Blowing Lines

[Cecilt]

When using air to blow out the lines my furthest water source is our outside kitchen. Is it best to just open the cold side and get all the water out then close and move to the next closest and open the cold etc or is it best to open the cold and hot on the outside kitchen at the same time, get all water out and then do the same for the next closest which is inside kitchen sink? tks

[dodge_guy]

firestorm79 wrote:

greatwhitenorth69 wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
I think the "blow it out only camp" has never lived in a -20deg. area!

Well then you would be wrong. Northern Alberta -40 not uncommon. Been blowing out for 15 years without issue. What dii does it make if its -10, 20, or 40? Frozen water is still froze!!

x2 for Northern Alberta

Adding the pink stuff is good marketing and just makes you feel better.

Nope! Adding the pink stuff is doing the job right. And it makes me feel good the job is done correctly!

[firestorm79]

greatwhitenorth69 wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
I think the "blow it out only camp" has never lived in a -20deg. area!

Well then you would be wrong. Northern Alberta -40 not uncommon. Been blowing out for 15 years without issue. What dii does it make if its -10, 20, or 40? Frozen water is still froze!!

x2 for Northern Alberta

Adding the pink stuff is good marketing and just makes you feel better.

[Dutch_12078]

One trick I learned for better line draining was to use the leveling jacks to "rock" the coach from side to side, front to back, etc., with the faucets and low point drains open. A few minutes doing that and I see very little water when blowing out the lines.

[STBRetired]

Campinfan wrote:
I go with the "belts and suspenders" approach....blow the lines out and then add the pink stuff. Its cheap and quick.

I do it in the opposite order. Run a couple c=gallons of pink stuff through the lines then blow it out.Much less of the pink stuff to flush out in the spring. Blowing out the lines fills all the traps. Just add some to the toilet and done.

[dodge_guy]

Just did mine this morning. I usually fill a 5 gallon bucket with 3 gallons of pink, drop my fresh water pick up hose in it and let the pump suck it out and fill the lines. This time I drained the lines first with the low point drains. The only difference I noticed was I saved about a 1/2 gallon because I didn't have to make sure all the water was out. Either way I'm good for the winter. Oh, ya, I did put some down the drains also. Enough to flush out the water from the traps.

[mdcamping]

Air & Hydronics don't go hand & hand. I just flush out my lines with the pink stuff.

Mike

[Whiskey_River]

Just did mine yesterday. I do both. Blow the lines & add the pink.
My thought is blowing the lines may leave some water, even just a few drops around the spigot's or toilet flush valve and it would freeze & bust. Most all RV spigots and flush valves are all plastic. Its just as easy to pump the pink as blow the lines. Put the hose in the gallon jug & turn on the pump & open each spigot. Spring just turn on the water & flush.

[Campinfan]

I blow out my lines starting at the outlets closet to the air supply. That way any water blown past the open faucet goes down to the next open spigot or to the end. Seems to me if you did the farthest first, any water that would gather back up may go past the open spigot as you are opening and closing the others. (I hope I am making sense). I go with the "belts and suspenders" approach....blow the lines out and then add the pink stuff. Its cheap and quick.

[dewey02]

Harvey Corman and Tim Conway were always "blowing lines" on the Carol Burnett show as tried to crack each other up. 🙂

That's the first thing I thought of when I read the thread title of "blowing lines."

[Teamfour]

AmericalVette wrote:

Dr Quick wrote:
I do not recommend blowing out potable water lines unless you have a clean air source. Normal air compressors will have rusty water and oil in the tank, that will get into your water system.

This is why I use an oilless compressor. And after each use of the compressor, there is a relief valve on the bottom where all moisture is blown out. It's a 6gal Porter Cable, $92.00 bucks from Amazon.

I use a high quality bicycle pump. No chance of contamination nor over pressuring of lines. It works surprisingly well.

[westend]

DrewE wrote:
I don't think that 20 below ice is any more destructive to pipes and fittings than 10 above ice.

And you would be right---Properties of waterIn the practical sense, most fear extremely low temperatures because that's when the ice in pipes may actually freeze and a dip below freezing doesn't cause the water inside to freeze, typically.

I've worked with irrigation and water supply protection up here in MN, sometimes building and protecting working above ground piping during the Winter. We don't use antifreeze in these situations, we eliminate the possibility of pipe rupture by removing the water. Active systems require active heating.

In the RV world, there are, unfortunately, some examples of poor design where pipes have a bell or valves tend to hold water. Couple that with a user that is either unable or doesn't use sufficient air volume and pressure to blow out plumbing. That is when problems occur. Done correctly, eliminating any water in the RV plumbing with air is a sufficient manner of winterizing.

[goducks10]

People seem to forget that newer RV's use PEX. Google it. Handles the cold very well.

[greatwhitenort1]

dodge guy wrote:
I think the "blow it out only camp" has never lived in a -20deg. area!

Well then you would be wrong. Northern Alberta -40 not uncommon. Been blowing out for 15 years without issue. What dii does it make if its -10, 20, or 40? Frozen water is still froze!!

[mowermech]

dodge guy wrote:
I think the "blow it out only camp" has never lived in a -20deg. area!

Well....
NO!
We often have below zero temps for a week or more at a time.
A gallon of "the pink stuff" (from Walmart) lasts me a couple of years, because it only goes in the traps (3) and the toilet (1).
I blow the lines with filtered air at 55 PSI.
That has worked for me for the 10 years + that I have lived here.