Winterization Air vs Chemicals...... Your 2 cents please

[23hitman]

First timer

Looking for the experienced voices to throw in your 2 cents as to using the RV anti-freeze vs blowing out the lines with air (like the sprinkler system @ home).

The TT will be stored outside in northern Utah so it will see brutal conditions behind its tarp coverings and cold temperatures.

Thanks in advance!

[Sandia_Man]

In our prior RV we did the full AF routine, but with our current rig we blow out the lines and just add AF to the traps. It is certainly more risky just blowing out the lines, but done properly it yields the same results.

One winter I went out to the rig (stored in backyard) during a severe cold spell where wind chill was nearly 30 below and found the half full bottle of AF I used for the traps nearly frozen solid. I thought worse case scenario it would get slushy, maybe it was a bad batch although I had just recently purchased it from Wally World.

Be very cautious if planning to just blowout your water lines unless you know the layout of your rig's plumbing system, one misstep could lead to catastrophe.

[23hitman]

How many PSI (approximately) is ok to use for the air method?

And for the traps, do you just pour some AF into the sink?

Thanks (the Newbie RVer)

[astraelraen]

If you blow out the water with air I can't see how you can possibly have enough moisture in the air in the lines to break a water line. Sure the moisture in the air could freeze, but with most pipes you could probably have them 1/2 full of water and freeze them and they still wouldn't break.

I live in Idaho and we never blow out our sprinkler lines for the winter and have never had a problem in 10+ years.

[kodiakcanuck]

Oh boy this is an age old topic that will get lots of replies I'm sure. :R

I think it depends if you drink from your taps or not. We dont, so I use anti freeze to insure it survives our Canadian winters.

It's really not that big of a job to clean out in the spring. I have the valve before my pump so I take the anitfreeze from the jug, not the fresh water tank, I also switch the cut of line at the hot water tank so none goes in there. It is only a matter of draining the low point drain and running some water through all the lines in the spring and I am done...

[boogie_4wheel]

I've done air-only on mine since purchased in 2010. It survived the -20*F last winter.

[beemerphile1]

My process is blow, run RV antifreeze, blow again. I do both trailers with about 1 & 1/2 gallons total.

[dbbls]

I have been using air for some years now. Much easier to get the system back up and running in the spring.

[gbopp]

I always used AF in the lines. Last year I decided to try air. I blew out the lines and added AF to the traps.
It got me through a Pennsylvania winter with no leaks or problems.
I'll continue to use air.

[korbe]

We do both. Not much more effort and my comfort level goes up a bit when it's really cold out.

[ScottG]

I used AF for years and then one season it turned into some kind of odd gelatin in my lines. It was a ton of work to get it all out and I have not used any AF since.
Simply blowing everything out has worked great. No freeze damage and I don't have to keep rinsing to get the lingering AF out. Just sanitize and go.
I do put AF in the traps.

[downtheroad]

The air vs anti-freeze is a never ending fall-winter debate here on the Forum.

I carefully and thoroughly use the air method with anti freeze in the traps....BUT our winters are not brutal and are generally mild.

Anti-freeze is a sure thing, but takes more work in the spring to rinse/flush out of the system.

[2oldman]

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