Can RV anti freeze be re-used?

Hi,

Before I went full time I'd rewinterized up to seven times per year. I blow the lines, install the antifreeze, then immediately blow the lines leaving the line to the toilet and sprayer full of antifreeze. I'd catch as much of the antifreeze as I could.

IMO the key to reusing is blowing the lines first.

Great idea until I thought about it. If you put the product in your lines to prevent water from freezing it will come out diluted. If you have no water in your lines why use it? I say why risk it.

Grey Mountain wrote:
I am far from being an expert on this, but I see no reason why not. My maintenance guys recently drained my the radiator on my pusher and reused the antifreeze, so if automobile antifreeze can be reused, don't see why the pink stuff could not as well.
I don't normally have enough pink stuff to make it worth while. I blow out my system with air, put pink stuff in until it runs through all the faucets, run a little into the water heater and the fresh water holding tank, then blow it out again. That second blowing out eliminates a lot of the after-taste of pink stuff.

GM

Well the antifreeze in the Pushed Diesel is a lot different than the pink stuff.

#1. That Diesel Pusher has a huge cooling system, so if the antifreeze was clean and not too old your mechanic save you a lot of money at about $10 to $15 per gal. for automotive antifreeze.

#2 the pink stuff is cheap, as state you can get for less than $3.00 per gal. if you watch sales. I never used more than a gallon in the old 28' 5er. We don't use in the new rig, except for the drains. If I did it would be less than two gallons. It is not worth the effort/risk in my opinion.

Just be careful when purchasing "cheap" anti-freeze - review the contents....


Not all RV Antifreeze the same

Given that RV antifreeze is both marginally diluted each time you use it and is biodegradable suggests to me that while you might get away with reuse, it is less than optimal. _I_ won't reuse it, but YMMV.

downtheroad wrote:
Camco RV Anti-Freeze at Ace Hardware for $1.95 a gallon.
New and fresh.

Exactly. Why would anyone want to cheap out when winterizing an expensive item like a rv. :h

Camco RV Anti-Freeze at Ace Hardware for $1.95 a gallon.
New and fresh.

When you put anti-freeze in the lines, there is always a little water still remaining. You can reuse the anti-freeze, just bare in mind that over time it will be a less effective.

I am far from being an expert on this, but I see no reason why not. My maintenance guys recently drained my the radiator on my pusher and reused the antifreeze, so if automobile antifreeze can be reused, don't see why the pink stuff could not as well.
I don't normally have enough pink stuff to make it worth while. I blow out my system with air, put pink stuff in until it runs through all the faucets, run a little into the water heater and the fresh water holding tank, then blow it out again. That second blowing out eliminates a lot of the after-taste of pink stuff.

GM

I reuse mine for tanks and drains, but always put fresh in the lines. You can never be sure how much, if any, it's been diluted, and tanks and drains have room for expansion if it is.