Why can't I just add anti-freeze?

You can winterize without draining your tank if you have a hose attached at your water pump to draw the antifreeze in with.

First you would want to bypass the water heater. Then, with water pump off, open all your faucets. Now go out to your low point drains and open them. Once the water stops flowing close the low point drains. Now go back inside and close your faucets. Switch the supply over to your hose that draws in antifreeze and put it in a jug of antifreeze.

Turn on your water pump. Open one faucet at a time until you have pink stuff coming out. Don't forget the shower, toilet and any outside showers or faucets and washer area if you have it. When doing this run enough to fill the traps with the antifreeze.

When you get to warmer temps open up the low point drains. Depending on where they are and how they are designed you may be able to get your antifreeze jug under them and save it for reuse. Close the low point drains when done. Switch back over to tank supply and flush the lines with clear water and then close off the water heater bypass.

One problem is low point drains will don't have any water cycle through them, it just stays trapped in them. So running AF through won't do anything to those parts.

The fresh water tank must be drained. It takes to much antifreeze to dilute it. You also must bypass and drain the water heater. You can pump antifreeze thru the plumbing until it comes out each faucet and shower until it comes out red, otherwise it will freeze.

I live in canton and some times make that run, you better winterize and use bottled water, frozen lines are a real pain to fix.

Trackrig wrote:
If you don't drain out the water, depending how much there is such as 50 (?) gallons in your fresh water tank, it will dilute the antifreeze so much that it will be worthless and freeze solid.

Bill

Correct.

Draining allows you to properly winterize with far less antifreeze.

As far as whether you need to winterize-- depends on both temperatures where it is stored and also the first couple of days on the road AND how exposed your tank and plumbing is.

If you don't drain out the water, depending how much there is such as 50 (?) gallons in your fresh water tank, it will dilute the antifreeze so much that it will be worthless and freeze solid.

Bill

I never drain mine, I just pump it directly out of the bottle until I see the "pink" stuff at the faucet. Never had a problem. I just start with the farthest faucet from the bottle. Do hot line then cold.

You say t is in an indoor heated facility.
I would not drain it.

Mine has been out side here in Ga. for the past 3 years.
I keep heat inside to prevent freezing.
Never has Been drained, except when we get ready
to leave and put in fresh water.

I do put RV antifreeze in the drains, gray and black tanks.
Never anything in the lines.
The inside stays warm enough so nothing freezes.

It got down to 6* for 2 nights last year.
No problems.