Pink stuff vs Air pressure - The Verdict
This may help some folks make up their mind. We purchased our first MH 1 year ago and have made just about all the mistakes a newbie can make. But one thing we got right was deciding to use air to wi...
Forum Discussion
Ahhh, yes, the old air vs pink stuff debate. :)
Seen this discussion many times, have used both methods. For me, what pretty much ended the debate, was a few years ago when a friend of mine called a very well known, respected RV manufacturer (Tiffin) and asked them what they recommend, what they use to winterize the units they ship north. Guess what?! Even the RV manufacturer THEMSELVES use the compressor blow-out method, highly recommended such, and have never, ever had a problem.
Then, to eliminate the doubt even MORE, shortly after that, when we were camping in the mountains and had to have a CO detector issue fixed, we had a mobile RV guy come out to look at our RV. Asked him same question. He told me that he is contracted to winterize numerous units up in the mountains every year, where they see very low temperatures in the winter. Guess what method he has always used, and has never had a problem in years and years of winterizing units in the mountains? Yep, compressor blow out.
..If its good enough for the ones that design and build RVs, AND its good enough for a service professional that is contracted to winterize RVs up in the mountains....It should CERTAINLY be good enough for the rest of us! I have always used the compressor blow-out method, for as long as I can remember. Never, ever had a problem. Ever.
I think part of the key is that this method must be done the right way. If you do not, there is the risk that water may pool somewhere and cause problems. The folks that have problems, IMO are probably not doing at least one part correctly.
You must put at least 45-50 psi of air pressure through the lines (35 will not do). And, you must blow out each and every line until ALL the water spray is gone, and nothing but air is coming out. And, you have to address the pump and line from FW tank to the pump, somehow. Blowing air through the water pump is not advisable, so I have the water pump suck in just a little bit of pink stuff ('bout a quart or less), enough to make sure the pump and its input lines have pink stuff in them. And, of course, all drain traps must have the pink stuff in them.
One big misconception about this method: It is not done to save $$ on pink stuff, as the savings there is very little. Main reason for doing it, is to avoid having to clean that pink stuff out of your water lines in the Spring or whenever you want to camp again. I love the fact that come Spring, I can just hit the road, hook up water and start using the camper immediately. No need to clean out the water lines.
Seen this discussion many times, have used both methods. For me, what pretty much ended the debate, was a few years ago when a friend of mine called a very well known, respected RV manufacturer (Tiffin) and asked them what they recommend, what they use to winterize the units they ship north. Guess what?! Even the RV manufacturer THEMSELVES use the compressor blow-out method, highly recommended such, and have never, ever had a problem.
Then, to eliminate the doubt even MORE, shortly after that, when we were camping in the mountains and had to have a CO detector issue fixed, we had a mobile RV guy come out to look at our RV. Asked him same question. He told me that he is contracted to winterize numerous units up in the mountains every year, where they see very low temperatures in the winter. Guess what method he has always used, and has never had a problem in years and years of winterizing units in the mountains? Yep, compressor blow out.
..If its good enough for the ones that design and build RVs, AND its good enough for a service professional that is contracted to winterize RVs up in the mountains....It should CERTAINLY be good enough for the rest of us! I have always used the compressor blow-out method, for as long as I can remember. Never, ever had a problem. Ever.
I think part of the key is that this method must be done the right way. If you do not, there is the risk that water may pool somewhere and cause problems. The folks that have problems, IMO are probably not doing at least one part correctly.
You must put at least 45-50 psi of air pressure through the lines (35 will not do). And, you must blow out each and every line until ALL the water spray is gone, and nothing but air is coming out. And, you have to address the pump and line from FW tank to the pump, somehow. Blowing air through the water pump is not advisable, so I have the water pump suck in just a little bit of pink stuff ('bout a quart or less), enough to make sure the pump and its input lines have pink stuff in them. And, of course, all drain traps must have the pink stuff in them.
One big misconception about this method: It is not done to save $$ on pink stuff, as the savings there is very little. Main reason for doing it, is to avoid having to clean that pink stuff out of your water lines in the Spring or whenever you want to camp again. I love the fact that come Spring, I can just hit the road, hook up water and start using the camper immediately. No need to clean out the water lines.
