Winterize fresh water system

H

halibut taco

New member
Last winter I blew out all the fresh water lines with an air compressor and then ran RV anti-freeze into all the lines. I'm getting ready to winterize again soon. I was wondering if I really need the antifreeze if I'm blowing all the water out? It took several trips last year for the bad taste of the antifreeze to wash out of the lines. Is the tiny amount of water that might remain after using the compressor something that would cause a problem?
 
As mentioned by someone else here once, try vodka for antifreeze. You can have a party to flush the antifreeze out of the system in the spring.

I'm going to try it this year.
 
ssobol":34x9yd1p said:
As mentioned by someone else here once, try vodka for antifreeze. You can have a party to flush the antifreeze out of the system in the spring.

I'm going to try it this year.
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Just a note, because that person may have been me and I don't want to steer anybody wrong. The vodka I mentioned was used in a location that did not get extremely cold (I would say something like +15ºF, and even that only very rarely and for a few hours). I think it might not be enough in a super cold place (not familiar with Anchorage). When I lived where it gets down to 40 below, we blew out lines (plus added -100 anti-freeze to engine systems).

I hear you on "the pink stuff" taking awhile to get rid of (it especially seemed to "stick" in water heaters) - that was the reason for the vodka instead.
 
I am curious if anyone else can vouch for the vodka option or another alternative to the pink RV antifreeze. I find it seems to take months to get the taste of the pink stuff out of the system...
 
I'm doing the vodka thing this year. It's already been down to about less than 20°F overnight. We'll see how it works out when spring comes. A gallon of cheap vodka was about $23.
 
I'm pretty sure if you blow the lines out with a good air compressor you are good to go. I've been doing that for a great many years with my RV and boat. Never once have I had an issue. NOW, let me say this. If you have an area where the water lays below the exit hose you may want to winterize.

Vodka, hummmmm a little bit of history for you. I keep my vodka in the freezer at my coast home and it's down to zero degrees. Never once has it frozen. I can't Google it on this pc but check out Mr. Google and see what he has to say. He's a pretty smart guy. :lol: The question about 40 below? Not sure? :crook
 
I'll have to see what I can get cheap vodka for up here in Canada! I have a feeling we may have some extra taxes...
It rarely gets below 0 C here and virtually never below -5 C (23 F)
(http://www.victoriaweather.ca/extreme.php?id=9 or

ssobol":175u6zyn said:
I'm doing the vodka thing this year. It's already been down to about less than 20°F overnight. We'll see how it works out when spring comes. A gallon of cheap vodka was about $23.
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ssobol":2zhyzz10 said:
As mentioned by someone else here once, try vodka for antifreeze. You can have a party to flush the antifreeze out of the system in the spring.

I'm going to try it this year.
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As Charlie and I have joked for years, Vodka works great except the olives get clogged in the pipes. Ha ha!
 
The freezing point of booze is variable based on its proof, so if -17 F isn't enough with 80 proof vodka, go with something stronger.

I don't know what is available in AK, but in Oregon you can get 190 proof everclear for something like 10$ a bottle. Thats 95% alcohol :disgust

We were headed to Oregon last summer, and a good friend asked me to pick up a couple bottles for a project he was working on. I had to ask the lady at the counter for it, they keep it back there out of sight for some reason. I highly doubt any sane person over the legal drinking age would ever put it in their body (maybe go blind?) Seems like that stuff would be the perfect antifreeze. Even deluted 50/50 with with water it would be nearly 100 proof. As a teenager nearly two decades ago, I tried some and have a really great story that goes along with it! Aww to be young and stupid again!

That's what I'd use if it got that damn cold where I live.
 
I do not know what the fresh water system and pipework is on a 25, but on my 22, not a problem using the red RV anti-freeze. Has worked fine the last couple of winters and I just did it again yesterday.

Drained the water tank just using the foot pump. Then add 2 or 3 litres of the red RV anti-freeze. Pump through until red comes out of the tap. That's it.
Come Spring, foot pump it out, then add one gallon of fresh water. Foot pump that out (only takes a minute or two) and repeat 2 or 3 more times. Come the first trip in the Spring, fill up tank, it tasted fine to me.

The winter temps are not to severe on Vancouver Island. Maybe drop to minus 5 if we get unlucky. I have a portable heater running on the boat through the winter and keep all the cupboard doors open.

Martin.
 
HALIBUT TACO -

Here is a link to how I have handled the water system for my CD25, Sea Angel.

http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t= ... highlight=

The third blog in the link is the latest and proven simplest method I still use today. It may be/is more expensive, especially at $5.00/gal, but the time and simplicity is worth it to me. I have access and pay extra for 'city water' and can flush all I need, before and after.

This can be done almost anywhere. I usually do this on a workrack at the marina using shore power, thus allowing my battery charger to do the hard work for me.

Art
 
We lived in the frozen northland and had to winterize our RVs and boats (when we didn't take 'em south for the winter). The best way to eliminate the taste of the pink RV antifreeze is to NOT put any in your fresh water tank or water heater. You can make or buy a water heater by-pass. Disconnect your fresh water tank from the system and draw the pink stuff into the lines with your pump (use the water line TO the pump into a jug of the pink stuff. After you put the pink stuff in the lines, THEN blow out the lines - that will insure that you have RV antifreeze in the low points for any lines instead of water. If you put an empty jug at the low faucet, you can recapture much of the pink stuff.

In the spring, run plenty of fresh water through the lines, with enough bleach to sanitize the lines. More fresh water, then some baking soda dissolved in water to eliminate any antifreeze or beach taste/smell.

The downside of vodka (besides the high price compared to RV antifreeze at a couple bucks a gallon), is the fact you can't tell if there is water left in the lines without drinking a bunch of what comes out of the faucet... and then, you are too s**t-faced to know whether or not you have it properly winterized.

Or, (second choice) keep the boat in heated storage. Or, (first choice) haul the boat south and eliminate the the worry... and the need for layer upon layer of clothes... and the pain of frostbite on your fingertips... or frozen snot on your lip (from a long ago reference here).

Jim
 
Another downside to the alcohol antifreeze is that alcohol is flammable and burns with a nearly colorless flame.

From Wikipedia - An ethanol-water solution that contains 40% ABV (alcohol by volume) will catch fire if heated to about 26 °C (79 °F) and if an ignition source is applied to it. This is called its flash point. The flash point of pure ethanol is 16.60 °C (61.88 °F), less than average room temperature.

So, once things warm back up sparks from any source (like a pump that wasn't designed to pump flammable liquids or the wallace stove), could set the water/ethanol solution on fire.
 
rogerbum":2dzyqkk4 said:
Another downside to the alcohol antifreeze is that alcohol is flammable and burns with a nearly colorless flame.

From Wikipedia - An ethanol-water solution that contains 40% ABV (alcohol by volume) will catch fire if heated to about 26 °C (79 °F) and if an ignition source is applied to it. This is called its flash point. The flash point of pure ethanol is 16.60 °C (61.88 °F), less than average room temperature.

So, once things warm back up sparks from any source (like a pump that wasn't designed to pump flammable liquids or the wallace stove), could set the water/ethanol solution on fire.
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Thanks Roger, that's a pretty significant downside I hadn't thought of. Preventing a funky flavor in the tank is not worth risking setting your boat on fire! My tank already tastes so terrible the red antifreeze would be an improvement I think.
 
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