Antifreeze in short supply?

[Steve578]

I have to be a nit-picker about the cup of anti freeze. It looks good enough to drink which could be a fatal mistake. Never put a poison in a drink container. Grand kids might find it.

[FPengineer]

Any chance you could have been looking at a jug of hydronic heating system fluid verses antifreeze for winterizing? It comes in a similar bottle and is propylene gycol in content with corrosion inhibitors for domestic hot water boilers. It’s price is more in line with what you saw.

Taylor
1998 Safari Serengeti (acquires 2018)
CAT 3126, Allison 3600
Mini Cooper Clubman S

[KanzKran]

Originally Posted by Steve578

I have to be a nit-picker about the cup of anti freeze. It looks good enough to drink which could be a fatal mistake. Never put a poison in a drink container. Grand kids might find it.

I assume that's in reference to my post (#25). The antifreeze is non-toxic "RV" antifreeze. It was in the basement fridge/freezer, on the top shelf, in a closed store room, and my grandkids are 1600 miles away and I haven't seen them in almost a year other than via facetime. It stayed in there for 16 hours, then posed for a photo, then went back into the bottle once it melted.

Oh, and I warned DW that it was there, since I didn't know what it would do (freeze or not) and I didn't want her to spill it if it wasn't frozen. It's only me and she around these days.

But point taken, and I do consider such things when messing about in my shop.

[Mereau1]

I am trying to find my hot and cold low point drain valves. I have a Winnebago 2020 Minnie plus 31BHDS travel trailer. Dan

[Grandpa5x]

Originally Posted by richard5933

That might work in TN, but in places like here in Wisconsin where winter temps might reach -20F it's not always successful.

Just takes a few drop of water to be left behind in a valve or other fitting to cause major problems when it freezes. Any moisture left in the plumbing is going to slowly gather in low spots and freeze. Since most compressors will introduce moisture into the system it's nearly impossible to avoid this.

My wood shop in Milwaukee had the compressor in an outbuilding with the air line running between about 3 feet below grade. Even with an air dryer, there was sometimes enough moisture in the air to form condensation in the line between buildings. More than once we had the line freeze shut due to sub-zero temps freezing the condenses moisture.

I always use pink antifreeze in addition to blowing the lines. It's the only sure way to guarantee that all the water is displaced by something that won't freeze & expand and cause problems in the winter.

40 years ago I was living in northern IL outside of Joliet, the winter of 1977-78 we had temps as low as 26 below 0 for over a week, no problems.

[richard5933]

Originally Posted by frizfreleng

Are you guys talking about pre-mixed or concentrate? Living in Florida I don't use "anti-freeze". It is called "coolant". Raises the boiling temperature. In all my vehicles I use a 50/50 mixture of Glycol base concentrate and water. Also have never heard of "alcohol" as an anti-freeze/coolant. When did that start?

Totally different things, what one puts in an engine for heat/freeze protection and what we're talking about here. Totally different.

The stuff we're talking about here is what is used to keep the plumbing system in an RV from experiencing damage due to the expansion of water in the system should it encounter below-freezing temps. Water will expand when freezing, the pink "anti-freeze" will not. It does become solidified at cold temps, but it will not expand until it reaches the temp listed on the label (or beyond).

BTW, that stuff you put in your engine you're calling "coolant" is the same exact stuff we use up here to protect our engine against freeze damage in the winter. We use a higher concentration than you do since we're worried about cold temps which can reach -20F or lower, but at the high end our engines will run at about the same temp as yours down there.

Alcohol has been used in antifreeze/coolant mixtures since the very beginning of the automobile industry. A common ingredient is ethylene glycol, which is a type of alcohol.

[Mgtv53]

Originally Posted by Mereau1

I am trying to find my hot and cold low point drain valves. I have a Winnebago 2020 Minnie plus 31BHDS travel trailer. Dan

Usually the out side shower is the lowest point

[azpete]

it appears that there is no shortage of rv antifreeze. walmart, most auto parts stores, and farm supply stores have plenty.
this rumor starts every year, and ends up the same way. a sale of rv antifreeze after christmas.

[KanzKran]

Originally Posted by azpete

. . . a sale of rv antifreeze after christmas.

Works for me. I may be leaving the cold and frosty in January for warmer climes, then coming back to the cold and frosty in a month. So re-winterizing somewhere on the road on the way back. I like a good sale, even if in the grand scheme of things, a buck or two makes no difference.

[WileyOne]

Antifreeze does not have an expiration date. As long as you don't add water, you can keep it around indefinitely.

The next time I find the stuff for under $3 per gallon, I am going to buy enough for next year. I already have enough for this year because I bought it last year.

[cavie]

Originally Posted by shootist

What good is it if it won't circulate. I lived in Alaska for 4 years. Saw 3 weeks 52 below and colder, antifreeze never froze. Couldn't drive the car if it did.

This conversation is about RV antifreeze. Not auto antifreeze. It does not circulate like auto does. It is stagnate in the piping system and not circulating. RV anti freeze is also nontoxic where auto antifreeze is toxic!.

[PalmerAlaska]

Costco $11.00 and change for a box containing two gallons. The problem I've found with Costco is that they are really fickle as to when they will have RV anti-freeze in stock. So when I DO see it, I'll buy 2-3 boxes and keep it on a shelf in the garage.

[gwing99]

I just picked up 2 gallons at Wal-Mart $2.58 per gallon. Plenty in the display.

[Ryqster]

Don't buy that stuff from Amazon. I believe that they mark the price up on heavy items and hard to handle liquids. I have had no problem finding the safe antifreeze for potable water systems at our small local RV shop, as well as Camping World and other notable outlets very reasonably priced.