RV anti-freeze

[whiteeye42]

I know this is a little early in some part of the country but here in wyoming it is getting cold at night and we won't be using the trailer the rest of the year do to work and such so i was going to put anti-freeze in my lines now and be done with it and i was wondering if you can mix different brands of anti-freeze thanks in advance

[Cummins12V98]

How do you get AF into a dead end line that has water already in it?????????

[JJBIRISH]

Key words, DONE PROPERLY… Now how would you have blown out lines plumed to an external shower with no shower installed… mine was per-plumed and framed for a shower and I didn’t know it… some are pre-plumbed for a washer the same way... I installed the shower after I found the piping already installed when I replaced the tub…

JaxDad did post how to properly blow them out with air, but truly there is no one size fits all, which is how the air only advocates make it sound…

I also know a guy that winterizes about 200+ RV’s every year and is responsible for the repairs if there is a problem come spring, he does them all like I do (a tip I got from him years ago)… if the owner insist on air only against his recommendation they sign a waiver… at least two of the dealers in the area use AF and air for winterizing but they don’t blow the AF out…

As I said there are choices and I made mine and that is also my recommendation and opinion…

I also know those that just use air and haven’t had a problem yet… that is their choice… there are a few that have used air only and reported problems right here as well as a few that used AF only and have reported problems…

And every year the air only recommendations flow like water some using only small 12V compressors none including what properly means… and every spring the leak post flourish…

While I can’t say for sure I believe there is some correlation there that reinforces my opinion even more each year…

I believe my method has covered all the bases of small compressors to no mixing of the water with the AF… and is a good way to do it…

[jalichty]

I have been blowing out our lines for years and have had a couple of problems, not with the blowing out, but with forgetting to open all the lines. I just hook up my compressor and blow out the faucets, toilet and other places where water comes out. Then I put pink RV antifreeze in the P traps. Don't forget the open your low point drains as well. Also, your outside shower, your outside sink and, maybe your outside black tank rinse connection. I messed up two years ago and think that I left water in that area and caused it to crack, thereby letting water run into the FW rather than into the black water waste tank. Betcha I don't forget this year, once I get it fixed.

[myredracer]

There are two types of RV antifreeze - ethanol based and propylene glycol based. You want the latter and need to read labelling before purchasing. antifreeze types I don't think you'd want to mix these but I don't think you want to use the ethanol based type anyway because of damage it can potentially cause.

Some antifreeze manufacturers apparently use recycled prop. glycol. I think you'd want the virgin stuff if blowing through your lines or leaving it in them. recycled material

According to this info. from Dow Chemical, there is some RV anti-freeze with brine (salt) in it. brine in RV antifreeze I've never heard of it before and you wouldn't want to mix this one with the other two types.

Most RV antifreeze is rated at -50F. Peak makes this one and also one that is rated to -100F. Peak -100F data sheet After the brutally cold past winter, if you are in a cold region, maybe this would be a good choice. This Peak version begins to freeze at -26F while the -50F one begins to freeze at -9F. Quite a difference.

Speaking of the cold, it was so cold for so long last year, I read about a lot of cases of sheet flooring shrinking and cracking from cold temps. It might be a good idea to have a little heat inside when the temps. really dip this winter.

[Cummins12V98]

JJBIRISH wrote:
If you really want to do it right, NOT just fast or cheap, and don’t like to have the AF left in the system there is only one way…

Blow the water out of the limes…

Pump the antifreeze through the lines (not forgetting the water pump)…

Then blow out the antifreeze…

Your P traps will already be done and any residuals left will be only the trace amounts of AF left behind that will take little rinsing to remove…

A little more time and a minor expense, and no worries…

Every fall I read the dozens of post recommending to just blow out the lines, then every spring I read the dozens of post about cracked fittings and leaking water lines…

So there are choices but the right way never seems to be the quickest way nor the cheapest way…

I have NEVER had a broken line. I did break a P trap ONCE because I did not think about the water in it.

Done properly air is all you need!

[JJBIRISH]

JaxDad wrote:

JJBIRISH wrote:
Blow the water out of the limes…

Every fall I read the dozens of post recommending to just blow out the lines, then every spring I read the dozens of post about cracked fittings and leaking water lines…

So there are choices but the right way never seems to be the quickest way nor the cheapest way…

The problem as I see it is the old adage, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."

Lots of people are willing to offer the advice of 'blowing out the lines' but not very many will tell you the PROPER way to do it.

They need 50 psi constantly for several minutes straight. Those little homeowner compressors from the big box stores and home centres are not up to the job. They just don't have the reserve capacity and can't generate pressure fast enough to maintain 50 psi on what is effectively an open line.

A small compressor is a perfect recipe for freeze damage.

I agree with that completely, good information thanks, but there are still effective choices that can be made, but the right way or proper way never comes down to being the quickest and the cheapest way…
My compressor alone won’t do it… I tried blowing the lines out with it and 2 days later was able to blow out another pint of water…

Even many of the owner’s manuals don’t always give a full and proper method for doing it…

My BILs famous last words were that’s good enough… sometimes maybe even most of the time he was right…

That is until he wasn’t… :B

[JaxDad]

JJBIRISH wrote:
Blow the water out of the limes…

Every fall I read the dozens of post recommending to just blow out the lines, then every spring I read the dozens of post about cracked fittings and leaking water lines…

So there are choices but the right way never seems to be the quickest way nor the cheapest way…

The problem as I see it is the old adage, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."

Lots of people are willing to offer the advice of 'blowing out the lines' but not very many will tell you the PROPER way to do it.

They need 50 psi constantly for several minutes straight. Those little homeowner compressors from the big box stores and home centres are not up to the job. They just don't have the reserve capacity and can't generate pressure fast enough to maintain 50 psi on what is effectively an open line.

A small compressor is a perfect recipe for freeze damage.

[JJBIRISH]

If you really want to do it right, NOT just fast or cheap, and don’t like to have the AF left in the system there is only one way…

Blow the water out of the limes…

Pump the antifreeze through the lines (not forgetting the water pump)…

Then blow out the antifreeze…

Your P traps will already be done and any residuals left will be only the trace amounts of AF left behind that will take little rinsing to remove…

A little more time and a minor expense, and no worries…

Every fall I read the dozens of post recommending to just blow out the lines, then every spring I read the dozens of post about cracked fittings and leaking water lines…

So there are choices but the right way never seems to be the quickest way nor the cheapest way…

[Cummins12V98]

Do it right. Blow out the lines and the P traps. Add antifreeze to the P traps. NOT THE LINES!

[Dutch_12078]

tatest wrote:
You can mix brands if it is the same stuff. Most of the time it is 100% propylene glycol with only color and a bitter flavor added. This will usually be rated -50F and dyed pink. The label should list the ingredients.

If the RV antifreeze you're buying has a noticeably bitter taste, don't buy it! The antifreeze manufacturers voluntarily agreed to add a bitter flavoring to ethylene glycol based antifreezes to deter children and pets from drinking the otherwise sweet but deadly liquid. The propylene glycol used in RV antifreeze has neither the sweet taste nor the deadly consequences of drinking it, so no bitter flavoring is needed. A few antifreeze manufacturers go it wrong, adding the bitter taste to both formulas, although most have corrected the error by now.

[tatest]

You can mix brands if it is the same stuff. Most of the time it is 100% propylene glycol with only color and a bitter flavor added. This will usually be rated -50F and dyed pink. The label should list the ingredients.

From time to time I've come across other alcohol water mixtures, sometimes dyed pink or red. They might have lower ratings. They usually have a lower price. I would not want to predict the resulting level of protection if a propylene glycol antifreeze were mixed with a product made with a mixture of water and ethanol or isopropyl alcohol.

[Campinfan]

Yes you can mix two different brands. If you look at the label, you will see they are pretty much the same....Get whatever is cheaper...and made in the US. I wouldn't trust any China made stuff. They get caught with lead in kids toys all the time.

[mlts22]

I do a two stage process:

1: After Dump a couple jugs of the cheap wino/frat rat vodka into the FW tank. Run it through all the lines until it comes out all faucets.

2: Attach compressed air hose, blow lines out. Any water remaining in the lines will be mixed with ethanol and the freezing point will be low enough to not have lines crack here in Texas.

A northern state, I wouldn't recommend this. However, the nice thing about doing this is that ethanol kills bacteria. I still sanitize the lines anyway, but this method means no foul taste after a rinse or two.

[mowermech]

sch911 wrote:
We don't put RV antifreeze into the fresh water system. The lines are blown out with air and all faucets, and drains are left open. RV Anti freeze is only used in the sink/shower p-traps, and toilet bowl...

Me, too. I figure if it good enough for the underground sprinkler system, it is good enough for the RV.
I been doing the blow-out for about 30 years, with no problems.