Stefan
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Joined: 04/02/2003
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My RV dealer sells the attachment for $4.00, screws into your inlet with a valve stem like on your vehicle tires. Use your air fill attachment for your compressor and off you go!
Stefan
2003 Chevy Silverado 1500HD, 3.73, 4x4, Crew Cab, 6.0L (loving it!)
2003 Layton lite 232 BH
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ThunderingQuiet
In Your Mind
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Joined: 12/20/2007
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Personally I don't trust using air to blowout the lines. I've used nothing but RV antifreeze for years without problems. One of my coworkers blows out his lines. So far he has replaced his water heater, water pump and three different connections because of freezing water.
For me spending $12 every winter for RV antifreeze is MUCH cheaper than going through what my coworker had done.
BTW - he still insisted blowing out the lines is the best way to go. Whatever to each his own...
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FoxFifth
Eugene,OR
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Joined: 11/14/2008
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Artum Snowbird wrote: ... I think this winter I will put in the antifreeze, then I will use my air compressor to blow it out and see how well of a job it does before I flush it with water.
regards, Mike
Another thing you can try is 1)Blow out the lines 2)Winterize with antifreeze and watch to see how much if any water comes out of each faucet before the antifreeze. (basically the same as you said but would give you another test earlier) If the antifreeze is pushing a lot of water out that's a good indication that the way you blew out the lines wasn't effective. I've had two fifth wheels. On the first one I could blow out the lines with no problem. On my current one the plumbing is essentially a "U" shape with the water pump and one end of the "U" and the city water inlet (and blow out attachment point) at the other end of the "U" and there is a long line from the water pump to the first faucet. I've tried every which way to blow out the lines but I still end up with a lot of water; I've concluded that the only thing I could do that I haven't is to remove the water line from the pump output and blow it from there. Too much work so I use antifreeze on this rig.
2005 Arctic Fox 27-5L
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Grey Mountain
On the rez somewhere in Indian Country
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Joined: 08/25/2002
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Mike:
Wait 'til I get there in June and I'll show you what I do. Of course, it might be a tad late then...
OK, OK here's my method.
Originally, I only blew out the lines, and had no problems; however, just to be safe, this is what I do
1. Drain the water heater.
2. Attach whatever adapter you use (I made on using various threaded fittings that fit the city water inlet and then attach to my compressor)
3. Open the faucet farthest from this inlet.
4. Use no more than 40psi on the compressor.
5. Open each faucet in turn until all of them have been cleared. (Don't forget the commode)
6. Open all faucets and let the compressor run for a period of time. I let it run for 30 minutes.
7. I then use a hand pump and pump antifreeze into the system from the city water inlet. I made an adaptor that screws onto this inlet and then fits into the hand pump. The other end of the pump fits into the antifreeze container.
8. Again, start with the faucet farthest from the inlet and work your way through all of them. (Did I mention not to forget the commode?)
Once you have pink stuff flowing through all of them, you are
through. This task is much easier if you have a helper.
I had not thought of using the hot water low point for injecting pink stuff, but it makes sense. I'll do that next time. (I winterized yesterday).
GM
2000 Southwind Storm 34N Tin Teepee
Jeep Cherokee/HOnda CR-V toad
Enrolled member of the Comanche Tribe
English Bride
Bichon Frise bear killers:
Lord Shonefeld von Reginald-Friese IV.
Lady Annabelle von Lichenstein-Friese III.
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Artum Snowbird
Campbell River, B.C., Canada
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Joined: 05/28/2004
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Wow, Grey Mountain! You not only blow out the water, but then fill it with antifreeze too!
I don't know how common it might be, but an important thing to check for everyone because it really caught me was the check valve at the outlet from the hot water tank.
It was frozen in the open position, so when the antifreeze went in last time, it also went past the bypass valve, as it was supposed to, but then went into the drained HWT through the frozen open check valve. Yuk...took many flushings to get it out.
Next time I will drain the HWT, then put it into bypass, then run the pump with taps closed to make sure the check valve is properly closed before I add the antifreeze.
Mike and Carole
2006 Triple E Regency 27 foot SXL
2005 16.6 Double Eagle
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Bumpyroad
Virginia
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Joined: 12/01/2005
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Stefan wrote:My RV dealer sells the attachment for $4.00, screws into your inlet with a valve stem like on your vehicle tires. Use your air fill attachment for your compressor and off you go!
yep, wal-mart has it for much less. seems sort of foolish to me to try to cobble something makeshift together when the real thing is so easily available and cheap. unless of course you can make something up with LEDs on it. 
bumpy
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pianotuna
Regina, SK, Canada
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Joined: 12/18/2004
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Hi,
The problem with the valve stem type is that you have to hold the air hose to them. This is annoying to say the least.
I blow out and then install the antifreeze.
Bumpyroad wrote:Stefan wrote:My RV dealer sells the attachment for $4.00, screws into your inlet with a valve stem like on your vehicle tires. Use your air fill attachment for your compressor and off you go!
yep, wal-mart has it for much less. seems sort of foolish to me to try to cobble something makeshift together when the real thing is so easily available and cheap. unless of course you can make something up with LEDs on it.
bumpy
Regards, Don
Kustom Koach Class C 28'5" 256 watts solar, 875 amp hours in two battery banks 12 volt batteries 2500 watt inverter.
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Rubiranch
Marysvale
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Joined: 03/09/2004
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This is how I blow out our water lines and have been doing it for 5 years.
The hose coming from the brass valve is for my compressed air and it allows the compressed air to go through the water pump.
The hose from the brass valve ends up connecting to this pressure regulator/filter and I set the pressure to about 45 psi. The hose has a quick disconnect and stays connected to the trailers water system.
I keep at least one faucet cracked open a little at all times to avoid "shock" from opening and closing the faucets.
I start with the faucet that is the furthest from the FW tank and work my way back towards the FW tank including the toilet.
I leave each faucet fully open for approx 15 minutes or until I can no longer detect any moisture from the faucet by placing a Kleenex over the end of the open faucet.
I add a little pink to the traps and have not had a problem yet.
* This post was
edited 10/23/09 07:50pm by Rubiranch *
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wny_pat
Western NYS
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Joined: 08/11/2007
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Goldencrazy wrote:Go to a camping store or even walmart and purchase an adapter that has an end to screw on to your city water outlet and the other is just like your tire valve. Schrader valve
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Bumpyroad
Virginia
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Joined: 12/01/2005
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you do not have to hold anything on anything if you have a locking jobby on the end of the air hose. I certainly don't "hold" my air hose onto the Rv tires for the 20 minutes it takes to fill them.
bumpy
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