RV glossary · Water & holding tanks
Winterizing
Preparing an RV’s plumbing for freezing temperatures by draining the tanks, lines and water heater and either blowing the lines out with air or filling them with RV antifreeze.
If water freezes in an RV’s pipes, fittings, water pump or water heater, it can crack them. Winterizing removes or replaces that water before temperatures drop below freezing.
The usual steps: drain the fresh, gray and black tanks; drain the water heater and set its bypass; open the low-point drains; then either blow the lines out with compressed air or pump non-toxic RV antifreeze through every faucet, the shower, the toilet and outside showers until it runs pink. Check the owner’s manual for your RV’s specific valves, ice maker and washer lines.