Diluting RV Anti-Freeze for Winterization

Doubt if diluted RV Anti-Freeze would have much freeze protection.

Diluting the anti-freeze is what caused problems with your pump......it froze due to the anti-freeze no longer being full strength.

Diluting the anti-freeze is a waste of anti-freeze, waste of effort and provides minimal freeze protection.

Drain fresh water tank, by-pass water heater, blow the lines out, install a 'winterizing' kit on suction side of pump (stop putting anti-freeze in your fresh water tank....that's unnecessary and a waste of anti-freeze plus the cleanup/flushing of tank afterwards).

With a 'winterizing' kit on suction side of pump you can pump anti-freeze thru plumbing system FULL strength (no problem for pump). Leave a gallon jug of anti-freeze connected to the kit and use toilet as you please. (Turn pump on, flush toilet, anti-freeze gets sucked out of jug by pump, anti-freeze flows to toilet into waste tank.....everything is freeze protected)

The consensus is to NEVER put antifreeze into the freshwater tank because it is very difficult to get it all out. Better to use a bypass piping arrangement that puts the antifreeze thru the pump and into the lines. Never had a pump problem with this approach.
In a pinch we use antifreeze to flush the toilet right from the bottle.

The AF didn't hurt your pump.

Never dilute and just drain the tank, don't waste antifreeze on the water tank. I installed a few extra valves in my system.
Two valves to bypass the water heater (You can buy a kit).
One valve to cut off water from the potable water tank.
One valve to open a hose that I put into the gallon of RV antifreeze.
You need full strength antifreeze in your water pump.
I cut off the tank valve and open the gallon valve and use the regular pump to fill all lines to include the commode lines. You need AF in your pump.
If you use the commode just pour water from a jug to flush.
That's the way I would do it.

Agree that the af didn't harm your pump. Its designed so that it will become semi-frozen during extremely cold temps, but does not expand as water does. The expansion is what causes damage. I do capture used af in the spring, but only use it in the waste tanks the following year.

Old-Biscuit wrote:


With a 'winterizing' kit on suction side of pump you can pump anti-freeze thru plumbing system FULL strength (no problem for pump). Leave a gallon jug of anti-freeze connected to the kit and use toilet as you please. (Turn pump on, flush toilet, anti-freeze gets sucked out of jug by pump, anti-freeze flows to toilet into waste tank.....everything is freeze protected)

yep I have never put antifreeze into my fresh water tank. didn't think of keeping the jug hooked up as never have used the RV when it was that cold.
bumpy

Hi,

I don't think the pump was designed to work on a frozen slurry of plumbing antifreeze. I'd be surprized to have the living quarters at a comfortable temperature and the anti freeze still be slush. I do use a mechanical thermostat and a light bulb beside the pump to prevent it from freezing during winter use.

I agree with using a by pass for the water heater, and a two position valve just before the pump for drawing anti freeze from the bottle.

Don't run the pump with RV antifreeze in it when it's below freezing. That will ruin the pump.

The pump was most likely ruined because either it couldn't pump the RV antifreeze at below freezing temps or because it was diluted. At some point below freezing, the RV AF turns to thick slush about like a snow cone. The water pump isn't meant to pump slush.

If you have a jug of standard automotive engine antifreeze, look at the back of it, you'll see a mixing chart. The strongest mixture (for automotive antifreeze not RV antifreeze) is about 60% antifreeze and 40% water. As you add more water, the temperature you're protected to decreases or goes up. On RV antifreeze you never dilute it like you do automotive antifreeze. If you do, it looses its protective value and becomes worthless.

If all you lost was the pump, you were lucky. The pump is easy to change and takes about 30 minutes. Imagine the pain of trying to change out cracked water lines hidden behind the cabinets and underneath the floor.

Bill