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Old 10-17-2018, 12:06 PM   #1
scottkeen
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How many gallons of Anti-Freeze to winterize?

I'm planning to blow my lines with an air-compressor, but just in case I change my mind and go with the traditional method...

How many gallons of anti-freeze (the pink stuff) does it take to winterize your Montana?

Mine has the winterize hose connection. This will be my first time to winterize.
 
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Old 10-17-2018, 12:29 PM   #2
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I can do my 2013 3100RL with less than 2. You should be good having 3 on hand.
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Old 10-17-2018, 01:03 PM   #3
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I typically use 4. But I am generous with the pink stuff making sure I get plenty of undiluted antifreeze in all lines and traps.
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Old 10-17-2018, 01:23 PM   #4
Dave W
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Within the past couple hours, just used about 1.5 gallons. We don't have a washer, only hookups so there is a bit less then those that have one.


A quick note - if you have hookups but no washer, crack the faucet caps and both valves to let the lines drain then close and add your pink stuff. Also, open the outside shower connection too to drain then confirm pink comes out. As far as the @#$% HEPVO drain traps - not sure what the usual cup of pink down the drain accomplishes, but habit is hard to change
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Old 10-17-2018, 03:20 PM   #5
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I use about a gallon but like everyone said two gallons easy.
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Old 10-17-2018, 03:34 PM   #6
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OK, thanks guys. Sounds like 2 jugs should do it. I bought 4 just in case, or for extras for next year.

I do have washer/dryer hookup, but no washer/dryer so I'll take the advice of draining the line for it.

Do you guys just dump 2 gallons of pink stuff into a 5 gallon bucket and let the pump suck it in through the winterize connection?

Do you use your potable drinking water hose, or a separate hose dedicated for pink stuff?
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Old 10-17-2018, 03:52 PM   #7
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Honestly it all depends on what unit you have and how much plumbing there is. Each model is plumbed differently, thus some using 4 gallons and others using a gallon. You will be safe with your purchase of 4,if you don't use them all now, you will now know what to get for next year.
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Old 10-17-2018, 09:45 PM   #8
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I use 1 gallon. Use separate hose for antifreeze. Mine is about 14”. I set the jug in the convenience center, insert hose, hook up to winterize port.
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Old 10-18-2018, 05:39 AM   #9
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I use a short length of 'retired' 1/2" water hose and just stick it in the jug. Making sure all of the valves are closed, including the water heater bypass, hook it to the winterize hose bib. I then turn on the pump. It will run for a while then shut off. I then go to the furthest faucet and run ithe pink into a clear bottle, saving it for the drain traps. Next do the bath sink, shower and toilet, finishing with the outside shower. You may have to change jugs after the second faucet as much of the first jug is in the water lines.



When done, hopefully none of that pink stuff has escaped into the HW heater or fresh water tank as it is a real bear to flush out in the spring -- and the lingering taste is terrible.


Glad I got ours donoe yesterday as the temp as I write this is 28F and staying chilly for another day or so
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Old 10-18-2018, 11:46 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bullroc3 View Post
I can do my 2013 3100RL with less than 2. You should be good having 3 on hand.
I use a good 3 gallons on my 3400RL, I'm a bit wasteful, but I let enough run out of the faucets to fill the traps , its easier then blowing out the traps. I fill the washer hookups, the outside shower, and let the low point drains fill until pink, and the toilet .

I am amazed how someone can get all that done on a gallon or two. Size of trailer I guess, along with whether it has a washer hookup to fill both lines etc etc . Anyway I always want at least three full gallons when I start .
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Old 10-18-2018, 05:31 PM   #11
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I have 4 gallons to do ours. But I`m going to leave the last one connected so I can get it cycled thru the ice maker overnight.

I live by the motto "better to have enough and not need, than to need more and not have it". So I do go overboard some say, but I`ve had NO issues in over 15 years of doing it that way.
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Old 10-18-2018, 05:48 PM   #12
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If you do it right and make sure you have ALL antifreeze (not mixed with water) you can blow it out through the low point drains etc. in the spring to recover some if not most of it to use the next year.
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Old 10-18-2018, 05:53 PM   #13
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As cheap as the antifreeze is to buy, its not worth the time, effort or hassle for me to attempt to recover it for use the following year.
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Old 10-18-2018, 07:13 PM   #14
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If you have a residential fridge just remember to turn the valve under the kitchen sink to the off position and undo the line under the appliance side slide so it will drain the ice maker line.
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Old 10-24-2018, 01:38 PM   #15
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UWe use 2 gallons in our 2955RL. This includes the toilet and p-traps. We don’t have a washer/dryer hookup.

Almost forgot. Be sure to close the low point drains when you do this, or you will waste a lot of antifreeze. Don’t ask me how I know, just take my word for it!
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Old 10-24-2018, 02:09 PM   #16
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OK, here's what I do: drain the water heater and bypass it. Drain and pump all the water out you can. Empty your holding tanks. Hook up the compressor, set at 40psi, and blow it out thourogly. Using the winterize suction hose, pull one gallon into the lines, opening one valve at a time until it just runs pink. No more than that or one gallon won't be enough. Hook up the compressor again and blow everything out again, letting the pink stuff run down the drains. You're done! Anything wet left in your lines will be the pink stuff. No water anywhere, it all having been displaced by antifreeze. Your P-traps will be full of the same. I've been through 5 Rvs in 40 years in Northern Utah (down to - 10 or so) and I've never had a single thing freeze. Ever.
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Old 10-24-2018, 02:11 PM   #17
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OK, here's what I do: drain the water heater and bypass it. Drain and pump all the water out you can. Empty your holding tanks. Hook up the compressor, set at 40psi, and blow it out thourogly. Using the winterize suction hose, pull one gallon into the lines, opening one valve at a time until it just runs pink. No more than that or one gallon won't be enough. Hook up the compressor again and blow everything out again, letting the pink stuff run down the drains. You're done! Anything wet left in your lines will be the pink stuff. No water anywhere, it all having been displaced by antifreeze. Your P-traps will be full of the same. I've been through 5 Rvs in 40 years in Northern Utah (down to - 10 or so) and I've never had a single thing freeze. Ever. No need to flush next spring. There's nothing left to flush.
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Old 10-24-2018, 06:46 PM   #18
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I used to do mine with about 2 1/2 gal without a washer. Now that we have a washer it took a little over 4 gal. And that was being generous everywhere. I use a 14" cutoff garden hose shoved to the bottom of the gal of antifreeze which the wife holds while I run each faucet. When the gal of antifreeze gets near 1 inch left, she knocks on the RV and I quit and go out and help her start another jug of antifreeze. That way I don't suck any air into the pump.

I used to use air in a previous trailer that didn't have a winterize connection. It was a cold, messy job. I don't blow out anything now as my dealer said to just pump it in till I see pink and shut it off. He said to levae the lines under pressure.

Last year after winterizing in October, I poured about 2 inches of antifreeze into the stool to keep the seal tight. it was between 0 and 10 degrees when we loaded up to leave last December. We brought a couple jugs of water along thinking we would just flush with the jug until we could de-winterize. The antifreeze was frozen in the stool and we couldn't flush until we got to our first destination and ran the furnace for about an hour. A lot of winters our pump will be frozen too until we run the furnace for a while. Original pump, still works.

When buying RV antifreeze I mark the lid on each jug with the year - 17 or 18 with a sharpie. Then if I have any left over, I use up the old next year first. Not sure what the shelf life is on this stuff but I think I read somewhere that it can be less effective as it ages. Sometimes when returning from the South in the spring we have had to winterize due to a late Apr or May freeze. And some years it was not as available in the stores in the spring. So I don't mind having extra around.
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Old 10-24-2018, 07:31 PM   #19
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At $3 to $5 per gallon, depending on brand and whether it is alcohol based or propylene glycol based, I am not going to be worried about whether I use 2 gallons more than someone else. Nor am I going to try to recover and reuse it.
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