Blow out plug

[325BH]

To better emulate the path of the source of water, I connect my air compressor to a short length of water hose... and connect it to the city water connection.

Start with a drained water heater and put the plug back in. Leave the bypass in its normal position (not bypassed).

Hook up the air hose to the city water connection. Turn on the air, regulated at 40 psi or so.

One at a time, go to each water device and open until only air comes out. Close and move on to the next. Do all devices: toilet, hot/cold sinks/shower, etc. Low point drains. Outdoor shower.

This process clears out the plumbing in the water heater too.

Turn the water heater bypass on (bypassed). Go to all of the devices again and open up to clear any water. This will clear the water in the short bypass line. Leave bypassed.

Connect air hose to fresh tank and clear that line (probably doesn't have any in it). Do this with fresh tank drain open. If yours is like mine, my city and fresh are the same, just a valve.

Connect air to black tank flush. Clear out water.

Proceed with RV antifreeze. Dilution will be almost non-existent due to water being purged. Don't forget about p-traps. Unless you purge those, they will have water in them so dump enough antifreeze to get concentration right.

[B47]

Originally Posted by Iwritecode

Ah... Mine was a 3-person job. I did all the work while my father and father-in-law stood around and BS'd.

AKA as a government job. One person working,one person supervising,and one person supervising the supervisor.

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by Iwritecode

Not sure exactly what it's called but it's the piece that goes on the end of the hose coming out of your compressor. Assuming you already have a compressor, you can get an entire starter kit from Harbor Freight for about $15.

Air Tool Accessory Kits

If you don't have one, you can usually catch them on sale for around $50. It's where I got mine and it's worked well for the past 5 years or so that I've had it.

I bought this set at Harbor Freight. What a piece of crap. All the quick disconnects leaked and you get a bunch other crappy fittings that you'll never need. I went to Sears and got a few good Craftsman connectors that work.

[chuck9997]

Ok.. I bought one from amazon and the other from Walmart. . Hope I'm good to go.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by chuck9997

Ok.. I bought one from amazon and the other from Walmart. . Hope I'm good to go.

As long as they couple together and lock you'll be fine.
There are several different styles and they all don't mate with each other.
Some couplers are touted as 'universal' and it takes a little extra umph to connect them together.

[D-mo]

Antifreeze it.... AND DONT SCREW AROUND.....

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by D-mo

Antifreeze it.... AND DONT SCREW AROUND.....

BS. (Sorry.)

[Pooneil]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

I blow mine out in Northern Illinois.

Glad it works without the antifreeze for you. I've just always heard that the ease of doing the antifreeze is such that its not worth the risk of doing a blow out only.

[TLAK]

I used to just drain and add Anti-Freeze. On the FR3 I used about 5 gallons, as the faucets had to run a while before solid pink would come out. I always felt some angst over whether I pushed enough out to avoid diluting the A-F.

Earlier this year I had bought a manly air compressor so I could maintain my tires myself on a 4,000 trip to California. So I blew out the lines before adding the Anti-Freeze and found it took only a gallon and a half total to get dark pink from every faucet. I used up the odd gallon in the P traps. I only spent about 6 bucks on A-F this year and feel much more confident that I have full protection through the entire system.

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by Pooneil

Glad it works without the antifreeze for you. I've just always heard that the ease of doing the antifreeze is such that its not worth the risk of doing a blow out only.

Blowing out isn't hard. Certainly no harder than pumping antifreeze and then having to flush it out in the spring. I don't do anything in the spring.

[325BH]

The problem with blowing out only is there can be water left behind. Air is lighter than water and can blow by above the water once the air amount started to exceed the water amount.

I blow out the water then fill with antifreeze.

Purging with air ONLY is never a problem... until it is.

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by 325BH

The problem with blowing out only is there can be water left behind. Air is lighter than water and can blow by above the water once the air amount started to exceed the water amount.

I blow out the water then fill with antifreeze.

Purging with air ONLY is never a problem... until it is.

Well, hasn't been a problem in 5 yrs. And weeks of high temps of -10F.

I'm trying to remember if I've ever read of anyone blowing out who subsequently actually had a problem, and I can't remember any such threads. Just lots of comments like yours.

But if AF makes you feel better, by all means, do AF.

[325BH]

The layout of your lines plays a big role on how complete an air purge is. Since nobody knows how their lines are laid out, it is all a gamble.

This whole subject isn't my opinion. It is simply a matter of how much water you are able to get out from a purge. It only takes a little water to split a line.

I'm just trying to help with advice. I couldn't care less what others actually do.

Antifreeze doesn't freeze, water does. End of story.

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by 325BH

The layout of your lines plays a big role on how complete an air purge is. Since nobody knows how their lines are laid out, it is all a gamble.

This whole subject isn't my opinion. It is simply a matter of how much water you are able to get out from a purge. It only takes a little water to split a line.

I'm just trying to help with advice. I couldn't care less what others actually do.

Antifreeze doesn't freeze, water does. End of story.

Well, advice is free and often worth the price.

I'm guessing you've never done it, so you have zero experience.

[325BH]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

Well, advice is free and often worth the price.

I'm guessing you've never done it, so you have zero experience.

Never done what? I purge with air and inject antifreeze every year.

Not sure where the argument is coming from on your end. Did I say something to upset you? Nothing I have said is false.

Are you saying water doesn't freeze or air purging removes 100% of the water in 100% of campers?

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by 325BH

Never done what? I purge with air and inject antifreeze every year.

Not sure where the argument is coming from on your end. Did I say something to upset you? Nothing I have said is false.

Are you saying water doesn't freeze or air purging removes 100% of the water in 100% of campers?

Never purged only.

You seemed to be "advising" to never just purge, but to also use AF.

I have not advised either way. I've only stated my personal experience.

What bothers me is folks "advising" to do (or not do) something when these folks have never actually done (or not done) it themselves.

And these folks provide this learned advice despite numerous posts by others relating successful experiences doing (or not doing) it.

So if you've blown out only, with no AF, and have had a line rupture, then I apologize. But if you haven't, I stand by what I said above.

[chuck9997]

I'm doing the blow out only. .. because it's easier. I have an aframe popup with very short amount of water lines. No bathroom, no shower, no traps. I have a hot water heater I'll drain and bypass,... and an outside shower I'll remember. Thanks for all the comments.

I do have one unanswered question. Do i open the low point drains when pushing the air through.. before or after or when?

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by chuck9997

I'm doing the blow out only. .. because it's easier. I have an aframe popup with very short amount of water lines. No bathroom, no shower, no traps. I have a hot water heater I'll drain and bypass,... and an outside shower I'll remember. Thanks for all the comments.

I do have one unanswered question. Do i open the low point drains when pushing the air through.. before or after or when?

You make an excellent point regarding the line lengths on an A-frame.

WRT the low point drains, I open them first, with a hot and cold faucet open, and let whatever can drain out by gravity drain out. Then I close them and blow out.

[Pooneil]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

Blowing out isn't hard. Certainly no harder than pumping antifreeze and then having to flush it out in the spring. I don't do anything in the spring.

You seem rather partisan on the topic.

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

Blowing out isn't hard. Certainly no harder than pumping antifreeze and then having to flush it out in the spring. I don't do anything in the spring.

Define "anything".

For me, I don't do anything more in the spring using AF than I would do if I didn't use it.

Hook the water up, run each faucet until there's no more pink, flip bypass to fill HW tank, done.

If I didn't use AF the only difference would be that I'd have to run each faucet to get the air out of the lines.