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Old 09-25-2018, 10:01 AM
Tungsten, Tungsten, is online now
 
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Default Rv antifreeze vs using compressed air

Never done the air thing,seems easier then having to remove the hose from tank and submerging it the antifreeze.dont need a battery when u use air.
What works best?
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Old 09-25-2018, 10:04 AM
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Okotok Okotok is offline
 
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I do both because it's easy. Buy one of the valve stems from an RV place or crappy tire. Screw it into your city water connection and set your compressor between 40 and 50 psi. Charge up the system and open one tap at a time, blow down for a few shots each and repeat. Make sure your water heater is by passed. I then fill with RV glycol. Never any problems. Double protection doesn't hurt if you already have a compressor.
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Old 09-25-2018, 10:09 AM
Johnny G1 Johnny G1 is offline
 
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Have used air many times and got lucky, but the one time it left a little water in the pump and line and froze, now I blow the line with air and then add anti freeze and blow the lines out once more, that way no anti freeze taste in the lines come spring, just about forgot outside shower last yr. but got lucky before it froze. that is my way of doing it for the last 20 yrs.
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Old 09-25-2018, 10:53 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Okotok View Post
I do both because it's easy. Buy one of the valve stems from an RV place or crappy tire. Screw it into your city water connection and set your compressor between 40 and 50 psi. Charge up the system and open one tap at a time, blow down for a few shots each and repeat. Make sure your water heater is by passed. I then fill with RV glycol. Never any problems. Double protection doesn't hurt if you already have a compressor.
What happens if you blow your lines out with more than 40 to 50 psi?
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Old 09-25-2018, 11:10 AM
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Originally Posted by zewks View Post
What happens if you blow your lines out with more than 40 to 50 psi?
That's the danger right there ...... using too much pressure may damage fittings/connections or the lines.

I think at 40-50 psi you are probably OK.

Anti-Freeze is always a good idea for those areas and spots where the water is difficult to evacuate from low lying lines, inside cavities and/or pumps.
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Old 09-25-2018, 11:18 AM
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I waited for a sale, bought a bunch of RV antifreeze and pumped it in, enough to get lots in the hot water tank too.

May have to buy an extra jug each fall to top up as you always lose a bit draining it but I want to be sure I'm not dealing with broken lines.

In the spring, I recycle it back into the jugs and reuse in the fall.
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Old 09-25-2018, 11:39 AM
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Originally Posted by Sooner View Post
I waited for a sale, bought a bunch of RV antifreeze and pumped it in, enough to get lots in the hot water tank too.

May have to buy an extra jug each fall to top up as you always lose a bit draining it but I want to be sure I'm not dealing with broken lines.

In the spring, I recycle it back into the jugs and reuse in the fall.
Your suppose to bypass hot water tank, from what I’ve been told the rv antifreeze will corrode and eat the lining of the hot water tank, been told this by a few rv techs..
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Old 09-25-2018, 11:44 AM
Sledhead71 Sledhead71 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bubba 96 View Post
Your suppose to bypass hot water tank, from what I’ve been told the rv antifreeze will corrode and eat the lining of the hot water tank, been told this by a few rv techs..
^^^ Absolutely correct, always bypass hot water tank.

I blow the system out, old copper and new PEX is good for your 100 psi compressed air. Dribble a bit of RV antifreeze in traps if your worried.
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Old 09-25-2018, 11:50 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bubba 96 View Post
Your suppose to bypass hot water tank, from what I’ve been told the rv antifreeze will corrode and eat the lining of the hot water tank, been told this by a few rv techs..
From my understanding the antifreeze is corrosive to the anode rod. If you don’t have an anode rod it’s not as big of a deal.
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Old 09-25-2018, 11:52 AM
gmcmax05 gmcmax05 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zewks View Post
What happens if you blow your lines out with more than 40 to 50 psi?
Adjust the regulator on your compressor to 50 psi & you're good.
I dump washer fluid into traps, less than 1/2 the price of overpriced RV antifreeze
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Old 09-25-2018, 11:54 AM
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Yes for sure bypass the hot water heater, if you just use air some types of toilet valves may still have water left in it to freeze.
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  #12  
Old 09-25-2018, 11:57 AM
Ebrand Ebrand is offline
 
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Default Anti freeze is cheap.

Use lots.

Pull hot water tank plug and pressurize to blow out the sediment in the notion of the tank.

Bypass hot water tank. Do not put anti freeze in there.

Use compressed air if you wish.

Disconnect and drain all showers ( inside and out )

Then fill system with antifreeze and run each tap till anti freeze runs out.

Don’t forget low point drains and grey and black tanks.

Dump a cup or two into each trap.

I leave all my valves open.
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Old 09-25-2018, 12:03 PM
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Yup, why waste money filling or putting any in the hot water tank. That's why they have a bypass. Drain, blow out with compressed air and then draw anti-freeze into the pump and to the toilet.

May be over kill but have had an RV for over 20 years and have never froze a line yet. Small amount of time effort and money and you're good to go.
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Old 09-25-2018, 12:15 PM
tbiddy tbiddy is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ebrand View Post
Use lots.

Pull hot water tank plug and pressurize to blow out the sediment in the notion of the tank.

Bypass hot water tank. Do not put anti freeze in there.

Use compressed air if you wish.

Disconnect and drain all showers ( inside and out )

Then fill system with antifreeze and run each tap till anti freeze runs out.

Don’t forget low point drains and grey and black tanks.

Dump a cup or two into each trap.

I leave all my valves open.
All good points. If you get antifreeze in the hot water tank it’s not the end of the world. I think it’s more of the fact that you would be wasting gallons of it trying to fill it up.

Also do the city fill valve. The check-valve line is where you hook up your RV to city water. It needs a bit of antifreeze too.

Remove the screen attached to your city water hookup. Push in on the check valve inside (some water will spurt out), and hold it down until you see some antifreeze trickle back down that line. Make SURE the pump is off whe you do this one. Trust me. You’ll be covered in antifreeze and you’ll need to replace the guts in the valve.

I have a washing machine in the motorhome. I’ll need to google how to winterize that.
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Old 09-25-2018, 12:23 PM
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I just use air but I leave it go for a long time to make sure no water is coming out of lines. Dump some antifreeze in the sinks and shower and good to go.
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Old 09-25-2018, 12:47 PM
jcrayford jcrayford is offline
 
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Just did mine on Sunday. Blow out all lines (INCLUDING the black tank flush!) and then run antifreeze throughout the system (again, all lines)

My neighbor just blows out his lines and 2 years ago some residual water left in the rim of the toilet dribbled back down into the foot valve - popped it like it was nothing. In the spring, he watered back up and couldn't figure out why his pump wouldn't shut off until he looked into the bathroom. There was 1/2" of water across the floor from the split foot valve.

Antifreeze is cheap insurance. By blowing out the lines ahead of time, you get 100% antifreeze not a diluted solution.

Helped the neighbor across the cul-de-sac last night do his brand new trailer - we were done in 45 minutes. And that was only because he was learning and making sure he remembered everything.

J.
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Old 09-25-2018, 12:51 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tbiddy View Post
Make SURE the pump is off whe you do this one. Trust me. You’ll be covered in antifreeze and you’ll need to replace the guts in the valve.
Haha! Been there, done that...

What I have done in the past is to take a bicycle pump to push water out of that part of the system (using the adapter mentioned earlier). In fact, it helps to push a lot of the water out of the system if I open a faucet near the rear of the trailer while I do that, too.
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Old 09-25-2018, 01:20 PM
260 Rem 260 Rem is offline
 
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* Drain fresh water tank (leave drain valve open)
* Set bypass on hot water tank
* Remove anode/plug and drain HW tank (use rag to block the plug so it breaths)
* Fill system with RV antifreeze (pink at all drain points)
* Add a cup of antifreeze to traps and toilet
* Drain black/grey tanks (leave valve open).
In the spring, flush with a “refresh” solution.
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Old 09-25-2018, 07:17 PM
orgrabbit orgrabbit is offline
 
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Thanks for the great tips here, doing our trailer this weekend.
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Old 09-25-2018, 08:02 PM
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DisplacedCaper DisplacedCaper is offline
 
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Good thread, interesting to read the diff methods. I’ve always done what 260 rem posted for the most part. Only ever had one leak and that was from the toilet foot flush valve, but those things are so fragile it could have taken damage from being stepped on during my last hunting trip the previous year.
I didn’t know about the no rv antifreeze in the HW rule though. Luckily I’ve never put it in.


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Old 09-25-2018, 08:07 PM
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If you leave the black and grey drain valves open wouldn't you get residual at the cap? That may make things interesting the next season? Please tell me you don't "air out" on the highway? Haha
Seems impossible to get all the water out unless you sit at the station and shake your RV for an hour or so, even then?
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  #22  
Old 09-25-2018, 08:14 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jcrayford View Post
Just did mine on Sunday. Blow out all lines (INCLUDING the black tank flush!) and then run antifreeze throughout the system (again, all lines)



My neighbor just blows out his lines and 2 years ago some residual water left in the rim of the toilet dribbled back down into the foot valve - popped it like it was nothing. In the spring, he watered back up and couldn't figure out why his pump wouldn't shut off until he looked into the bathroom. There was 1/2" of water across the floor from the split foot valve.



Antifreeze is cheap insurance. By blowing out the lines ahead of time, you get 100% antifreeze not a diluted solution.



Helped the neighbor across the cul-de-sac last night do his brand new trailer - we were done in 45 minutes. And that was only because he was learning and making sure he remembered everything.



J.


If he had a 1/2”’of water in the bathroom it would be thru out the whole trailer. The bathroom is not sealed.


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  #23  
Old 09-26-2018, 06:12 AM
ram crazy ram crazy is offline
 
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I drain the hot water tank, turn the bypass valve on the tank and then I blow all the lines out and make sure to leave all the taps open when done. I never had any issues. My trailer also sits in my garage all the time too.
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Old 09-26-2018, 05:21 PM
YYC338 YYC338 is offline
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Also, wedge the toilet valve in the bowl open with a piece of wood or something. It helps make sure it's fully drained.
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  #25  
Old 09-26-2018, 05:46 PM
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i have never blown out the lines so i cant comment on weather its good or bad .

i always bypass the hwt and drain it by removing the outside drain plug . drain the water tank . hook the waterpump suction to a gallon jug of anti freeze and run each tap , one at a time till the antifreeze comes out for a few seconds . flush the toilet till antifreeze comes out .usually i run out and have to hook up a second jug . once i have anti freeze to all the taps , i run the rest of the antifreeze a bit at a time through each tap to fill all of the drain ptraps with anti freeze.

done . two gallons of rv antifreeze , the pump and everything downstream is protected . the p traps on all the fixtures are protected . have been doing this for over 25 years on 4 different rvs and never had a problem .
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  #26  
Old 09-26-2018, 07:53 PM
stubblejumper01 stubblejumper01 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by liar View Post
i have never blown out the lines so i cant comment on weather its good or bad .

i always bypass the hwt and drain it by removing the outside drain plug . drain the water tank . hook the waterpump suction to a gallon jug of anti freeze and run each tap , one at a time till the antifreeze comes out for a few seconds . flush the toilet till antifreeze comes out .usually i run out and have to hook up a second jug . once i have anti freeze to all the taps , i run the rest of the antifreeze a bit at a time through each tap to fill all of the drain ptraps with anti freeze.

done . two gallons of rv antifreeze , the pump and everything downstream is protected . the p traps on all the fixtures are protected . have been doing this for over 25 years on 4 different rvs and never had a problem .
That's what I've always done too. I catch the water and antifreeze until it runs pure and dump it out then put some pure stuff in all the traps. I haven't done anything to the city water hookup. I think I need to service that too.
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  #27  
Old 09-26-2018, 11:31 PM
anthony5 anthony5 is offline
 
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Default RV Winterize

Put RV Antifreeze in my lines once (15 years ago ) never again. Hook up the air compressor at 60 psi and blow the lines out. Once there is no moisture coming out of the lines I'm good to go. I put 1 1/2 jugs in the gray water and the black water tanks through the traps and good to go.
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Old 09-27-2018, 06:21 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by anthony5 View Post
Put RV Antifreeze in my lines once (15 years ago ) never again. Hook up the air compressor at 60 psi and blow the lines out. Once there is no moisture coming out of the lines I'm good to go. I put 1 1/2 jugs in the gray water and the black water tanks through the traps and good to go.
can you explain why " never again " . did your lines freeze up ?
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Old 09-27-2018, 08:58 AM
anthony5 anthony5 is offline
 
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Quote:
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can you explain why " never again " . did your lines freeze up ?
Took most of the summer to get the RV antifreeze flavor to go away.
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Old 09-27-2018, 09:48 AM
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Blow the lines out or fill them with antifreeze. Both of these are solutions. I blow the lines out and put antifreeze in the traps. Personally I don't want to have to deal with rinsing out my tank/pump/lines to clear the smell/taste of antifreeze.
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