What good are low point drains?

[lenr]

What good are low point drains on a trailer that is supposed to be good for 0 degrees? My drains are solid, slightly flexible, plastic pipe. It seems like they’re going to freeze and bust at anything close to zero degrees. I do have tank heaters, but 10” of ½” pipe hanging down in cold air seems like a problem waiting to happen. All other pipes run in heated areas. I see the purpose of low point drains for folks that winterize just by blowing out with no antifreeze. However, since I use antifreeze, I see no value in the drains along with an increased risk of freeze/bust.
1) What am I going to regret if I remove the low point drains?
2) How can I keep them from freezing until I get them removed?
Thanks

[MitchF150]

I use my low point drain lines to empty the hot water tank so I don't have to remove the plug every time I want to drain the tank when not in use.

You just have to open the pressure relief valve and open the low point drains and you get pretty much all the 6 gallons of water out of the HWT.

I blow out my lines and don't use the RV AF. I made an adapter that screws into the city water inlet with a ball valve on it and hook it to my air compressor and set the compressor to around 40 psi and just go round and round on the faucets, toilet, pump, shower, outside shower, etc and open hot cold let it build pressure back up, repeat until I'm satisfied that I've got the water out of the lines. I also close and open the low point drains too, so it just all works for me..

I can see your point on the low point drains if you are in 0 degree weather and have water in the system.. Mine are exposed under the trailer too, so in theory, they would freeze up at the end.. Would they freeze up enough to split the pipes? Dunno.. For me, that's a non issue, as I don't camp in that kind of weather... But I know there are a lot of folks that do camp/live in freezing weather, so I guess that would be a concern..

Not real answer for ya, other than to say "good luck".. 🙂

Mitch

[time2roll]

I put a hose bib on the hot to get hot water outside if needed.

[wnjj]

DrewE wrote:
If the valve for the low point drains is in the heated section of the RV, there's nothing in the pipes to freeze and cause problems. I would conjecture that this is the case in your RV, though I obviously can't know for sure.

That’s how they are in our truck camper.

[DrewE]

If the valve for the low point drains is in the heated section of the RV, there's nothing in the pipes to freeze and cause problems. I would conjecture that this is the case in your RV, though I obviously can't know for sure.

[cavie]

lenr wrote:
I'm speaking of two pipes, one hot water, one cold water, that are tapped into lines running along under the water heater, that protrude down 10" under the bottom of the trailer, and are labeled low point drains. I also have a single line from the bottom of the fresh water tank used to drain it. The fresh drain is crossed link flexible PEX. It should handle some freezing. The low point drains are hard plastic probably not going to handle freezing. And, sticking out 10", I don't believe that they would not freeze down close to zero degrees. My concern is how do I prevent freezing and busting when I'm still camping in weather between zero and 32 degrees. I don't have a problem once the trailer is parked for winter full of antifreeze. Eliminating them eliminates busting from freezing, and I don't see why I need them to fill the system with antifreeze.

Empty PEX pipe will not freeze.

[cavie]

maillemaker wrote:
If you remove the drains, how will you drain your system and get rid of the antifreeze in the system?

Steve

you remove the antifreeze in the system with the faucets and toilet inside the RV.

You do not put antifreeze in your fresh water tank. You use a bypass hose on the pump. Takes about 2 gallons.

[cavie]

swphotobug wrote:
If you don't have them how are you going to drain the tank. They will be fine and won't break

Low point drains (2) do not drain the tank. They only drain the piping system. The FW tank has it's own drain. Low point drains are not necessary if you use antifreeze, My 2011 32' Keystone sprinter has no low point drains.

[Oasisbob]

There will be times you store your rig without heat and your pips may then freeze if not drained. Some spend money on anti freeze. I prefer to use those low point drains to blow air through my lines and remove all water through those low point drains. Cheaper for sure and easier as I winterize several times a year depending on use

[Yosemite_Sam1]

You all too mean! LOL

Just put a sleeve of foam, like the ones you put on your pipes sticking out the ground for those leaving in harsh winter countries.

Everyone who said it's alright are right -- but then putting sleeves will assuage you of your worries and you'll have better sleep at the dead of sub-freezing weather camping out.

[Kevinwa]

I was having the same thought on my trailer this fall, and I use air to winterized... they serve me zero purpose and are a section of water line outside the headed envelope of my trailer. Defiantly not needed on my setup, and I struggle to see where they are a benefit if using air to blow out water lines. Maybe they have a use when using antifreeze (yuck) to winterize.

[1320Fastback]

Remove them and give it a try.

[ericosmith]

Seems like there is some confusion about the difference between low point drains and fresh water tank drain.

[maillemaker]

If you remove the drains, how will you drain your system and get rid of the antifreeze in the system?

Steve

[lenr]

I'm speaking of two pipes, one hot water, one cold water, that are tapped into lines running along under the water heater, that protrude down 10" under the bottom of the trailer, and are labeled low point drains. I also have a single line from the bottom of the fresh water tank used to drain it. The fresh drain is crossed link flexible PEX. It should handle some freezing. The low point drains are hard plastic probably not going to handle freezing. And, sticking out 10", I don't believe that they would not freeze down close to zero degrees. My concern is how do I prevent freezing and busting when I'm still camping in weather between zero and 32 degrees. I don't have a problem once the trailer is parked for winter full of antifreeze. Eliminating them eliminates busting from freezing, and I don't see why I need them to fill the system with antifreeze.

[Lwiddis]

“I see the purpose of low point drains for folks that winterize just by blowing out with no antifreeze”

No, you don’t see the purpose. How do you propose folks fully drain their freshwater tank after using bleach to sanitize? As the “lowest” point, that’s where the nastiest water and other stuff is located.