If this is your first time winterizing, there are two ways you can go about doing it, or use a combination of both. Folks use both and neither is right or wrong.
First, there is the “blow” method.
Cons: Although blowing the lines of all water with compressed air, there could still be fine particles of water droplets left behind, especially in the valves of the faucets. These can still freeze. Although everyone who uses the “blow” method says this doesn’t happen, there is still water moisture in the lines, and that will freeze, although may not be enough water to expand enough to hurt anything.
Second, there is the “pump the pink” method.
Cons: “Pumping the Pink” means you are pumping RV (Pink) potable drinking antifreeze through your water lines, which will replace every bit of water and replace with the RV antifreeze. This leaves a taste in your water lines that most people don’t like after the lines are flushed out in the spring and replaced with normal water. It means flushing your lines until you have no more taste and your water runs clear from the faucets. It always clears up, it just takes a little water to flush everything out.
With the “Pump the Pink” method, you do not want to get any of the “pink stuff” in the water heater. It won’t hurt the water heater, but it is challenging to flush out the water heater in the Spring to get all the “pink” out. Otherwise, your hot water will have foamy bubbles in it for a long time, until it finally rinses out with normal use. Here again, it doesn’t hurt your water system, it’s just unpleasant for some people.
So make sure your water heater is in “by-pass” before running “pink stuff” AND before using the “blow” method.
And, for the same reason, you don’t want “pink stuff” in your fresh water tank. It’s just WAY too difficult to flush it out in the Spring.
Combination of both?
Some folks blow the lines first, then run the antifreeze.
Some folks run the antifreeze first, then blow out the antifreeze. (I do this).
Note: RV antifreeze will freeze up (or turn to a thick jell) when temps get below 10 degrees (F) or so. This is perfectly normal and does not hurt anything. The liquid may appear to be freezing up, but it does not expand. That’s how it’s suppose to work.
Note: If you use either method or a combination of both, remember to get your outside shower and / or outside kitchen sink (if you have one), and remember to open the low point drains and let any water be displaced with either air or “pink stuff”.
Pumping the pink is relatively easy. You disconnect the “In” line going to your fresh water on-board water pump. You attach another hose. Some campers are already equipped with this, (called a winterizing kit, where you just flip a valve between the external hose and the on-board fresh water tank). Insert the hose into a gallon jug of the “pink stuff”, then turn on your water pump. Let the pump run until it reaches pressure and shuts off. The simply go to each faucet one at a time, hot and cold, and run water until it turns pink. Remember the toilet too. Then last, crack open the low point drains under the camper until they run “pink” too. You should be able to do this with 2 gallons of “pink stuff”. But for the first 5 years of my RV ownership, I made sure I had 4 gallons on hand. The first year I did this, I used all 4 gallons, because I kept running much more pink than was really necessary.
Since then, I’ve got it down to 2 gallons. I like to blow the lines when done, so the pink stuff will go down the drains and help protect the P-traps under the sinks and shower drain.
If you use the compressor “blow” method, you’ll need an attachment that screws into your fresh water (city inlet), where you attach a garden hose too. The attachment looks like a valve stem on your car tires, except its either hard plastic or metal.
Using an air compressor, pump the lines with pressure, then have some turn on each faucet, hot and cold, until it spits no more water. When I do this, it takes 2 people: One to hold the air compressor on at that valve stem, and the other to turn the faucets on and off one at a time. There is a risk using the “blow” method, if you put too much air pressure in the lines, you could blow up a line or a connection somewhere. So make sure when you start pumping the air, you regulate the max pressure for the air compressor, somewhere around 50 psi, so you won’t over-pressurize to push the water out.
There are dozens and dozens of YouTube videos explain and showing how to do both methods. Check them out. In the search box, just type “Winterizing RV” sit back, and enjoy! After you’ve done it the first time, it will be old hat for you, and next year, you’ll be answering another poster on these forums how to do it!
Good luck.
