Furrion Tankless Water Heater Winterization

[@mattpaulson6065]

Now going through the same issue with the Furrion Tankless Water Heater. Followed directions on page 120 in the owners manual when I winterized but I have a leak now after hooking it up to city water after taking it out for the first time this year… Emailed GD so we will see if they will warranty and replace. Frustrating not having water on your first trip of the year. Glad I found this video so I can make sure going forward the winterization is done the appropriate way.

[@GrandDesignRVTV]

We're sorry to hear about the issue you are experiencing. Our customer service team is happy to look into this to see how we can assist. Your email will be assigned to a member of our team and someone will reach out soon. For immediate assistance, please feel free to call us at [phone].

[@mattpaulson6065]

@@GrandDesignRVTV looks like I got an email back saying won’t be covered even know the information in the owners manual for winterization is wrong. Emailed back and will see if you all will change your minds and do the right thing.

[@mattpaulson6065]

@@GrandDesignRVTVno one reached out, just got an email from the original person. Poor customer service. Cost me $1237.71. Reviews to come of my experience.

[@jjustj]

90 degree elbow on your air fittings close to connection

[@kvaillancourt7256]

The instructions in this video are only marginally helpful and rather confusing. The information about blowing out the system is useful but that is where it ends. Jay states that when placed in the "winterization" position on the Nautilus panel (1:54 in the video), this by-passes the Furion Tankless water heater. He makes no mention of using the pump to draw the antifreeze out of the jug for winterizing the rest of the system. This step should be included if that is indeed the correct procedure. Presuming we should use the pump to draw the antifreeze from the jug, this procedure implies that all water lines/faucets EXCEPT the Furion tankless water heater will have antifreeze pumped through them. At 2:03 in the video, he states that if you want antifreeze in the tankless hot water unit (I do- Canadian winter) then he instructs us to turn the Nautilus system to "City water". No instructions provided on how to draw the antifreeze into the system. Note, this "city water" setting will not draw antifreeze out of the jug. There seems to be a significant amount of information missing. The Furion on demand water heater manual supplied with the rig, provides no useful instruction nor does the the Reflection 337 RLS manual. Please revise this video ASAP and provide the correct method, with step by step instruction for winterizing the Furion tankless water heater so that we do not cause damage or void our warranty. I look forward to seeing the improved and complete instruction set. Thanks.

[@GrandDesignRVTV]

Hello! Thanks for reaching out to us. We apologize for any confusion. If you choose to winterize by blowing out all of your lines, using antifreeze additionally is optional. You should not have any issues if you do not put antifreeze in your lines and have blown them out correctly. If you are looking to use the antifreeze, to make the unit pull the antifreeze through, you will need to open faucets and turn on your water pump. With any further questions on this, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at [phone].

[@kvaillancourt7256]

@@GrandDesignRVTV Wow! I'm impressed with the quick response! So, I must first use the winterize mode on the Nautilus panel to draw antifreeze into the system using the pump? Then do I use the "city water" setting on the Nautilus panel (once there is antifreeze in the system) to circulate the antifreeze through the on-demand water heater? Just trying to clarify.

[@GrandDesignRVTV]

You use the pump to draw the antifreeze into the system, you should not need to use the city water settings on the nautilus panel! The red handle should be in it's normal setting (not winterization setting) when you do this if you do not want to bypass the water heater.

[@GrandDesignRVTV]

Good Morning, if you are looking to put antifreeze through your water heater, you will need to leave the red valve on the nautilus panel in the non-winterized position. All other valves should be in the 'winterize' position. If your pump is on and you are running faucets, the antifreeze should be pulling into your lines. If you are having issues or have any further questions, please give us a call at [phone].

[@kvaillancourt7256]

@@GrandDesignRVTV Thanks. I will give that a try and report back. :)

[@djhufnagle]

I have a 2023 260RD. I believe we have the Nautilus P4. Says in the video to set on City Water to put antifreeze into the tankless HW heater. However, City Water does not actually suck the antifreeze into the system. Only the sanitize (to the tanks) and winterize (supposedly to everything but the HW heater) actually pull in the antifreeze. I know it is a challenge to do a video for each combination of accessories, but it would sure be nice. The manual we got with our RV is pretty much useless as it doesn't match what we actually have. We just winterized today and on Winterize, it did appear that the antifreeze did get to the HW heater. Hope that worked!

[@GrandDesignRVTV]

Thank you for your feedback! With any questions on winterizing your specific Grand Design RV, please don't hesitate to reach out to our Customer Service team by phone at [phone] or by email at [e-mail].

[@robertplant5062]

Followed the instructions from this video last fall to winterize my 2022 297RSTS and I like a few others, welcomed the spring with a major leak in my water heater. Went to my dealer (General RV Wixom MI) and requested warranty repair on the unit as it was less that 9 month old and only used twice last fall. I knew I was going to have issues getting this covered when the first question asked by the manager was who winterized the unit, which of course I did. This is my third trailer (2nd Grand Design) so I am very familiar with the steps necessary to PROPERLY winterize my trailer. I waited a week and heard nothing, so I finally went into the dealership, only to be told by my advisor that the repair was denied under warranty, since according to them, I improperly winterized the rig. How in the H3ll do they know if it was not done correctly. Needless to say I was a bit PO'd and called Grand Design directly, who indicated that it was Furrion that denied my warranty claim, not GD. After a few minutes of discussion, GD indicated that they would cover replacement of the water heater and 1.5 hours of labor. First of all thanks to Grand Design for covering this issue, but also they need to be aware that this is not an isolated issue with these water heaters based on what I've heard and read. Right now I am still waiting on the claim to get sent back to General so I can get my rig fixed and get it ready for a busy camping season. Grand Design, on a separate note, you need to review your content and update it with the newer model rigs and maintenance techniques.

[@GrandDesignRVTV]

Thanks for your feedback, Robert! We're happy we could help resolve this issue for you! With the volatility of RV products and designs, the best training is general winterizing knowledge, rather than specific model information. The best solution is a technician who can walk you through winterizing your specific camper.

[@RustyShackleford-pf3lz]

I see no way to ensure there is no water in the vortex tank. strange because it appears to have a low point drain but the vortex tank actually has a fill tube that prevents the bottom drain from working - so close to a good design…

[@robertleeper7849]

I have a 2022 Reflection 303RLS. Somehow I made it through two winters without freezing up the Furrion tankless water heater. I did upgrade to the second version controller so it could be used in moderatelly cold weather. However, now in season three I've sprung a leak in the heater coils, not the mixing bowl. After looking inside the heater, there's an obvious problem. The water inlet and outlet of the heater coils are at the top. There's no bottom drain for the heater coils. Also, opening either the drain plug or the filter will make it impossible to blow out the water in the heater coil. Based on this information, here's how I plan to winterize the new water heater. Step 1 - turn the valves to city water, and leave the red (heater by-pass) valve in the "UP" position. Step 2 - blow out the system with air. Open all the faucets one at a time until no water comes out. Step 3 - blow out the system with just one hot water faucet open until no water comes out. This should clear most of the water from the heater coils. Step 4 - open the bottom drains, the water heater drain and water heater filter plug. Note: At this point, there's still water in the mixing bowl. The heater coils should be mostly clear of water, but any retained water will collect in the bottom heater coil. Step 5 - replace all bottom drains, the heater drain plug and heater filter plug. Step 6 - turn the valves to the Winterize position, but leave the red (heater by-pass) valve in the "UP" or Open position. Step 7 - turn on water pump and open all faucets one at a time to fill the system with antifreeze. Turn off water pump. Step 8 - hook up a hose to the outside trailer faucet and open the hot water valve. Turn on water pump and antifreeze will flow out of the outside faucet hose. Run the antifreeze back into the antifreeze bottle. This will recirculate antifreeze through the water heater and fill the heater coils and mixing bowl with antifreeze (and a little water). Run for at least one minute to ensure good mixing of antifreeze into the mixing bowl. Note: The goal here is to get high flow through the water heater to flush out any trapped water and replace it with antifreeze. It's not necessary to open the water heater drain and water heater filter plug until you dewinterize the trailer in the spring. I hope this helps. I would have posted pictures, but this forum doesn't allow photos.

[@GrandDesignRVTV]

Hello, Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback! Grand Design operates on listening to customer and owner feedback. That is what drives our decisions. Please reach out to our customer service team via phone at 574-825-9679 or email at [e-mail], and we can send you the correct winterization instructions for a Furrion tankless water heater. Thank you.

[@banjoguy331]

This is a very good procedure! I am going to copy and paste it to a sheet in my RV folder on my PC. I like the idea of recirculating the antifreeze from the jug, through the system, including the water heater, and back into the jug via the outdoor faucet hose. I had to replace my water heater earlier this year (Spring 2024) after bringing it out of storage. I did everything I was supposed to do, but it busted anyway. Thanks!

[@GrandDesignRVTV]

Thank you for your feedback! We're sorry to hear of your experience. If you're in need of further assistance with winterization instructions, please don't hesitate to reach out to our team by phone at [phone] or by email at [e-mail].

[@stephenmegay416]

Thanks to all the commenters. I also followed the Grand Design winterizing instructions in the 337RLS manual only to have my Furrion tankless water heater rupture after winter storage (replaced it at my own cost). With all the comments here, I've been able to put together the appropriate winterizing steps to avoid a future failure.

[@GrandDesignRVTV]

So happy to hear that you were able to get this figured out Stephen. Please know that our customer service team does stand willing to assist with any outstanding questions or concerns that you may have at [phone].

[@stephenmegay416]

@@GrandDesignRVTV Appreciate your comment, however, it was not ideal that I followed the Grand Design manual when winterizing my 2022 Reflection 337RLS (purchased in July 2021), only to have the water heater rupture in January 2022. Being that we were one Day 1 of a month trip, and not in a position to file a claim, I replaced the unit at $600out-of-pocket cost.

[@jameslkerr]

@@stephenmegay416 you are not the only one this has happened to. I bought a brand new 2022 Reflection 315 RLTS late last year, and had the exact same thing happen to me. The instructions state to blow air through the system, which I did thoroughly for over 15 minutes, and it still retained water somewhere in the Water Heater. I think Furrion and Grand Design should really just initiate a recall, and notify all customers with a tankless water heater that they MUST flow antifreeze through the tankless water heaters instead of risking damage to the units. The problem I had was the ambiguity, you have a choice to put antifreeze into the water heater or not. The instructions should all be updated, and they could even mail out a sticker for the Nautilus system that has Tankless Winterizing where antifreeze is pumped into the heater unit.

[@GrandDesignRVTV]

Thank you for reaching out! We are sorry to hear about the issues you have experienced. I will reach out to our publishing team and share these concerns with them. Please don't hesitate to reach out to us with any questions in the future. You can reach us by phone at [phone] or by email at [e-mail].

[@mattpaulson6065]

@@stephenmegay416 in the same boat right now, hopefully @GrandDesignRVTV does the right thing and covers the cost for their incorrect information in the owners manual.

[@dustinkinn3296]

I had no issue blowing out the heater itself. However, opening the faucets in the RV on the "hot" side yields no water or pressure, almost as if the pressure is not going through. Am I missing something?

[@GrandDesignRVTV]

If you have a 4-valve Nautilous panel as shown in the video, change the position of the lower left valve and see if that makes a difference. If not, please feel free to reach out to us at [phone].

[@rickgaynor1740]

After blowing the water heater out, should I put antifreeze in it? I've always bypassed the water heater on our prior units but this is our first on demand wh system. Thanks for the info

[@emilystahley1801]

If you are using the Furrion Tankless water heater (Reflection unit) you will want to follow the instructions he talks about in the video. Blow the air through lines, and then DO NOT bypass the water heater so that you can get a little antifreeze in it. ONLY FOR TANKLESS FURRION. We cannot speak on behalf of any other brand. Thanks!

[@nd4spd325]

Id blow the air out and then put antifreeze in it. We recently dewinterized after just using air with the tankless unit and it failed. Thankfully GD and Furrion have been great to deal with and im having the repair covered. But what a pain in the butt. Also Furrion states the water heater is only good in temps down to 39 degrees. After that it should be winterized. So... not sure what you're supposed to do if you winter camp. Lol

[@deanfamily5709]

@@nd4spd325 Yeah it says Artic 4 season package but not below 39 degrees lol. Sounds like false advertising.

[@GrandDesignRVTV]

Hi Dean, unfortunately, there is always going to be the potential of lines freezing in any freezing temperatures. We are only able to test our units in a controlled environment without any wind, snow, etc. If you have any questions about this package, please feel free to give us a call at [phone].

[@kvaillancourt7256]

@@emilystahley1801 I did blow out the lines as instructed. However, it says to use the "City water" diverter valve setting to add antifreeze to the Furrion system at the city water inlet. This is EXACTLY what I WANT to do! However, this does not work since the "City Water" setting requires a pressurized source of water/liquid to work. Even using the 12v water pump does not work with this valve setting. Believe me, I've tried. The only way this setting can work is if I use some kind of pump to simulate pressurized water and force the antifreeze into the city water inlet.

[@christophersmith2998]

Thank You!

[@junetrusty]

do you turn off the hot water heater control inside the rv when you are finished with the winterization?

[@GrandDesignRVTV]

Good Morning! Yes, you want to be sure that your water heater is 'off'.

[@junetrusty]

@@GrandDesignRVTV ok couldn't get a direct answer from Keystone. They didn't know. Thank you for the fast response

[@GrandDesignRVTV]

No problem! 😊

[@WanderWiseRVReports]

Air is not reliable. Antifreeze should always be the primary step during winterization, not an option as this video suggests. Especially with furrion tankless water heaters, as a lot of them come with the vortex package, which is essentially a mini hot water tank. Also, turning the valves to city water isn't the solution for winterizing the tank unless you have a portable pump to pump antifreeze into the city water connection. What you need to do with the nautilus system is set the valves into dry camping mode, then find your water pump and disconnect the inlet side (the side that pulls water from your fresh tank). Connect a 3 or 4 foot hose to the inlet side and put the other end of the hose in a jug of antifreeze. Then, just turn on your pump and open the hot side on one of your faucets. This will ensure you get antifreeze into your furrion tankless water heater with the vortex system and can guarantee your water heater isn't damaged next season. This is coming from a canadian who does countless winterizes per year and has never had a customer come back.

[@GrandDesignRVTV]

Per Furrion winterization procedure, you are required to blow it out first. We always recommend using antifreeze when winterizing a unit. There are several difference configurations for plumbing and bypassing/winterizing the water heater depending on production date of the unit. For unit specific details and any further questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to our Customer Service team directly at [phone].

[@JohnNguyen-iw8qn]

Those nautilus manifolds are just dumb. Over complicating a very simple system. Then they LOVE to leak and break all cheap plastic but charge an arm and a leg since it's all one piece.

[@GrandDesignRVTV]

We're sorry to hear about the dissatisfaction you have had with our product. If you are in need of assistance with this issue, please feel free to reach out to our customer care team, so we can look into this and see how we can best assist. You can reach our team by phone at [phone] or by email at [e-mail].