Winterizing- rv antifreeze vs. blowing out lines

[mrad]

Does anyone blow out their lines with an air compressor vs. runnign RV antifreeze through the lines?
I have a friend who uses his air compressor and then dumps antifreez in the drains and has never had a problem.
My concern is there could be water in the water pump that could freee and cause damage.

Any thoughts/opinions?

[dieseltruckdriv]

This year I blew air, used pink stuff, then drained it. We will get warmer weather before it gets to the below zero stuff, so I plan on camping a couple more times this year yet. By draining the pink stuff, the rinse will be shorter. At least that is my plan.

[24rules]

I agree with you all that do both .I just did mine and a buddys and I wouldn't do it any other way. The price of anti-freeze is far cheaper than a pump or a ruptured water line in a wall somewhere.

[mlts22]

It all depends where you live. If I lived in a colder climate, I'd be using the pink stuff. Here in Texas, I bypass/drain/uncork the water heater, blow the lines out with the air compressor, pump cheap vodka in and through the lines, blow them out again, then call it done, perhaps pouring some soapy water on the toilet valve.

The cheap vodka will work a little bit as a germicide and in low points, it will reduce the freezing temperature enough so the day or two it does stay cold, the water won't freeze solidly. As for it damaging valve seats, most pink stuff has ethanol in it anyway.

[Puddles]

CloudDriver wrote:
While lots of folks are successful with just blowing lines, there is a higher risk with that procedure compared with using antifreeze in the lines. When blowing lines, there is always a chance that enough water is left behind to cause damage somewhere. IMO, there is essentially zero risk with the antifreeze procedure.

X2... also keeps the valve seats from drying out...

[PenMan]

I always just blew out the lines with the air compressor but I got a new trailer this year and will use the pink stuff. I decided to do this because last winter I blew out the lines as usual on our old trailer (2007 model Roo) but when I went to use it this spring I had a cracked valve on the toilet. I think there must have been a little water left in the valve and it froze, cracking the valve. Not a big problem to repair but I don't want to risk something else freezing.

[CloudDriver]

While lots of folks are successful with just blowing lines, there is a higher risk with that procedure compared with using antifreeze in the lines. When blowing lines, there is always a chance that enough water is left behind to cause damage somewhere. IMO, there is essentially zero risk with the antifreeze procedure.

[MNtundraRet]

mrad wrote:
Does anyone blow out their lines with an air compressor vs. runnign RV antifreeze through the lines?
I have a friend who uses his air compressor and then dumps antifreez in the drains and has never had a problem.
My concern is there could be water in the water pump that could freee and cause damage.

Any thoughts/opinions?

I blow out the lines and then add the antifreeze. I miss-read your original post. I am from Minnesota too. Unless you are crazy and want to gamble on just blowing out the lines, go ahead and chance on a large repair bill for burst lines.

There is always some water left in the lines that will collect somewhere and burst a line. Since we get way below zero (freezing below 32F) burst line is almost guaranteed before spring. Your friend is pushing his luck. His particular RV may have low point drains and he spent enough time blowing air to help dry the lines.

Adding antifreeze is good enough to protect the lines, but you can get by with a little less by blowing out lines first. It only takes us about 1/2 hour to do both and use 2 gallons of antifreeze. I use a quality hand-pump attached to gallon bottle, and a custom made hose that goes from pump and screws onto the fresh-water hose inlet.

If you live far enough south where only an occasional chance of short term freezing occurs blowing out lines only is acceptable.

[DryCamper11]

40 years of winterizing the same RV. I've never used any pink stuff RV antifreeze. I blow the lines, don't even add anything to the traps. Traps seem to have a sufficient width compared to the height that they don't break when they freeze, plus the traps often have detergent in them - which lowers the freezing point. In the forty years, I've twice had pipes burst from insufficient blowing out. Once was due to a low point I didn't know about. Once was just due to not blowing long enough and leaving water in the tubing.

I know my RV well enough now that I just don't need the antifreeze. If I had one I didn't know that well, I'd probably use antifreeze. My RV is so old, it uses copper tubing, which results in some slight corrosion from the air. That corrosion can release and clog filters when I refill, so I pump a fair amount of water through when I refill in the spring with the faucet screens removed.

I always disconnect the pump and turn it upside down and left/right to ensure it's completely empty.

[The_Texan]

gbopp wrote:
Last winter I used my compressor to blow the water out of the lines.
I poured AF into the traps, I did not add antifreeze to the lines.
I had no problems in the spring.
I plan on doing the same thing for this winter.

X-2
Our temps get well below zero and NO problems at all.

[mchero]

This is how I winterize my rig;

Turn off pump & disconnect one leg to water pump to prevent pump from running if turned on.
Open three drain valves located in basement.
Open both H&C on outside faucet
Open drain & expansion valve on HWH
Open ALL faucets in kitchen & bathroom
Pour about a cup of the "pink Stuff" in ALL drain traps

Done

No need to blow out any lines. Drain valves located low and all water drained. Been doing above for about 10 years here in New Hampshire w/o any issues.

No cracked valves found when getting ready for the season.

[michael8rc]

Drain water heater, use bypass, blow out lines, fill lines and traps with anti freeze. All this takes less time than it does to haul out compressor and air lines.

[Mr_Biggles]

Winterized almost 3 weeks ago for the first time.After researching, I decided to fill the lines and traps with antifreeze. I wanted to protect the pump. Antifreeze is cheap. Pumps are not.

[FlatBroke]

Blow out the last few years. Cheaper faster.

[Dick_B]

It must be Fall because we are now getting the winterizing questions. For previous posts on this popular subject search this Forum for `winterizing' then search the results for `blow' or `blow out' and read on.
Never could understand why, for $12 in antifreeze, all RVers don't use the pink stuff!