Winterizing... "MacGyver" Style

OK, so I finally raised the roof on Miss Danger (With the usual difficulties and adventure involved) and got about the business of winterizing. My water heater drain is on the top, brilliant design. I simply opened the over-pressure relief valve and turned it upside down to let the water drain through the hose I already have through the floor. Nothing came out. Drat, and it was heavy too (even though it's only 2.5 gallons, it's in an awkward place for up-ending it.

I recalled Crawford's post about blowing his lines out with a small air compressor. But he drained his hot water tank and used the hotwater tank bypass. I have no bypass and I can't drain the tank. I also don't have one of those cool adaptors to hook an air compressor up to a hose fitting. So, I started inventing.

I have an old plastic hand pump that is low pressure but high volume for inflating beach toys and such. The hose has long been missing. I have the "other end" (male) of the hose I cut for my sink drain. I wrapped the air outlet nipple on the pump with electrical tape to make it big enough for a snug fit inside the garden hose, and secured it with a hose clamp. I wrapped the threaded end of the hose with teflon tape, just to ensure a good seal against the washer in the female end (that is, the water inlet attached to camper). I opened the faucets and pumped and some water came out, but not nearly all. I closed the manual pump faucet and the cold water part of the regular faucet, and pumped again. I got a little more water, and could hear the air bubbling through the water heater.

Then I thought about the old trick of holding a glass upside down in water and the air staying inside. I pulled the water heater out again and turned it back upside down. Then I pumped and drained that rascal in nothing flat. I re-did each valve of the sink, just to make sure. Bam, winterizing done, and new tool for the PUP manufactured. I'm counting this as another mod.

Macgyver has nothing on you Richard, when it comes to pop up mods.