Winterize question

[SPILLMAN]

I have a 2017 Momentum M350 and have had problems since new winterizing the unit. The pump will not pick up antifreeze from the jug as it is suppose to. I have got it to work a couple of times by priming it several times but generally the system does not work. My local RV repair guy bypasses the control valves and connects directly to the pump located behind a panel and the system will work that way. Has anyone had this problem? Is there a fix for it?
Thanks John

[huntindog]

I have a 2017 Momentum M350 and have had problems since new winterizing the unit. The pump will not pick up antifreeze from the jug as it is suppose to. I have got it to work a couple of times by priming it several times but generally the system does not work. My local RV repair guy bypasses the control valves and connects directly to the pump located behind a panel and the system will work that way. Has anyone had this problem? Is there a fix for it?
Thanks John

Does your unit have 2 FW tanks?

[Sleeping Rainbows]

I have a 2017 Momentum M350 and have had problems since new winterizing the unit. The pump will not pick up antifreeze from the jug as it is suppose to. I have got it to work a couple of times by priming it several times but generally the system does not work. My local RV repair guy bypasses the control valves and connects directly to the pump located behind a panel and the system will work that way. Has anyone had this problem? Is there a fix for it?
Thanks John

I have to remove the washer from the city water input and turnout around so the screen depresses the backflow preventer, use a 5' or shorter hose and raise the bottle of antifreeze level with the input to get my pump to draw from the bottle.
The pumps don't develop much suction.

[SGT ROC]

I have to remove the washer from the city water input and turnout around so the screen depresses the backflow preventer, use a 5' or shorter hose and raise the bottle of antifreeze level with the input to get my pump to draw from the bottle.
The pumps don't develop much suction.

+1 on everything except I do not have to remove the screen. I do set the jug in side the compartment which then allows the pump to suction the anitfreeze.

[Cowboychincs]

I initially had the same issue... what I found was that the hose I was using was pretty big in diameter... so I found an older hose that was much smaller in diameter... it worked great... I also cut it real short so that it I could set the bottle of antifreeze in the compartment next to the city water inlet, then made sure it would reach the bottom of the jug... no issues... but also assume that the connection to the city water inlet has to be 'tight' so that the pump does NOT suck in any air...

[ForBruce]

With my park model (i used to have ,which had no fresh water pump) I used a Sump pump with 5' feet of Washing machine hose in a 5 gallon bucket on the ground.
I dumped about 4 gallons of anti freeze in the bucket and turned on the pump.

You could use a set up like this to augment the fresh water pumps pulling capacity and at the same time not have to run back and forth adding more antifreeze.

[Dakota]

I read in the manual you may need to get fluid in the hose prior to pumping. I didn’t do that, but I did have to put my jug of antifreeze on a ladder so it was higher than the inlet.

[avidcamper]

I just did this and used a small funnel to prime the hose and it works like a charm. I had about a 4 foot hose as I also use it to fill fresh water tank from container if needed during boondocking. Ran the pump a little while filling to get the air out. Helps if you have an extra set of hands.

[RetiredATC]

I had similar issues with my 2016 M350. I found if I drained the lines using the low point valves the system wouldn’t suck from the bottle. Finally figured out if I pressured up with city water then connect my bottle of antifreeze and have DW hit the water pump, the system will pressurize sucking from the bottle. Once inside faucets are open, sucking continues. I use about 2 gals to do all faucets. Good luck.

[CampMcSurley]

Hmmm - I found just the opposite - Last year I used a short 2' piece of hose 5/8" hose & bucket - worked like a charm. This year I used this piece on my water hook up. (everything connected with pressure valve, fresh water, black flush & utility hose bib etc) I had an old piece of 3/8" hose I cut off to about the same length, male for the connection, just hose on the other end so I could suck it right out of the jug. For the life of me, I could not get it to prime. Poured it into the bucket, held it up high, poured anti-freeze into the hose with a funnel - I could get almost nothing, even starting with the outside water from the panel, only a trickle. I disconnected my connection hose (5/8") & viola, primed & sucked it up in seconds. My only guess is... The 3/8" hose did not have enough volume to prime the pump.