Winterizing without antifreeze

[Toby]

I have a 2018.5 Seneca 37K and was wondering if anyone out there blows out their lines only without following up with antifreeze. I’ve winterized a mobile home clubhouse for years this way without any issues and was wondering why it wouldn’t work with an RV. Thanks for your thoughts.

[sturgissteele]

Welcome to the site, Toby.

I plan on using air and then just a little RV antifreeze in each trap for good measure.

Edit, just realized you're in a MH and I'm in a TT. Think it may still apply, but hope someone will reply that knows for sure.

[Murff]

Agree^^^^^

Murff

[RetiredOne]

I believe if you only blow out with air, you can still get water to settle back down into low spots of tubings and fittings. It doesn't get every drop out. In many of these rigs, water lines run up and down. You can get air to pass by, but still leave water in some lines, or in low spots, like the cold water inlet to the water heater.

Best policy is to blow out lines with air, then pump through the antifreeze. If there's any water still left, it will mix with antifreeze, lowering the freeze temperature.

[Dan-Phyllis]

Been winterizing with air compressor for years. we like cold weather camping so I end up winterizing several times a year between trips. I do put antifreeze in the traps. Havent had any problems. I think any small amount of water left in the lines will be ok because it has room to expand if it freezes as long as the system isnt full of water.

[RogerR]

I started a poll a while back and the results were 20% air only , 40% antifreeze then air and 33% antifreeze only.

I personally go antifreeze to pick up all the water and blow it out.

Having frozen an outdoor shower and replaced it I take all the precautions I can!

[Midnightmoon]

Originally Posted by RogerR

I started a poll a while back and the results were 20% air only , 40% antifreeze then air and 33% antifreeze only.

I personally go antifreeze to pick up all the water and blow it out.

Having frozen an outdoor shower and replaced it I take all the precautions I can!

Here is a link to your poll in case anyone in this tread would like to see it.

https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...oth-70850.html

[madmaxmutt]

I have never used antifreeze in the lines. Only in the traps with enough to flow down to the tank valves. I have done this on multiple trailers without a problem.

You do need a decent amount of airflow from your compressor, though.

Edit: I will add that with PEX a little remaining water in the piping isn't a big deal. The fittings would not be good, though.

[Rice1951]

If you have a washing machine it will have a winterizing procedure and most likely will recommend RV antifreeze. Same will probably be true for an ice maker. Anything with a valve that is electrically operated will be difficult to winterize with air only.
If you’re old school like me the pink stuff going in on one end and coming out the other end is a welcome sight and never fails.

[Tunce the traveler]

Originally Posted by RetiredOne

I believe if you only blow out with air, you can still get water to settle back down into low spots of tubings and fittings. It doesn't get every drop out. In many of these rigs, water lines run up and down. You can get air to pass by, but still leave water in some lines, or in low spots, like the cold water inlet to the water heater.

Best policy is to blow out lines with air, then pump through the antifreeze. If there's any water still left, it will mix with antifreeze, lowering the freeze temperature.

X2 and it’s only $4.99 per for a gallon of antifreeze. Don’t be penny wise & pound foolish and you won’t be the first one.

[SloPoke]

Originally Posted by madmaxmutt

I have never used antifreeze in the lines. Only in the traps with enough to flow down to the tank valves. I have done this on multiple trailers without a problem.

You do need a decent amount of airflow from your compressor, though.

Edit: I will add that with PEX a little remaining water in the piping isn't a big deal. The fittings would not be good, though.

After 20 years of winterizing RV's and also winterizing our homes in places other than Southern California... we used to use the RV Antifreeze before we really understood. If you have water in a pipe that is 60% full of water and the rest is air... the expansion of water will not burst that pipe - the expansion of water will run lineally down the pipe and the air trapped between the ice will compress.

Stacy and I have figured out a program that we can winterize our Seneca in about 20 minutes at a truck stop with compressed air on our way back to the "Greatest Snow on Earth"... We rarely do it unless we are going to be in really cold weather and without 50A Service for the duration.

It actually takes us more time to de-winterize... and with RV-Antifreeze, that makes the process 8x longer. When using RVAF in your fresh water plumbing, you have to flush it out, then sanitize and then flush it again. Not an easy task when it is still in the 30's- 40's when you are wanting to be heading back out. If we use compressed air - the flushing sequences that are required to remove the RVAF are not needed. A quick dose of sanitizer and flush are all that is needed and you can be on your way.

[SloPoke]

Originally Posted by Rice1951

If you have a washing machine it will have a winterizing procedure and most likely will recommend RV antifreeze. Same will probably be true for an ice maker. Anything with a valve that is electrically operated will be difficult to winterize with air only.
If you’re old school like me the pink stuff going in on one end and coming out the other end is a welcome sight and never fails.

Wait until you hear "air" coming out of your washer instead. works great on the washer, the ice maker and the tankless water heater...

[SloPoke]

and for those who have built recirculating hot water return lines in your MH, Trailer or 5'er... you can't buy enough Pink stuff to flush that line out in a Day.

[Toby]

Mind sharing your process with me

[Toby]

Thanks for all the input. Being in the insurance business I know all about frozen pipes so I don’t want to go down that road but I believe if done right air only will work.

[Brian_HR]

I'm interested in the SloPoke air winterization process as well. I live in CO and although it gets below freezing in the winter we can have some really nice winter days as well and would love to be able to take advantage without spending all day de-winterizing.

[DocBrown]

I blow out the lines and use antifreeze. Where I got burned one year was forgetting to open the cold and hot lines running to and from the water heater to let antifreeze run through. The leftover water in one of the valves was just enough to freeze and split the valve at the seam. It doesn't take much.

Using antifreeze is like paying your car insurance. You may never need it. But it's there when you do.

[michael.g]

When we had our MH, we just blew out the lines. We used it all year round and since we live in coastal GA where it rarely stays below freezing long, we didn't bother with antifreeze, except in the drain traps. With our TT, which stays in the Northeast over the winter, we blow out the lines than fill with anti-freeze.

I've heard some folks don't like to keep anti-freeze in the lines all winter long, so they blow out the water, pump antifreeze in and then pump it out. All the water gets removed by the antifreeze, so RV is water free and the anti-freeze doesn't sit in the pipes for months on end. When closed up for the season last year, we didn't know if we'd be back this summer, so that is what we did.

Most modern RVs have PEX piping, which can handle being frozen, but water in the fittings will cause them to split.

-Michael

[Jagiven]

Lots of people only do CA. I have thought about it, but I have not. I am not concerned about the PEX failing. But I am concerned about the cheap fittings they use failing.

I've been the belt and suspender type. I too have blown out the system with CA, then added the antifreeze, then blown out the lines again. A few years back, I decided to blow out the lines again the next day. Out of the kitchen faucet, I got at least another cup of antifreeze out. I ponder, where was that fluid sitting? In the sag or length of the pipe, or was it in a fitting? Those pipes just happen to run in the back of my pantry (not hard to get to), and along the back wall and around the shower, both areas are a complete pain to access. In theory, I would not expect any fittings along that stretch, but??????

[DebbieMac]

I have a 2014 Jayflight TT that is stationary, hooked up to water and sewer.
Does anyone have a checklist for winterizing (with antifreeze) to share? It's my first time, so I'm definitely nervous about this.