Winterizing an Ice Maker

[Miramar Owner]

Any suggestions on the best way to winterize an ice make in the residential refrigerator in a newer motor home? I am planning on blowing out the lines but think I will still have to pull the RV antifreeze through the lines until I get pink ice cubes. Any thoughts?

[steveak]

My Tuscany XTE has a residential refrigerator. It has an outside hatch behind the refrigerator with a shut off valve. I shut off the valve, and disconnect the line to the refrigerator at the valve. I pump antifreeze to the valve and close it when antifreeze arrives just as you would with any faucet. I then have the wife with a small bucket at the refrigerator door draining the water supply in the refrigerator door while I put air pressure to the water line running to the icemaker and refrigerator door. With the wife opening the water supply valve in the door I am able to get all the water out of that line with air pressure.
I do not try to put antifreeze in the supply line past the shut off valve. I do turn off the icemaker. I do leave the refrigerator/freezer plugged in and operating. I DO have the shore power plugged in. I do not heat the coach.
This has worked well for me since having a residential refrigerator for the last four years, and at temperatures below -20. I arrived at this process after neither my dealer nor Thor could answer the question.

Steve

[rskrbina]

Turn the refrigerator ON and leave the arm of the ice maker in the up position. I do my ice maker last. After ALL lines have been blown out, put the arm of the ice maker in the down position. Go and sit down with your favorite beverage and watch a ball game while the ice maker cycles enough to expel the water out of the line. Go back out to the RV and disconnect the air line. All done! I've done this the last two winters with no problems at all.

[Miramar Owner]

To steveak: Thanks for your reply. I have no access panel to the back so no way to reach the line to blow it out separately from the rest of the lines. I think I will try the suggestion from rskbina.