Winterizing Our Rigs

[TucsonJim]

Well... This is rather embarrassing since I started this thread. But since I live in Southern Arizona, I've only winterized my RV once in the last 25 years. My RV is taking a trip back to the mother ship in December for some factory repairs. Therefore, I plan on winterizing with anti freeze. BUT... How much A.F. do I need to purchase to do all the lines? 1 gallon, 2 gallons, more?

Thanks,

Jim

[Guest]

Our new trailer has a residential fridge with an ice maker. We have not used the ice maker but I can't be sure that water hadn't been run through it either at the factory or the dealership. What is everyone doing to flush out this line?

Follow the manual or GDRV's advice to winterize on the new fangled fridge.

Folks here have confirmed water will still be left behind in the system with using air alone. Using air if fine, but follow up with the antifreeze as the manufacturer recommends it.

Some complain about the alcohol version where Starbright makes an Alcohol free version but its around $19/gallon versus about $3/gallon for the pink stuff.

Make sure whatever is used is safe for drinking water tanks.

http://www.starbrite.com/item/100-no...ategory_id=688

Jim

[manderson]

Our new trailer has a residential fridge with an ice maker. We have not used the ice maker but I can't be sure that water hadn't been run through it either at the factory or the dealership. What is everyone doing to flush out this line?

[Country Campers]

I have used air to purge the lines on both our Reflection and our previous KZ model with no ill effects, never liked the antifreeze but have used it a couple times. Flushing the system in the spring and even a few times a year has kept it pretty good, and we do drink from it. I, well the wife has, noticed an odor from the kitchen sink a few times which we narrowed down to the rear spray port which we had not used only a few times. Now I run fresh water thru it at just about every trip to keep the water from going bad in the line.

I think using air is fine for anyone who wants to, I still do it in the winter months but I do have indoor storage.

Brian

[Guest]

From the manufacturer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ3lnI_Jqy4

Jim

[Scott'n'Wendy]

For sure do what makes you comfortable. I've been blowing out trailers with pex and plastic fittings for years with no ill effects so I'm comfortable that it is adequate. GD agrees with me..or at least one GD tech did. lol. Because of some of the concerns voiced here about air alone I contacted GD to see if there is something special about the GD plumbing that makes air a poor choice. I was told there is nothing wrong with using air. Both ways will do an adequate job if done properly.
Antifreeze is quicker...so maybe that's why factories do it.
After the system is blown out, I pour AF down the drains to protect the traps. This slightly overflows into the tanks. But I can't say I'm worried about the seals staying wet. Seals are rubber or viton...impervious to moisture..no? Feel free to school me on it, I don't see why keeping rubber wet is an advantage

Just to be clear...I'm not trying to convince anybody that my way is better. I prefer it because we use our fresh water system for drinking....AF screws up that system in my opinion by affecting the taste...badly. I used AF last year because of my unfamiliarity with the Nautilus panel. Now that I realize there is nothing special about GD/Nautilus plumbing, so I'm going back to the way I have always done it.
By the way Jim, you said you blow out at 60psi. That's pretty high imo. I've always stayed down at 35psi. Maybe that's why a fitting blew off? I also never dead end the air. Always have one valve open so there is no chance of blowing a fitting off. Like with hydraulics...super important to be aware of the difference between pressure and flow.

[Guest]

Scott'n'Wendy Scott,

With those that have replaced the hoses from their systems and still found plenty of water, this confirms that air alone is not adequate to clear a system. So we need to be careful when providing advice where some rigs do have fittings below that can freeze. My Imagine had a hose blow off on a plastic fitting (Tee) that was right below the floor and under the kitchen. If GDRV ships units with anti freeze this also tells us they know water is left is the system and would save thousands if they could in using air alone.
After blowing out our system in city and tank fill positions and through all faucets, I blow out the black tank flush. 4 gallons of antifreeze is used to be certain there is no water anywhere in the system. Toward the end of flushing with antifreeze, the grey and black valves are closed to have some antifreeze in the tanks to keep the seals wet.

In the spring the system is flushed and sanitized. We bring RO water from our home to consume so there are no concerns with residual antifreeze that may be present.

I would have no concerns if I used antifreeze alone where the use of air makes it easier to clear the city and tank fill lines and the black tank flush.

Jim

[TedS]

Don't forget to remove and dump the pump intake filter bowl. Blowing air does not reach and clear it. Drawing in antifreeze will go through and fill it and the pump.

Running the pump dry can clear the filter bowl and pump.

[Scott'n'Wendy]

Scott,

The cheap plastic fittings under the rig can freeze and break. I blow out the lines at 60 psi then follow up with RV antifreeze. There is really one answer if using air OR antifreeze. Its antifreeze where if enough is passed through the system, there is no chance of freezing. Not the same odds with air alone.

Jim

If enough air is passed through the system..there is no chance of freezing as well. The odds are the same....hinges on that word...enough...lol

You are right, plastic fittings can break if filled with water and freeze. But......I have zero low point fittings in my 303, and the valves are all up high. The low points are all hanging pex lines. After I'm done blowing out the lines there is not enough water in the system to fill pex to get to the point where a fitting will be filled with water.
I have no problem with people filling their system with anitfreeze, it's just not my preferred method. Especially due to the horrible taste antifreeze imparts to the water system. Been doing it with air for over 25 years (except for last year) with no issues so far. The one year I used AF..last year..it gave me an issue...taste wise..it messed up my fresh water system.
I think my odds are good I will be better without AF.

[Guest]

StephenO
It was ethanol based.

Cate&Rob
I talked to GD, customer service transfered me to a 'tech', and was told either way is sufficient. If using air, last action is to leave all but the black valve at 45*.
Think about it. You can't break pex by freezing water in it. Tap fixtures are high up and will not pool water. It really just depends if you have a decent air compressor to do the job. Can't do it with a can of air...lol

Scott,

The cheap plastic fittings under the rig can freeze and break. I blow out the lines at 60 psi then follow up with RV antifreeze. There is really one answer if using air OR antifreeze. Its antifreeze where if enough is passed through the system, there is no chance of freezing. Not the same odds with air alone.

Jim

[TedS]

The problem with freezing is the compression of trapped water, not the air in the lines. Trapped water will expand just before it freezes and will burst a fitting or valve. PEX will tolerate the expansion. Hard fittings and valves will not.

[Cate&Rob]

I have always used RV antifreeze and with my new to me 247BH I used it again. When I see pink in the lines then I know I can sleep better at night knowing that in the spring I will not have broken water lines. It gets real cold here in south eastern British Columbia and I store my RV in a unheated metal building which is colder than outside.

This has always been my rationale as well and since we don't drink the water from our trailer water system, a small amount of residual antifreeze has never been a problem. Another advantage to using antifreeze is that it has anti-corrosion and lubricating properties for valves and metal parts of the system.

Rob

[JBill9694]

I'm a full timer and don't have a horse in this race, but just want so, or reiterate, that if you don't fill the lines with A/F then please leave all valves and faucets open. As water left in the line freezes and expands it can pressurize any air left in the lines. This can cause damage to fittings and fixtures that are above the water line.

[Randy Zahn]

I have always used RV antifreeze and with my new to me 247BH I used it again. When I see pink in the lines then I know I can sleep better at night knowing that in the spring I will not have broken water lines. It gets real cold here in south eastern British Columbia and I store my RV in a unheated metal building which is colder than outside.

[Country Campers]

Another thought has occurred to me . . . this is often not a good thing . . . Has anyone tried vacuuming out the water system?

What seems to happen when blowing out the lines with pressurized air is that as soon as the air can get past the water in a half filled horizontal pipe, it stops moving the water. This is OK if all lines and pipes remain about half full because there is room for freezing expansion. The problems occur when the remaining water gathers at low points and completely fills a section.

Adapting a shop vac to connect to the low point drains might assist in removing more water . . . maybe ??

Rob

Don't think you will weaken the team .


I think this would work as well but, it may not pull the water that is laying in a low spot. What plumbers do when trying to solder copper pipe that may still have some water in it is stuff bread into the pipe to hole the water back from the new solder joint. I wonder if you could put bread in at a fixture, you would have to diconnect at a the input side to get the bread in, and then use the vaccum to pull the bread thru. Packing peanuts would work as well as the are water soluable.

This is getting into some pretty strange ideas but maybe something will come of it.

Brian