Adding antifreeze to plumbing

[Milo1952]

watching a youtube video by LOLOHO
They drained the fresh water tank, added a couple of gallons of antifreeze
and then ran the water pump to pull it thru the system at each plumbing fixture.
Has anyone ever winterized using this method?
Does the pump pull from the bottom of the fresh water tank?
Wondering if this will work.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by Milo1952

watching a youtube video by LOLOHO
They drained the fresh water tank, added a couple of gallons of antifreeze
and then ran the water pump to pull it thru the system at each plumbing fixture.
Has anyone ever winterized using this method?
Does the pump pull from the bottom of the fresh water tank?
Wondering if this will work.

The pump in our Classic is a pain to get to.👎
I did it for 8yrs. Used two gals. And a cup in all traps. Don't forget the shower hose & sink sprayer.
Worked.
Then worked again & Again come Spring when it's time to flush it out. PITA. Not worth the effort. 👎

Now I just blow the lines, steady 35psi, keeping one line open while opening all faucets one at a time. Blow the HWT thru the pressure relief valve. LP drains open.
1/4cup veggie oil in an empty toilet. AF in all traps.

Bob
🇺🇸

[Too tall]

Since someone will ask. Blow air thru the fresh water inlet, follow Bob's directions including the hot water heater.

[Bill M.]

Yes, the pump pulls from the bottom of the tank. Yes, I have used that method. Yes, it works. Yes, it tastes bad and stinks for a while in the spring. You need a water heater bypass to do it through the pump or you will be pumping in 6 gallons to the WH.

[Wayne&Sam]

I also just blow out the lines, but also disconnect the outlet from the water pump and running for a minute to makes sure it's completely empty.

And don't forget to remove inline water filters.

[overlander63]

I've learned that, no matter how long or hard you blow, you will still end up with a small amount of water in the lines. If your luck is like mine, that small amount will end up in the one place that could be damaged by freezing water.
No matter what or which method you use, I don't recommend adding antifreeze to the fresh water tank. Antifreeze that has been diluted by water is effectively useless, and you will never get all the water out of that tank prior to adding antifreeze. You will also never get all the antifreeze out of the fresh tank in Spring, unless you are willing to spend an inordinate amount of time and effort filling, draining, flushing, and pumping. And don't add your cup of sanitizing bleach to the fresh tank in Spring before making sure the antifreeze is gone. It smells weird, in a bad way, and tastes worse. No need to ask how I know this...

[Caffeinated]

For over 25 years I added 8 gallons of rv antifreeze to my fresh water tank, pumped it through my entire system, and called it good. Never had a problem with the pipes or fixtures. A bit of a pita in the spring to clean out, but with a thorough flushing, no issues with taste or smell.

Then we bought the AS and read about a better way. Now I blow out the lines with my Viair compressor, then I disconect the intake of my water pump and bypass and drain the water heater and pump 2 gallons of antifreeze through all the fixtures. Could I get away with out using the antifreeze? Maybe. It seems cheap insurance to me though. I know I won't have a issue doing it his way.

Mike

[DaveP]

Last summer, while I was putting in a SeeLevel system, I needed to take out the fresh water tank drain to gain some room for my hands to get to the side of the tank. The original tank drain is a rinky-dinky set-up with a 1/2 inch threaded coupler which reduces to a 1/4 inch outlet. The 1/4 inch outlet then has a short piece of clear vinyl tubing that connects to the white, cheap valve (we all know and love) to drain the tank. Draining can be an hours-long affair...

I removed this assembly and installed a 5 inch pipe (see below). It aligns nicely with the hole for the white valve and the 1/2 inch threaded hole in the fresh water tank. On the end of the pipe, I installed a quality, quarter-turn brass valve. I can now empty the tank in 10 minutes or less. Great for winterizing!

BTW, it is 20 degrees here this morning and forecast to be cold all week. Glad I winterized last Monday!

[ROBERT CROSS]

In the beginning I made the mistake of putting the pink stuff in the crapper over the Winter...two Seasons and it leaked like the White House.👎😂
Propylene glycol or ethanol not good for the seals over time. Same for the black and fresh tanks.

Bob
🇺🇸

[WayneG]

My method for the last 10 years:

1) drain everything, including black & gray tanks, then use 15psi air pressure from the shore water inlet. (Higher pressure may blow gaskets or poor connections may start a leak)

2) add 5-6 gallons of GOOD RV antifreeze, yes it is a waste filling the water heater, but at least you know it is safe as well as your plumbing from the water heater. You can use the bypass but be sure you put some antifreeze in the hot water tank to protect it.
A note: Dont buy the cheap RV antifreeze, it may claim protection to 50 below, but I stuck a full jug of it outside (above zero) and it froze solid, bulging out the sides of the jug!

3) drain everything again, then air pressure again so there is less antifreeze to deal with in the spring.

For the fresh water tank in the spring: my line to the fresh water outlet to the pump is about a inch above the bottom of the tank.

To clean up the residual antifreeze from the fresh water tank, if your water tank outlet is in the rear tilt your rig to the rear so there is less to pump out.
Fill the fresh water tank at least 1/2 full and drain.
Then add a few gallons of fresh water to the tank and drain, do the last part 3 to 5 times and the percentage of antifreeze will be undetectable.

You should do the same for your water heater.

[Minno]

The ONE time we blew the lines without adding antifreeze, we ended up replacing the water pump in the spring. We now blow the lines, then pump antifreeze through the system without putting it in the fresh tank. The little water in the fresh tank has room to expand, and we haven't had issues with the tank. We don't put antifreeze in grey or black tanks either. We do put antifreeze down all faucets and make sure we hit the sprayers in the bathroom and kitchen.
Some of differences in experience may depend on how blessed cold it gets where you live. It will hit -20F or more in Minneapolis for at least 3 or 4 days every winter. Once it gets to -15F, it's just "colder than a well diggers butt" as my dad used to say...

Kay

[Daquenzer]

My problem is that getting to the water pump is a total PITA. So this year I am going to first blow everything out and drain after I shut off the access to the WH and drain it. Then put about 2 or 3 gallons of anitfreeze in the tank and pump through system. Then I’m going to hand pump it through the system. Then flush the fresh water tank now a few times by adding water and then draining it. I’ll do it again in the Spring a few times. In Spring fill tank and run the pump to drain all the water in the tank. We don’t use our tank to drink water from anyway. About the only thing we use that water for is to flush the toilets when we travel. We carry drinking water.

The biggest issue is if you blow out the system there IS going to be water in that water pump. It will freeze and ruin it. I’d rather flush the system a few times than replace a water pump.

By the way: Disconnect and remove all fixtures. I got water in my shower head last year. It froze and had to replace it. So this year all fixtures will be removed and put in my heated garage.

[B00merang]

ok..one more, only because it seems to be the simplest: When I leave my campsites to head home, I open the bottom drain to my water tank...by the time I've bounced home, its empty. So when winterizing I leave the water tank alone, take out the bottom plug of the water heater to drain it, and disconnect the intake hose to the pump and let it suck up 1-2 gall of antifreeze while opening bathroom, kitchen, and shower faucets till they run pink. Reconnect the pump, and you're done.

[Rzrbrn]

Originally Posted by WayneG

My method for the last 10 years:

1) drain everything, including black & gray tanks, then use 15psi air pressure from the shore water inlet. (Higher pressure may blow gaskets or poor connections may start a leak)

2) add 5-6 gallons of GOOD RV antifreeze, yes it is a waste filling the water heater, but at least you know it is safe as well as your plumbing from the water heater. You can use the bypass but be sure you put some antifreeze in the hot water tank to protect it.
A note: Dont buy the cheap RV antifreeze, it may claim protection to 50 below, but I stuck a full jug of it outside (above zero) and it froze solid, bulging out the sides of the jug!

3) drain everything again, then air pressure again so there is less antifreeze to deal with in the spring.

For the fresh water tank in the spring: my line to the fresh water outlet to the pump is about a inch above the bottom of the tank.

To clean up the residual antifreeze from the fresh water tank, if your water tank outlet is in the rear tilt your rig to the rear so there is less to pump out.
Fill the fresh water tank at least 1/2 full and drain.
Then add a few gallons of fresh water to the tank and drain, do the last part 3 to 5 times and the percentage of antifreeze will be undetectable.

You should do the same for your water heater.

I thought all RV antifreeze is the same stuff. What brand is "Good" RV antifreeze? Walmart, Amazon, Camping World? From Amazon: Camco RV Antifreeze Concentrate - 36 ounces of Concentrate Makes 1 Gallon of Antifreeze, Just Add Fresh Water, or maybe RV and Marine Antifreeze by Chemworld RV?

I have been using whatever is on the shelf, which has seemed to work ok, but I would rather not take the chance of pipes freezing just to save a couple of bucks.

[brundom]

So if I understand correctly, I can pour the antifreeze into the fresh water tank filler opening and then utilize the trailer's water pump to pump the antifreeze through all the lines???

How many gallons for a FC 19?

Thanks

[Jimz]

Antifreeze is great for traps, but avoid it in water lines. It takes forever to get the taste out of the lines. After doing it once, on the advice of a friend who uses it in his "park model" which never goes anywhere, and hence can be flushed quickly. We often dry camp and had a devil of a time getting the taste out.

Now I drain everything well, and use an air chuck to flush the lines. It is all described in the owner's manual. I was afraid to try it at first, but it is quite simple and effective.

[Cyclist]

The water pump in the 28 is a real pain to access for the water pump by-pass type of winterizing since it's under the refrigerator and behind the furnace duct and wires for the propane sniffer (in addition, the inlet for the pump is on the far side). I tried using the fresh water tank method once - it worked but it used a lot of anti-freeze which was a nuisance to get rid of after pumping through the system. I had to flush the water tank at least four times to get rid of the residual anti-freeze.

I've since had Can-AM RV install the bypass kit for the water pump (haven't used it though as we have been going south). We also used a hand pump for the anti-freeze to push it through the sewer tank flush and city water inlet.

[Antique Pedaler]

Always an interest subject each fall. When we bought our first 1999 Safari in 2000 I called the factory on winterizing they said they drain and bypass the water heater, blow out the lines and antifreeze the drain traps. That’s what we’ve done with our next 3 modern Airstreams where the water pump is impossible to reach. Our 64 Bambi is differently plumbed. I drain the water tank and drain and bypass the water heater. Between the fresh water tank and the pump I installed a tee valve. So I draw antifreeze with a flex tube directly from the jug thru the pump. Takes about 1 1/2 gallons with the remainder going into the traps

[pcskier]

This anti-freeze/no antifreeze debate is as personal as tires, hitches, and tow vehicles. Here's my two cents:

1. Putting antifreeze in the FW tank and pulling it though the system will make it a massive project to try flushing the tank in the spring. Take the time to install a $20 winterizing kit in front of the water pump so you can leave the tank out of the equation. https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Permane...interizing+kit. Be warned...the valve on the winterizing kit IS directional...make sure you install in the right direction or you'll be confounded as to why you can't seem to draw antifreeze out of the jug. And, there also is NO reason to put antifreeze in the water heater once it's been drained. If a few oz are left in the bottom, it won't hurt anything. Just drain it and then bypass it before using compressed air and/or anti-freeze.

2. I stopped using anti-freeze in the lines. It took forever to get the odor flushed out and used so much water. And even then, when it seemed they were clear of odor, on my first trip, when it got warm out, the water smelled like antifreeze again, especially hot shower water that was heated in the water heater. (I didn't use AF in the water heater...just the hot water traveling to the fixtures picked up odor).

3. I switched to just compressed air. I use one of those 6 gallon pancake compressors with a quick connect fitting attached to the city water inlet. Not the schrader type that is a pain to have to have someone stand there holding the chuck on the fitting. This one allows you to connect and walk away and do your thing.https://express.google.com/u/0/produ...hoCSuUQAvD_BwE Recommend getting one, they are under $200 and handy to have around. The small tire inflators can get the system up to pressure, but the volume is so small, it takes much to long to do this well over and over again. You want a compressor with a few gallons of volume. The key is that they provide CONTINUOUS pressure to push water out. Small tire inflators will pressurize the pipes, but as soon as you open a fixture, the pressure drops immediately after expelling SOME water. You want CONTINUOUS and SUSTAINED pressure for 20 seconds or so, to expel the water without the pressure dropping to zero in literally 3 seconds. This requires compressor with a tank. I suspect people that have had problems with winterizing with just air, might have been using a Viair or something similar that does not have any capacity...just a piston pumping out air and slowly pressurizing the plumbing lines. Not enough.

Fire up the compressor (45 psi setting) and go around all the fixtures and low point drains, one by one, until no water, or even 'mist', comes out. Allow time whenever the compressor kicks back on for things to pressurize back up again. I will take up to an hour to do this, going through the circuit many times.

4. Don't forget outside shower. Flush the toilet lever as well...someone commented yesterday that without antifreeze, their toilet valve froze every year. I can only assume that they did not flush the toilet several times to clear the valve.

5. Blowing out with compressed air will NOT clear the pump. Once the lines are all cleared, two things still need to be done:
--Remove pressure, then disconnect the line from the pressure side/outlet of the pump. There will still be water in there that was pushed up against the pump in that little leg of pipe while you were blowing out everything else. After removal, apply pressure. This will clear that short section of pipe.

--Disconnect the suction side line at the pump, that comes from the fresh water tank. Turn on the pump for 10 or 20 seconds. The pump will eject any water that is sitting in it. While doing this I'll put my finger over the outlet of the pump for a couple seconds so pressure builds in it, then remove it and let the built up pressure release.

6. Don't forget to put your compressed air fitting on the black tank flush and hit that with compressed air for a few seconds. This will clear the anti-siphon valve, and the sprayer in the black tank.

7. With pressure still applied, go around all the fixtures and low points AGAIN and open them all. Then do it ... again.

8. Hit the traps with a couple cups of antifreeze. Though what I actually do is just unscrew the sink traps, there are only two in most of our trailers, empty them, and reinstall. Easy peasy and gives me an opportunity to clean them out as well. I do put a few cups down the shower drain since I can't access that one to manually drain it.

I have had nothing freeze and it gets to minus teens (F) around these parts.

The best part of this--after winterizing, I put everything back in service mode (undo the water heater bypass since it's no empty, reinstall all lines to pump)...and in the spring, fill up fresh tank, fill water heater via city connection, and hit the road without flushing and flushing and flushing the system to get the antifreeze out.

This works for me.

[Dan and Liz]

I just drain the fresh water tank and water heater, attach compressor to shore water inlet @ 40 psi, blow the lines through toilet, toilet hose, hot and cold sinks and shower valves, put antifreeze in traps, 1/4 cup vegetable oil in commode — drain holding tanks — and call it good. If I use commode or sinks in winter (with bottled water) I put a bit of antifreeze in the holding tanks and drain them as soon as practical. No problems ever.