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Forkyfork · 10-05-2018, 11:30 AM

To answer your question. Dont put the antifreeze in the freshwater tank. While it won't hurt you you will be tasting it for a while and I wouldn't let any pets drink from it because glycol is poisonous to them.

My back flow valve is bad on my water heater so I ended up with antifreeze in the heater. even after rinsing with the rinsing thing I still smelled it for a while.

BillandLiz · 10-05-2018, 11:35 AM

even after all the drain downs and blow outs I still add anti freeze reason being you can not feel 100 percent sure at every connection or junction you have the last few drop and it can lead to a freeze break point. Most times in the hardest spot to access so it is cheap insurance.

Forkyfork · 10-05-2018, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillandLiz

even after all the drain downs and blow outs I still add anti freeze reason being you can not feel 100 percent sure at every connection or junction you have the last few drop and it can lead to a freeze break point. Most times in the hardest spot to access so it is cheap insurance.

I always add antifreeze. There is no way I want to even try to figure out how to access some of the fittings that could crack if the freeze.

Pex itself holds up well to freezing but the fittings, on my rig at least, don't look like they would hold up at all.

Im putting mine in climate controlled storage this winter so I am going to leave it as is. We don't deep freeze where we are so even if the power goes out for a bit the building won't cool fast enough to freeze.

BFlinn181 · 10-05-2018, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forkyfork

To answer your question. Dont put the antifreeze in the freshwater tank. While it won't hurt you you will be tasting it for a while and I wouldn't let any pets drink from it because glycol is poisonous to them.

My back flow valve is bad on my water heater so I ended up with antifreeze in the heater. even after rinsing with the rinsing thing I still smelled it for a while.

Formulations for RV antifreeze vary greatly. Most contain propylene glycol. This has been deemed safe when properly used. https://images.homedepot-static.com/...ce09f613b5.pdf

I'd always recommend flushing it out of the plumbing at the beginning of any de-winterizing and would also suggest using bleach to sterilize your water system after Spring commissioning.

In small concentrations, propylene glycol is found in many dog and cat foods as a moisture retainer.

Ethylene glycol is found in many antifreeze mixes for vehicles and is much more toxic. It should not be ingested by humans or pets. It has a sweet smell/taste that can attract dogs and cats to lick it off the driveway if spilled.

tuffr2 · 10-05-2018, 03:14 PM

I love 'just blow out the lines'. If you can see you get call the water out of all nooks and crannies good.

I like to see the pink stuff come out of each water source. That way I am 100% sure the rest of the line has anti freeze in it.

Now, that anti freeze is only good to -50. If you are in Alaska or Bismark ND I would suggest 'just blow out the lines'.

BFlinn181 · 10-05-2018, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuffr2

I love 'just blow out the lines'. If you can see you get call the water out of all nooks and crannies good.

I like to see the pink stuff come out of each water source. That way I am 100% sure the rest of the line has anti freeze in it.

Now, that anti freeze is only good to -50. If you are in Alaska or Bismark ND I would suggest 'just blow out the lines'.

I've been winterizing cabins, camps, boats, and RVs for over 40 years. Compressed air works, but you do have to take a little time. It's not just blow and go, allow the air to move most all the water out of the lines. It's not critical in most systems, especially with PEX and other lines that can stretch a bit. Blowing out the lines gets rid of the majority of the water.Unless your system is designed poorly with lots of places to let water collect in low spots, you shouldn't suffer any freeze damage. I've winterized RVs both ways and never had freeze damage either way. While the RV antifreeze is easy to do, it takes more time in the Spring to flush the lines and prepare for use. The air method takes a little longer to ensure the lines are free of water, but it doesn't require flushing out the lines in the Spring.

I'm not criticizing either method, I just prefer leaving the lines empty.

winniman · 10-05-2018, 03:44 PM

My previous rv had the pump in a location where I could see it. After blowing all the lines out several times, I could still see water at the pump. It was at this point I decided to use both methods. After sucking rv antifreeze into the pump, I could clearly see all the lines had pink in them. My new rv, I cant see the pump, so I take no chances. It takes a little bit extra to get it out in the spring, but I live in Ontario. We get lots of deep freezes over the winter. Better safe than sorry.

Forkyfork · 10-05-2018, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BFlinn181

Formulations for RV antifreeze vary greatly. Most contain propylene glycol. This has been deemed safe when properly used. https://images.homedepot-static.com/...ce09f613b5.pdf

I'd always recommend flushing it out of the plumbing at the beginning of any de-winterizing and would also suggest using bleach to sterilize your water system after Spring commissioning.

In small concentrations, propylene glycol is found in many dog and cat foods as a moisture retainer.

Ethylene glycol is found in many antifreeze mixes for vehicles and is much more toxic. It should not be ingested by humans or pets. It has a sweet smell/taste that can attract dogs and cats to lick it off the driveway if spilled.

We aren't cats or dogs for that matter. Cats are sensitive to it. Not taking chances for the first trips out after de-winterizing. https://healthypets.mercola.com/site...-pet-food.aspx

In case you don't feel like reading " Even a small amount of propylene glycol can cause a condition called Heinz body hemolytic anemia in cats"

MikeVB · 10-15-2018, 01:29 PM

I have read in this winterizing thread that it is best to add the AF to the plumbing system directly at the pump. Below is a pic of the water pump on my 1999 Bounder.

There does not seem to be an easy way of connecting into this system. I do not see a siphon connection. I am making the assumption that the pump intake is on the left. The water tank is in the next bay to the left.

The second pic shows the water tank. I'm not sure what the valve on the left side is for. (This is my first MH and I'm still learning all of the systems.)

Any suggestions? What would it take to add one? Is it even worth it?

Thanks.

Update: I did figure out what the valve on the left side of the tank. It is the bottom drain for the tank.

Forkyfork · 10-15-2018, 01:52 PM

On my 77 motorhome it didn’t have all the fancy my Winnebago does. I just drained the watertank and removed the line off the pump coming from the tank and screwed a fitting with a tube to the pump and put the tube in the pink stuff. I had a city inlet can’t remember what I did there. You can add a valve and a T to the pump. I didn’t have the room.

I didn’t have a diverter on the water heater so I removed those lines and installed valves to bypass it.

60sumtin · 10-15-2018, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeVB

I have read in this winterizing thread that it is best to add the AF to the plumbing system directly at the pump. Below is a pic of the water pump on my 1999 Bounder.

There does not seem to be an easy way of connecting into this system. I do not see a siphon connection. I am making the assumption that the pump intake is on the left. The water tank is in the next bay to the left.

The second pic shows the water tank. I'm not sure what the valve on the left side is for. (This is my first MH and I'm still learning all of the systems.)

Any suggestions? What would it take to add one? Is it even worth it?

Thanks.

Update: I did figure out what the valve on the left side of the tank. It is the bottom drain for the tank.

Yes, the left side of the pump is the intake. The round thing just before the pump inlet is the sediment filter. I'd attach the suction tube to the filter inlet. A more elegant solution would be to add a winterizing kit to the inlet line but Flowguard Gold fittings are are now hard to find.

What I don't understand is why is there a short line with a valve in it between the input and output lines. It doesn't need to be there.

BFlinn181 · 10-15-2018, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 60sumtin

Yes, the left side of the pump is the intake. The round thing just before the pump inlet is the sediment filter. I'd attach the suction tube to the filter inlet. A more elegant solution would be to add a winterizing kit to the inlet line but Flowguard Gold fittings are are now hard to find.

What I don't understand is why is there a short line with a valve in it between the input and output lines. It doesn't need to be there.

I agree. If left open, it could cause a 'closed loop.' bridging the input to the output of the pump makes no sense that I can figure out.

From the 90º elbow on the far left of the photo to the next 90º elbow is a straight section of line that a winterizing suction valve could be added and be very easy to access.

60sumtin · 10-15-2018, 04:13 PM

Yup. Either way. I was thinking of something like this screwed into the inlet with a length of ½" hose shoved onto the other end.

MikeVB · 10-15-2018, 04:20 PM

It is my understanding that the short pipe and valve is to allow filling the water tank via the city water connection in the wet bay. That is the only time the valve is open. Otherwise, you are correct, a "closed loop" would be created.

I can't think of a time that I would use it. But, it's there if I want it.