Pump Won't Pump Antifreeze

DoBillMilo · October 2016

Hello Everyone. We are new to RV's and bought a 2017 TAB , which we are throughly enjoying. However, we were trying to winterize using the antifreeze method, but our pump, which was working to pump water, won't pump the antifreeze through the system. Is this bad juju or just our inexperience? Any help is truly appreciated. We're happy to be here!

Nomad · October 2016

To clarify... does the pump run? where are you injecting the antifreeze, shore hookup port?

JandJ92010 · October 2016

I only use one gallon of antifreeze in the tank, run the pump until it comes out the kitchen faucet. We don't have a bath in ours.

DoBillMilo · October 2016

We poured three gallons of antifreeze into the fresh water tank, as instructed, then turned on the sink faucet, waiting for the antifreeze to show up. Nothing happened. We waited, turned off the pump, tried again. No luck after several tries. Is it worth trying to contact Pleasant Valley?

Nomad · October 2016

So, the pump runs but nothing cimes out - Sounds like an air lock and the pump needs priming. With water, people have unhooked the freshwater side and sucked an rehooked and it worked. I wouldn't do that with antifreeze.
I'm not sure PV could help. I'd wait and see what suggestions show up here.

DoBillMilo · October 2016

Thanks PX. We'll keep working on it and will check the forum for more comments. We're loving it despite its issues. (The refrigerator wouldn't work but was fixed by the dealer before we brought it home, and several of the cabinet doors are popping off the hinges. PV is sending us new hinges.) Like this forum.

ScottG · October 2016

Several people have noted that the pump has a hard time priming when the level in the tank is low. I've found this to be particularly true if the system has been completely drained.

If that's the case here, you could try priming first with a full tank of water. You could then drain the remaining water in the tank, replace it with your three gallon of antifreeze, and run that up into the system until it forces the remaining water out.

Personally, I have no desire to futz with pumping and flushing antifreeze, so I just blow out the lines really well and call it good. YMMV.

DoBillMilo · October 2016

Thank you Scott! This is exactly the conclusion we came to after futzing around with the pump all day. The pump just wouldn't draw the antifreeze, because, as you noted, the level was too low. We added a few more gallons but still the pump wouldn't do it. So we drained out the antifreeze, refilled with water and turned on the pump. It worked just fine so we know the pump is good. We're going to just blow the lines out in the future. Wish us luck with that. We completely appreciate the advice of experienced trailer owners. Thanks again.

DurangoTaB · October 2016

Very strange. It's a self-priming pump, and the antifreeze isn't much different than water. Hmmmm. When we first got our 2015 T@B in the Spring of 2014, we had a really noisy (but working) water pump; Ed K said there was a bad batch and replaced it for free.

DoBillMilo · October 2016

I was worried about the pump being bad as well, but it's worked with water. I don't get it so the only conclusion was that the level of antifreeze was too low. I think the TAB builders have a few bad batches of things so it's always worth considering. We got some bad hinges and a bad refrigerator on a new TAB so it's in the back of my little head. Thanks for responding.

Nomad · October 2016

Since it pumps water it certainly doesn't sound like a bad pump.

DoBillMilo · October 2016

That's my thinking. I mean, it's a new pump. It's looking better and better and I'm looking forward to getting it on the road and seeing the bird migration at Bosque del Apache next month. Thanks for the encouragement and words of wisdom. We'll get the kinks worked out with a bit of help from everyone.

ScottG · October 2016

DoBillMilo said:

Thank you Scott! This is exactly the conclusion we came to after futzing around with the pump all day. The pump just wouldn't draw the antifreeze, because, as you noted, the level was too low. We added a few more gallons but still the pump wouldn't do it. So we drained out the antifreeze, refilled with water and turned on the pump. It worked just fine so we know the pump is good. We're going to just blow the lines out in the future. Wish us luck with that. We completely appreciate the advice of experienced trailer owners. Thanks again.

I've only winterized once, but everything was fine in the spring using just the blowout method. I didn't follow a specific procedure, but I ran the air for quite a while and was thorough about individually opening and closing the various valves and faucets--as well as running the pump--to ensure that the pressurized air got everywhere. I think I also raised and lowered the tongue a few times for good measure, and left all the drains open when I was done.

Don't forget that even with the blowout method, you should still pour some antifreeze into the traps, as well as letting a little run into the valve slides in the gray and black water drains. Good luck!

DoBillMilo · October 2016

Oh! Good suggestions on the blowout. It sounds a bit more complicated than just sticking a compressor hose in, but we're okay with that. And also appreciate the suggestion on adding antifreeze to the traps and valve slides. We already had ice in a garden hose this morning so we'll probably winterize this week and "dry" camp with the TAB next month. What size compressor do you use?

Verna · October 2016

I used a hand held bicycle pump in April when I got back from AZ (too early!), so you don't need much pressure. I used a 12V tire pump last November before I went to AZ, and it worked just fine.

I opened the shower faucet and the sink faucet, pumped for a few times. Dried the sink, pumped some more, dried the sink...until the sink was dry after pumping. It took about 15 minutes total, including draining the fresh water tank and pouring pink anti-freeze into the sink, shower and toilet, and spraying some on the drain valves. Be sure to close your faucets--so you won't have to remember them in the spring.

DoBillMilo · October 2016

Thanks Verna. I'm gained some confidence about winterizing now that I've learned more about the system from the manual and from advice on the forum. Although that thing about adding three gallons of antifreeze to an empty tank was kind of a laugh. Happy camping.

ScottG · October 2016

DoBillMilo said:

...
What size compressor do you use?

One like this. Probably overkill, but it works great and I already owned it. I dial in the regulator to keep the pressure <50psi.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021717/uploads/editor/7f/l4wanfrpg8ms.jpg

Michigan_Mike · October 2016

DoBillMilo said:

We poured three gallons of antifreeze into the fresh water tank, as instructed, then turned on the sink faucet, waiting for the antifreeze to show up. Nothing happened. We waited, turned off the pump, tried again. No luck after several tries. Is it worth trying to contact Pleasant Valley?

One other thing you can do and that has worked for me is to flush the toilet a few times as this seems to break whatever vapor or air lock that is inside the system. My pump has run like yours, was troubling and I flush the toilet a few times and it seems to allow any extra air in the system to escape. I'd also try adding in more RV antifreeze in your freshwater tank as my system seems to start sputtering at about 25% freshwater when I'm using it during the camping season. I'd be comfortable that the system would pump at normal rates with a reading on the SeaLevel ll system at around 30%..... Those who have and use the shower know full well what I'm referring to, especially when you are standing inside it with your birthday suit and soaped down!

PGerhardt · December 2016

Tried to get the Antifreeze to pump through with 2 Gal and could not get it to start. The 2017 T@B has no Alde ByPass valves as far as I can tell. They are not under the seat anyway. Got it blown out and it is going to 20's tonight in MD so not really worried but tomorrow am going to try unhooking one side of the pump to get the air out.

Am I correct that there are no bypass valves in the 2017? The 2014-2015 directions say to use 4 gal of anti freeze if you do the water heater?

LauraRey · December 2016

@PGerhardt I have a bypass valve in my 2017. Here's a pic:

Susanf · November 2018

I had this problem and I tried flushing the toilet like Michigan Mike recommends and it worked! Thanks Mike!

lkc001 · November 2018

If you added 3 gallons of antifreeze to your water tank and then turned on the pump, I believe that means you sucked most of that antifreeze straight into your hot water heater if your hot water heater was empty. I would be afraid to leave that antifreeze in the hot water heater all winter--it is supposed to be drained as well. That would not be a good thing.

You need to drain out ALL of that antifreeze, making sure you drain the water heater into a separate bucket or watching the specific drain for the water heater for the amount that comes out and flush it well with water.

Or did I misunderstand what you were saying?

Then start over. You need to isolate/bypass the water heater. I never put antifreeze in the water tank either. Suck the antifreeze straight from the bottle with a bypass kit hooked straight into the pump port.

Search more posts on this site for winterizing and ask more questions--there is a lot of help here on this site.

Sharon_is_SAM · November 2018

FYI - you are replying to a post from 2016.

Fergie · November 2018

Normally I use the antifreeze method to winterize as I did this year again. However, last year after we moved to Alaska and were occupied with getting settled I opted for the "quick and easy" blow-out method. When I started to de-winterize this spring I got the unpleasant surprise of water spewing out of the toilet valve!

If you use the "blow-out" method you must be very sure you blow ALL the water out of that valve. The link below contains the thread with my whole story of what happened, what the RV parts dealer told me and how I had to replace the valve.

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/comment/92224#Comment_92224

Fergie

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