Why is winterization necessary?

[lgudema]

We have a three-season RV. Serious question: why isn't it sufficient to drain all fluids? Why do we have to put in anti-freeze? Thanks!

[Ranger Smith]

You don't need to use rv antifreeze in anything but the traps. I just blow ours out and drain the water heater and tanks.

[creativepart]

You live in a state that freezes every Winter. Or do you keep your RV somewhere that never sees consistent hard freezes? I live in South Texas and I never winterize my coach. If I lived further North, where Winter is really felt then winterizing would be necessary or water in thin plastic pipes could freeze and burst.

As Steve said above, you can either run RV antifreeze throughout your water system OR you can use compressed air to blow out all of your water lines via the low point water drain, empty your water heater tank and pour antifreeze into sink and shower drains.

3-seasons is using the RV above prolonged freezing temperatures.

[Morich]

In theory the lines drain but only doing that runs a risk as the theory may not match real life!
One of the problems is that many RV lines have fittings of various types which tend to have low spots where a little bit of water may not drain. Depending on what type lines you have, it may be worth looking at something like an elbow to see how it is shaped. The lines go in each end inside the elbow, so that in a horizontal run the inside of the pipe is definitely higher than the inside of the elbow!
So we get two problems, one is that the fittings are more brittle than the pipe and they are also where we are most likely to find water collected that won't drain!

Life is a gamble and we have to consider how much reward we expect versus how much damage if we get it wrong! Way back, I used to buy old RV and rebuild. Many times the best value in used was the one that had frozen pipes. It was a way to afford an RV when we could not afford an RV!
But I might note that I have NEVER let my RV freeze as I know how much it takes to repair them!

[be happy]

For me, I am a 100% believer in using RV Antifreeze, it takes about 3 gallons for me to feel comfortable. When living outside of Kansas City Kansas where the winters are really not that bad it would only take a small water crystal to screw something up. Then moving to Iowa where it gets really cold it was a no brainer to use the antifreeze why risk frozen lines. I now live in Branson MO and when I moved here the first winter I asked rv tech about blow out or antifreeze. I was told for the small cost of the antifreeze why risk it. I am happy for that as we have had winters here with many way below freezing temps.

I am not saying do not blow out the lines, I am sure there are parts of the country thats really safe. Maybe folks way up north only blow out the lines.

As Richard said there are so many little spots that could be effected. In Kansas I said I used the antifreeze, one year I forgot to run antifreeze through the outside faucet. Yep next spring I was replacing the faucet.

[Morich]

If the price of antifreeze is the issue and not the time it takes, there is a really simple way to cut the cost of buying antifreeze every year. Just reuse it!

I have used RV in really cold where it was not safe to go outside and they had electrical plugs on poles out front to keep the engine heaters warm!

One way to make sure is to blow out the lines, then add antifreeze and blow it out into the bottles it came out of!
Blowing out the lines can be safe but it can also miss some small amounts and if that runs downhill to collect a half cup in some low spot, it can freeze and break something.
But the antifreeze is not JUST to keep water from freezing and it doesn't have to have water to work.
If we blow out all the water we think will come out and then go back with antifreeze and blow it out, you can be pretty confident that there is NO water left in some weird little spot to freeze. If there is, it is mixed with antifreeze!
But at the same time there is little point in leaving antifreeze in the whole system, so a few minutes to blow it back out and catch it in the bottles to store for next time is one way to trade time for reduced expense!
I would not say there is any wrong way, just that it takes some thought to make the decision on what we need and want to do. I have a personal aversion to fixing things that break because I let it happen!
I even had my car in the garage last night and I'm glad I did!

[lgudema]

Thanks for all of these thoughtful/useful responses! Much appreciated.

Louis
2023 Micro Minnie FLX (for sale)

[wyocamper]

Here we get to -20ºF and sometimes even -30. We usually go for a week or more when the daily high temp never gets above 0ºF. I blow out the lines and pour AF in the sinks and toilet and have never had an issue. Remember to take the filter cup off the water pump.

This is my experience and is not a recommendation. Do what you think is best for you.

[LCJ]

I live in Michigan. The first year the dealer blew out all the lines but they didn’t think add antifreeze. In the spring, we had a few spots that froze and split as well as the manifold. The dealer covered the damage but had it been my fault, we would have been billed $900.

I now winterize my Vista. I blow out the lines and use a couple of gallons of antifreeze and it works great. I feel a couple of gallons is pretty inexpensive insurance.

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by LCJ

I live in Michigan. The first year the dealer blew out all the lines but they didn’t think add antifreeze. In the spring, we had a few spots that froze and split as well as the manifold. The dealer covered the damage but had it been my fault, we would have been billed $900.

I now winterize my Vista. I blow out the lines and use a couple of gallons of antifreeze and it works great. I feel a couple of gallons is pretty inexpensive insurance.

RV anti-freeze and an hour of time is much less than replacing busted plumbing.
My Winnebago Ultimate Freedom manual says to use air pressure to blow out water from the plumbing lines. I will never do that, as just one hard freeze can destroy plumbing lines and fixtures.
Once I blew out the lines with air, then went back and pumped RV anti-freeze into the plumbing lines. At each faucet, when i opened it the first liquid out was about a cupful clear water. That was enough proof for me.

[Morich]

Once I got used to doing the blowout and I had the compressor there and ready, just going through the extra step of doing the blowout to recover the anti-freeze seemed to take very little time, so I took an empty jug with me to each faucet as we opened them in turn and caught the left overs.
Remembering to deal with the stool was one that I had trouble thinking to make sure to clear that line!

But once I started recovering the "used" antifreeze, it only takes a bit in each holding tank and each trap for each year, so that amount of cost in supplies is nothing to bother me for the extra felling it gives me to know I have a bit more room for those errors that I have to assume I'll make.

Kind of like putting a gun away after the season? I know I've cleared the chamber and got all the live rounds out----but I still don't pull the trigger while looking down the barrel!

[Tireman9]

It has been mentioned that after "blowing out" the lines it is still possible to have water in a low spot or in a fitting. While PEX line can tolerate some freezing the fittings appear to be the problem and I bet the average RV has 50+.


Also when you blow out the lines it isn't the air pressure that clears the lines but the air volume. I bet that most RV owners that have an air compressor for topping off the tires, have a compressor only capable of delivering a couple CFM of air. When I need to blow my lines I use my large shop air compressor that delivers 11CFM and I let each line vent for more than just a couple of seconds.
Even with this I still run "Pink-Stuff" through all my lines and check every faucet to be sure only "Pink" comes out. This process ensures the traps are treated.