RV antifreeze and cold temps

I've never seen -20 antifreeze. Are you sure it isn't -50?

Golden_HVAC wrote:
I guess this is why some from Canada blow out their water lines with compressed air, then add some anti-freeze.

If you already have anti-freeze in the lines, then no worries about water collecting in low areas and freezing. If you have the possibility to blow out about 1/3 to most of the anti-freeze, then you have no danger of anything freezing in your lines. What little anti-freeze there will be left will not be enough to damage anything.

Fred.

Not only Canadians!
DW has very sensitive taste and didn't like the "taste" that the Pink RV antifreeze left in the lines. I have been blowing the lines for over two years now.

We live in the NW and four season camp, this requires us to winterize several times a year, it takes me about 40 minutes to drain and blow the lines at the storage yard. It helps that I have a Pacbrake as I have on board air. I have never put the pink stuff in the supply lines of the 5er.

I blew out the lines in the coach when I knew we would be staying at our upstate NY cottage into January before heading south, but in the past I've used RV antifreeze. When I did use antifreeze, I did not leave it in the lines. After running it through all the lines and fixtures, I would drain the entire system one last time and leave the drains and faucets open to allow any residual moisture to drain. If there's room for any remaining water to expand harmlessly, there won't be any damage.

These are desperate conditions indeed. The lowest temps. I had my 1978 Vogue diesel in was -20F ambient temperatures in the late '80s way Up north, before I recall the pink RV antifreeze was even marketed. I drained the water heater and the water lines, as well as unscrewing the water pump hose line. I don't recall having any trouble when I re-plumbed it, so maybe I was just lucky.

I broke down and did the RV antifreeze formula last week instead of running an electric floor space heater night after night when the coach is in my driveway. It's not often air temps get below +15F here in North Texas, so I guess I'll be OK.

One thought - if I had to prepare for the -30F temperatures, and only had RV antifreeze, I would flood the plumbing with the RV antifreeze formulation fully, then open up all the floor drains and unscrew the intake hose from the water pump too. This would not trap the RV antifreeze at those extreme temps - it would be less likely for any RV antifreeze remaining in the system to have enough quantity to expand, rupturing or bursting any plumbing hoses.

I guess this is why some from Canada blow out their water lines with compressed air, then add some anti-freeze.

If you already have anti-freeze in the lines, then no worries about water collecting in low areas and freezing. If you have the possibility to blow out about 1/3 to most of the anti-freeze, then you have no danger of anything freezing in your lines. What little anti-freeze there will be left will not be enough to damage anything.

Fred.

The anti-freeze will turn to slush and then freeze....except it will not expand such as water until it reaches the burst temperature which is the temp rating.
With only -20*F anti-freeze and temps expected to be -30*F you need to get some heat going on in that trailer..open all cabinet doors/drawers so heat can easily flow into those areas

I don't know if -30 is a problem but you only have to worry about the actual temperature. Wind chill is the accelerated cooling effect for objects above ambient temp, but cannot cool an object below the ambient temp.

I place two space heaters in the coach, one in the house and one in the service bay, turn them on when needed at the temp required to keep it from freezing.
We do park it at home and have 50 amp service, But when you can't heat it, I'd blow out all the water using a vacuum cleaner blow side on all the drain side and compressed air on the pressure side..