Anti Freeze taste

[Pshudson5]

Hello all,

We had our Class A RV dewinterized a few weeks ago. Following the dealers recommendation we ran several iterations of ice through the Freezer. We are hooked up to siter water and have run eeach of the faucets for a few minutes as told. The water in the water dispenser from the fridge was also ran. The water is clear but the water in all faucets, ice maker and water from the fridge still have the antifreeze flavor.

Help please, what have we done wrong?

Thanks i advance for your help.

 

[stripit]

We are correct that the anti freeze you used was the RV pink stuff, correct?

 

[1stimerver]

just keep flushing the lines. It will clear up...

 

[gwinger]

I always use bleach in the lines after de-winterizing. Run clear water for about 10-15 minutes minutes to flush the lines first starting with the furthest faucet. Then add 1 cup of beach to the freshwater tank and fill with water Run the water in each faucet until you smell the bleach. Let it sit overnight and then flush the bleach.
Hopefully the dealer bypassed the water heater.

 

[DutchmenSport]

As stated, just keep running fresh water through the lines. It may take a while to clear up the ice maker.

I disconnect my water line to the refrigerator and turn off the valve, then run the pink stuff. I'll open the valve then and catch the water in a cup and dump it. Repeat until the pink stuff comes through.

When clearing the line, I do the same thing, only with clear water. I do that line last. This way, the main water lines are clear, and flushing out that refrigerator line doesn't take so many trips to dump a cup filling with water until it has no more taste.

Once the taste is gone, I hook up the water line back to the refrigerator. I let it cycle ice for a couple nights and days, dump that first batch of ice and then after that, it's usually OK, no taste any more.

So, the answer is just keep flushing, flushing, flushing until all the foam and all the taste is gone. Be sure to do the outside shower, toilet and laundry hook-ups if you have them.

 

[UTTransplant]

It takes longer than you think to clear the lines. Ten minutes is reasonable. For ice we make an entire bucket full then throw thatout and start again.

 

[Pshudson5]

We are correct that the anti freeze you used was the RV pink stuff, correct?

Yes it is.

 

[Fluffywhitedogs]

I can't stand the taste and smell of regular RV antifreeze. Long after "normal" people say it's fine, the smell and taste make me gag. When I got my new trailer last year, I decided that I would never use standard RV antifreeze in it. I switched to "Absolute Zero". It's more expensive, but doesn't have the smell/taste and is supposed to be less drying to plumbing seals. Maybe try that next year? In the mean time, maybe try vinegar through the lines?

 

[Onyrlef]

If there's no water in the lines, pump, etc., you won't need antifreeze.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Help please, what have we done wrong?

Nothing. What you have learned is that is is often difficult and time-consuming to completely eliminate that antifreeze after-taste.

If your fresh water tank was treated with antifreeze, it is extremely hard to get it all out and traces can seeping back into the water lines. Fresh tank drains often do not fully drain, leaving a quart or more or residual that is tainted with that flavor. The next time add water and pump some thru your lines, the entire system is taste-tainted again. Flush that tank as many times as practical as well.

 

[Ray-IN]

Chlorine is the active ingredient in commercially available water taste improvers. This is the SDS for Camco TastePure water freshener.
My method; Mix a cup of baking soda in a gallon of water, then follow the winterize instructions, and allow to sit overnight. Then drain and refill your fresh water system.

 

[SC5thWheeler]

I don’t trust the tap water from campgrounds. I'll use it for showering and washing dishes but I don't generally drink it.

 

[John From Detroit]

Hello all,

We had our Class A RV dewinterized a few weeks ago. Following the dealers recommendation we ran several iterations of ice through the Freezer. We are hooked up to siter water and have run eeach of the faucets for a few minutes as told. The water in the water dispenser from the fridge was also ran. The water is clear but the water in all faucets, ice maker and water from the fridge still have the antifreeze flavor.

Help please, what have we done wrong?

Thanks i advance for your help.

Reason #1 why I used the DRY method for winterizing after the first year.

First I'd load up the fresh tank with bleach water I think it's 1/4 cup per 5 gallons but please double check that (Forum files has a document on that) flush all lines including shower and toilet.

Then dump the bleach water and re-fill with baking soda water.. I'd see if I could dislove about half a cup in 5 gallons.. and do it again... again fluch it through all lines and let sit for oh say 10 minutes.
Then flush it out with fresh water.

 

[Kirk]

My method; Mix a cup of baking soda in a gallon of water, then follow the winterize instructions, and allow to sit overnight. Then drain and refill your fresh water system.

This is probably the best way to remove a residual taste from your water system. I didn't leave ours for that long as 3 or 4 hours always worked for me.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The baking soda rinse is recommended for neutralizing chlorine taste but works on some other odors/tastes too. Certainly worth trying, but it can only help where it comes in contact with tainted water. If you have a section of water line or a tank that is not getting flushed clean by fresh water rinse, it's probably not going to be rinsed with the baking soda either.

If you are having taste problems, it is important to flush ALL portions of the tanks & lines. That includes every faucet and valve, including toilet, washer, shower, ice maker, water heater, etc. Otherwise there may be residual tainted water left behind and it will eventually let the taste leach into the rest of the system. You may flush and get a clean taste, only to have the nasty return the following day.

 

[Ray-IN]

Plastic plumbing can absorb chemicals to some extent, then as Gary said, leech back into fresh clean water. That is why a soak-time is required for complete removal. Thanks for pointing that out Gary.