Maybe I've been living underneath a rock, but I didn't know ethyl alcohol was ethanol. Ethanol is widely known to degrade rubber/plastic seals and hoses in older engines, especially older boat engines. It's for this very reason NON-ethanol gas is widely available in marinas around the country. This thread was started in the Toy Hauler forum of rv.net and I thought it might be appropriate to make it available here in the Tech Issues forum. Me, I don't want to take any chances with the rubber seals in my faucets and toilet, so I returned my 3 gallons of Wal-Mart branded RV antifreeze that contains ethyl alcohol and purchased 3 gallons of Prestone RV Waterline Antifreeze which contains only propylene glycol. It cost almost twice as much, but it's worth it for my peace-of-mind.

Yep, ethanol in RV antifreeze is pretty common. It allows it to be cheaper, and provides a germ-killing effect as well.

The rv safe antifreeze I use and am familiar with are made of propylene glycol.

Dr Jay wrote:The rv safe antifreeze I use and am familiar with are made of propylene glycol.that was real common a few years ago. More and more take a look at the label. Many that used to be just propylene glycol now have a mixture of propylene glycol and ethyl alcohol.

The alcohol really screwed up the seals and check valves in the boat toilets. Eventually the spigots and stuff would start leaking. We get the camco freezeban -50 at the marina. It doesn't have alcohol in it the -100 does.Well did a few years back.We used to have a customer who used CHEAP vodka.

Last year I think DOW and Prestone antifreeze didn't contain and ethanol. Not sure about this years batch

Does your RV Antifreeze contain Ethyl Alcohol?

TurnThePage
Explorer
Oct 08, 2013
Even if you use the stuff with alcohol in it, it doesn't have to stay in the pipes after you've winterized. I typically pump it through all the plumbing, then drain the remainder out, then leave the faucets open so anything left can evaporate. Yes, some remains in P traps and the black/gray tanks. It'll probably evaporate off too.

Lately I've started winterizing, then immediately un-winterizing. I.E.; setting the water heater bypass back to the "Summer" position, etc.
otrfun
Explorer II
Oct 08, 2013
tomman58 wrote:
milo wrote:
OMG!!!!! .... DW & I are gonna die!!!!...been using that stuff forever .....Oh well .... it's been a fantastic ride.
Can't agree more been using it for years without a problem. Another much to do about nothing.
Same thing a friend of mine says about not using seat belts . . .
tomman58
Explorer
Oct 08, 2013
milo wrote:
OMG!!!!! .... DW & I are gonna die!!!!...been using that stuff forever .....Oh well .... it's been a fantastic ride.

Can't agree more been using it for years without a problem. Another much to do about nothing.
milo
Explorer II
Oct 08, 2013
OMG!!!!! .... DW & I are gonna die!!!!...been using that stuff forever .....Oh well .... it's been a fantastic ride.
mobeewan
Explorer
Oct 07, 2013
Last night I bought 2 gallons of Camco Arctic Ban at Ace Hardware on sale for $1.99 with Ace Rewards card ($2.99 without card). Looks like I will be taking it back. On the upper right of the label seen from the front it says it contains ethyl alcohol. On the right side it says it contains alcohol and glycol. On the left side of the label is a warning that it is flammable and a warning not to let children drink it because it contains denatured alcohol. It does say "For Water Supply Systems' and includes use in RV's. No where in the label does it say it contains any polypropylene.

Edit: did some research
Camco Freeze Ban contains polypropylene and no alcohol
Camco Arctic Ban contains alcohol and no polypropylene
tomman58
Explorer
Oct 06, 2013
Been using the pink stuff for 25 years no problems yet. Never bought a thing from WM though.
hammer21661
Explorer
Oct 06, 2013
mrekim wrote:
I was going to use this:

It has rust inhibitors, but they must be "safe" ones?

That is what we use in all the boats and my 5er Don't just pour it in the water tank unless you can drain it all out. Don't let it sit in your hwh either. Some of our customers let it sit in all summer and it is GROSS stinks something aweful. You won't have any problems if you keep it out of the tank and hwh. It almost seems like it rots/decomposes if it gets a bunch of air to it. It will keep stuff from freezing and bursting though.
Z-Peller
Explorer
Oct 05, 2013
I don't know about in the US, but in CAN if the pink RV plumbing anti-freeze has alcohol in it it has a "Danger Flammable" label on the jug. It's also about 1/3 the price of the other stuff and a more washy looking pink color, but doesn't stain white plastic sinks etc nearly as much. I have been using alcohol based in my RV's for years with no side affects to my plumbing or after taste in water lines.
xaugievike
Explorer
Oct 05, 2013
I've been getting Prestone for the last couple years (no mention of ethyl alcohol on it's labels)....I accuse the other stuff of causing a toilet seal leak on my last rig.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Oct 05, 2013
In days of old when Henry Ford still walked the earth.. Alcohol was used in Engine Antifreeze.. This may have continued as late as the 1950's or early 60's. but in more recent years they stopped using it.

The reason for not using it in engine antifreeze is back then all you had to protect against was freezing, and alcohol does that, but today you also need boil over protection, alcohol does not do that (in fact it boils off).

As for potable water antifreeze.. The Pink stuff I have seen contained no alcohol. Someone else has posted it's active ingredient.

Page 2, the antifreeze I use in the fresh water lines also contains no alcohol.. It's air. pure air,,, I figure if the air ever freezes, I'm not going to worry about the pipes.