Any of you guys winterizing with air only?

[bobbyg123]

In my 10+ years of travel trailer ownership here in the Pacific NW, I've never used anything other than compressed air to blow out my lines and winterize. I haven't used any of the pink stuff, apart from pouring some down the drain traps and to maintain the toilet seal.

I park my camper in Eastern WA for a few months each winter, where temps are frequently in the teens and below, and I haven't had any problems with freeze damage.

Now that I have a new 5th wheel that I'll be winterizing for the 1st time, I want to revisit this logic to make sure I'm not running any risks. Do any of you simply use air to blow out the lines, on top of, of course, draining the water heater and emptying the tanks?

[cummins2014]

happy2rv wrote:

cummins2014 wrote:


That’s helps, I have one , but have you seen what comes out when you drain one ?
I don’t worry I don’t blow the lines.

I use an oil less compressor with an in line air filter. Set the regulator to less than 60 PSI and I make sure to take the air out of the top of the compressor tank, not the water out of drain at the bottom of the tank ;). Is the air completely clean? Likely not.

I don't worry too much about it because before I use it again I will do a full sensitization and system flush.

There is no wrong way here, but some need to be aware of what they are blowing into those lines. Used AF for years with no issues.

[happy2rv]

cummins2014 wrote:


That’s helps, I have one , but have you seen what comes out when you drain one ?
I don’t worry I don’t blow the lines.

I use an oil less compressor with an in line air filter. Set the regulator to less than 60 PSI and I make sure to take the air out of the top of the compressor tank, not the water out of drain at the bottom of the tank ;). Is the air completely clean? Likely not.

I don't worry too much about it because before I use it again I will do a full sensitization and system flush.

[cummins2014]

pianotuna wrote:
One that doesn't use oil.

TomS1345 wrote:
What is a good air compressor to blow out lines?

That’s helps, I have one , but have you seen what comes out when you drain one ?
I don’t worry I don’t blow the lines.

I open the two low point drains , open all the faucets etc , that allows all the lines that can drain out , drain . Drain the water heater , all the tanks. Bypass the water heater , and fill the lines with AF. Fill the traps with AF . Finished

[pianotuna]

One that doesn't use oil.

TomS1345 wrote:
What is a good air compressor to blow out lines?

[TomS1345]

What is a good air compressor to blow out lines?

[Dave_H_M]

naw, I am a pink stuff guy. 🙂

[sgfrye]

we live in north carolina.. generally mild winters although we do go down into the teens at times. we usually go on a few weekend trips during winter if forecast is above freezing.

ive always done the compressed air. making sure to remember outside shower faucet, toilet etc. finishing with low point drains.

i pour rv antifreeze in sink traps and a few gallons to black tank and grey tanks to reach valves.

so far no problems

[Campfire_Time]

Interesting responses. There is a bit of science behind why water doesn't completely freeze even when it gets into the teens at night. Those who use air only are mostly in warmer places that don't get deep freezes for days, or even weeks at a time. Anyone living in the northern states or Canada knows what I'm talking about. In SE WI we had days of -20 over the winter. Not the wind chill, the actual temperature. With day time highs of -10.

The issue I've seen, and have had myself, is getting the water out of all the valves and faucets. Even a small amount of water in a valve can cause cracks. I had this happen in a previous trailer. I failed to open one of water heater bypass valves and allow pink stuff through. The next spring I had a leak.

[FlatBroke]

Our trailers has enough low point drain lines that hardly any water comes out with just air. That’s been good for me. The KISS system for me.

[gkainz]

I used to use air only until one year my old class C split the line to the toilet. I assume water pooled down from the valve to a connector and froze.

Switched to air followed with AF.

Then I was cleaning my air/oil separator and draining the compressor tank and realized that I wouldn't fill SCUBA tanks with that air and breathe it, so why would I put it in my water lines?

Only AF now for me.

[Cummins12V98]

I haven't had to "BLOW" the lines since 2010.

[4x4ord]

I blow out with air and sometimes I'll suck about a cup of plumber's antifreeze into the lines to protect the pump. It gets dowm to minus 30 here.

[DustyR]

schlep1967 wrote:
RV Antifreeze for me. It's on sale here for $2.50 a gallon right now. I know my pipes and fixtures will not break over winter and I also know it is designed not to make me sick next year.
For the air compressor guys and gals, do yourself a favor and buy a 3 foot or longer piece of clear rubber tubing. Put it on the end of your airline and blow air through it for a few minutes. Now look at the inside of that tube. If you have an expensive compressor with filters on it you may still have a clear tube. For those like me that have the $100 harbor freight specials with no filters, you will likely see oil and or rusty water left behind. Not what I want to introduce to my water lines.

That is why I use the pink stuff, my old compressor has always had dirty water in the air discharge.

[Campinghoss]

As you can tell everyone winterizes the way they feel is best for them. I don't care how you use air, air pressure will short circuit water. It will blow out the water ok when the lines are full but once it drops to about 1/2 or less in the lines the air will blow over it. I always drain everything and then run the antifreeze in. It is really cheap insurance for a very expensive rig.

I do use air for my ice maker though. I disconnect the inlet water feed and use pink stuff up to that point. I then push the water out carefully BUT my frig stays plugged in all year and the rv is sheltered. I have a ceramic electric heater in it set at 32 degrees just for an extra margin of safety.

As I said to each his own.