easy way to winterize?

[rvit]

I'm wondering how I'm going to handle the winter in NH since we want to still take some trips south. I'm going to be faced with winterizing before I return each time. I've heard that you can have a setup where you use the water pump to draw from a gallon of antifreeze and directly fill your lines.

Is this something that can be purchased or must it be made? Can it be permanently installed?

[Effy]

Bumpyroad wrote:

Harvey51 wrote:
What prevents water from lying in the lower half of a pipe while the air goes by in the top half? .

nothing
bumpy

x2. Pink stuff is the best few bucks and little extra effort for peace of mind. Some don't use it, just blow it out and it works for them. I don't want to have to wonder when the temps fall below 0 whether I got all the water out by blowing them out. Running pink stuff is good insurance and costs next to nothing. And if you are really frugal, when you de-winterize you can capture most of it from a faucet into the original container when you turn the pump back on.

[Bumpyroad]

Harvey51 wrote:
What prevents water from lying in the lower half of a pipe while the air goes by in the top half? .

nothing
bumpy

[Tothill]

Another option is to move West not South.

We drain the water lines, but refill the water tank (earthquake country, emergency shelter). Pink stuff in the drains.

Heater set on low when it will be below freezing for a couple days with the cupboard doors open.

All our waterlines are above the floor.

No problem in 7 winters.

[Harvey51]

I don't know how to blow the water out. Do you blow into each sink, toilet to push the water out the low point drain? Or into the city water inlet to blow it out the sinks? What prevents water from lying in the lower half of a pipe while the air goes by in the top half?

If RV plumbing has a true low point drain, we should be able to open it and all the taps on the way home and have all the water fall out as we drive.

[Bobbo]

Thomas/NH wrote:
I give up... If you don't want to take it from someone who does it for a living, then so be it! Over think this simple task and do it your way... You win!

Don't get insulted. Different strokes for different folks. That is why there are different ways. We should try to give the OP all of the information, good and bad, for all of the methods, and let him choose his own poison.

You pointed out one drawback to the pink stuff, bad taste. I pointed out one drawback to blowing out the lines, not getting all of the water out. It has happened. People have posted about it here.

Of course, I sanitize the system after the pink stuff, then flush thoroughly. I have never had a bad taste from the pink stuff, just as you have never had remaining water in your lines freeze and cause damage.

[RJCorazza]

My pump has quick connect fittings, so I made up a quick connect with short tube to go from the antifreeze jug to the intake side f the pump.
Drain water heater, bypass, open all faucets, drain low point drains, close everything and allow the pump to pressurize system with antifreeze, run faucets, toilet, showers, etc.. Making sure pink flows and fills traps.
I have no doubt the air pressure method works, I am just not brave enough. I would probably use this method if I needed to use my trailer in the winter season more than once or twice. As it is we usually only head out for thanksgiving.

[Thomas_NH]

Disregard, wrong thread.

[Old-Biscuit]

Thomas/NH wrote:
I give up... If you don't want to take it from someone who does it for a living, then so be it! Over think this simple task and do it your way... You win!

X2

Blow them out.....done.

Water only causes damage when it doesn't have room to expand should it freeze.

[Thomas_NH]

I give up... If you don't want to take it from someone who does it for a living, then so be it! Over think this simple task and do it your way... You win!

[Bobbo]

Thomas/NH wrote:
There's a better way... Blow out the water, get a small air compressor, buy a special fitting that goes for the air hose chuck to a male hose thread. Start by draining the water heater (via the drain plug) then re-plug it. Drain your FW tank then run the pump dry.

Pump air into the city water connection, while building air pressure in the water heater open the faucets one at a time. Don't worry about getting every last drop out (it won't matter). Pour a gallon of the antifreeze into the traps (gray water tanks) and another into the toilet (black tank).

I winterize my rig 3-4 times a year for various trips. Being a master plumber, I winterize 10-12 homes each year (several have forced hot water heating systems). I can't be bother with trying to pump non-toxic antifreeze into the water lines, let alone the expense. This method works best for me and I hate the taste of Propylene Glycol in the morning.

Thomas/NH uses 2 gallons of antifreeze after blowing out his lines.

I use the winterizing kit to pump the antifreeze through all of my lines, and also only use 2 gallons. Cost is the same. His method has the possibility of water pooling in a low spot in the plumbing, mine doesn't. Of course, he will probably say that if you do it right, there won't be enough water to pool. He is right. "IF" you do it right. If is a big word.

It takes me all of 20 minutes to winterize pumping the antifreeze. He can't be much faster.

[wa8yxm]

Three ways to winterize..

Wet method, Pump pink stuff in the lines then have fun getting it all out come spring.

Dry method, Pump air in the lines,, No problem with after taste. If Air ever freezes.. De-winterizing not going to be a problem,, or happen. (We will all be deceased and froze solid).

SOUTH method.. I see you know about that one.

I recommend you open all valves, low point and faucet, Drain the water heater and bypass it, then make like Gabriel with you air compressor and BLOW BLOW BLOW, use a regulator set to like 50 PSI, and blow till you either run out of air or stop getting water out the low point drains.

Wait for compressor to recharge and do it again

Five to 10 times or till you no longer get any "Spitting"

Pink toilets and drains only.

job done.

[Bumpyroad]

CloudDriver wrote:
Winterizing kit

the best way unless you want to take a chance on blowing out water from all low spots, etc. water clinging to the sides of pipes after being blown out can settle back into low spots. spend the $5 on antifreeze.
bumpy

[Thomas_NH]

There's a better way... Blow out the water, get a small air compressor, buy a special fitting that goes for the air hose chuck to a male hose thread. Start by draining the water heater (via the drain plug) then re-plug it. Drain your FW tank then run the pump dry.

Pump air into the city water connection, while building air pressure in the water heater open the faucets one at a time. Don't worry about getting every last drop out (it won't matter). Pour a gallon of the antifreeze into the traps (gray water tanks) and another into the toilet (black tank).

I winterize my rig 3-4 times a year for various trips. Being a master plumber, I winterize 10-12 homes each year (several have forced hot water heating systems). I can't be bother with trying to pump non-toxic antifreeze into the water lines, let alone the expense. This method works best for me and I hate the taste of Propylene Glycol in the morning.

[K_Charles]

It's just a short hose that hooks to the pump and it comes with a lot of campers. For years I have just blown out the lines, remove the whole house filter, take the plug out of the water heater and open the low point drains. I put antifreeze in the traps and the pooper.

The easiest way is to stay south until it's warm up north.

[CloudDriver]

Winterizing kit