Winterizing with a leaf blower

[MaiziesGang]

Not owning a compressor, I wonder if a gas powered leaf blower would work for blowing the water out of the plumbing system? It would be easy enough to create a donut to seal between the outlet of the blower and the water inlet to the AS. Will it work, am I creating any problems? Thanks for your comments.

[dwightdi]

Leaf blowers do not create enough pressure to push the water out of the system.

[HowieE]

Not sure you want what may come out of the leaf blower in your water system next spring. Besides it may not produce enough pressure to get past the pressure regulator in the connection

Do you have or know someone that has a tire tank? If so that will hold enough air to blow out the system.

While it is nice to purge to the last drop the only piping that has to be blown out is the piping from the city water inlet to the rest of the system. So the first shot of air does that leg. The rest of the system any remaining water will be displaced as you pump in antifreeze.

Winterizing is no where as critical as when copper tubing was used. Plastic is much more forgiving.

Just make sure to set the hot water heater by pass and drain the heater before you use air or antifreeze.

[Drathaar]

Originally Posted by MaiziesGang

Not owning a compressor, I wonder if a gas powered leaf blower would work for blowing the water out of the plumbing system? It would be easy enough to create a donut to seal between the outlet of the blower and the water inlet to the AS. Will it work, am I creating any problems? Thanks for your comments.

Go to Walmart and buy a 12 volt compressor. The 'Slime' (that's really the name) is about $40. Get the 12 volt extension, too.

Or, order a great one like a Viair 400 from Amazon for about $140.

And, there are blow out plugs that screw into your city water inlet. Connect your compressor air hose to it. About $2 at any RV dealer.

They're kinda handy to have around when you need to blow out the system, or when you have a low tire.

[ROBERT CROSS]

I leaf blower is a poor substitute......

A 12v compressor works to fill a tire because the tire acts as the storage tank.

Without a proper sized storage tank a constant 35-40psi is beyond the capability of most portable units.

Case in point......my 2stage 25gal 175psi shop compressor set at 125psi at the tank regulator will supply a steady 35psi at the discharge valve pumping into an open system, it takes about 30min to dry the lines.


NEVER apply air to a closed system.

Pumping AF into full lines dilutes both the water & AF. If you deem it necessary to add AF, it's much more efficient to blow out first.

Bob

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by MaiziesGang

Not owning a compressor, I wonder if a gas powered leaf blower would work for blowing the water out of the plumbing system?

Even if it would work— as other responders have said, it won't— you still wouldn't want to try it. Gasoline-powered leaf blowers create toxic exhaust fumes. One study I read said that the level of CO from a leaf blower was 17 times that of a mid-sized automobile because leaf blowers have no emission controls whatsoever. I think you would not want to risk getting engine exhaust fumes inside your fresh water supply system.

[kdickinson]

It's your trailer and your decision! For me, I was paying about $100 to have a mobile RV service come to me and winterize my trailer. It cost me about $180 for a pretty good (new) 33 gallon compressor - I looked and looked on Craigslist for a used one and none seemed to come available in my area. Storing a compressor that size is a pain but that 33 gallon drives all my pneumatic tools very nicely. Since we took several trips last winter we had to winterize about 5 different times (it freezes here right into April), economically the purchase of a compressor paid for itself pretty quickly. I already had a "doughnut" 5-gallon compressor but it only holds enough to fill a tire and cannot recover fast enough to keep positive pressure for the period of time required to displace the water in all the water supply in an RV or trailer. The by-pass and the water heater have to be checked off each winter also noting that there is still water in the water pump inner workings which is not displaced by the air. And of course grey / black / fresh water tanks need to be fully emptied. And the drain traps & head need antifreeze.

[m.hony]

Keep it simple, though.
I use a bicycle pump.
Pump pump pump-
Run in open kitchen sink faucet-
Pump pump pump-
Run in open shower faucet-
Pump pump pump-
Run in open lavatory faucet-
Pump pump pump-
Run in flush toilet-
It is a work out, but it gets it done.
Then I put pink RV antifreeze in all pipes-

[KJRitchie]

Purchase a small tank air compressor for winterizing, tire inflation, blowing air etc. Its really worth the investment.

Kelvin

[m.hony]

You know, that's a really good idea.
Every year on Black Friday I consider purchasing a small compressor or air tank.
If I had an air tank, I could fill it at the shop.
Another idea: I have a friend with an air tank. I'm sure I could borrow it.
The bicycle pump does allow me to winterize independently- without buying or borrowing anything- and when I get ready to winterize- right now- immediately- no trip across town-
Dark-thirty usually catches me- when I get off work at 5, it already is as dark as midnight from now till spring forward time until March-
Maybe I'll get to do it on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday-
Usually it gets winterized more than once-
Winterize-
Go camping-
Winterize again-
Go camping again-
And so on and so on and scooby dooby doo-






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[Wingeezer]

Pretty sure that as others have mentioned, it wont work!

On the other hand, I have Stihl's largest commercial backpack blower, and I have been wondering if it is powerful enough to pressurise my trailer if I make up a plywood blank to close off the door opening with an adapter to connect the blower hose.

I have a leak someplace i my trailer shell and wonder if I can use the soap bubble method to find the elusive leak before it does damage.

I have tried all that I can think of to eliminate the leak but so far not succeeded - I get very minor dampness near one end of the cross mounted sofa at the front of our trailer. I have checked and caulked as necessary all nearby shell seams, window frames, awning brackets changed a coupe of clearance lights, re-caulked the fantastic fan etc. This is getting the better of me!


If you don't want to get a proper compressor to blow out your water system, why not just bypass and drain your HW tank, and then use your water pump in the trailer to pump in a couple of jugs of plumbing antifreeze?

It will push out the water as you introduce it, and any small amount left mixed with the antifreeze will not be a problem, especially in N Carolina!

Brian.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by MaiziesGang

Not owning a compressor, I wonder if a gas powered leaf blower would work for blowing the water out of the plumbing system? It would be easy enough to create a donut to seal between the outlet of the blower and the water inlet to the AS. Will it work, am I creating any problems? Thanks for your comments.

Since you already own a 2015 25' FC, a 120 volt compressor (with a small tank and pressure regulator) would represent but a minuscule part of your overall investment, and will pay for itself many times over. Go for it!

[Wayne&Sam]

Originally Posted by Wingeezer

On the other hand, I have Stihl's largest commercial backpack blower, and I have been wondering if it is powerful enough to pressurise my trailer if I make up a plywood blank to close off the door opening with an adapter to connect the blower hose.

I have one of those Stihls, it's a brute. It might blow the windows out! I don't shovel my front walk much any more, I just blow the snow off!

[Siegmann]

As stated by Wingeezer:

"If you don't want to get a proper compressor to blow out your water system, why not just bypass and drain your HW tank, and then use your water pump in the trailer to pump in a couple of jugs of plumbing antifreeze? It will push out the water as you introduce it, and any small amount left mixed with the antifreeze will not be a problem"


+1. I never understood why some blow-out and then also pump antifreeze.

[KJRitchie]

$59. This is all you need for light duty air compressor. It won't run automotive tools but for filling tires, winterizing and blowing off dusty areas its sufficient.

http://www.amazon.com/Campbell-Hausf...7885023&sr=1-4

[OTRA15]

Perfect! Plus at 16" x 8" x 20" -- and weighing only 19 pounds -- this compressor could live in the tow vehicle as another versatile tool.

[m.hony]

Originally Posted by Siegmann

As stated by Wingeezer:

"If you don't want to get a proper compressor to blow out your water system, why not just bypass and drain your HW tank, and then use your water pump in the trailer to pump in a couple of jugs of plumbing antifreeze? It will push out the water as you introduce it, and any small amount left mixed with the antifreeze will not be a problem"


+1. I never understood why some blow-out and then also pump antifreeze.

I never did both before I owned the Airstream, but the Airstream owner's manual says do both-
I used to do antifreeze only in my previous trailer-
When I asked why do both, the answer was that if there is still water in the system it will still freeze and cause damage.
If you just pump antifreeze in with water still in the system, the antifreeze will be diluted and not protect to as low a freezing point.
It made sense to me. I make a BIG payment on my Airstream every month- I don't want ANYTHING to happen to it!



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[m.hony]

Originally Posted by KJRitchie

$59. This is all you need for light duty air compressor. It won't run automotive tools but for filling tires, winterizing and blowing off dusty areas its sufficient.

http://www.amazon.com/Campbell-Hausf...7885023&sr=1-4

May consider it- next payday-


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[CRH]

Buy a compressor...I can see owning things with tires and no way to keep them inflated.

[Siegmann]

M.hony, I had the same concern about diluting the antifreeze. Early on I did a test by putting some straight out of the bottle into a small clear container. I then pumped, the antifreeze out of a faucet, till it turned pink, and then captured this in another small clear container. Visual comparison indicated no obvious dilution. I concluded that the diameter of the pex lines are so small that they do not allow mixing beyond a small portion of the leading stream. Plus I have been winterizing about twice a year for 17 years this way. Usually at least one of those times each season my rig will experience a hard freeze (into the 20's). I have never had any freeze damage.

Since I'm doing this with the pump, and not at the city water hook-up, I also have to open the exterior valve at the no-fuss flush (in addition to all the interior plumbing).