Pink stuff vs Air pressure - The Verdict

[rvit]

This may help some folks make up their mind. We purchased our first MH 1 year ago and have made just about all the mistakes a newbie can make. But one thing we got right was deciding to use air to winterize instead of the pink stuff.

Without any experience in these things and only following the advice of people on this forum we have successfully winterized our 2014 Pleasure Way twice this winter with air pressure.

The important one was the second one coming back from 2 weeks in Florida in Feb. In the fall, not knowing what I was doing, I took great care and blew out each line several times. But coming home, on the side of the road in less than ideal conditions, I did not do as good a job.

Just put water in it and checked everything. Good to go!

The lines were still spraying wet air when I decided it was good enough. It is clear you do not have to get every drop. And you don't have to have a professional compressor either. The inflator in the trunk of your car IS NOT good enough but a $100 home unit from Sears is.

It was easy and I strongly recommend this to anyone who wants their coffee to taste right in the morning.

[JaxDad]

LarryJM wrote:
Yep that is the risk you take with the air only method and something I don't think JaxDad appreciates when he thinks you can be 100% effective using air and if you do have an issue it's because you did something wrong or didn't do it good enough.

Actually, by definition, if you have water freeze damage after blowing, you HAVE done something wrong or didn't do it good enough. Otherwise you'd have ZERO damage.

LarryJM wrote:
What he fails to provide is a fool proof method of determining of when you have been effective enough not to have an issue. It's a pure guessing game on what air pressure to use, how long to blow out the lines, how much time between multiple blow outs so left over water settles and is then blow out and how do you tell with 100% assurance you have in fact removed enough water to prevent problems.

You blow until there's no water, not even aerosol mist coming out, period. That might be 1 minute, it might be 5 minutes.

That's pretty simple. Zero water equals zero freeze damage. It's not complicated. The irrigation industry has been doing it for nearly a century now, you don't see them digging up golf courses and other expanses of fine turf looking for burst lines because it doesn't happen.

[nineoaks2004]

I blow all the lines going to the several pastures here on the far too works better than a drip of the faucets..I also blow the lines on the MH and pup

[C_Schomer]

I used PG one time when we first started RVing and didn't like the taste, later. It's just as easy to chase air thru the system as it is the PG and I blow out the traps when I'm done with the water lines. One winter I blew it out 5 times cuz we camped every nice weekend. Both ways work. Craig

[mich800]

The fact is either method will get you in trouble if done incorrectly. Personally I blow out the lines and then do the pink stuff. Just my own peace of mind to make sure it is not diluted anywhere. Never a taste in the water lines so no issue with coffee here.

[LarryJM]

jwmII wrote:
I've done it both ways. Got away with blowing out the lines until 1 year had a good freeze and sure enough water that remained in a dip on a long run froze and broke the line. Always occurs in the worst possible and hard to reach spot. Now I just go with the pink. Always works and if you do a good spring cleanout and sanitizing job there will be no after taste. Sooner or later tho in some of the colder areas of the country it's going to freeze and break some water lines if you continue using only air to clear them.

Yep that is the risk you take with the air only method and something I don't think JaxDad appreciates when he thinks you can be 100% effective using air and if you do have an issue it's because you did something wrong or didn't do it good enough. What he fails to provide is a fool proof method of determining of when you have been effective enough not to have an issue. It's a pure guessing game on what air pressure to use, how long to blow out the lines, how much time between multiple blow outs so left over water settles and is then blow out and how do you tell with 100% assurance you have in fact removed enough water to prevent problems. With the pink stuff there is a way to be fairly sure you've done it right and that is to make sure the pink stuff has come out every opening in your water system (faucets, toilet, LP drains, ice maker (?), etc)

Larry

[Arizona_Kid]

If air is used make sure you use an oilless compressor, or you will be blowing oil into you water system.

[jwmII]

I've done it both ways. Got away with blowing out the lines until 1 year had a good freeze and sure enough water that remained in a dip on a long run froze and broke the line. Always occurs in the worst possible and hard to reach spot. Now I just go with the pink. Always works and if you do a good spring cleanout and sanitizing job there will be no after taste. Sooner or later tho in some of the colder areas of the country it's going to freeze and break some water lines if you continue using only air to clear them.

[mowermech]

I drain the fresh water tank and waste tanks; blow the lines out with 60 PSI air; disconnect the lines from the pump, remove, drain, disassemble and clean the inlet strainer; run the pump until no more water comes out; open the low point drains; put anti freeze in the drain traps; and it is winterized.
Sometime before Memorial Day I will get the hoses out and connect them together. then I will reassemble and install the inlet strainer, connect the lines to the pump, close the drains, pour two cups of bleach in the hoses, put the end into the gravity fill for the fresh water tank, and connect the other end to the outdoor faucet and fill the water tank. Then, I will run the pump to get the solution throughout the system, and let it sit overnight. Drain, flush, and fill, and we are ready to go.
It has worked just fine for many Montana winters when the temps get to 30 below.
I see no reason to change my ways at this late date.

[shum02]

JaxDad wrote:

shum02 wrote:
At the coldest of -35C/-31F this winter I'll continue using the pink stuff. A little water left in an elbow or pump and I have a water park inside the rig in the spring.

Glad just air worked for you but I live and camp where it gets cold. And yes the pink stuff gets slushy at this temp but has not burst or busted anything.

I'm an hour plus north east of you and winterize / de-winterize using air only half a dozen times a year. Mind you I've only been doing this for about 25 years so far so I may have just been lucky so far.

IMHO "a little water left in an elbow or pump" means you didn't really blow the lines out.

......and that's all it takes. I usually although not always blow the lines clear before pinking. I camp all winter so I'm not going to take a chance showing up, de-winterizing to find out I've blown the pump, a fixture or an connector. Pick up pink for less than $5/g and it takes two to do the rig including traps. Pretty cheap.

Regarding taste.........don't mind it and usually during the winter when I do this back to back without "sanitizing" the lines we drink from a aquatainer but once spring comes I'll sanitize the lines with bleach then vinegar and after that you will NOT taste anything besides water in the lines(well maybe a little vinegar for a tank or so 😉 )

[mlts22]

I do a third option: Cheap vodka. The ethanol will lower the freezing point of the water enough so that a 20 degree day in Texas won't result in cracked pipes. Plus, I don't have to worry about bad taste in the lines when I dewinterize and sanitize in the spring.

[fla-gypsy]

All of the discussion is pertinent but your location plays heavily into what is needed. In North Florida I drain my lines with the low point drains, drain the water heater if temps drop to 20* or below (next to never) and pour some pink stuff in the traps. I have never blown out the lines or ran pink stuff through my water system.

[paulcardoza]

20min and 3gal of "pink" has yet to fail me. So easy.

[valhalla360]

If you are careful and do it right either option works perfectly fine and doesn't leave any taste issues.

It's easier to be sure with the pink stuff. If every outlet runs a good pink color, there is a negligible chance you missed something.

[JaxDad]

LarryJM wrote:
All too often it seems to becoming more common to read some wide ranging broad and sweeping statement/conclusion that on the surface is presented or phrased as somehow factual or above reproach. However, on closer reading and dissection we find it to be more of an opinion based belief with many and at times critical holes in the logic or lacking real verifiable "FACTS".

Larry

You make another excellent point, possibly without even realizing it.

Every time this subject comes up a couple of people join in with a 'I tried that once, busted all my pipes' type comments I presume intended to warn people off trying it.

When I read those comments though all I can think is "Wow, you majorly botched a simple task and now you're blaming the METHOD?."

To me that's paramount to warning everyone to stop using Dicor products because you redid your roof and still had a leak.

[LarryJM]

K3WE wrote:

rvit wrote:
...I strongly recommend this to anyone who wants their coffee to taste right in the morning.

I strongly reccomend that people not listen to someone who blew their lines out exactly one time for exactly one winter at exactly one location on exactly one particular RV...

I know that the odds generally favor air-only blow outs, but just because you did it once does not mean that everyone will have the same results.

IMO you make a VERY IMPORTANT point that should always be front and center in every readers mind here. All too often it seems to becoming more common to read some wide ranging broad and sweeping statement/conclusion that on the surface is presented or phrased as somehow factual or above reproach. However, on closer reading and dissection we find it to be more of an opinion based belief with many and at times critical holes in the logic or lacking real verifiable "FACTS". This often prompts just a energetic counter opinions or responses pointing out what others might think are flaws in the original presented "FACTS" that are more emotionally charged than what would normally be presented. This leads to the OP taking "OFFENSE" and defending their original position with more less than factual and logical rhetoric and the "dog starts chasing it's own tail attempting to consume it with vigor":B

IMO the danger here is that many readers are not "INTERNET SAVY" to realize that "INTERNET INFORMATION" is 99.99% just one's opinion that needs to be taken with a health dose of the proverbial salt to give it that proper "FLAVOR". Again IMO only this thread is a prime example of many of thses flaws from the "GROUND SHAKING TITLE" so to speak to the "TASTE" issue to whether you so "GO PINK" or just "BLOW IT OFF" so to speak:W

Oh, BTW all the above it worth exactly what you paid for it and I will be more than happy to "DOUBLE YOUR REFUND" without question and you only have to ask for said refund:p:B

Larry