Winterizing --- Antifreeze or blow'em out??

[Grady23]

I have a 2010 Cougar 318 and in the past have always used the R/V Antifreeze in the unit. I have a compressor which can be dialed back for a reduced pressure. Do I run the risk of leaving small pockets of water in the lines or does this method do the job? I plan do drain everything before I use the air.

[NC_Hauler]

I'd say it depends on how long your camping season is going to last...My 5er is in WVa right now on our property...plan on one last camping outing from Nov. 22 though Nov. thru Nov 30th. So this past weekend before we left, I blew out all the lines, drained low water points, drained and bypassed the hot water heater, emptied all the tanks and poured antifreeze down all the traps....When we get home with 5er end of November, all tanks will have been drained and I will run antifreeze through the lines. I've done it both way's over the years and never had an issue and 5er has been in temps. below zero when "winterized" and I've never had an issue with leaking or busted hoses...If one blows all air out of the lines, I don't think there is an issue...just got to know you've gotten all air out..(I run about 40psi through the lines when blowing water out.

[pugslyyy]

North Carolina - blow out and add pink to the drains.

[Halmfamily]

We blow ours out and add pink stuff to the drains. Of course we don't get the long hard freezes here in Alabama but we do freeze up occasionally. We also camp year round so having to clear pink stuff every month would be a pita. Happy camping

[Crabbypatty]

Both as you can never get all the water out with air. Just did mine only takes about 15 minutes total.

[Bumpyroad]

lpxguy wrote:
do both, why risk it?

yep, makes sense to me. If it takes more than 1 1/2 to 2 gallons of the pink stuff, you are doing it wrong so that is what $5.98?
bumpy

[lpxguy]

do both, why risk it?

[Gypsy_Soul1]

Well this year I just blew out lines and added juice to traps/tanks. For some reason my water pump isn't working and had to get it in the new seasonal spot before they closed this year. Past years I blew lines and put juice in. In about 2 years I won't have to worry about it. Will be full-time :B

[gbopp]

A couple years ago I started just blowing out the lines and adding pink to the traps.

I've had no problems with our south central Pennsylvania winters freezing and damaging anything.

[allimax]

If you decide to blow, be sure to dump some antifreeze down the sink and tub to protect the traps from any standing water.

[old_guy]

I blew out the lines once and had to replace some water lines since all the water never came out. so now I blow the water out and add AF. never had any frozen lines since. some guys refuse to blow out the lines since many compressors have rust and water in the air tank and they don't want to get that stuff in the fresh water lines. they just add AF until it comes out the faucets and the toilet.

[Old-Biscuit]

Location, location, location

Long cold winters.....drain, blow, pump anti-freeze

Mild winters.........drain, blow

Easy winters.........drain

[dieseltruckdriv]

I drain, flush with pink, then drain again. It makes it much easier to flush and use the water and reuse the antifreeze that I caught from the second drain. That way id we get a warm weekend it is much easier to go and redo.

[n7bsn]

I've done both. On rigs that didn't have bypass-valves and low-point drains I blew it out.
On rigs with bypass-valves and low-point drains I use the pink stuff.

I could see doing both, but then blowing out the pink-stuff just seems silly to me.

[romore]

We don't live in a particularly cold climate. I drain the tanks and hot water heater, flush with anti freeze and call it a day. No problems so far, any water left in the system has plenty of room to expand without causing any damage.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

I blow, add pink, and blow a 2nd time.