Good point, I'm not familiar with them (and - shame - committed the cardinal sin of forgetting about the fact that there are other systems out there than just mine). Looks like they DO want some antifreeze in them, and that they don't give up all their water (even with a blowout). So, another point for the Pink Stuff Crewe!
Completely disagree, that's way off base! If you're in a hurry or don't have adequate equipment/process, sure, use the pink stuff!
LOL, Feeling frisky, Des? I'm not going to argue the merits of how cold the winters are in Ohio vs elsewhere, I know that they can get pretty darned cold – and you've more than likely seen your fair share of really. cold. weather. But the fact of the matter is that not all systems work the same. A blowout that works completely for one system might inherently leave some water in another. Still, seems like you ate your Wheaties today...
Blowout has always worked for pools, sprinkler systems and at least for me, travel trailers.
I'm glad to hear that you've not had any problems with blowouts, though I'd suggest that "pools and sprinkler systems" are inherently different than RV's and travel trailers. Ground isn't as cold as air, and - thanks to gravity - water sinks... away from plastic valving and parts.
So, RV's.. Here's a simple RV water system below, and even it doesn't count all the termination points or hard plastic fittings. No matter HOW much you blow on that thing, you're simply not going to get ALL the water out of the lines. Pex and flex are not much to worry about, thank goodness. It's the hard places, including the valves, corners and elbows, and the pex-to-flex connections where the water has a habit of gettin' hung up, collecting, and potentially causing problems if it freezes. Like the toilet valve - which we've got plenty of reports of people breaking. Or the water pump.... Or all the god forsaken Pex-to-Pex connectors that FR used in place of the more proper Pex-to-Flex connectors (****, they already leak when the weather gets COLD, let along break in a freeze).
All I'm saying is
do what works for you. Your trailer, your weather, your location, your usage, the quality and characteristics of your water, and YOUR PEACE OF MIND. Thank GOODNESS you're here to tell everyone that a proper blowout with proper equipment and proper technique works for you! Seriously, good to know, You're saving some money and not contributing to excess antifreeze consumption or release into the wild. Likewise, you've got a lot less to do come the Spring. Yes, the benefits of a blowout.
Except that not everyone has the same experience (let alone equipment, time, knowledge, or setup). *shrug* ...and that's sort of the point. This isn't a Ford Vs Chevy comparison. There's real variables at work here for everyone, and it doesn't come down to ALL one way or ALL another.
Despite having a compressor and a nice valved connector, I don't have the flexibility and trust or immediate access to my particular trailer to do a blowout and leave it for the winter. It's a 45 min trip to the storage (one way) for me, so I have to side with an abundance of caution... Likewise, a blowout towards the tail end of the season gives me a little "just in case" protection, AND makes it easier to get the trailer out of storage if we've got an unexpected nice weather weekend.
When the hard freezes come a'callin, however, I know I need to let the trailer sleep for the rest of the winter, I hit it with the pink stuff and sleep soundly... Yes, it means I've got to deal with Antifreeze. And that – come the spring – I've got a little more work to do to get my system up and running properly. It's a tradeoff that works for me.
Just a reminder, I hedged my bet with "more than likely" and then doubled down with:
Just my .02. Do whatever it is that works best for YOU.
Sure seems like this is still good advice. What works for you, works for you. What works for me, seems to work for me. Keep on doing what you're doing!
Just my .02. I could be (and as Des seems to indicate, likely am) wrong.
