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Old 10-07-2019, 05:53 PM   #1
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Do you leave antifreeze in all winter or drain it?

For those of you that use antifreeze to winterize, do you leave your antifreeze in your water system over the winter or run it through and drain it?


I winterized today for the first time (air compressor to blow out, then fill with antifreeze using a bypass valve on the water pump) and was told by a local RV shop that when they winterize a trailer they fill and then drain the antifreeze so it doesn't add (as much) taste to the piping and is easier to flush in the spring. Makes sense to me, but wonder what others do.
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Old 10-07-2019, 06:01 PM   #2
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I leave it
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Old 10-07-2019, 06:22 PM   #3
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I leave it, but I think either is okay.
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Old 10-07-2019, 06:50 PM   #4
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If using the propylene glycol formula I have never noticed a taste. Some with the alcohol formulation or a blend can leave a taste. So from my experience it depends. The Camco website has a good primer sheet on the different types of RV antifreeze and their characteristics.

Then, if you can find Starbrite (often at boat dealers) RV antifreeze I believe it is the propylene glycol formulation and cheaper than Camco from RV stores.
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Old 10-07-2019, 07:52 PM   #5
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Hi

The polyethylene glycol stuff most definitely has a taste. It's a bit sweet. It also has an impact on the digestive tract ( = it's MiraLAX)

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Old 10-07-2019, 08:24 PM   #6
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I've done it both ways.
The last several years I've opened the low point drains and all faucets after pumping the antifreeze in, letting it run out till is stops.
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Old 10-07-2019, 08:38 PM   #7
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we blow our system first so its dry
then just add antifreeze to the traps
one jug does the whole AS
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Old 10-07-2019, 08:59 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by A W Warn View Post
I've done it both ways.
The last several years I've opened the low point drains and all faucets after pumping the antifreeze in, letting it run out till is stops.
I'm leaning that way right now. I think it's protected.


Thanks
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Old 10-07-2019, 09:00 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by waninae39 View Post
we blow our system first so its dry
then just add antifreeze to the traps
one jug does the whole AS
Paranoia I guess. Thought about it, this is the first year I've done this. When I was blowing out the water I kept getting a fine mist; maybe I didn't keep going long enough. How long do you keep the air going?
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Old 10-07-2019, 09:23 PM   #10
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Blow out water, run a couple of gallons of "the pink stuff" through, then drain "the pink stuff" out.

We did it last weekend in less than an hour...just in time. Even though it was in the mid-sixties today and thru Wednesday, the temps on Thursday are expected to be "high 21/low 9"...our first real cold snap for the season. Brr...

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Old 10-07-2019, 09:32 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by InsideOut View Post
Blow out water, run a couple of gallons of "the pink stuff" through, then drain "the pink stuff" out.

We did it last weekend in less than an hour...just in time. Even though it was in the mid-sixties today and thru Wednesday, the temps on Thursday are expected to be "high 21/low 9"...our first real cold snap for the season. Brr...

Shari
As I said, I'm leaning that way right now. I think I'll drain the pink stuff out tomorrow before I store for the winter.


We spent last week in Estes Park; beautiful weather with one night below freezing. We're getting a drop in temp here Thu as well, but only down to 30 here, not single digits.
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Old 10-07-2019, 10:30 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by uncle_bob View Post
Hi

The polyethylene glycol stuff most definitely has a taste. It's a bit sweet. It also has an impact on the digestive tract ( = it's MiraLAX)

Bob
I stand corrected...please go to my reference to the Camco info page about the various formulations and their characteristics when making your decision. Sorry to confuse things with factual information vs personal opinion. Just part of the rv post thing I think.
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Old 10-07-2019, 10:55 PM   #13
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I leave mine in all winter:
I flush the system at least once a year anyway. That means purifying the lines and tank with bleach. So when you flush clean everything out you are really getting rid of the antifreeze. Also the antifreeze is an assurance that any water left doesn’t freeze, expand, and ruin fittings. But I live in NE Wisconsin. And it gets really cold. Plus I don’t trust blowing it out. Seeing that anti freeze coming through the pipes is a visual clue that water is not left in them.

By the way be sure to disconnect ALL your fittings that you can like the shower head and store in a warm place. I didn’t do that my first year and I had to buy a new shower head.
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Old 10-07-2019, 11:33 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by Daquenzer View Post
I leave mine in all winter:
I flush the system at least once a year anyway. That means purifying the lines and tank with bleach. So when you flush clean everything out you are really getting rid of the antifreeze. Also the antifreeze is an assurance that any water left doesn’t freeze, expand, and ruin fittings. But I live in NE Wisconsin. And it gets really cold. Plus I don’t trust blowing it out. Seeing that anti freeze coming through the pipes is a visual clue that water is not left in them.

By the way be sure to disconnect ALL your fittings that you can like the shower head and store in a warm place. I didn’t do that my first year and I had to buy a new shower head.
Thanks. Nebraska isn't exactly warm but probably not what you experience. I store it inside so it's out of the wind but no heat.


I bleach and flush every spring. And yes, I did take all faucets/strainers/hoses off and will keep inside at home.


But I still think blowing it out prior to antifreeze is a good idea to get the water out of the city fill portion of the system. I don't want to take the screen out and open up the backflow preventer to fill that part of the system with AF.
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Old 10-08-2019, 07:03 AM   #15
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I blow out and add rv antifreeze at the water pump intake. Run all water until it turns pink. Clean it out in the spring, no taste issues, and no damage from frozen pipes. Takes about a gallon and a half.

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Old 10-08-2019, 07:27 AM   #16
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I leave it in the pipes. I drain it out of the fresh water tank.
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Old 10-08-2019, 08:08 AM   #17
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I leave it in as a precaution in case and water didn't get blown out. If we go south for the winter, before returning I will flush the lines with antifreeze and leave it in since I don't carry a compressor to blow the lines.

I sanitize my fresh water tank in the spring. After draining out the antifreeze I sanitize the tank and then send that through the lines. Drain that out, blow it out and run fresh water through them.

We don't usually drink the water from our AS. It's for flushing, cooking and washing dishes. I buy bottled water for the coffee and for drinking.
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Old 10-08-2019, 08:20 AM   #18
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We leave antifreeze in place for the winter. The one year we just used compressed air, we had to replace the pump in the spring. Minus 30F degrees is a little chilly.
We do an added step in the spring of adding baking soda to our lines and fresh water tank after sanitizing with bleach. It sits for 3 days, and then we flush the lines and tank with fresh water. Takes the bleach taste out. We do drink our water.

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Old 10-08-2019, 08:28 AM   #19
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I once purchased a 1966 Overlander which had sat behind the owners house for 23 years. Even though it had tree-moss 3" thick on top of the trailer, had gone down to the axles due to four flat tires and had become a mouse hotel. The owners husband who had died, left the pink-juice in the system all that time. When I got the trailer home and hooked the water up to the trailer "NO LEAKS!!!! in the water system.

Since that day, I figured if it worked for old Mr. Jackson all those years, it should work for me over a winter.

Leave it in.

Enjoy,
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Old 10-08-2019, 08:45 AM   #20
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I leave it however we mostly use bottle water for drinking, making coffee, and cooking.
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