Keeping RV antifreeze in holding tank

[rbaughman]

We have a park model travel trailer that is connected to a municipal water supply. The only time we used the water pump is to winterize the system. Last spring, the wife suggested we keep the pink rv antifreeze in the holding tank in lieu of draining it out and discarding it.

Is anyone aware of any issues with this approach?

 

[steveblonde]

Other than the fact the tank is made of polyethylene or polypropylene or some other porous plastic that will absorb the antifreeze and you will taint the water taste for weeks months or years afterwards. You DO NOT want add antifreeze to the tank under any conditions. You need to drain the tank and bypass it when winterizing it.
I will be doing my 5er monday and draining ALL the water out of it, then using the bypass valves running antifreeze through the lines

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

How would you flush it out of the system without diluting it and rendering it ineffective for future use?

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[uchu]

Yes, indeed. Empty the holding tank and then bypass before running the pink stuff through the lines.

 

[Tom55555]

Other than the fact the tank is made of polyethylene or polypropylene or some other porous plastic that will absorb the antifreeze and you will taint the water taste for weeks months or years afterwards. You DO NOT want add antifreeze to the tank under any conditions. You need to drain the tank and bypass it when winterizing it.
I will be doing my 5er monday and draining ALL the water out of it, then using the bypass valves running antifreeze through the lines

I have a low drain on my fresh water and use the bypass as stated above but put the "pink stuff" in the black tank after my last dump. We only use bottled water for anything that goes in our mouth. Dawn 99.9 cleaning wipes reduces water consumption.

 

[Utclmjmpr]

Need to be more specific about which holding tank your referring to >>>Dan

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I gather you are putting some RV antifreeze in the fresh tank so you can pump it through the water lines to winterize. There is probably some residual left, but is it a lot? Enough to be worth saving? Seems like the simple answer is "don't put so much antifreeze in the tank", so there isn't much to save. Then you can just drain out whatever is left. Flushing out all the residual is a bigger chore, of course. It's time consuming to rinse out the antifreeze and even a little taints the taste a lot, so if you are going to flush it at all, you have to do a thorough job of it.

Since you say you don't ever use the fresh tank for anything else, I don't see a problem with leaving antifreeze in it (despite the other opinions to the contrary).

 

[Rene T]

I don’t see any issues with leaving the pink stuff in the tank. As stated, you only use the tank and pump when you winterize and you are hooked up to city water the rest of the time. Go for it like wifey said. She’s smart IMHO..

 

[Rene T]

If you don’t want to leave it in your tank and if you have good access to the pump, just remove the hose from the suction side (tank side) of the pump and and install a short piece of hose. Then just stick it in a gallon jug of pink stuff and turn on the pump. The pump will suck it out if the jug

 

[Kirk]

If you don’t want to leave it in your tank and if you have good access to the pump, just remove the hose from the suction side (tank side) of the pump and and install a short piece of hose. Then just stick it in a gallon jug of pink stuff and turn on the pump. The pump will suck it out if the jug

Or you could add a connection with a valve to choose between the potable water tank and a hose for the jug for less than $20 from Amazon.

 

[John From Detroit]

IF you mean the fresh tank drain it. Water can't freeze inside it and cause damage if its not there and the tiny anoung that remains in the bottrom.... Won't cause harm.

If you mean the waste tanks.. It's a park model. Did not think they have them. but the same answer. Drain 'em water won't damage where it's not contained.

 

[Rene T]

IF you mean the fresh tank drain it. Water can't freeze inside it and cause damage if its not there and the tiny anoung that remains in the bottrom.... Won't cause harm.

If you mean the waste tanks.. It's a park model. Did not think they have them. but the same answer. Drain 'em water won't damage where it's not contained.

John, he doesn’t have water in his fresh water tank. He’s hooked up to city water. When it’s time to winterize, he dumps the pink stuff in the tank, turns on the water pump and winterizes this way.

 

[HappyWanderer]

John, he doesn’t have water in his fresh water tank. He’s hooked up to city water. When it’s time to winterize, he dumps the pink stuff in the tank, turns on the water pump and winterizes this way.

I had to do this with my fifth wheel, as there was no easy access to the water pump to modify it. Despite all the doom and gloom you read about doing this, it was no big deal to flush out the tank.

However, I have since learned to use a small electric transfer pump to add antifreeze. It’s much easier than sucking it out of jug with the on- board pump. Best 50 bucks I ever spent on Amazon.

 

[Ex-Calif]

I personally won't put anything in my fresh water system I am not willing to drink.

I don't winterize so I may be off base but I'd rather drain the system, blow it out with compressed air then take my chances on freeze damage.

 

[richclover]

I drain the fresh water tank then run the pump dry for a minute. I rigged up a short piece of garden hose with appropriate fittings. Easily connected to city water inlet and my small air compressor which is set to put out low pressure. No more than 25 psi. Drain the hot water heater, blow it out, then bypass it. Blow out the lines, one faucet at a time to include the toilet. Add antifreeze to the drain traps and enough to the black and gray tanks to cover the valves. Works for me.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I'd rather drain the system, blow it out with compressed air then take my chances on freeze damage.

Me too, but some folks prefer the antifreeze method. Whatever floats your boat, right?

 

[mel s]

Other than the fact the tank is made of polyethylene or polypropylene or some other porous plastic that will absorb the antifreeze and you will taint the water taste for weeks months or years afterwards. You DO NOT want add antifreeze to the tank under any conditions. You need to drain the tank and bypass it when winterizing it.
I will be doing my 5er monday and draining ALL the water out of it, then using the bypass valves running antifreeze through the lines

We have a park model travel trailer that is connected to a municipal water supply. The only time we used the water pump is to winterize the system. Last spring, the wife suggested we keep the pink rv antifreeze in the holding tank in lieu of draining it out and discarding it.

Is anyone aware of any issues with this approach?

rbaughman:​

In this case SAVING/STORING the used RV antifreeze thru the warm seasons, (for use future in wintrizations), in an otherwise UNUSED black or gray tank, makes perfect sence.

 

[Hfx_Cdn]

For years we would winterize of summer place using antifreeze, and when we got the RV we did the same. Then, mainly through this Forum, I tried blowing the water out using a compressor with a modified piece of garden hose that I would attach to the hot and then cold water connections of the washing machine. What used to take hours to drain the hot water tank, or to make sure all the segments of the jet pump were empty of water and full of antifreeze, it would take under an hour start to finish to winterize the water system. Then, antifreeze the drain traps, and the toilet and we never had a problem.

Ed

 

[steveblonde]

I can winterize my trailer in under 15minutes from start to finish
Pull the plug on hot water tank
Open low point valves and fresh tank
Screw hose into winterize port and flip the 2 levers to winterize
Close the low point drains
Turn on water pump
Go inside and open washing machine taps and bleed 2 mins
Same in kitchen
Same with bathroom taps then shower
Go outside and do outside shower.
Turn off water pump grab jug of antifreeze go back inside and dump some in the p traps and im done
Its not rocket science nor is it hard

Most newer trailers have a winterize port and 2 bypasses in the wet bay.

 

[Rene T]

Steve am I glad you responded. I winterize mine a couple of weeks ago and after reading your post, I realized I forgot to do the outside shower.
Luckily my compressor is on wheels so I’ll charge it up and drag it out of the basement and wheel it over the the rig and just blow it down AGAIN. The actual blow down will take 1 minute but the entire job will take half hour.