the winter, it would typically take me about 5 gallons of pink. I would blow the lines out first so that the pink would not be diluted. That might not be necessary but I never experienced any leaks or ruptures.
Did you also run pink thru your dishwasher and washer?
You need to run enough to get into the drains of each. What a pain...
If you have a residential refrigerator, you will have to ask others as I have not done that one yet.
At the end of winter, don't forget to flush and sanitize everything.
One more thing...
Make sure you get the water out of thee ice maker. I use some towels and paper towels. Its hard to reach but is another ice point.
Be sure to pull the lines off of the solenoid. That will drain water down from the ice maker. At least the line will be empty.
Now, some others may have found another way around this by running the ice maker through cycles. That will work but might take a bit longer. I would think that it would be making pink slushy ice cubes? That might also take a while to flush later on. The good news is that it would help keep the seals wet and pliable. For now though, I'm opting to leave the lines clear at this time.
question folks after reading all this conversation am not feeling fuzzy about my refrigerator, when i winterized the unit for the first time, drain all water from system, and then i used the winterizing line my coach came with and pumped RV antifreeze through the entire unite running the pump in till it ran out of everything i think i pump about 3-4 gallon and even dump extra in drain,toilets, backwater tanks, some one tell me were i messed up first time with this REDWOOD
GipCTraveler is right about all the areas to make sure you have winterized. We have the residential refrigerator--but the principle is the same... winterize the ice maker. We used the pink antifreeze to winterize for several years but then learned about using the compressor to blow lines dry. However, if you aren't familiar with using a compressor for this, be careful; you can blow a line if too much pressure is used.
In the future you can buy a small by-pass connection at a plumbing supply store to by-pass the built in water filter--saves anti-freeze.
Because our RV doesn't go into storage--we full time; we don't totally winterize.
Side note: when we did put our RV's in storage we used the compressor to blow out the lines and then we poured a small amount of the antifreeze into each drain.
So far we have never had a frozen line or winter plumbing issues and we've been doing this for over 20 years.
You are doing great, because you are asking questions.
Disconnect Norcold at the solinod valve(both lines) took out the filter when new (not full timer and do not want the bacteria growth in it, by-passed the H20 water heater (drained), open the low point drains, then the wash machine valves, after all water was out, opened the sink in bed room, then bath room sink, flushed toilet (till heard no sucking noise, then open sink, till no more water drained.
After that closed all valves started compressor, adjusted to 40 psi, and hooked up to city water fill, charged system, and opened and closed each valve (faucet) including the outdoor shower till there was no more water blowing out. then add pink stuff in all "P" traps takes about 1 gallon.
That is my way but it may not be correct for all.
