R-pod Owners Forum Homepage

This site is free to use.
Donations benefit a non-profit Girls Softball organization

Forum Home Forum Home > R-pod Discussion Forums > Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed: Winterization blow out
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Calendar   Register Register  Login Login

Topic ClosedWinterization blow out

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
GLBCamper View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 30 Jun 2015
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 274
Direct Link To This Post Topic: Winterization blow out
    Posted: 30 Aug 2015 at 12:55pm
Approaching my first winterization. I have read the forum "manual" and it says to use very low pressure to blow out the water lines. Can I just use an "inflator"? Some can be can be set between 3 & 120psi and I know you can buy a blow out attachment with the tire stem type of adaptor. Is there any reason I would need a full compressor? (I do live in a cold climate, so blowing the lines is a necessity.)
Old: 2014 177 HRE
2015 Tacoma V6 4x4 Double Cab
New: 2016 EVO ATS 200rd
2016 F150 4x4 Sport
Back to Top
kymooses View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 01 Aug 2010
Location: Louisville, Ky
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1807
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Aug 2015 at 2:40pm
If you live in a cold climate I would go ahead and use the Pink stuff to run through all the lines.
Back to Top
TigerPawd View Drop Down
Groupie
Groupie


Joined: 04 Feb 2015
Location: Corpus Christi
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 68
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Aug 2015 at 3:17pm
GLBCamper, we lived in Ohio about a mile from Lake Erie for 22 years.  In our first TT, access to the water lines to the heater was very difficult so soon went your route. 

I used a tire inflator (as you suggest) to blow out the lines - VERY thoroughly - and pink antifreeze in all the drains.  It only dropped below 0°F a few times.  We never had any problems with freezing where it shouldn't. 

My inflator did not have a pressure gauge, but as long as a faucet is wide open somewhere in the line, pressure buildup was not a problem.  It worked so well that I continued to do it on the next TT and now the Pod (although risk of freezing is lower down in Corpus Christi). 

Just don't stand close to the water heater when you turn on the inflator.  
Joan, Jerry and the two Pugs
2015 R-Pod 179
Back to Top
GLBCamper View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 30 Jun 2015
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 274
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Aug 2015 at 4:52pm
Originally posted by kymooses

If you live in a cold climate I would go ahead and use the Pink stuff to run through all the lines.

I will definitely be doing this. I just wasn't sure if an inflator style compressor would do the trick of blowing out the lines. It looks like TigerPawd has used one with success, though.
Old: 2014 177 HRE
2015 Tacoma V6 4x4 Double Cab
New: 2016 EVO ATS 200rd
2016 F150 4x4 Sport
Back to Top
wingnut2312 View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 25 Aug 2013
Location: MI
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 231
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Sep 2015 at 10:27am
We're in MI and it drops below zero, with windchill, for about a month. The water lines are not very insulated. I would go so far as to call them exposed. We have never blown out the lines, only used the pink stuff. Never had a problem.
Just make sure you do it on time. We waited until early November last year and found ice because it had dropped below 32 for a few days. Like I said, not well insulated.
2014 rpod 182G
Ford Expedition
Back to Top
Tars Tarkas View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 14 Jan 2013
Location: Near Nashville
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1446
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Sep 2015 at 9:51pm
The inflater ought to work well enough to get the job done, but for blowing out lines I think you need more air volume all at once.  Still low pressure.  But blowing out lines is really probably of only limited value if you open your taps in the pod and open the low-point drains.  Let everything run out, cap the low-point drains, add anti-freeze and pump it through the system until it just comes out all of the taps, including the toilet.  Drain the WH and leave the anode out or in very loosely to keep spiders out.  Any water in the system is going to be so overpowered by antifreeze that it won't cause any trouble.

TT
2010 176
FJ Cruiser
Back to Top
techntrek View Drop Down
Admin Group - pHp
Admin Group - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 29 Jul 2009
Location: MD
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 9059
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Sep 2015 at 12:31pm
The idea is to use the air pressure to get most of the water out, so when you add the antifreeze it isn't diluted, which could happen at the end of the line as the antifreeze pushes the water ahead of it. Trap some of that in the sink valves and you could still have damage by spring.
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Bulletin Board Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 9.64
Copyright ©2001-2009 Web Wiz