winterization

[abaniki]

As usual last fall I had the Rialta winterized with antifreeze in the water lines just before I put it in storage. This spring when I filled the holding tank with water there were two valves open and water was running out under the vehicle - one near the holding tank and one near the hot water heater. I closed those valves and proceeded to fill the tank. I then turned on the water pump and opened the sink faucets to flush the antifreeze out. Lo and behold there was no antifreeze int he system to flush ( apparently all of it ran out as the serviceman thought he was filling the system with antifreeze last fall , because the two valves were opened ) .
Besides being pissed off that I paid to have the unit winterized , there were no leaks from the pipes once the valves were closed. Is it actually necessary to put antifreeze in for winter storage if the water lines are drained ? Or was I just lucky nothing froze.

[avanti]

Don't be TOO mad--it isn't the presence of pink stuff that matters, it is the absence of water.

Originally Posted by abaniki

Is it actually necessary to put antifreeze in for winter storage if the water lines are drained ? Or was I just lucky nothing froze.

In 12 years of Pennsylvania winters, I have never once put that STUFF in my fresh water system. Complete waste of time, money, and taste buds. BUT, you can't just drain the water--you need to blow out the system with compressed air. Very easy to do at home with a small tire-inflation compressor. You just need one of those little schrader valve to hose adaptors. There are plenty of websites that provide details on how to do this. Don't forget to drain your water heater if you have one.

You DO need to put the pink stuff in your drain traps, though.

A few other hints:
--If you have a Keurig coffee maker, you need to take it indoors for the winter. It retains water and cannot be readily drained.
--Don't forget any outside showers or spigots when blowing out.
--I unscrew the shower heads and any other easily removable fixtures. They tend to retain water and only take a second to install.
--Don't forget to sanitize your fresh system with bleach every spring.

[briancummings]

Yup, Avanti is bang on, blowing out water lines works great and is easily done on a B, as it doesn't have the extensive piping system as an A or C.

[Davydd]

I was thinking this coming winter about leaving my Keurig in place and running a bit of vodka through. That first cup of the season could provide quite a kickstart. ��