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Old 08-22-2018, 11:20 AM   #1
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Winterizing

I’m new at RV’ing, I live in central Arkansas and during the winter season it dips below freezing only a hand full of times.
I know I should at least drain all the water lines and water heater, are there any other steps/precautions I’m not aware of?
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Old 08-22-2018, 12:07 PM   #2
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I would suggest at least blowing the lines out with compressed air just to be safe. And put some RV antifreeze in the toilet to keep the seal from drying out.
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Old 08-22-2018, 12:21 PM   #3
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don't forget water collecting in the grey and black water lines, it can freeze and break the pipes.


When adding the anti freeze, be sure and run the pump and watch it flow out off all faucets and toilet.
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Old 08-22-2018, 12:22 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wiscampsin View Post
I would suggest at least blowing the lines out with compressed air just to be safe. And put some RV antifreeze in the toilet to keep the seal from drying out.
Agreed. They make a fitting you can thread on to your city water line so you can hook up compressed air. I live in PA and get long bouts of freezing weather. I only antifreeze my traps and toilets with no issues.
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Old 08-22-2018, 12:22 PM   #5
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You'll need some antifreeze in all the P traps, too: kitchen sink, bathroom sink, shower drain. If you have an onboard water filter, remove it and drain the housing. Remember your outside shower (if you have one) when blowing out your water lines.
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Old 08-22-2018, 06:41 PM   #6
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The main problem you have to watch for is the toilet flush valve. There has been several people that had theirs freeze and crack, one after he blew the lines out with air just last winter. On some valves it only takes half teaspoon of water in the flush valve to crack it.
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Old 08-22-2018, 07:00 PM   #7
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If you have a water filter, drain it as well. Antifreeze is very inexpensive $2-4/gallon and it takes less than an hour to add it. Might be peace of mind for a small investment.
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Old 08-22-2018, 07:33 PM   #8
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Echo what others already said ... blow out the lines. I live in Idaho where we also get hard freezes. You can get a small air compressor at Harbor Freight for the cost of first-season RV antifreeze. Drain your system, drain everything, the black, the gray, the fresh water & water heater, then blow the residual water out. Antifreeze the traps and toilet. De-winterization is a piece of cake – fill water, flush the air and go. There many good YouTube for videos about blowing out your RV water lines … it's really easy to do, although you'll feel a little uncomfortable the first time you do it.
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Old 08-23-2018, 07:56 AM   #9
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Don't forget to blow out your black tank back flush.
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Old 08-23-2018, 09:20 AM   #10
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Thanks everyone for the advice, very helpful
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Old 08-23-2018, 10:26 AM   #11
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And don't forget the water pump, it can freeze and crack too.
As Flybob mentioned, a gallon or two of plumbing antifreeze is cheap and gives you 100% peace of mind.
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