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Old 01-14-2003, 05:27 PM   #1
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Question No Anti-freeze

I have seen many threads on winterization and the use of Anti- freeze.

I am wondering if it is necessary to use Anti-freeze if there is no water and or waste in the tanks.

If the tanks are empty, does one need to use Anti-freeze?

If there is a little residual water in the water lines and or tanks, surely there is room for expansion of the "ice" or frozen water.

I use my trailer in the winter but I never leave water in any of my tanks. I typically epmty all tanks before departure from CG or home even in the summer.

I empty for a few reasons,

1: to minimize weight while in tow

2: to avoid stress on the holding tanks while in tow, (water diplacement)

3: I dont want to carry anything back to my house

Should I be concerned about freezing if there is no liquids in my tanks?

Thanks,
Smily
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Old 01-14-2003, 05:43 PM   #2
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Ken,

I would at the least pour a bit in the main tank and put some in the traps. As well as making sure some got in the grey tank.

All I can envision is the example one of my high school science teachers gave. The drop of water inside the rock, when it freezes the rock breaks, due to the pressure exerted.

It seems like cheap insurance, and should not take more than a gallon. Do you blow out your water lines? Or just drain them the best you can. I remeber Davidz? saying he had a busted line from water that got caught in an elbow. Also Ice forming in the dump valves could cause minor damage to the seals causing early failure. Just me spreading doom and gloom.......
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Old 01-14-2003, 09:27 PM   #3
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antifreeze

Smily,
They are talking about sleet and snow in Middle TN. this Thursday with temps possibly in the teens. In Nov. I put in a minimum of 6 gallons of antifreeze in the empty holding tank after draining lines the best I could then used the pump to fill all water lines. I let just a little into the water heater then opened the bypass valves. This way if any water was trapped in the bottom (and I'm sure there was) it would not freeze. I go to each faucet and capture the antifreeze until it comes out nice and pink. That mixture then goes back into the main tank and I open each faucet to allow at least 2 cups or more to flow into each trap in the kitchen sink and same in the tub. I then make sure the toilet flows freely with the pink solution and allow at least a 1/2 gallon of antifreeze or more to go into the black tank. I'd rather be safe than sorry because busted lines and cracked tanks are something that I don't want to worry about.
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Old 01-15-2003, 04:46 PM   #4
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Blowing water out only

Ken,

I live in Savannah, GA where the temps rarely get into the low 20's. I don't worry about 27 and above.

I turned the pump on to clear out the tanks till the pump was dry.

Then I opened the bottom value to the hot water heater and hooked up the "Truck-Air" compressor to the city water intake with a Camping World attachment and plugged it in to 12 volt inside the trailer (ran 12 volt line up under the bed to the rear socket).

Turning on the fartherest faucet and working back to blow out the lines, I got all the spurts out. Don't forget the toilet spray!

Of course I emptied the holding tanks and then opened the lowest drains by the wheels.

I also shot air down the drains to help clear the traps. Not sure how well that worked. Perhaps it would do well to pour some antifreeze into the traps.

I have had copper lines rupture on an older A/S and it ain't fun.

You are just 1 or 2 hours north from me.

Hope this helps,

Steve
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Old 01-16-2003, 10:10 PM   #5
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The anticipated snowstorm arrived this afternoon leaving us with an inch or so of the white stuff here but gridlocked Nashville 70 miles north of us. Interstate 40 West was closed due to several 18 wheelers wrecking and tow vehicles could not get traction to clear the roads. Hundreds of vehicles have been lined up east of Nashville since 9:30 a.m. this morning under 8 inches of snow and have only moved 100 ft as of 10 p.m. this evening. Apparently one 18 wheeler after another trying to negotiate a hill is jackknifing into the median and it is a mess. We are looking at a low of 14 tonight and 9 tomorrow night so I will be pumping a little extra antifreeze through the pump and lines tomorrow morning after attending a funeral of a friend who is a Wildlife Officer for TN. I sure am glad I'm at the house right now.
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Old 01-17-2003, 08:37 AM   #6
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Winter has arrived, kind of

At least about all the winter we're likely to get this year. There will be 3 successive nights here in the hills in the low 20s. It was 32 degrees in the city at 8:51 this morning, but the sky is clear and it is warming rapidly, heading into the 50s.

My tanks are all drained. The water heater is bypassed and drained. All my lines have been blown out using 60# of pressure.
I have unhooked the water pump and ran it dry into a paper towel. There is anti-freeze in all of the traps.

By mid-week, we should have highs close to 70. Looking at the historical averages, once past mid-January the graph comes up fast with average highs in the 70s toward the end of the month.

Hopefully, we'll have a nice 70s weekend for our Vintage Get-Together on the 25th.
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Old 01-17-2003, 02:27 PM   #7
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John,
The memorial service I went to this afternoon was the most stirring I have ever attended. Many of the fellow wildlife officers were not able to attend because they were either in a ditch or snowbound due to the heavy winter snow. Roads in my area are now clear since the sun is out and the sky is clear. I picked up another gallon of RV anti-freeze and poured it down all the traps again. The bathtub did not want to drain so I opened the rear compartment and tried to open the drain valve but she would not budge. I went back inside and found that the anti-freeze had slowly worked its way down the drain. I know that I put enough in each trap before it got cold in November so I wonder what is going on?
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Old 04-15-2003, 10:36 AM   #8
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Question pink stuff or air

So which seems to be the best method of antifreeze, using the pink stuff or air?
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Old 04-15-2003, 11:11 AM   #9
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Both!

The pink stuff needs to be poured into the P traps in both sinks and the shower. In Craigs story above it sounds like he left the drain valves closed. If the unit is in storage and not going to be used they should be stored in the open position so that IF there is anly water left in the tank it does not destroy the valve.

On the pressure side, if you can drain you water heater and then blow out the lines then there is nothing in the way of volume to freeze and damage pipes. The real trick here is making sure you get it all out. Small amounts left distributed throughout the system can collect in one spot and then you have trouble when it freezes.

The only foolproof way I know of to winterize the unit is to drive it south where you don't have to worry about it!!
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