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Old 09-22-2017, 02:56 PM   #1
4 Rivet Member
 
1995 30' Excella
Harper Woods , Michigan
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antifreeze testing

Hello, I've recently acquired a '94 28' Excella that has been 'in storage' for 4-5 years. It's certainly worth the work to bring it back. It has antifreeze in the tanks, the water pump works and pumps colored iiquid into a glass, and so far as I know there are not any plumbing leaks. So I've put plumbing maintenance further down on the list of things that need my attention.

But if I can't get to assessing and doing maintenance on the water system before winter (Michigan), will a typical automotive antifreeze tester (a new one!) give useful information about the antifreeze protection in the tanks & plumbing? Is there something else I need to do ? I think it's better to keept it mind now instead of waiting after Thanksgiving.
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Old 09-22-2017, 03:41 PM   #2
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2017 30' Classic
2022 Interstate 24X
Carlisle , Pennsylvania
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Hi

RV antifreeze is enough different than the stuff that goes in radiators that I would not trust a tester for one to work on the other. The RV stuff is targeted at single season use. I'd flush and replace it ....You also don't really know what's happened over the last 5 years.....

Bob
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Old 09-22-2017, 04:24 PM   #3
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1981 31' Excella II
New Market , Alabama
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If it has not frozen yet it should be fine. What water was in the system has been diluted so it should not freeze even if the antifreeze has leaked out.

Perry
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Old 09-22-2017, 04:52 PM   #4
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1995 30' Excella
Harper Woods , Michigan
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Hmm, I thinking along the lines of measuring the specific gravity of the fluid.

Automotive antifreeze is basically an alcohol - ethylene glycol - that lowers the freezing point and the boiling point. Potable water antifreeze is probably a mixture of ethanol with a colorant and something to make it taste yucky, and it may have a small amount methanol in it too. Repeated filling and draining of the potable water tank eventually dilutes and flushes out the antifreeze -"The solution to pollution is dilution." Antifreeze for gray and black water tanks probably has a detergents and bactericides in it as well.

So goes my theories. is there better knowledge & advice available?
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Old 09-22-2017, 05:14 PM   #5
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2017 30' Classic
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Carlisle , Pennsylvania
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Hi

The problem is that the specific gravity (or whatever they are measuring) will be different for automotive antifreeze than for the RV stuff. There's no guarantee that they break down in a similar fashion or that the breakdown impacts both the same way. Automotive grade stuff is a different chemical "soup" and works to a much higher temperature range. The RV stuff is constrained by the "you can eat it" requirement. One is very much not the same as the other.....

Bob
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Old 09-22-2017, 08:53 PM   #6
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1981 31' Excella II
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Take some out, put it in the freezer and see what happens.

Perry
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Old 09-22-2017, 10:24 PM   #7
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If you are concerned about freezing. Just pump new RV antifreeze into the entire system. Don't forget the P traps. Make sure the water heater is empty.
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