How do you get rid of the antifreeze taste?

[carmantx]

I have drained the tank, filled it twice, drained it, still has a bad taste.  How can we get rid of this?

 

[jjhamick]

Are you sure it is antifreeze you are tasting and not something in your tank?  I would sanitize the tank and water lines and see if that helps.

 

[mdbass]

If necessary, you may have to replace the tank. Plastic is porous and the antifreeze is very difficult to get rid of. That's why people carry bottled water in their RV's. BTW-I suspect you put the antifreeze in the tank to prevent freezing. I don't do that because of the problem you're having. You can buy an adapter at any RV store that screws into the hose socket. It has a nipple on the end enabling you to attach an air hose and send low pressure through the coaches plumbing. If you do that after you open all the low point drains and faucets, there will not be enough moisture to worry about. I've done that for years in Oklahoma in very cold winters and never had a problem. I still put a slosh of antifreeze in the drains for the P traps and in the black water tank. Finally, our current coach had the same problem and it simply took a year of running water through it to make it disappear. Buy some bottled water, get a filter for the outside connection, buy the adapter and be patient.
Good luck!

 

[geodrake]

If it were me, I would rinse the system a few times.  That should take care of it.  Certainly it should be sanitized too.  After sanitizing the same problem exists, except now it will be bleach taste.  Again, runing water through the system to rinse it out should clear it up.  They also sell a can of water "sweetener" that could be added.

 

[PatrioticStabilist]

I don't know what it would do, but I wonder if vinegar might take the smell out?  You know its good for lots of things, I suppose then everything might taste like a salad, but I wonder if it would help.

Or maybe some baking soda dissolved in water, course that might not be good for the water pump.  Just curious, as both items reduce smells elsewhere.

 

[John From Detroit]

First make sure the tank is fully drained... My tank, for example, still holds about five gallons when the drain stops draining (I have modified to correct that)

Now, Sanatize, as per instrucitons, that's 1/4 cup of bleach per 15 gallons of water as I recall but do check it out, The procedure I use is to fill tank about 1/2 to 2/3 then add bleach then fill the rest of the way, Run through all lines, toilet, faucets and such till you can smell the bleach.

Then drain, refill, and again run water through lines drain, refill this time adding baking soda  1/2 cup should do it (Exact amount is not critical), Again run bakign soda water through the lines.. Drain and refill, run fresh water through the lines,  Optionally drain and refill again but you should not have to.

 

[Just Lou]

[quote author=PatrioticStabilist]
I don't know what it would do, but I wonder if vinegar might take the smell out?  [/quote]

Be careful using vinegar just before or just after using bleach to sanitize.  Bleach and vinegar are a good recipe for poisonous chlorine gas.

I suspect the small quantities used would not cause a problem, but........

 

[carmantx]

Thanks for the ideas, and the instructions on sanitizing.

We just bought this unit, and it had the antifreeze in the tank.  I usually don't put it in the tank, so I didn't know how to get rid of it.

 

[Betty Brewer]

We have alittle cabin in Idaho that we winterizewith 12 gallons of the pink antifreeze stuff.  It takes about a week of running water through lines before the taste of water is normal to me.  I don't know what the lines are made of  but they sit filled for months at a time.  It does take a good flushing but eventually the water is back to the  normal  well water we have.

Betty

This option is far superior to the  numerous plumbing damages we have had trying to blow water out of lines.  Seems drops always lingered to  freeze and pop something.

 

[Marc L]

Does it taste as good as it smells?

And yes vinegar is worth a shot, I find help removes the smell/taste from water jugs, no reason it would not work with the lines.

 

[John From Detroit]

Well, as I said, I use baking soda, works great, non-toxic, and if diluted does not even have a taste (in fact it absorbs tastes and odors) not acid (Vinegar)

I like air for winterizing as much as possible .

Low cost (Free, or basically free, Just a few cents worth of electricity to do rig) second, if it ever freezes.. We all in trouble.

 

[Dave W]

We had a Sunline that had that problem. When the tank was built (polyethylene, I believe) the manufacturer installed both the drain and pickup about an inch above the tank bottom. This of course meant that you could never do a complete drain and always left some antifreeze in the bottom. It would take much of the summer to clear up the taste. I ended up pulling the tank and doing a total replumb with a new drain and pickup plus installing new piping to the pump, replacing what was kinked. You can flush for hours but unless you can completely drain the tank, rinse it out, the taste may stay until you do that chore. Freshening it with baking soda is the last thing to do after final flush and clean.

 

[John From Detroit]

I don't have a drain, just two pickups, both an inch above the floor (From what I can see) the main pickup is valved to a drain line.

What I did was get a petcock valve. this was a "universal" type valve with both a hose barb and threads (1/2 inch IPT) on it, I put a bit of flexible line on the hose barb.. And screwed it in in the 2nd pick up port... The flex hose lies on the bottom of the tank.

I pop a 2nd length of hose over the outlet nozzle on the valve (Also barbed) and let it "All hang out" as it were

This makes a siphon and sucks the tank dry.. It also means I don't need a wrench to drain the tank.

 

[higherplane]

I find mixing it with a little scotch works well, sorry I couldn't help myself. There were many good ideas offered, a good filter between the tank and the system might help, mine does. Make sure you drain the hot water heater fill it and drain it again, they seem to retain the taste and smell and it is hard to purge everything just through the spigots.

 

[Gordon Groff]

Great discussion!  We have this issue on our new Allegro too.  I think it tastes fine, as to most others who taste it, but my wife finds it very objectionalble.  Even using city water, I suppose there is enough of the antifreeze/plastic taste in the tubing for her to notice it.  I assume it will go away with time.  It seems to be getting less and less.  We've only had it out after de-winterizing it twice so far. 

I was wondering - can you simply avoid putting antifreeze in the fresh water tank?  I mean as long as it's drained down to an inch or so and all the valves are open and lines have anitfreeze in them, would 1" of ice in the bottom of the tank hurt?

Gordon

 

[Just Lou]

I never put antifreeze in my fresh tank.  I open the line between tank and pump and inject the antifreeze there.  Actually the pump disperses it throughout the system by pumping it from the jug.  Close the valves to the water heater first, bypass and drain it. 

 

[mdbass]

Great discussion!  We have this issue on our new Allegro too.  I think it tastes fine, as to most others who taste it, but my wife finds it very objectionalble.  Even using city water, I suppose there is enough of the antifreeze/plastic taste in the tubing for her to notice it.  I assume it will go away with time.  It seems to be getting less and less.  We've only had it out after de-winterizing it twice so far. 

I was wondering - can you simply avoid putting antifreeze in the fresh water tank?  I mean as long as it's drained down to an inch or so and all the valves are open and lines have anitfreeze in them, would 1" of ice in the bottom of the tank hurt?

Gordon
As I and others have suggested, use air. Read my earlier post. If necessary, I'll send photos of the adaptor. I know it's available at Camping World.

 

[rsalhus]

You can avoid putting any antifreeze in your water tank or water lines if you simply blow out the water in your water lines. 

Below is a picture of the two 'devices' you need to blow the water out of your water lines.  The bottom device simply screws into your fresh water connection.  The top device attaches to the bottom device so you don't have to hold the air compressor line to inflate the air (you don't need an assistant).  It has a quick connect for the air compressor hose.  I set the compressor air output to around 40 PSI.  Open one faucet at a time to blow the water out of the lines (don't forget the toilet).  When done, add RV antifreeze to the drains and you are done (assuming any other water related appliances like the water heater, icemaker, water filter, and washing machine have already been drained/winterized).

 

[Weewun]

I have mentioned this before and chastised.  It started when I was into boating and it would take the summer to get rid of the antifreeze taste.

Get the cheapest, highest proof Vodka you can and pump that through the water system.  Not aftertaste or odor.

Use antifreeze for your p-traps and commode bowl as well as the grey and black tanks.  Drain your fresh water tank.

 

[Marc L]

Get the cheapest, highest proof Vodka you can and pump that through the water system.  Not aftertaste or odor.

That's 36$ for 1.14L in Canada or over 100$ per gallon.  I almost need 2 gallons to winterize my rig.  I guess I could rebottle the vodka in the spring to drink it.

Sanitizing my system once with bleach, rinse and then with vinegar after summerising the trailer always got rid of the taste for me.