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thor ace · 11-26-2013, 07:53 PM

Hi all, received a call from motorhome buddy who said he checked on motorhome and antifreeze in toilet was froze. i checked mine and same problem. Never happened to me before. we both used the same brand of antifreeze .canadian tire -50 degress celius.the coldest its been is about -10 degrees. both motorhomes are winterized till jan and then we are going south. Anyone have the antifreeze that you put in toilet bowl for sealer freeze on them. I am very concerned antifreeze was not as strong as indicated. If i dont get any feedback i think i will get new antifreeze tomorrow and re do the motorhome as im worried. Motorhome is 2013 thor ace, dont think that would matter but if anyone has any suggestions i would appreciate it. thanks for reading this

bdickson · 11-26-2013, 08:01 PM

I'm not sure why it's freezing, but did you use the same antifreeze in the water lines? Automotive antifreeze is poisonous. RV supply stores sell food grade antifreeze for winterizing.

chboone · 11-26-2013, 08:08 PM

Is it frozen rock hard or just to a firm slush? I have not seen it myself put have read that the RV antifreeze will turn to slush. Don't have a problem with low temperature where I live, but do have a 5er in northern AZ where it gets into the low teens sometimes into the single digits. Just winterized it last week. This web page will explain better then I can.
Jug of RV antifreeze froze...Why? - Yahoo Answers
Also the attached file on page 6 explains it very well.
Chuck

Pigman1 · 11-26-2013, 08:10 PM

Have you checked the freeze point if the antifreeze with a refractometer? If you don't have one, perhaps you could bring a sample to a Canadian Tire store or a mechanic who can check it for you. Also, did you dilute it when it was placed in the toilet bowl? The pink RV stuff is supposed to be used direct from the jug full strength.

Papa_Jim · 11-26-2013, 08:14 PM

Last winter I checked the antifreeze in the toilet bowl in our coach, and it was liquid. The temperature was -30 degrees.

I keep my jugs of antifreeze stored in an unheated building. Can get as cold as -40 in there. I've never seen any of it gel up.

I think that I would talk to the people that sold the antifreeze. I would think that if the label says good to -50, that it would be liquid for sure at anything warmer than -50.

Jim

chboone · 11-26-2013, 08:35 PM

If you missed it read the attached file on page 6 in post #3. It explains that RV antifreeze can freeze but not expanded above -50.

Chuck

J Birder · 11-26-2013, 09:11 PM

RV antifreeze will freeze, but that is not a problem. Understand that water is a rather unique liquid. When it freezes, it expands. That expansion is what causes the damage.

Almost all other liquids, including RV antifreeze, contract when they freeze. With no expansion, there will be no damage.

Joel

thor ace · 11-27-2013, 04:06 AM

thanks for replying, yes same antifreeze as in water lines , r v plumbers antifreeze -50 degrees

thor ace · 11-27-2013, 04:58 AM

well thank you for the great answers, very informative. I did not know that antifreeze does freeze but contracts so that your pipes wont burst , and also did not know about the refractometer. Great help guys thanks i feel better. still nervous account doing this for 30 years and it never happened before and its only Nov. I will probably put new antifreeze in today, overkill probably but i have to be able to sleep at night and mh is too expensive to take a chance. thanks again.

TXiceman · 11-27-2013, 05:45 AM

It is not at all unusual to see RV antifreeze getting slushy. It is designed to do that rather than freeze hard and expand. The other problem could be water contamination which dilutes the solution.

Ken

wa8yxm · 11-27-2013, 08:35 AM

RV antifreeze can indeed freeze. but there is something you need to know.

WATER of all things on earth is unique,, It is the ONLY substance that EXPANDS when it freezes.. Above freezing water respects the laws that say heat makes it expand, Below freezing, same thing, ICE also respects that law. But of all the things on earth ONLY WATER expands when it freezes.

And it is that expansion that does damage

So RV antifreeze shrinks a bit when it freezes, and thus does no damage.

trode · 11-27-2013, 10:33 AM

Have heard this postulated in science class that if it hadn't been for that property of water expanding when it freezes so that ice floats, than it would sink and oceans, lakes and rivers would have frozen solid eons ago, and we would have a small fraction of the liquid water we now have on the planet. Thankfully, not the case. But of course not such a good property for engine blocks, pipes, hoses, etc...

Lobstah · 11-27-2013, 10:57 AM

-50 C is -58 F.
Every jug of RV anitfreeze I've ever come across was good to -50 F. You said it's only been down to -10 C.

If your antifreeze is frozen solid, I'd say someone ripped you off.

Jim

csrrsr · 11-27-2013, 11:43 AM

I was aware that RV antifreeze could jell so when I run pink through the system I don't leave it pressurized. After I know I have pure pink coming out each faucet I run it all out of the system or until the pump runs free and all faucets are blowing air. Then I turn the pump off. Has worked great for me for 28 years. (I did not know that pink when frozen did not expand?) All good information here!