Put antifreeze in black and grey after winterizing ?

rockhillmanor wrote:

Artum Snowbird wrote:
Always pour a half gallon down the black and grey tank before the winter season.

It's cheap insurance, and has never failed me. I hate failures.

X10 !

I also fill toilet with pink stuff and pour a gallon each into black and gray tank to protect the valves.

4,5 bucks for a couple of extra bottles of anti-freeze to cover all bases versus $$$$$$ to repair broken lines etc?

Seem like a no brainer! :B

For those who winterized once per year it is cheap insurance, against what is till don’t understand.

But for those of us who winterized 10 or 12 times a year, I would need to buy that pink stuff by the skid.

Artum Snowbird wrote:
Always pour a half gallon down the black and grey tank before the winter season.

It's cheap insurance, and has never failed me. I hate failures.

X10 !

I also fill toilet with pink stuff and pour a gallon each into black and gray tank to protect the valves.

4,5 bucks for a couple of extra bottles of anti-freeze to cover all bases versus $$$$$$ to repair broken lines etc?

Seem like a no brainer! :B

JaxDad wrote:

TurnThePage wrote:
I do leave some antifreeze in the holding tanks just for the valve seals.

I'm apparently unique in that when I'm done winterizing, I de-winterize right away, which includes draining the pink stuff, and putting the water heater bypass back to the normal summer position. I can't see a reason not to do that.

So what keeps the outside of the valve seals from drying out?

Your concerned about keeping valve seals in the tanks wet but not the seals in all of your taps, shower(s) and toilet wet?

Seems a little odd to me......

Maybe you have a point. I don't know. Seals in the faucets are nothing to worry about really. Simple to replace. I do keep some pink stuff in the toilet too.

JaxDad wrote:

TurnThePage wrote:
I do leave some antifreeze in the holding tanks just for the valve seals.

I'm apparently unique in that when I'm done winterizing, I de-winterize right away, which includes draining the pink stuff, and putting the water heater bypass back to the normal summer position. I can't see a reason not to do that.

So what keeps the outside of the valve seals from drying out?

Your concerned about keeping valve seals in the tanks wet but not the seals in all of your taps, shower(s) and toilet wet?

Seems a little odd to me......

From my experience, the anti freeze does not evaporate, maybe a little but not in a enclosed environment of a faucet valve or toilet valve. There will always be a small bit or a film on the rubber seals, valve body, etc... If you have ever gotten some on your hands ( propylene glycol, NOT the alcohol based stuff) you know your hands feels oily afterwards. I dont believe the seals would dry out

TurnThePage wrote:
I do leave some antifreeze in the holding tanks just for the valve seals.

I'm apparently unique in that when I'm done winterizing, I de-winterize right away, which includes draining the pink stuff, and putting the water heater bypass back to the normal summer position. I can't see a reason not to do that.

So what keeps the outside of the valve seals from drying out?

Your concerned about keeping valve seals in the tanks wet but not the seals in all of your taps, shower(s) and toilet wet?

Seems a little odd to me......

I end up with antifreeze in the grey tanks, not as a tank protection issue but as a "byproduct" of good practice in winterizing. you do NOT want a P trap to break, and the common and easiest way to make sure that doesn't happen is to pour antifreeze down each drain to fill the p trap with antifreeze. and to insure each is filled, excess will be needed and end up in the grey tanks.

I do leave some antifreeze in the holding tanks just for the valve seals.

I'm apparently unique in that when I'm done winterizing, I de-winterize right away, which includes draining the pink stuff, and putting the water heater bypass back to the normal summer position. I can't see a reason not to do that.

STBRetired wrote:
I don't worry about the black and grey tanks themselves. But I do worry about the length of pipe between the tank and the gate valve. I waste about $3 (sorry DrewE) and pour a gallon of antifreeze into the tanks (1/3 in grey, 2/3 in black) to make sure that those lengths of pipe do not freeze and crack.

An alternate approach that also works fine is just to leave the dump valves open (obviously having emptied the tanks first) while winterizing and maybe for a half hour or whatever afterwards, so that whatever water etc. is displaced has a chance to drain out.

I certainly am not going to lose a bit of sleep over your (or anyone else's) putting antifreeze in the holding tanks, though. Whatever the process, I sincerely hope your RV survives the winter in great shape and you have lots of good times next year.

I don't worry about the black and grey tanks themselves. But I do worry about the length of pipe between the tank and the gate valve. I waste about $3 (sorry DrewE) and pour a gallon of antifreeze into the tanks (1/3 in grey, 2/3 in black) to make sure that those lengths of pipe do not freeze and crack.

luberhill wrote:
Ok so if I do the antifreeze wintwrize, after draining everything and pumping antifreeze thru they say then dump black and grey tanks last..
Should I dump half a gallon of antifreeze in each black and grey tank ??
Also I just leave the waterheater empty and the bypass lever in the bypass position ?

Yes, by dumping some in each sink and shower.

Yes.