Freeze Your PEX off.....

[humunuku]

Ever wonder what happens to frozen pipes in an RV? The following link is from the Grand Design Ambassador for Imagine Travel Trailers. He addresses a concern I have about frozen PEX connectors. I thought it was relevant considering more than Half of the United States is experiencing freezing temperatures. It has been proven and demonstrated many times that PEX-A and PEX-B tubing will expand and not burst when frozen under pressure. But what about the plastic or brass fittings? Cory does a good job demonstrating the resilience of the fittings as well.

Caution: other devices such as toilets, spray heads, and faucets may be prone to failure if frozen. When blowing out my systems at the end of the season, I often forget about the flusher on the toilet and the Black Tank Flushing line. I am not sure that these two lines adequately drain to the low point because I forget to activate them when draining the system. (Fingers crossed)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBMCJtxbwrc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOeBJ8mDr8Q&t=618s

[Cate&Rob]

A word of caution on just "blowing out" the plumbing system to winterize it . . . those of us who have disassembled the plumbing systems (after blowing them out) have discovered a lot of water still in the systems. There are many low points where water won't flow to the low point drains. Once a line is partially empty, the air passes over the water . . . leaving it in the pipes. The lines to/from the water pump are particularly at risk because air does not pass through these lines with an air connection to the city water inlet. If you check the manual that came with your onboard water pump, the pump manufacturer expects disconnecting input and output lines for winterizing. The factory uses plumbing antifreeze in any unit shipped during the winter . . . there is a reason for this.

Rob