Tuesday, 10 July 2018
A supplied article from Jackie Edwards into motorhome maintenance.
How To Maintain Your Motorhome’s Water System In The Winter
Approximately 6 percent of new motorhome owners in the UK maintain their vehicles themselves. Getting a professional engineer to check your vehicle for you at regular intervals can give you greater peace of mind that it’s safe for use. But what about when it’s not being used, such as during the winter? It’s important for every motorhome owner to look after it during the cold months so as to prevent damage from the harsh conditions. One of the most important things to do is take care of the motorhome’s water system as this is prone to problems and damage.
Water-System Care To Prevent Frost Damage
You probably keep your motorhome clean when you’re on the road, but don’t neglect it when it’s in storage during winter. Before the winter comes around, you want to empty your motorhome’s water system properly. Any water left behind can freeze during harsh conditions, which can get trapped in the system and lead to problems that cost a lot of money, such as burst pipes. To properly empty the water system, open all taps and drain valves. Let them run until the water stops. Do the same thing with your external and internal water pumps, as well as your toilet, water tank, and water heater. To further prevent any water turning to ice during winter, run some antifreeze through the water system, but make sure it’s non-toxic to keep the water quality safe.
The Importance Of Water-System Cleaning
Up to 25 percent of motorhomes are delivered to consumers with faults, and 7 percent of these include faults with water openings or even water leaks, according to a Caravan Club survey. It’s really easy for water-related problems to strike, which is why it’s important to check and maintain your motorhome, whether it’s new or second-hand. Since you’re not going to be using its taps and pumps during the winter, you should check their gauze filters and clean them out before the season strikes. This will prevent debris from entering the pumps and causing damage.
You can easily remove the filters by unscrewing them. Clean them well by placing them under a running tap so that all the debris that they’ve collected can be washed out. This is important to prevent pipes from getting clogged up during the winter, so when you use them again in a few months’ time you’ll be pleased to find that they’re working properly.
Cleaning Your Water System Protects Against Unwanted Inhabitants
Draining pipes in your motorhome isn’t enough to ensure you prevent damage from the harsh conditions. Although this will prevent things like frost and ice from causing damage, it doesn’t solve the problem of insects and rodents from getting into the motorhome through the water system. You therefore want to sterilise all your toilet and waste pipes before the winter. You can do this by mixing a quarter-cup of bleach with every fifteen gallons of water. Pour the mixture into the motorhome’s water-holding tank. Switch on your motorhome’s water pump, then open all the faucets and run the water until you can smell the bleach.
Close the faucets and drive the motorhome around a bit to assist in getting the sterilizing solution all over the tank. You can leave the motorhome to sit with this solution for about half a day. Don’t forget to eliminate the bleach, though. That’s the final step and you can do it by draining the water system, then filling the water tank with water. Let all the faucets run again, this time stopping when there’s no more traces of bleach.
Keeping your motorhome’s water system in good condition during the cold months is important so that it won’t fail you when you want to go on a long trip. By following the above advice, you can prevent water-system problems and damage, cutting costs and lengthening the lifespan of your vehicle.
