# Final Winterizing Question



## reeladdiction (Sep 10, 2006)

Ok i put 5 gallons of pink rv freeze into empty water tank pulled off low point caps and drained and replaced turned by pass water heater valve pulled nylon nut and drained water heater turned on water pump opened all faucets one at a time includeing shower till pink came out poured a half gallon down toilet flushed toilet and pink came into bowl >low point drains show pink in the lines opened up water tank drain petcock got a little pink to come out and closed opened up the gray water pull got a little pink to come out as well as the black but nothing came out it was never used this year i just got the trailer and used it once at a place that had no hook ups opened up the hot water heater valve again and closed everything up and the slide

DID I DO EVERYTHING REQUIRED ???????? AM I DONE?????
i never hooked up to city water is there anything that i have to do with that ???
Was it ok to open up the hot water heater by pass valve again before i closed it up???????


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## Castle Rock Outbackers (Jan 18, 2004)

Are you saying you "un-bypassed" the water heater at the end of the process? If you did, you may have leaked some anti-freeze into the hot water heater. Generally you want to stay bypassed until you have flushed the lines with bleach and baking soda before camping in the Spring.

Did you also do the outside shower?

Other than that, yes, you are winterized from a plumbing standpoint.

Randy


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## Swany (Mar 2, 2006)

reeladdiction said:


> Ok i put 5 gallons of pink rv freeze into empty water tank pulled off low point caps and drained and replaced turned by pass water heater valve pulled nylon nut and drained water heater turned on water pump opened all faucets one at a time includeing shower till pink came out poured a half gallon down toilet flushed toilet and pink came into bowl >low point drains show pink in the lines opened up water tank drain petcock got a little pink to come out and closed opened up the gray water pull got a little pink to come out as well as the black but nothing came out it was never used this year i just got the trailer and used it once at a place that had no hook ups opened up the hot water heater valve again and closed everything up and the slide
> 
> DID I DO EVERYTHING REQUIRED ???????? AM I DONE?????
> i never hooked up to city water is there anything that i have to do with that ???
> Was it ok to open up the hot water heater by pass valve again before i closed it up???????


For next year, go to your rv supply store and buy their antifreeze kit. It is a fitting and a suction hose that you install in your fresh water pump plumbing. After it is anstalled all you have to do is put the suction line in a gallon (usually takes me a gallon and a half) jug of AF, turn the pump on and open up each of your fixtures hot and cold (HW heater in by pass) until pink comes. Takes a lot less AF. You will still have to drain your tanks (hw, fresh grey, black). when doing this I do not worry about draining low points.


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## cookie9933 (Feb 26, 2005)

You put 5 gallons of RV antifreeze into your fresh water tank? That's not how it's usually done, but as already mentioned, that will work from a plumbing standpoint. Things should not freeze.

Usually, people get antifreeze into their water lines, faucets, toilet, outside shower, outside sink, etc by pumping it directly from antifreeze jugs into their water system, using the onboard electric water pump. There are inexpensive kits available that connect at the suction side of the water pump. The way I do it is to disconnect the suction line at the pump and hook up a short plastic tube, using the same style PEG elbow. This 3-foot plastic tube goes into the antifreeze jugs.

It takes 2 gallons to winterize our 27RSDS after I have beforehand used an air compressor to blow almost all water from all exit points (sinks, showers, toilet). Some will say that blowing water from the system requires no antifreeze. To be on the safe side, we do both. It probably takes more antifreeze if not blowing water out first with air compressor. If using air compressor, it will take two people. One person will put short blasts of air into the system while another person opens all valves, one at a time. To be safe, use a good pressure regulator set at 30 psi, or else you risk rupturing lines, fittings or fixtures. If you don't use a regulator, be sure that at least one valve is open whenever short blasts of air are introduced. This will limit pressure. If you put in air with all valves closed, air pressure will potentially climb too high in 1-2 seconds. So take care. How do you get air into your water system, you ask? Through the "city water connection" using a small adapter made for this purpose. Available at most RV stores or at Camping World (naturally).

The reason to keep antifreeze out of the fresh water tank is that antifreeze takes a lot of flushing in the Spring to get it all out. The theory is when the fresh water tank is "completely" drained, any water remaining (it might be as much as 2-3 quarts, who knows exactly how much doesn't drain out?) won't damage the tank even if it freezes.

Bill


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## reeladdiction (Sep 10, 2006)

SHOULD I GO BACK AND AND CLOSE THE BY PASS VALVE AGAIN OR IS IT OK TO LEAVE IT OPEN ALSO AM I OK WITH THE CITY WATER HOOK UP I NEVER BLEW ANYTHING OUT BUT AGAIN I JUST PICKED IT UP AND NEVER HOOKEDS UP TO CITY WATER??????????


cookie9933 said:


> You put 5 gallons of RV antifreeze into your fresh water tank? That's not how it's usually done, but as already mentioned, that will work from a plumbing standpoint. Things should not freeze.
> 
> Usually, people get antifreeze into their water lines, faucets, toilet, outside shower, outside sink, etc by pumping it directly from antifreeze jugs into their water system, using the onboard electric water pump. There are inexpensive kits available that connect at the suction side of the water pump. The way I do it is to disconnect the suction line at the pump and hook up a short plastic tube, using the same style PEG elbow. This 3-foot plastic tube goes into the antifreeze jugs.
> 
> ...


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

No need to yell (capitals)

You can leave the valve alone. The city water connection is also fine.

John


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

Like previously stated, if you drained the fresh tank, there is no reason to put antifreeze in it. Use the siphon method at add your antifreze. You will have to flush it pretty good in the spring. Same with the water heater. After you drain it, leave it in bypass and fill the system with the antifreeze. In the spring, flush everything, sanitize with the bleach and baking soda, then when you get to your first trip, fill the water heater.

My 26RS uses between 1.5 and 2 gallons. Remember to pour antifreeze into all the drains so the traps are protected, and leave some antifreeze in the bowl of the toliet to keep the seals from drying out.

Tim


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## johnp (Mar 15, 2004)

Don't forget the outside shower and sink.

John


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## N7OQ (Jun 10, 2006)

I don't know what kind of antifreeze RV's use but if it is like the auto type glycol than you have to add water to it or else it will freeze too. I think water activates it.


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## Castle Rock Outbackers (Jan 18, 2004)

Verstelle said:


> I don't know what kind of antifreeze RV's use but if it is like the auto type glycol than you have to add water to it or else it will freeze too. I think water activates it.


AAAAAAAAHHH!

Just so we are all clear, DO NOT use automotive antifreeze in your RV. Pink stuff only, and don't dilute it with water.

Randy


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## cookie9933 (Feb 26, 2005)

Castle Rock Outbackers said:


> Just so we are all clear, DO NOT use automotive antifreeze in your RV. Pink stuff only, and don't dilute it with water.
> 
> Randy


Exactly right, Randy. We hope everyone knows that automotive antifreeze in very poisonous and must NOT be used in your fresh water system.

RV antifreeze is always pink in color, is meant to be used in potable water systems and is non-toxic. As stated, use full strength. No dilution required.

And to clarify what I posted earlier, blowing water from the water system with an air compressor is not required or necessary. RV antifreeze alone will do the job. But since I have a good air compressor, I figure that if I first get rid of 90% of the water in the system with air, then the antifreeze won't have to displace much water and the concentration will be maybe higher. Overkill? Very probably, but that's how we do it.

Bill


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## N7OQ (Jun 10, 2006)

Castle Rock Outbackers said:


> I don't know what kind of antifreeze RV's use but if it is like the auto type glycol than you have to add water to it or else it will freeze too. I think water activates it.


AAAAAAAAHHH!

Just so we are all clear, DO NOT use automotive antifreeze in your RV. Pink stuff only, and don't dilute it with water.

Randy
[/quote]

Now I did say I did not know what type antifreeze RV's use and I did not saying to use Automotive antifreeze. Read the post!

I guess I'm lucky I don't need to use that crap in my trailer. If I did I sure would not use any type of antifreeze in my trailer Pink or other wise. I would drain everything and use compressed air to blow out the remaining water. If it doesn't have glycol than it , than it must have Aholcol in it and that is not good for hosed, punps or the tanks.


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## Lmbevard (Mar 18, 2006)

Verstelle said:


> I don't know what kind of antifreeze RV's use but if it is like the auto type glycol than you have to add water to it or else it will freeze too. I think water activates it.


AAAAAAAAHHH!

Just so we are all clear, DO NOT use automotive antifreeze in your RV. Pink stuff only, and don't dilute it with water.

Randy
[/quote]

Now I did say I did not know what type antifreeze RV's use and I did not saying to use Automotive antifreeze. Read the post!

I guess I'm lucky I don't need to use that crap in my trailer. If I did I sure would not use any type of antifreeze in my trailer Pink or other wise. I would drain everything and use compressed air to blow out the remaining water. If it doesn't have glycol than it , than it must have Aholcol in it and that is not good for hosed, punps or the tanks.
[/quote]
See this link http://www.peakantifreeze.com/tech/tech_g.html. The RV Antifreeze is very simular to that used in Cars, only purer without all of the extra stuff. The cheap green stuff is Ethylene Glycol and the expensive Orange (and pink) is propylene Glycol. EG is posionous, PG is not in low levels. That's why we can put the pink stuff in our water tanks with out worry.

This will be the first year I get to winterize. The DW, cat and I are going camping this weekend for the last time and will be packing up stuff and then winterizing next week. I will be taking the battery out and all food and paper products and all liquids. Going to have to make a list for stuff to go back in the camper next spring though. It would be nice to just take off and go some place warm instead but still have 8 years and 11 months to go before retirement.


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## Swany (Mar 2, 2006)

Lmbevard said:


> I don't know what kind of antifreeze RV's use but if it is like the auto type glycol than you have to add water to it or else it will freeze too. I think water activates it.


AAAAAAAAHHH!

Just so we are all clear, DO NOT use automotive antifreeze in your RV. Pink stuff only, and don't dilute it with water.

Randy
[/quote]

Now I did say I did not know what type antifreeze RV's use and I did not saying to use Automotive antifreeze. Read the post!

I guess I'm lucky I don't need to use that crap in my trailer. If I did I sure would not use any type of antifreeze in my trailer Pink or other wise. I would drain everything and use compressed air to blow out the remaining water. If it doesn't have glycol than it , than it must have Aholcol in it and that is not good for hosed, punps or the tanks.
[/quote]
See this link http://www.peakantifreeze.com/tech/tech_g.html. The RV Antifreeze is very simular to that used in Cars, only purer without all of the extra stuff. The cheap green stuff is Ethylene Glycol and the expensive Orange (and pink) is propylene Glycol. EG is posionous, PG is not in low levels. That's why we can put the pink stuff in our water tanks with out worry.

This will be the first year I get to winterize. The DW, cat and I are going camping this weekend for the last time and will be packing up stuff and then winterizing next week. I will be taking the battery out and all food and paper products and all liquids. Going to have to make a list for stuff to go back in the camper next spring though. It would be nice to just take off and go some place warm instead but still have 8 years and 11 months to go before retirement.








[/quote]

The good news is I can take off for warm places because I am retired. The bad news is that makes me old///


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