what size compressor to winterize

My DW and I have owned 10 RVs in the last 50 years, There is one thing that I have learned for certain, There is no such thing as over kill when it comes to preventing water lines freezing. I learned this the hard way many years ago, I waited too long to winterize a 5th wheel and later I had to remove the bath room wall to make repairs.
I use a small compressor and put 40 # of air in the lines then I go from out let to outlet and release all the moisture out of thr system, then I pump RV antifreeze thru all the lines. And of course I drain the water heater. The pink stuff is cheap and the process only takes 30 min.

No one way works for everyone but most seem to be happy with the way they are doing their RV.

Until we bought this one, I only drained and added pink stuff. This current 5er has more nooks and crannies so I decided to blow it out first. I first used my Porter Cable pancake compressor but it seemed that while I had plenty of pressure to start with, it couldn't maintain the volume and didn't have the ability to maintain 40-45 psig continuously for several minutes while I opened and closed valves and faucets. There is only so much that those little 6 gallon units can give. Soooooo out comes many feet of air hose and hooked up to my big shop compressor. It maintains both steady volume and pressure and pushes out an amazing amount of water the little pancake unit wouldn't move. I also open the washer lines (don't have a washer in the unit) and let it gravity drain for a while then blow those lines out as well. Don't forget any filters - they need to be removed. Then if you have a SeaLand toilet - that vacuum breaker needs to either be dry or have some pink stuff in it - the replacement valves, I found out, tend to get expensive.

my horse trailer with living quarters do not have low point drains. It has an outside faucet which I consider to be the lowest point. After pressurizing the water lines and blowing them individually and sequentially, multiple times, I open all water valves and blow out with all valves open then usually leave them open.

I really really dislike the smell of the pink stuff. I have not used it even in the traps in over 30 years. I blow out the lines and use a wet vac to suction out the traps. It gets cold enough here north of Syracuse to freeze my well water line buried underground. Never had a problem with this method in my RVs. I have to respectfully disagree with the poster who said the lines could still freeze from residual water. Low pressure & high volume will almost make the pipes completely dry!

jalichty wrote:
I would doubt that the residual water in the lines, after blowing them out, would be enough to freeze, expand and break or rupture a line. Even if it's in a curve in the line, it would expand up both sides as it freezes and I don't believe it would break the line. We have blown out our FW for 20 years or so and just put antifreeze in the P traps and, I had one thing break, an outside kitchen line broke because the dealer didn't open it up when blowing the FW lines out after they did some repair and I didn't do it either when I got home. I had never heard of having the faucets closed until the system gets pressurized up and then opening the sequentially to get them all blown out. I guess as long as the air pressure isn't too high, should be ok. Also, don't open the low point drains, I have three, until after you have blown out the rest of the FW, at least I don't do that. It would seems to me that doing this would keep you from getting all the air pressure to the fixtures that are a ways from the low point drains, but I could be wrong.

I open low point drains then blow out the rest of the trailer. I blow out the low pressure after I've done the rest and leave them open.

I blow, then use antifreeze and then blow again. I save the antifreeze for next season.

Has anyone winterized with a washer hooked up, I can not get behind the washer so was thinking to run the rinse cycle for a few seconds to get the pink stuff through the washer pump then run the drain cycle, does that make sense?

I would doubt that the residual water in the lines, after blowing them out, would be enough to freeze, expand and break or rupture a line. Even if it's in a curve in the line, it would expand up both sides as it freezes and I don't believe it would break the line. We have blown out our FW for 20 years or so and just put antifreeze in the P traps and, I had one thing break, an outside kitchen line broke because the dealer didn't open it up when blowing the FW lines out after they did some repair and I didn't do it either when I got home. I had never heard of having the faucets closed until the system gets pressurized up and then opening the sequentially to get them all blown out. I guess as long as the air pressure isn't too high, should be ok. Also, don't open the low point drains, I have three, until after you have blown out the rest of the FW, at least I don't do that. It would seems to me that doing this would keep you from getting all the air pressure to the fixtures that are a ways from the low point drains, but I could be wrong.

Winterize; winterize? Hmmmm... :B:B:B

Lyle

Don't need more than 45 psi or you could damage your plumbing. I have an adapter that looks just like a tire valve stem. I connect the tire valve to my fresh water in line and set my pancake compressor regulator to 45 psi. I air up the plumbing then go inside and open one water source at a time. The blast of 45 psi coming out does a pretty good job of blowing out settled water. I do this multiple times on each water source. pressurize the plumbing and then release one valve at a time.