Winterizing your RV is a pain. It’s messy, it’s expensive, and it takes forever to do. You’ve got to fill all the lines with antifreeze and then let it sit for days before draining it again. But now that you’ve got pink antifreeze, you can winterize faster and cheaper than ever before.
If you’ve been considering diluting your RV’s antifreeze, here are some answers to common questions about this technique.
Can You Dilute RV Antifreeze?
You can dilute RV antifreeze, but not just any old water will do. The type of water you use to dilute RV antifreeze depends on the type of antifreeze you have.
You can safely use pre-mixed RV antifreeze in your RV. It comes in a concentrated form and needs to be mixed with water before using it. You should only add enough water to match the strength level recommended by your manufacturer when mixing this type of liquid. For example, if they recommend 1/2 cup per gallon, then mix only 1/2 cup with each gallon container of coolant that needs refilling or replacing.
Concentrated RV antifreeze is those that come in their own bottles or cans and don’t need to be mixed with anything else prior to use, they’re ready for immediate use as soon as they’re purchased or opened up for the first time.
You can dilute this kind of product by mixing it with regular tap water until it turns into a golden colour, a mixture containing 50% coolant and 50% H20.
Is RV Antifreeze Safe To Use In Your Pipes and Water System?
RV antifreeze is safe to use in your pipes and water system. It’s a misconception that you should only use pure water in your RV’s plumbing system, as this can lead to damage to the fittings and hoses, as well as corrosion of any metal parts.
RV antifreeze is readily available at any auto parts store or hardware store, just be sure you get the right type for your specific vehicle.
How To Safely Flush RV Antifreeze Out Of Your Pipes
In order to get the antifreeze out of your pipes safely and efficiently, you will need to use one or more of the following methods:
- Use a hose or pump to drain the water out of your pipes. This is the most basic method and should work for most people. However, if there’s any debris caught in your lines that needs to be removed before flushing, this won’t be effective at all.
- Use a pressure washer on low pressure to flush out your lines with RV antifreeze. This can be done by simply filling up a bucket with water and adding RV antifreeze until it reaches room temperature (about 70 F). Then put on protective goggles and cover exposed skin areas before spraying down all visible parts of your system while trying not to let any liquid come into contact with bare skin.
Where Not to Flush RV Antifreeze
Now that we’ve covered where you can safely and correctly dispose of RV antifreeze, let’s take a look at some places where it’s best to avoid flushing your RV antifreeze:
- Toilet. There is no point in wasting time and money on a chemical that has been proven not to work. Don’t flush RV antifreeze down your toilet. It will cause corrosion issues which require expensive repairs.
- Septic system. The same goes for septic tanks; if you have one installed on your property, then it’s not advisable to use it as an infinite dumping ground for waste chemicals such as RV antifreeze.
- Sink or shower drains/bathtub overflow drains, kitchen sinks are okay. Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol, which is toxic when ingested by humans or animals, not only can it harm the person who drinks it but also their pets who may drink water containing antifreeze as well.
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It’s better to use more antifreeze than less. The reason for this is that less antifreeze means less protection for your pipes and their contents. If you have an RV with a 50-gallon fresh water tank and 20 gallons of antifreeze, it’s best to add more than half the amount (30 gallons) of water before you begin driving again.
If your battery has been drained, we suggest adding at least 10 per cent more liquid than you normally would during cold weather situations in order to keep any exposed areas warm until they reach room temperature once again.
Will Diluted Antifreeze Freeze?
If you’re wondering whether diluted antifreeze will freeze, the answer is no. It won’t freeze until the temperature outside drops below -20 degrees Fahrenheit. At that point, it will start to freeze and turn into a solid (ice). Once it has turned into ice, it can no longer be used in your RV.
If you have diluted antifreeze in your RV, there are some guidelines that might help prevent freezing:
- It will not start to freeze until the temperature outside drops below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. So if you live somewhere where temperatures are typically above this number during winter months like I do (Southern California), then diluting your antifreeze should work just fine for keeping everything nice and liquid throughout all four seasons.
- If living somewhere cold with temperatures regularly dipping below -10 degrees Fahrenheit or lower at night during winter months or if travelling through areas where such temperatures are common, then diluting your RV’s antifreeze may become necessary.
Can I Put RV Antifreeze In a Freshwater Tank?
RV antifreeze is not meant for your drinking water, so that’s why you should never put it in your freshwater tank. If you have a freshwater tank and are wondering if it’s okay to use RV antifreeze in there, the answer is no.
RV antifreeze is only good for your water heater and pipes; it won’t do anything for the quality of your drinking water. It can also be toxic to your freshwater tank and kill all or most of the fish living inside it.
How Long Can You Leave Antifreeze In RV?
You can safely use RV antifreeze in your pipes and water system. But, as with any vehicle, you should be careful when changing the antifreeze. If you’re changing it out for a different type of antifreeze, make sure that the new type is compatible with your engine cooling system.
If you do see any signs of corrosion or leaks around your radiator or heater core, it’s time to flush the system with fresh water and drain out all traces of the old antifreeze before adding new liquid. You’ll know it’s time for this because there will probably be some residue inside your radiator that looks like rust flakes or sand.
Make sure not to flush this mixture down any drains, it could damage them. Instead, use an indoor drain pan that has holes in it so that excess water can flow through without causing a clog.
Is Pink RV Antifreeze Toxic?
Pink antifreeze is completely safe. It’s a dye that makes it easier to spot leaks, not a toxic substance. There are no health risks associated with pink RV antifreeze, and it doesn’t have any environmental concerns either. The pink dye won’t harm you or your pets, nor will it cause any damage to the water system in your RV.
So if pink isn’t bad for you, why don’t they use this colour all the time? Well, there are some valid reasons why manufacturers choose to make other colours of antifreeze available as well.
Can I Use Vodka To Winterize My RV?
You may have heard that you can use vodka to winterize your RV. Don’t do it. While vodka does have antifreeze properties, it’s not actually a good antifreeze.
Vodka is also not great for cooling systems in general, nor is it a good additive for water or replacement for water in your engine block or radiator.
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Conclusion
Hopefully, we’ve answered all of your questions about RV antifreeze. We know that it can be confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it, winterizing becomes second nature.
If you have any further questions about RV antifreeze or other related topics, feel free to contact us here at BetaTourist and we’ll be happy to help answer them for you.
