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Old 11-11-2019, 04:49 PM   #1
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2010 25' FB Flying Cloud
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Question regarding winterizing and low point drains

I'll try to explain this as best I can. I have a 2010 25 FB. There are two low-point drains on the inside of the front driver side wheel. I've already winterized the trailer using antifreeze (toilet, bathroom sink, kitchen sink, shower, and outdoor shower). But I forgot to open the two low-point drains afterward. It's been below freezing all day today and I finally remembered them. When I opened the drain closest to the rear of the trailer, pink antifreeze came out. When I opened the drain closest to the front of the trailer, nothing came out - no water, no antifreeze.

Does this mean that I'm going to be repairing a leak at some point? Is there a way that I could have zero water in the front low-point drain (not to be confused with the drain at the front of the trailer under the bed).

Thanks in advance.
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Old 11-11-2019, 04:54 PM   #2
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I get antifreeze out of both of mine after winterizing
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Old 11-11-2019, 05:22 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rlhendren View Post
I'll try to explain this as best I can. I have a 2010 25 FB. There are two low-point drains on the inside of the front driver side wheel. I've already winterized the trailer using antifreeze (toilet, bathroom sink, kitchen sink, shower, and outdoor shower). But I forgot to open the two low-point drains afterward. It's been below freezing all day today and I finally remembered them. When I opened the drain closest to the rear of the trailer, pink antifreeze came out. When I opened the drain closest to the front of the trailer, nothing came out - no water, no antifreeze.

Does this mean that I'm going to be repairing a leak at some point? Is there a way that I could have zero water in the front low-point drain (not to be confused with the drain at the front of the trailer under the bed).

Thanks in advance.
Try opening a faucet before opening the low point drain. Opening the faucet will allow air in so you don't have a vacuum.
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Old 11-11-2019, 05:38 PM   #4
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Thanks. As a precaution I went ahead and turned on the furnace. If there is a frozen point somewhere, maybe I can get it thawed before the real cold gets here.
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Old 11-11-2019, 06:05 PM   #5
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Good move to turn the furnace on. Open as many interior cabinet/closet doors as possible near the low point drains. Also open all faucets, as suggested. If you have shore power, you could also put a small electric heater inside near the low point drains. Cover all the bases.

You probably have/had a small freeze-up near that LP drain, but the PEX plumbing is forgiving, so probably no damage IMO.

In the future you might want to consider winterizing without antifreeze -- just by using compressed air:

https://www.google.com/search?q=wint...com&gws_rd=ssl

Tons of threads on this and lots of details to cover.

This Winterizing sticky topic has good posts on-point:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f458...rize-7222.html
Winterizing forum: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f458/

Good luck and please report back, even if you wait until Spring to check for leaks.

Peter

PS -- Are you sure you have only two low-point drains? [one hot and one cold] In our FC20 we have 4 -- FWIW. What does your owner's manual say?
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Old 11-11-2019, 06:14 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by OTRA15 View Post
Good move to turn the furnace on. Open as many interior cabinet/closet doors as possible near the low point drains. Also open all faucets, as suggested. If you have shore power, you could also put a small electric heater inside near the low point drains. Cover all the bases.

You probably have/had a small freeze-up near that LP drain, but the PEX plumbing is forgiving, so probably no damage IMO.

In the future you might want to consider winterizing without antifreeze -- just by using compressed air:

https://www.google.com/search?q=wint...com&gws_rd=ssl

Tons of threads on this and lots of details to cover.

This Winterizing sticky topic has good posts on-point:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f458...rize-7222.html
Winterizing forum: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f458/

Good luck and please report back, even if you wait until Spring to check for leaks.

Peter
Thanks. I appreciate the encouraging words. I was caught off guard this year. I normally blow out all the lines and then put in antifreeze just to be safe. Winter snuck up on me this year and I was in a hurry and didn't have easy access to an air compressor. I'm fine with just using the antifreeze, but just forgot all about the low point drains.

I have an electric heater, furnace, and a LilBuddy propane heater in there right now. I put a metal pan under the low point drain and opened it. I'll check in a few hours to see if anything has run out of it yet. If not, then I'll leave the heat on all night.

I'll let you know how it goes. Right now it's only 28 degrees and has been for about 10 hours. But it's supposed to get down to 14 overnight.
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Old 11-11-2019, 06:45 PM   #7
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One small update....

I took a torch and heated up the low point drain metal valve. Not a drip of water came out, so maybe there wasn't any water in it to drain? I don't understand the plumbing well enough to know if that's even possible (for it to not have any water in it). Seems unlikely to me, but I also don't understand how nothing would come out if I heated up the valve.

Right now it's just watch and wait.
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Old 11-11-2019, 07:35 PM   #8
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One final update. After running the furnace, electric heater, and propane heater for a few hours, I checked and the metal pan that I had placed under the drain valve was full of pink water/antifreeze mixture. Since it froze, it was clearly not 100% antifreeze. I'm hoping that since there was SOME antifreeze in what drained out, then the rest of the lines beyond the frozen part should be okay. Any remaining fluid in the lines should be 100% antifreeze (just a guess since I really have no idea what I'm talking about.)

I'm still open to anybody's suggestions or recommendations on this point.
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Old 11-11-2019, 07:59 PM   #9
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I think your guess is right....Water had been laying at low point and didnt mix well with the antifreeze
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Old 11-12-2019, 03:00 AM   #10
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Ditto . . . you are probably OK . . . IMO.

Peter
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Old 11-12-2019, 05:43 AM   #11
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Hi

At some point AS switched over to PEX pipes. At some later point they got all the elbows / tee's and minor fittings over to PEX as well. The PEX stuff is reasonably tolerant of freezing. The pipes do well, the fittings and joints seem to be a bit more vulnerable. I've had the stuff freeze in homes with no problems.

Bob
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Old 11-12-2019, 06:38 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by rlhendren View Post
One final update. After running the furnace, electric heater, and propane heater for a few hours, I checked and the metal pan that I had placed under the drain valve was full of pink water/antifreeze mixture. Since it froze, it was clearly not 100% antifreeze. I'm hoping that since there was SOME antifreeze in what drained out, then the rest of the lines beyond the frozen part should be okay. Any remaining fluid in the lines should be 100% antifreeze (just a guess since I really have no idea what I'm talking about.)

I'm still open to anybody's suggestions or recommendations on this point.
If you have access to a compressor (even a small automotive one) you can blow out the lines. Close all of the faucets and low point drains. Using an adapter with a Shraeder valve (tire valve) on the city water connection, pressurize the system to about 50 psi and then open the low point drains (one at a time). This will blow out any remaining antifreeze and/or water. There is no need to leave the antifreeze in the lines over the winter.

BTW, did you run antifreeze through the outside shower?
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Old 11-12-2019, 06:53 AM   #13
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BTW, did you run antifreeze through the outside shower?

Thanks. Once it warms up I'll blow the antifreeze out with a compressor.

Yes, I ran antifreeze through the outside shower.

Thanks for the suggestions.
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Old 11-12-2019, 09:25 AM   #14
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Don't forget the toilet sprayer - just saying
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Old 11-12-2019, 09:28 AM   #15
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LP Drains

I did the same thing last week - winterized with anti-freeze and forgot the LP drains. So I want back out a few days after I winterized and opened the LP but nothing came out...until I opened a faucet tap on the drain line. They then drained due the vacuum being released. Just in time, hitting the teens in East Tenn tonight.
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Old 11-12-2019, 10:10 AM   #16
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If you had any antifreeze in the system you are quite likely OK.
When you finish winterizing, the factory recommendation is to open all taps and all drain points and leave it that way for the winter.

As long as there is room for any pure water to expand as it freezes, there will be no damage. Water and a bit of antifreeze form a slush that may not drain..hence your experience with no flow.

I'm betting you will be just fine...probably just a pool of water in a low point. If there is damage there will be antifreeze dripping from inside the trailer.
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Old 11-12-2019, 11:01 AM   #17
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Why not just leave the RV antifreeze in the system all winter, and then drain it in the spring to dewinterize? That is what I was taught to do by the dealer and it is what I’ve always done.
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Old 11-12-2019, 11:19 AM   #18
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Why not just leave the RV antifreeze in the system all winter, and then drain it in the spring to dewinterize? That is what I was taught to do by the dealer and it is what I’ve always done.
Leaving RV antifreeze in the lines doesn’t offer any additional protection - it has already displaced any water. Draining it now will be one less thing to do in the spring and you can use the drained antifreeze in the traps, toilet and holding tanks.
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Old 11-12-2019, 12:09 PM   #19
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My understanding from what I've read is to leave the anti-freeze fluid in the system until Spring, then flush. That's why some folks have noted the unpleasant residual after taste after flushing in the Spring. Also, some folks have recommended using cheap vodka instead of the pink stuff. Much better after taste I guess.
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Old 11-12-2019, 08:51 PM   #20
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My understanding from what I've read is to leave the anti-freeze fluid in the system until Spring, then flush. That's why some folks have noted the unpleasant residual after taste after flushing in the Spring. Also, some folks have recommended using cheap vodka instead of the pink stuff. Much better after taste I guess.


The new Blue Beret magazine has an article on winterizing. For the antifreeze method, it says nothing about draining the antifreeze out as part of winterizing.
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