Winterize with air

[2007dura]

My rig is presently winterized with "pink" stuff. I can't stand it no more, so we are going camping in 2 weeks if weather permits. We will go for a weekend, and then plan on going the following weekend after that. I have saw where some winterize with an air compressor instead of "pink" stuff. This would be less expense, since I will have to keep winterizing every time I camp until probably mid April to be safe from freezing temps. I already have an air compressor, so no problem there. I will use anti-freeze in traps to keep from freezing.

My questions about using air:
1. Do I need the adaptor to use on fresh water connection, or can I just use my compressor with air gun and maybe a rag around connection to hold pressure?
2. Do I need to keep constant air pressure, or can I open a faucet, shoot air pressure till line dry, go to next faucet, etc.?
3. What is the highest pressure you would recommend to use on lines? (30 PSI, 20 PSI, etc.)
4. Is there any advice or "tricks" you have learned from using air that would help to make it easier to do?

[ronstan]

What you might want to try is saving the pink stuff and reusing it. You could open the low point drains and let that go in a jug and the go inside and open each faucet one at a time and use air to blow the pink stuff out. Watch your pressure though or you'll have pink stuff all over.

[Karl]

While I still do the "pink stuff", a friend of mine has always winterized with air and never had any problems. What I do is use air first, then run a much smaller amount of antifreeze through the lines.

If you use air, here are the ideas and cautions I have heard:


1. Buy an adapter (my plastic one was $2.49) and use it on the city water inlet.

2. Keep the pressure at about 50 lb or lower, and be sure to open something first so you don't pressurize the whole system... resulting in a messy spray when you open a faucet, etc.

3. I take out the water heater anode and turn on the compressor as the heater is draining to speed the emptying of the heater.

4. Afer bypassing the water heater, I open one of the low point drains and turn on the water pump till it is blowing a bit of air(of course drain the fresh water tank first), then I apply pressure till it only emits air, then I open the other low point drain and close the first... till that one only emits air.

5. Finally I close those drains again (compressor off) and go inside to open a faucet (furthest one first in my case) then the toilet, then each of the others till it is just air.

6. If your unit is prepped for washer/dryer, don't forget those lines.

7. After all of this, I leave all the faucets and drains open for a few days (weather permitting), then come back with antoher shot of air.

8. This is the point where I also use the antifreeze, using much less than I otherwise would if I hadn't blown out the lines. (my friend omits this step and never has had a problem in the 30 years he has had RV's.)

9. Even if you don't use the antifreeze in the lines, I would strongly urge that you pour a bit of it into each of the traps so ice doesn't cause a problem there.

ALL OF THE ABOVE BEING SAID... ...THIS IS MY WAY AND MY FRIEND'S WAY OF DOING THIS, AND IS NOT INTENDED TO IN ANY WAY LEAVE ME OPEN TO LIABILITY IN THE EVENT IT DOESN'T WORK FOR YOU!

[Merv]

I always wintrize with air. i fill a portable tank that holds 120Lbs. i have a air gun hooked to it.
first i open all of the faucets and stick the toilet brush in the toilet drain so it stays open. then go outside and open the low point drains. also pull the anode out of the water heater.
once most of the water has drained, i turn the pump on for a few seconds to push any water out of the pump itself. now i close all of the faucets.
now one by one i go to each faucet and open the hot and blow air up through the faucet. then close the hot and do the same thing to the cold. after blowing each faucet i close them and go to the next faucet. as for the drains, i do the same thing. i put a rag around the drain and use the air gun to give it a good blow to push all of the water out of the trap.
after everything has been blown out i will open all of the faucets and leave them that way so any little water that may be left will drain.
after all of the blowing and draning, i will put wrap the anode with teflon tape and reinstall it. then just to be sure there is no water in the pump, i will run it again for a few seconds.
be sure to leave the sewer drains open so they dont freeze in the closed position. aslo make sure that the fresh water tank has already been drained.
when its time to go camping again, just make sure all of the low point drains and the fresh water drain are capped. fill the tanks, close the sewer drains, and you are ready for another trip.
i have been doing it this way for years and have never had any problems.
i have never used the pink stuff.
hope this helps
Merv

[sreigle]

Wow, between Ron, Karl and Merv you got some really great advice. I winterized with air one winter and had no problems although I admit to worrying about it all winter, wondering if I really got all the water out. But no problem.

Don't forget to put a little bit of antifreeze in the toilet bowl to keep the seal from drying out.

If you have the outside shower, incorporate that into your scheme, same as inside faucets.

If you have a washer, read it's manual about how to winterize. This can cause big problems if you don't winterize it. For ours, the instructions say to pour xx amount of antifreeze into the tub then run the spin and drain cycle for xx seconds. The one winter we had the washer before fulltiming we did this and had no problem.

[Karl]

Thanks, Steve, for the reminder about the outdoor shower and the toilet bowl. I do both of those things, but neglected to put it in my posting.

[Searchers]

I open the all the faucets including the outside shower, toilet fill valve, lowpoint drains and pull the anode rod. When all the water is drained I close the valves leaving only the lowpoint drains open. Apply 40lbs. air pressure through city water inlet adapter for a few minutes. I leave the toilet fill valve closed and the anode rod out for the winter, all others open. I then add RV antifreeze to the holding tanks (previously emtied) through each of the fixture drains. Two gallons total seems to work for me. I also pull the batteries for indoor storage and maintenence during the winter. No problems with this method in the six years years we've had this unit or the 5 years on the previous Lance Camper.

[kdeiss]

I have used just air to winterize many times.The only negitive is your faucet washers and seals tend to dry over the winter and some times you have to replace.That is the only negitive I have found.I now use the pink stuff but still blow out my lines first just my way.

[Glenn and Lorraine]

I have been winterizing with fresh Florida Sunshine. Been winterizing with this sunny stuff for 2 winters in a row and never had a freeze up. It is a very simple process and it's not all that difficult to learn how.[*]Step 1--Hook up 5er to TV[*]Step 2--Head TV in a southerly direction[*]Step 3--Continue southerly until you reach central Florida[*]Step 4--Enjoy

[ronstan]

Glenn really has the right idea. My neighbor across the road does that. He left right after the first of the year. Called me the day after we got 6in of white stuff. I used air one year and didn't get all out of the valve on the toilet and it froze. So now it's the pink stuff.

[Karl]

I think the whole answer is....trade the "white stuff" (snow) for the "yellow stuff" (sun)!

That's what we do now!

[Charlie]

Glen-
Really got a good laugh out of your instuctions for winterizing, only I have a small problem. I am already at 29 06 N. Latitude and 25 miles south puts me in the Gulf Of Mexico. Good thing is I may have to worry about winterizing once every couple of years or so, otherwise July and August are real killers.

[Glenn and Lorraine]

quote:Originally posted by Karl

I think the whole answer is....trade the "white stuff" (snow) for the "yellow stuff" (sun)!

That's what we do now!

ABSOLUTELY RIGHT and you can forget all about that "pink stuff"

quote:Originally posted by Charlie

Glen-
Really got a good laugh out of your instuctions for winterizing, only I have a small problem. I am already at 29 06 N. Latitude and 25 miles south puts me in the Gulf Of Mexico. Good thing is I may have to worry about winterizing once every couple of years or so, otherwise July and August are real killers.

Well Charlie in your case your gonna have to find yourself a barge and float that rig a bit south and east.

[2007dura]

I too like the idea of trading "pink stuff" and "white stuff" for the "yellow stuff" to winterize. The only problem is I don't have the "green stuff" to do it. But the day will come.

[HPRUM2000]

i use 45lbs air with pressuer regulater on hose and made up adapter from compressor to hose you should open toilet valve as air will mess up seals open all faucet s .by pass hot water heater drain remove plug lift relief valve. fill lines with pink stuff run some in traps about 8ozs. for about $9.00 and change for 3gals pink stuff or what ever color is cheap insurance
2003 ford 350 6.0 drw
2002 2955

[skyguy]

Being on the cheap side, , I recycle my pink stuff, since our spring and falls can sometimes catch you off guard. It seems quicker and easier than repeatedly blowing out the lines with air. One word of caution - it doesn't take much water mixed with the antifreeze to raise the freezing point, so I will lose a fair share when I do recycle.

Also, once I drain the hot water, we resort to heating water on the stove as necessary, and no inside showers either! But we only use the 5er on occassional weekends thru the winter!

Al