In case your RV experiences freezing temperatures, you have to study easy methods to winterize your RV. An enormous a part of that course of is utilizing RV antifreeze, and there are a lot of questions on what to decide on and easy methods to use it appropriately.
For starters, let’s offer you a short overview of the RV winterization course of:
Now that you simply’re acquainted, right here’s every thing it’s essential find out about RV antifreeze.
What’s RV Antifreeze?
Some RV house owners name it “the pink stuff,” however antifreeze will be many colours. Extra importantly, it’s a liquid with a a lot decrease freezing level than water. Changing the water in your plumbing strains with RV antifreeze protects it from freezing, increasing, and doubtlessly bursting.
Most RV antifreeze options are both ethanol or propylene glycol-based. Each decrease the answer’s freezing level, however propylene glycol additionally raises the answer’s boiling level. The sorts of RV antifreeze used at most Tenting World Service Facilities have a freezing level of -50℉.
Is RV Antifreeze Poisonous?
It is determined by the antifreeze you’ve chosen. Propylene glycol RV antifreeze is a non-toxic answer secure for RV plumbing methods and holding tanks. That mentioned, care should be taken to utterly flush antifreeze and sanitize your RV’s recent water system when de-winterizing your RV.
Right here’s a fast video explaining easy methods to sanitize your RV’s recent water tank:
You must by no means dump RV antifreeze on the bottom once you flush your system. It ought to be disposed of correctly (extra on that beneath), as it might hurt vegetation and animals if consumed.
Is RV Antifreeze Poisonous to Animals?
When utilizing antifreeze or different RV chemical substances, your first step ought to be studying the warning label. Whereas it’s non-toxic in your RV’s pipes, taps, and fixtures, it may be poisonous to people and animals if consumed.
That is very true for cats, which might expertise adversarial results if uncovered to RV antifreeze in small portions. Canines are much less delicate however can nonetheless endure adverse results if massive portions are consumed.
Fortuitously, try to be utilizing antifreeze when prepping your RV for winter storage and never dealing with it once more till it’s time to de-winterize it. So hold your pets in the home throughout these processes, and also you’ll be nice.
In case your animals by chance eat RV antifreeze, please search rapid veterinary consideration.
How A lot RV Antifreeze Do I Want?
The really helpful quantity of RV antifreeze in your motorhome or towable is determined by the dimensions. You’ll discover within the article and video on RV winterization we advocate bypassing your water heater. That is primarily since you’ll want much more antifreeze for those who don’t.
Most RVs will use roughly 2-4 gallons of RV antifreeze. This consists of what goes down the sinks to make sure any remaining water within the P-traps doesn’t freeze.
Element Definition: P-traps are the U-shaped sections of pipe beneath your sinks that maintain water to forestall odors out of your gray water holding tank from getting into the cabin.
How A lot RV Antifreeze to Put in Holding Tanks
A part of winterizing your RV is pouring antifreeze down the sinks to fill the P-traps. Naturally, this may lead to some antifreeze touring by your plumbing and into the gray water tank.
Pouring 1-2 cups down every sink is really helpful. Moreover, you possibly can pour one other 2-4 quarts into your RV bathroom after which flush the bathroom to depart a small quantity in your black tank. This may stop the freezing of residual waste and prevent from having to unclog your black tank within the spring.
Including antifreeze to your black water tank isn’t required, however it might stop leftover tank waste from freezing and inflicting tank injury. Even for those who often use your black tank flush to wash your tank as totally as potential, RV holding tanks virtually at all times maintain residual waste.
The right way to Get Antifreeze Into RV Strains
When your RV is winterized at a Tenting World Service Heart, your educated technician will make the most of the T-valve earlier than your water pump and join a hose to drag antifreeze from the bottle into your RV’s plumbing strains.
You are able to do this by including a water pump bypass or disconnecting the road to the pump and connecting a three-foot hose. You’ll want the correct becoming to attach the hose to the pump, after which you possibly can insert the opposite finish of the hose into your bottle of antifreeze to pump it by the system. Earlier than pumping by the system, guarantee your water heater is successfully bypassed.
We don’t advocate including antifreeze to your freshwater tank as a result of it might require as much as 10 gallons earlier than the pump can decide it up, particularly in case your tank has a facet pickup. The antifreeze might want to utterly cowl the pickup opening to maintain the pump from sucking air. You’ll additionally want to spend so much of time flushing the recent tank when de-winterizing your RV to get it to cease foaming on the taps.
The right way to Flush Antifreeze Out of an RV
When you’ve winterized your RV, you’ll have antifreeze all through your plumbing strains, within the P-traps, and a small quantity in every of your holding tanks. Earlier than you possibly can safely use your RV’s water system for showering, washing dishes, and consuming, you’ll must flush all traces of antifreeze.
Listed below are the short steps to flushing RV antifreeze:
- Place your RV close to a sewer connection and join your sewer hose.
- Join a potable water hose to your recent water inlet and fill your recent water tank.
- Flip in your water pump to pressurize the system.
- Open all sink and bathe fixtures to run water by your system and into the gray water tank. You can even depress the pedal in your RV bathroom to run water by your bathroom’s plumbing and into the black tank.
- Open all outdoors showers and low-point drains to allow them to run till clear water comes out.
- When your gray tank reaches two-thirds capability, flip off all fixtures and shut down the water pump.
- Go outdoors and open the tank valves to empty your holding tanks (black, then gray).
- Repeat this course of no less than 2-3 instances till the water popping out of your fixtures is evident and utterly freed from any coloured residue that matches the unique shade of your antifreeze.
Moreover, return to the video above to make sure you sanitize your recent water system totally after flushing the antifreeze.
The right way to Get rid of RV Antifreeze
Certain, RV antifreeze isn’t poisonous in your RV’s plumbing, however you possibly can’t simply dump it on the bottom when flushing your system within the spring. Even antifreeze merchandise labeled ‘biodegradable’ ought to be correctly drained right into a dump station, septic tank, or residential sewer clean-out.
In case you can not transfer your RV to get rid of antifreeze in one in all these places, you might also empty it right into a moveable RV waste tank. You’ll then want to move that tank to one of many aforementioned places to get rid of it correctly.
Does RV Antifreeze Evaporate?
Sure, however RV antifreeze evaporates way more slowly than water. That is one purpose antifreeze successfully protects your RV’s plumbing once you aren’t utilizing it for an prolonged interval.
Beneath the best circumstances, nevertheless, the antifreeze will evaporate. The primary situation is that if the temperature of the antifreeze rises above 223℉ – not unattainable, however extremely unlikely throughout winter RV storage.
The second situation is that if antifreeze is combined with water to attain a 50/50 ratio. This isn’t really helpful for winterizing your RV, however the impact shall be a diluted answer that evaporates slower than water however extra rapidly than an undiluted answer.
Does RV Antifreeze Go Dangerous?
Most RV antifreeze lasts wherever from 1 to 4 years as soon as opened. Relying in your product alternative, your bottle(s) could or is probably not labeled with an expiration date. If yours aren’t, a easy check is to shake the bottle and observe the liquid inside. If bubbles seem, your antifreeze has expired.
Listed below are some tricks to maximize your RV antifreeze’s shelf life:
- Solely open bottles once you’re prepared to make use of them for winterization.
- Retailer RV antifreeze in a cool, dry, shaded location.
- Keep away from leaving it outdoors in direct daylight, particularly when temperatures exceed 50℉.
Can You Use RV Antifreeze in a Automotive or Truck?
No, RV antifreeze and the really helpful antifreeze in your automotive should not interchangeable. You shouldn’t use RV antifreeze in an automotive, and you may’t use the identical antifreeze you utilize in your automotive to winterize your RV.
It’s because RV antifreeze is designed in your plumbing, whereas automotive antifreeze is designed for the engine. Automotives often require ethanol-based antifreeze (or an ethylene glycol base), which is poisonous and may by no means be utilized in your RV’s freshwater system.
So when you’ve got a motorhome, you’ll want separate antifreeze options in your engine and your RV’s plumbing. The underside line – discover an antifreeze really helpful by your automotive’s producer and use a much less poisonous propylene glycol antifreeze to maintain your RV’s plumbing strains secure throughout the winter.
The place to Purchase RV Antifreeze
Discover your nearest Tenting World location to choose up RV antifreeze earlier than it’s time to winterize once more. Our really helpful product is the Champion RV & Marine Antifreeze, however for those who’ve by no means winterized your RV earlier than, our RV winterization bundle offers you every thing it’s essential get the job finished.
Take a look at Tenting World’s number of RV antifreeze merchandise.
Realizing the place to seek out and easy methods to use RV antifreeze is essential to protecting your water strains wholesome when temperatures dip beneath freezing. Hopefully, these solutions will assist together with your future winterization efforts, however please don’t hesitate to succeed in out when you’ve got others.
Do you may have different questions on RV antifreeze or easy methods to use it? Share them within the feedback beneath!
Tucker Ballister is our Technical Content material Author. He’s a lover of the open street and the proud proprietor of a 2021 Sunlite Traditional journey trailer (his third RV up to now). Take a look at extra of his RV adventures, gear evaluations, and out of doors recommendation at thebackpackguide.com.