Pink Stuff: all the same?

[Jamnut]

I once destroyed the FW system in our pop-up using ethanol based RV antifreeze. I did not know that ethanol is a marvelous host for a black mold called Baudoinia. It doesn't even have to be liquid ethanol. Baudoinia is a very aggressive mold that will grow when exposed to ethanol vapor in less than 1 part per million in air. The inside of my white FW tank was completely black. I can only imagine what the inside of the plumbing lines looked like.

I recently scrubbed it off 3 gasoline cans in my shed. All the gas in my area has at least 10% ethanol in it.

I now only use propylene glycol based RV antifreeze.

Happy Trails,
Jamnut

[D W]

Originally Posted by Jamnut

I once destroyed the FW system in our pop-up using ethanol based RV antifreeze. I did not know that ethanol is a marvelous host for a black mold called Baudoinia. It doesn't even have to be liquid ethanol. Baudoinia is a very aggressive mold that will grow when exposed to ethanol vapor in less than 1 part per million in air. The inside of my white FW tank was completely black. I can only imagine what the inside of the plumbing lines looked like.

I recently scrubbed it off 3 gasoline cans in my shed. All the gas in my area has at least 10% ethanol in it.

I now only use propylene glycol based RV antifreeze.

Happy Trails,
Jamnut

Well folks, another reason not to put the pink stuff in your FW tank.

[kittlecat]

Does anyone have any feedback on mixing 2 different brands of RV antifreeze? I have a gallon (brand unknown at the moment) of orange colored RV antifreeze and I've got a gallon of (brand also unknown at the moment) pink RV antifreeze.

Note: I have NOT mixed the 2 different brands/colors previously. I'm just wondering if anyone knows if that is safe, a good idea, etc.

[BriaBeck]

Originally Posted by kittlecat

Does anyone have any feedback on mixing 2 different brands of RV antifreeze? I have a gallon (brand unknown at the moment) of orange colored RV antifreeze and I've got a gallon of (brand also unknown at the moment) pink RV antifreeze.

Note: I have NOT mixed the 2 different brands/colors previously. I'm just wondering if anyone knows if that is safe, a good idea, etc.

I can't think of any harm that would come of it. The chemicals are all benign and non-reactive, so it should be safe.

[TheWolfPaq82]

Originally Posted by D W

Well folks, another reason not to put the pink stuff in your FW tank.

I don't why anyone would put AF in the Fresh Water tank.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by D W

Well folks, another reason not to put the pink stuff in your FW tank.

You shouldn't be putting R/V antifreeze in your fresh water tank.
I don't understand your cautioning.

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by 5picker

You shouldn't be putting R/V antifreeze in your fresh water tank.
I don't understand your cautioning.

"Shouldn't" is the key word here.

Every single year there is someone here posting about doing it or suggesting it.

[D W]

Originally Posted by 5picker

You shouldn't be putting R/V antifreeze in your fresh water tank.
I don't understand your cautioning.

Read between the lines... It's sarcasm!

What did Forrest Gump say?, "stupid is as stupid does".

[jkw]

I park my Roo at 10,500' elevation in Colorado all winter and the brand walmart sells has worked just fine (and we get quite chilly up here in n the Rockys). Half the price of what camping world sells.

[jz5w63]

Originally Posted by IsleDog

NO, they are not all the same. you can buy and use what you are comfortable using as they all do the same thing with different ingredients. contrary to popular belief, RV antifreeze does freeze, but does not expand to the point of bursting pipes.

ETHANOL (alcohol) BASED - (have not seen this ever)

PROPYLENE/ETHANOL BLEND - (I see this at walmart a lot)

PROPYLENE GLYCOL - (this is what I prefer to use)

read the reviews of the one you want to use. there are certain brands that say good down to -50 or so, and people say they have issues when using it and the reviews are horrible.

Winterization and RV Antifreeze - Bob Scott RV

In Canada you can't find any propylene glycol types only the ethanol based. As mentioned previously, the ethanol types can damage rubber seals and impellers in pumps so in that respect the propylene glycol types are better. When I have used the propylene glycol type (bought cross border) and left it sit in the rv fresh water tank, boat fresh water tank, hot tub, or traps of the home toilets (after winterizing to go south) and it has been in there well into the warm weather after a late return from the south I have found that it has gone black and or developed black globules requiring several fill and flushes to get rid of. Has anyone else experienced this? I have found that the propylene glycol/ethanol blends don't do that, nor do the ethanol without pg types. I figured that's why they now have the pg/eth blends!?

[jz5w63]

Originally Posted by Jamnut

I once destroyed the FW system in our pop-up using ethanol based RV antifreeze. I did not know that ethanol is a marvelous host for a black mold called Baudoinia. It doesn't even have to be liquid ethanol. Baudoinia is a very aggressive mold that will grow when exposed to ethanol vapor in less than 1 part per million in air. The inside of my white FW tank was completely black. I can only imagine what the inside of the plumbing lines looked like.

I recently scrubbed it off 3 gasoline cans in my shed. All the gas in my area has at least 10% ethanol in it.

I now only use propylene glycol based RV antifreeze.

Happy Trails,
Jamnut

Are you sure you haven't got this reversed? Ethanol is a plant based alcohol and alcohol is a disinfectant! Propylene glycol on the other hand is used in foods as others have stated so would be more likely to support bacteria and mold? Yes, no? It seems my experience as I mentioned else where is the opposite. I know one thing for sure you don't want the black crud! As for using ethylene glycol (car antifreeze) this is a definite NO as it is a cruel deadly poison! If you're winterizing the engine on a boat (the raw water, once through, systems) you need to drain and fill with an antifreeze that is safe to discharge to the environment upon spring start up so that leaves out ethylene glycol but to get the corrosion protection required for the juice to sit in you engine all winter the best bet is the propylene glycol as it won't damage the boat seals or raw water pump impeller which is rubber yet it provides the corrosion protection.

[Northernwannabe]

I live in Ontario. I buy a brand called Winter Proof. It is rated to -50. Some antifreezes are rated for both plastic and metal hosing in rv, some are just for plastic, so it's important to read the label. They should also be marked as "non toxic".

[kenandterry]

Northernwannabe.....

Are you sure you don’t mean “Winter Proof” brand?

[Chuck_S]

1. Drain all tanks, filters, and water heater.
2. Blow the water out of the lines.
3. There is no #3, you were winterized after #2.

If you want some overkill (that always works ) add these steps:

4. Pump system full of RV/Marine antifreeze via the fresh water pump, not the fresh water tank.
5. Blow the antifreeze out and leave it in the drain traps. Cap the drains.
6. Now you're done for the second time.

Never a need to leave antifreeze in the system. Once the antifreeze (or air) has displaced all the water it's done its job.

-- Chuck

[KirkT]

Originally Posted by TheWolfPaq82

I don't why anyone would put AF in the Fresh Water tank.

I watched a video on YouTube where the guy put 7 gallons in his FW tank then pumped it.
Wonder how many people followed his advise.

[mike.t]

Originally Posted by IsleDog

NO, they are not all the same. you can buy and use what you are comfortable using as they all do the same thing with different ingredients. contrary to popular belief, RV antifreeze does freeze, but does not expand to the point of bursting pipes.

ETHANOL (alcohol) BASED - (have not seen this ever)

PROPYLENE/ETHANOL BLEND - (I see this at walmart a lot)

PROPYLENE GLYCOL - (this is what I prefer to use)

read the reviews of the one you want to use. there are certain brands that say good down to -50 or so, and people say they have issues when using it and the reviews are horrible.

Winterization and RV Antifreeze - Bob Scott RV

Is it because of alcohol RV antifreeze does not expand to a bursting point?

[Timtation]

Originally Posted by jz5w63

Are you sure you haven't got this reversed? Ethanol is a plant based alcohol and alcohol is a disinfectant! Propylene glycol on the other hand is used in foods as others have stated so would be more likely to support bacteria and mold? Yes, no? It seems my experience as I mentioned else where is the opposite. I know one thing for sure you don't want the black crud! As for using ethylene glycol (car antifreeze) this is a definite NO as it is a cruel deadly poison! If you're winterizing the engine on a boat (the raw water, once through, systems) you need to drain and fill with an antifreeze that is safe to discharge to the environment upon spring start up so that leaves out ethylene glycol but to get the corrosion protection required for the juice to sit in you engine all winter the best bet is the propylene glycol as it won't damage the boat seals or raw water pump impeller which is rubber yet it provides the corrosion protection.

Propylene glycol will not support bacteria or mold in fact it is not very friendly to reproduction at levels used prior to 1990 (Heinz body generation). When viewed microscopically it permeates the cell wall and via transmission of moisture blows the cell apart. Ethanol is not plant based, it is a generally or gin-erally a product of sugar (sucrose) fermentation so plant based could be stretched to make this true and there are very minor amounts of ethanol generated by some natural processes. just saying!

[jz5w63]

Originally Posted by Chuck_S

1. Drain all tanks, filters, and water heater.
2. Blow the water out of the lines.
3. There is no #3, you were winterized after #2.

If you want some overkill (that always works ) add these steps:

4. Pump system full of RV/Marine antifreeze via the fresh water pump, not the fresh water tank.
5. Blow the antifreeze out and leave it in the drain traps. Cap the drains.
6. Now you're done for the second time.

Never a need to leave antifreeze in the system. Once the antifreeze (or air) has displaced all the water it's done its job.

-- Chuck

I wouldn't trust just a simple drain or air blow out to get rid of all the water especially from valves. I often find my home bronze hose nozzles have split and cracked even though they have been disconnected from the hose, shook and blown the water out of them and then because I left then in the garage (unheated) which is only below freezing on a few very cold snap winter days it was enough to do them in. I put them on the hose in the spring and "what the heck?" they're cracked and sending out a fine spray of water through the side of them. Sooo, on my trailer, no way, I always do the pump through of the antifreeze, which as you say once pink appears out every connection I know the water is all gone and can, should I want, drain it, collect what I drain and put it in the sink and shower drain traps! In a boat engine, though, it is necessary to leave it in the block for corrosion protection, and possibly in other piping systems (as in homes) that have metal piping that could require the same corrosion protection. Fortunately most trailers have corrosion free plastic/PEX style plumbing.

[ilmor]

I’ve always used the cheap Walmart stuff and it’s been fine over many New England winters.

[mike.t]

Jz5 & TimT. You guy almost takes the fun out of RVing