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Winterizeing air pressure

George_H
Explorer
Explorer
Saw a recommendation to use 80 lbs. air pressure to blow out water lines. My 05 5er has PEC water lines and factory warns against any water pressure over 45 lbs. I would assume that applies to air pressure as well. Maybe OK with all outlets open?
George, Juanita and Mandie (boss Shar-Pei)
01 F350, PSD, DRW
05 Carri-Lite 32RS3
14 REPLIES 14

RVcircus
Explorer II
Explorer II
I use 35psi since I'm in no hurry & I chase it with antifreeze. Works well for me.
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OldRadios
Explorer
Explorer
I made a air fitting with an on/off valve. I hook up the air but don't turn it on until at least one faucet is open. Then I turn on the air valve just slightly. When the first faucet is dry I open the next lower one and then close the first. I always leave at least one open at all times so the air pressure can't build up. When I'm done, I shut off the air first and then close the last faucet.

My garage compressor and my on board compressor are both oil less intentionally.
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bartlettj
Explorer
Explorer
I would actually not recommend using high PSI at the compressor for a different reason. Any moisture in the air in the compressor tank condenses out right at the pressure drop, so if you are putting 80psi right at the adapter between the compressor and the RV water inlet, you are adding moisture to the RV water system. It's better to have a regulator back toward the compressor and a water trap between the regulator and the RV fitting. The water trap will also catch any oil or other gunk coming out of the compressor. If you have an oil lubed compressor, it is likely that some of that will come out the hose. My Quincy commercial compressor outputs air that smells like crankcase oil.

westend
Explorer
Explorer
Be careful pushing a slug of trapped water at even low pressures. If a user pressurizes the plumbing system and a slug of water moves toward a valve, the energy of that small weight of water will be considerable as it hits fittings, "T's", and bends. Learned this when blowing irrigation lines, there is a lot of work to recover when a sprinkler head shoots 40' in the air.
I know most RV'ers are using compressors of much smaller output but the physics are the same.
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srt20
Explorer
Explorer
I just did mine yesterday. I set the air at 30lbs. I didn't have any open until I went inside and opened and drained 1 at a time. Worked good.

You can use higher psi if you want, but it isn't doing anything better. Maybe a couple seconds faster.

Bipeflier
Explorer
Explorer
If all of the faucets are open you can't develope much pressure. You may have 80PSI available in the compressor but it goes to near zero once you let it out of the hose!
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myredracer
Explorer II
Explorer II
RVs are supposed to be factory tested to at least 100 psi. RVwaterfilterstore.com recommends operating at 60 psi (for adjustable regulators) and that's what I have ours set at. Some CGs have pressure well over 100 psi and 100 percent of campers won't have a regulator and you don't hear about RVs blowing anything inside from high pressure. I've seen CG pressure as high as 140 psi and it reportedly can get as high as 200. 100 psi is nothing for PEX piping. It has a memory and even if severely kinked or stretched will return to it's original shape & size.

If you have a small portable electric compressor it's unlikely you'll have to worry about too much pressure as you won't getting much cfm to keep pressure up with an open faucet/valve. Regardless of your compressor size, adjust the regulator down to a level you're comfortable with. I used to use a Porter Cable pancake compressor and now use my shop compressor and turn down the regulator a bit (usually set at 90 psi for air tools). I used the pancake compressor for winterizing several winters and never had a problem but some are concerned these will leave some moisture in the lines. Even if some water remained in the PEX lines they can withstand repeated freezing.

There's two types of winterizing adapter fittings for a city water or black flush inlet. One uses a standard quick connect fitting and the other uses a schrader valve. If worried about pressure, use the schrader valve adapter and fully open a faucet/valve first then go hold your air chuck against the schrader valve until all the water is expelled. Or use the quick connect version and turn your regulator down to 45, 60 or what you are happy with. I use the latter as it's easier for one person and you don't have to keep running outside when it's rainy and/or cold.

Use a water trap and filter to keep remove moisture and undesirable stuff from getting inside your RV.

2oldman
Explorer II
Explorer II
Gary Bunzer sure did say this":

" And since all the faucets and valves will be open, it will be safe and quicker to use 80-PSI. "
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman

George_H
Explorer
Explorer
That 80 PSI recommendation was in this weeks RV TRAVEL Newsletter, I wanted to get this discussion out there for those who might be influenced by that article.
George, Juanita and Mandie (boss Shar-Pei)
01 F350, PSD, DRW
05 Carri-Lite 32RS3

RoyB
Explorer II
Explorer II
I use one of those tankless 12VDC air compressors hooked up to the city water connection using an adapter. I can start this up with my 12VDC compressor sitting on the tail gate of my truck using 12V connections to my trailer battery bank. This starts up with low pressure since it does not have the air tank so I have plenty of time to walk from the air compressor to each of the spigots around the trailer to open lines up one at a time allowing the water in that path to go down the sink drain or directly on the ground etc...

Doing this shows my compressor pressure only getting up around the 40lbs level or so.

When I am blowing just air then I shut it down and add some pink stuff to the P-traps... Opening the hot water side spigots does some draining of the hot water heater as well.

Of course before I do any of the blowing out of the lines I use the low water points to drain the water first including openingboth the hot water and cold water spigots to allow gravity to help drain the lines quickly.

Some of the hot water tank does not usually all drain out but I never really worry about it as there is plenty of room in the hot water tank for expansion if it should freeze.

This method works great for me here in the Northern Neck Virginia area where we really never get long freeze-up periods... It may get down to freezing over night but most often warms back up the next day...

Since we camp off-grid alot in the high country around here over the winter cold months doing the blow out method is very handy for us as it does not take much time to accomplish and the good part is I can revert back to using the water lines and tank by just adding fresh water the next day...

Roy Ken
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downtheroad
Explorer
Explorer
80 psi is too high...and unnecessary.
Go with about 45psi. It will do the job very nicely.
I have been using 45psi for well over 20 years.
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2oldman
Explorer II
Explorer II
George H wrote:
Saw a recommendation to use 80 lbs. air pressure to blow out water lines.
Where? I've never seen anything that high.
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman

Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Explorer III
1/2" PEX is what is used for plumbing lines

Not sure where/why 'factory' would warn of not using pressures over 45#?

Standard water pump has a 45# discharge pressure.....upgrades/optional water pumps have 55# discharge.
Water pressure regulators come pre-set at 45-50#
And if PEX got really hot it still is rated higher

PEX
Pressure/temperature rating 160 psi at 73ยฐF
Pressure/temperature rating 100 psi at 180ยฐF
Pressure/temperature rating 80 psi at 200ยฐF


40# air pressure is sufficient to blow water out of lines
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Trackrig
Explorer II
Explorer II
Yes, stay with air pressure that's close to your working water pressure or slightly less.

Bill
Nodwell RN110 out moose hunting. 4-53 Detroit, Clark 5 spd, 40" wide tracks, 10:00x20 tires, 16,000# capacity, 22,000# weight. You know the mud is getting deep when it's coming in the doors.