Saw a recommendation to use 80 lbs. air pressure to blow out water lines. My 05 5er has PEC water lines and factory warns against any water pressure over 45 lbs. I would assume that applies to air pressure as well. Maybe OK with all outlets open?

Yes, stay with air pressure that's close to your working water pressure or slightly less.Bill

1/2" PEX is what is used for plumbing linesNot sure where/why 'factory' would warn of not using pressures over 45#?Standard water pump has a 45# discharge pressure.....upgrades/optional water pumps have 55# discharge.Water pressure regulators come pre-set at 45-50#And if PEX got really hot it still is rated higherPEX Pressure/temperature rating 160 psi at 73°FPressure/temperature rating 100 psi at 180°F Pressure/temperature rating 80 psi at 200°F 40# air pressure is sufficient to blow water out of lines

George H wrote:Saw a recommendation to use 80 lbs. air pressure to blow out water lines.Where? I've never seen anything that high.

80 psi is too high...and unnecessary.Go with about 45psi. It will do the job very nicely.I have been using 45psi for well over 20 years.

I use one of those tankless 12VDC air compressors hooked up to the city water connection using an adapter. I can start this up with my 12VDC compressor sitting on the tail gate of my truck using 12V connections to my trailer battery bank. This starts up with low pressure since it does not have the air tank so I have plenty of time to walk from the air compressor to each of the spigots around the trailer to open lines up one at a time allowing the water in that path to go down the sink drain or directly on the ground etc...Doing this shows my compressor pressure only getting up around the 40lbs level or so.When I am blowing just air then I shut it down and add some pink stuff to the P-traps... Opening the hot water side spigots does some draining of the hot water heater as well.Of course before I do any of the blowing out of the lines I use the low water points to drain the water first including openingboth the hot water and cold water spigots to allow gravity to help drain the lines quickly.Some of the hot water tank does not usually all drain out but I never really worry about it as there is plenty of room in the hot water tank for expansion if it should freeze. This method works great for me here in the Northern Neck Virginia area where we really never get long freeze-up periods... It may get down to freezing over night but most often warms back up the next day...Since we camp off-grid alot in the high country around here over the winter cold months doing the blow out method is very handy for us as it does not take much time to accomplish and the good part is I can revert back to using the water lines and tank by just adding fresh water the next day... Roy Ken

Winterizeing air pressure | Good Sam Community

14 Replies

downtheroad
Explorer
Oct 22, 2016
80 psi is too high...and unnecessary.
Go with about 45psi. It will do the job very nicely.
I have been using 45psi for well over 20 years.
2oldman
Explorer II
Oct 22, 2016
George H wrote:
Saw a recommendation to use 80 lbs. air pressure to blow out water lines.
Where? I've never seen anything that high.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Oct 22, 2016
1/2" PEX is what is used for plumbing lines

Not sure where/why 'factory' would warn of not using pressures over 45#?

Standard water pump has a 45# discharge pressure.....upgrades/optional water pumps have 55# discharge.
Water pressure regulators come pre-set at 45-50#
And if PEX got really hot it still is rated higher

PEX
Pressure/temperature rating 160 psi at 73°F
Pressure/temperature rating 100 psi at 180°F
Pressure/temperature rating 80 psi at 200°F

40# air pressure is sufficient to blow water out of lines
Trackrig
Explorer II
Oct 22, 2016
Yes, stay with air pressure that's close to your working water pressure or slightly less.

Bill

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Winterizeing air pressure

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