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Old 12-07-2018, 01:03 PM   #1
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Winterizing with no antifreeze

So, I winterized my Basecamp using just and air compressor., I was very careful and did a fairly thorough job. I also made sure to drain the truma Combi water heater, and I did put anti-freeze in the P traps, and shower drain, and the toilet bowl. Now I am second-guessing myself. I live in Salt Lake City which can get down in the single digits or below zero in the winter. One reason I did it this way is because I am heading on a camping trip to a warmer climate the end of this month and I didn’t want to de-winterize it when I left to camp . I’m just wondering if I will be OK blowing out the lines and not pulling antifreeze through the lines? Anyone else winterize this way in a cold climate
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Old 12-07-2018, 01:48 PM   #2
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That is the only way I have ever winterized. Just the smell from putting the antifreeze in the traps is almost more than my wife can stand. There is no way I want it in the fresh water lines.
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Old 12-07-2018, 01:57 PM   #3
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Hi

Weird as it may sound, you can get every bit as much damage from lines freezing at 28F as at -28F. If it goes below freezing for a couple of days and the trailer stays at either temperature, *everything* freezes. Faribanks AK is no worse off than Austin TX in terms of freeze damage on an un-occupied RV. Indeed, the trailer will go below freezing quicker if a big wind blows in at -28F than at 28F, that's not what causes the damage .....

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Old 12-07-2018, 02:38 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wyo View Post
That is the only way I have ever winterized. Just the smell from putting the antifreeze in the traps is almost more than my wife can stand. There is no way I want it in the fresh water lines.
Thank you.

Plus if you want to use water in a moments notice then you need to drain the antifreeze and flush the lines. That is no good in my book, when I may take a few trips south in the winter and don't want the hassle. I can keep the trailer warm and blow air in the lines when I get home, or blow air in the lines when I am in a warmer climate and just park her ready for the next trip.
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Old 12-07-2018, 02:59 PM   #5
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I know plenty of folks just do the air blow out. My view - I use air to blow out my landscape sprinklers - usually do the blow-out, wait a couple of days and then do it again. I still end up with at least one sprinkler head or valve needing to be replaced come spring...
You pays your money and take your chances.
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Old 12-07-2018, 03:14 PM   #6
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Thank you.

Plus if you want to use water in a moments notice then you need to drain the antifreeze and flush the lines.
If you put RV antifreeze in the lines you can immediately drain it out through the low point drains and blow out the lines again. I use the drained antifreeze in the raps, toilet and holding tanks. There is no reason to leave the antifreeze in the pipes all winter. You are no ready to go at a moments notice.
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Old 12-07-2018, 04:11 PM   #7
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Just the smell from putting the antifreeze in the traps is almost more than my wife can stand. There is no way I want it in the fresh water lines.
You do use the pink "RV safe" antifreeze, yes?
Not the automotive stuff?
I never noticed a smell from the pink stuff, but I can't say I left it in while using the trailer.
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Old 12-07-2018, 04:45 PM   #8
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You do use the pink "RV safe" antifreeze, yes?
Not the automotive stuff?
I never noticed a smell from the pink stuff, but I can't say I left it in while using the trailer.
There are two types of pink RV antifreeze. The cheap one with a strong VOC is made with alcohol. The other, more expensive one is made with propylene glycol and is almost odourless with a slightly sweet taste which shouldn’t be as much of a problem flushing out.
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Old 12-07-2018, 05:03 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by Mollysdad View Post
You do use the pink "RV safe" antifreeze, yes?
Not the automotive stuff?
I never noticed a smell from the pink stuff, but I can't say I left it in while using the trailer.
Yes, the pink stuff. The stuff with alcohol is even worse as far as smell. And she always has people comment about her sense of smell.


Sometimes after winterizing we will take it out for an over night excursion and just take a 5 gallon water container. Then all I have to do is empty the waste tank and put a little more AF in the traps and it is winterized.


It seems most people have trouble with the toilet valve when using only air. That is the one spot I make sure is void of water.
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Old 12-08-2018, 07:13 AM   #10
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Originally Posted by Adventure.AS View Post
There are two types of pink RV antifreeze. The cheap one with a strong VOC is made with alcohol. The other, more expensive one is made with propylene glycol and is almost odourless with a slightly sweet taste which shouldn’t be as much of a problem flushing out.
Hi

..... read the table of ingredients on a bottle of Miralax. There's only one ingredient and it's in a fairly low concentration.....

It can take a *long* time to get all the PEG flushed out.

Bob
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Old 12-08-2018, 08:00 AM   #11
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Be sure to blow out the toilet line.

I drain the system being sure to hold open the toilet flush valve then blow out the lines and hold the flush vale open to make sure that line is blown out.


One year I forgot about toilet valve wasn't a big deal to repair but lesson learned.
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Old 12-08-2018, 08:08 AM   #12
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Hi

..... read the table of ingredients on a bottle of Miralax. There's only one ingredient and it's in a fairly low concentration.....

It can take a *long* time to get all the PEG flushed out.

Bob
There are a lot of foods that you will also need to avoid which have propylene glycol as an ingredient.
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Old 12-08-2018, 10:01 AM   #13
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I have yet to blow out the lines, and it does get below freezing for a number of days in the Texas Hill Country. I drain the lines via the low points, drain the water heater and leave the plug out, drain the fresh water tank and leave the drain cock open, pink antifreeze in all traps and the black tank. I also open all the sink and shower fixtures. Once all is drained, I run the water pump for a few seconds to get rid of residual water in the pump. Because I can, I also have a space heater that I run (with all cabinets open) if the temp will be below freezing for more than 12-24 hours.
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Old 12-08-2018, 10:49 AM   #14
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There's nothing wrong with air only, as long as you're thorough. Make sure that you don't miss any water lines...outside shower, outside faucet, toilet flush, low-point valves, pump, etc. And don't forget the black tank flush, which is separate from the fresh water system. I make multiple passes at each line until I'm satisfied. I use anti-freeze only in the drain/waste system and have never had a problem. We can easily have early cold weather, so I'm careful.
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Old 12-08-2018, 10:59 AM   #15
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Several years ago I met some people from Texas, and they use Vodka to winterize the fresh water lines.....I have been doing it now for a few years.
After I blow out the water lines from the city water hookup, I buy the cheapest bottle of Vodka, put blue food coloring in it. Then pump it into the fresh water system, making sure I am not putting into the fresh water tank at this point (that would be a lot of Vodka). Making sure it is also in the water pump, then run the pump for each faucet until the blue Vodka comes out.
After draining the fresh water tank, I do put a little of the blue stuff into the tank until I see blue coming out the low water drain.
Use the regular pink antifreeze for the traps and black tank.
Have not had a problem with any freeze ups and the water tastes pretty good in the spring.
Merry Christmas to everyone.....Andy
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Old 12-08-2018, 11:17 AM   #16
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I'm with Ray B (Adventure.AS), use propylene glycol type of RV antifreeze and then blow it out after it is fully circulated and use it in the drains. Minimizes the amount of water needed to flush whatever remains.



Both types of RV antifreeze are pink, so you have to look closely at the bottle label. If there is a warning about it being flammable, it's the wrong one.




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Old 12-08-2018, 11:30 AM   #17
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My dealer uses air only but he noted that he opens up everything using fairly good pressure and blows the lines almost for an hour. In his eyes that pretty much dries up residual moisture in the lines that could fall back to a low spot and freeze.

Personally I don't spend that much time blowing out the lines so I always pump in the RV antifreeze via the water pump after blowing out the lines. That assures me that the lines are taken care of. As noted there are those things like the spray hoses on the kitchen sink and the toilet that are easily forgotten and the outlet that is present outside on my trailer. Also the low water drains for the hot and cold water system.

I pressurize and resanitize the system every spring to check for leaks, I find it easy to remove any antifreeze from the system and because I'm super chlorinating the fresh water tank, I have to do some flushing to eliminate the bleach taste also. It usually takes a couple fills/drains of the fresh water tank to get things back to a normal state as far as taste goes. Not really a big deal.

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Old 12-08-2018, 11:34 AM   #18
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I winterize with the pink RV antifreeze. I have seen people just use air and still have an issue with shower heads and faucets. It is so easy and takes no more time than using air. In spring you just hook up to water and in a couple seconds all the pink antifreeze is flushed out. We didn’t smell or taste any residual effects at all. I really don’t understand why anyone would be opposed to using antifreeze, at least after trying it once. I feel it is a bit more safe than air because it flows exactly like water and goes into all the waterline/pump/faucet spaces that water goes into. You don’t have to worry about any water being left in the lines some where.
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Old 12-08-2018, 12:27 PM   #19
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One of the things I do is to use a high quality brand name product. Used to use Prestone consistently based on quality and its availability at Walmart. They started to not carry it here locally anymore and I went looking for a replacement. Did my research and found the local Menards carries this product. Top quality ingredients. http://www.splashwash.com/product/an.../rv-marine-50/

Jack
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Old 12-08-2018, 01:09 PM   #20
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Scott59, I am not flaming you here but when you said, "it is so easy" I don't think you can speak for all of us. I had a trailer once that had an easily accessible bypass valve at the pump that allowed me to put the pink stuff through the system. It was easy and I still say is probably the best way to go. But....and here is my point.....in my 25FB it is next to impossible. The pump is way back under the closet with little to no space to install a bypass. I would certainly go to all the trouble if that was my only option. But since the air system works well and is "easy" that is what I do. I got the information from my dealer and if it is good for them, guess what?


I never had a problem with the smell or taste of the pink stuff when I used it except for the one time I accidentally added some to the HW tank by mistake. It took quite a while to get the foaming water out of our hot taps. I also realize that some folks are much more sensitive to smells and odors so I will give them lots of room. Just because it never bothered me, I would hesitate to insinuate that those few are making things up. It is real to them and is something to be avoided if possible. And, it is possible.
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