Purging water for winterizing

[Brad & Shelley Dalzell]

I am just curious what type and size of compressor some of you Escape trailers are using to blow out you water lines?
Thank you,
Brad.

[etuna]

Last November we ran into below freezing temperatures on our way home to Alberta from Arizona. I just used the 12 volt compressor that I always keep in the truck for maintaining tire pressures. It worked like a charm to blow the water out of the system.

[gbaglo]

I bought a 6 gal. Porter Cable air compressor and used it a couple times. Switched to pumping RV antifreeze through the system. It was so much easier and when I saw pink fluid coming out of the taps, I knew the job was done.
Compressor cost a couple hundred dollars and came with a brad nailer ( used that once ). The hand pump for the antifreeze cost about $20. Is light weight. Doesn't need to be plugged in or be serviced.
Just connect to city water inlet and pump. Partner inside opens taps one at a time until pink liquid comes out. You'd be surprised how few pumps it takes.

[padlin]

Got a big 220vac fixed one at home. Have a Viair 300P for the truck and camper tires in the truck but have yet to use it for blowing out the lines. Used pink antifreeze coming home last winter and blew it out once we got home.

[cpaharley2008]

Just be careful with the air compressor activity, you have to keep it below 40 psi and make sure it is oilless otherwise you will be adding oil to your lines. As Glenn points out, the hand pump is ideal. Escape also offers a built in E-Z- winterizing and you can add one after market. It uses the on board water pump to pump rv antifreeze, which is non-toxic, into your water lines,

[Ian G]

The trick with blowing out water lines is not the air pressure but the air volume. You need enough air at a pressure of about 35-40 psi to displace the water. A small compressor especially those without a tank will bypass and not displace any water in the lines leaving potentially costly water to pool and freeze in the lines. I personally use a stationary 7HP compressor with a 60 gal tank (overkill is an understatement). If you do not have a compressor I have seen very good results using a shop vac set to "blow" through the lines. Lots of volume at a low pressure and most people have one.

[Iowa Dave]

While I use the RV antifreeze for the Escape the little Porter Cable compressor works well for blowing stuff out for winter. It is oiless. When I decide to winterize, it is a process around here. Two outboards, turf sprayer, pressure washer, about 10 two cylcle engines which I drain the gas and add stabil, then make sure the antifreeze is right in the tractor and cars and finally dig out the snowblower and generator and get them running. Don't know when I had time to do it all when I was working
Dave

[thoer]

I'm one of those belt and suspender types, so I blow out and then use antifreeze.

[Vermilye]

I use an inexpensive oilless compressor with a 3 gallon tank from Harbor Freight. No antifreeze except in the drains.

If you have a compressor that isn't oilless, you can purchase a filter that removes oil. We used them for spraying water based paint using air brushes with our shop air system.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

While I use the RV antifreeze for the Escape the little Porter Cable compressor works well for blowing stuff out for winter. It is oiless. When I decide to winterize, it is a process around here. Two outboards, turf sprayer, pressure washer, about 10 two cylcle engines which I drain the gas and add stabil, then make sure the antifreeze is right in the tractor and cars and finally dig out the snowblower and generator and get them running. Don't know when I had time to do it all when I was working
Dave

Hi: Iowa Dave... It was told to me that "Mans happiness is in direct proportion to the number of internal combustion engines he has". You must be ecstatic!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by escape artist

Hi: Iowa Dave... It was told to me that "Mans happiness is in direct proportion to the number of internal combustion engines he has". You must be ecstatic!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

Whoever said that must have known me. I am pretty happy most of the time. I did not mention my two Maytag gasoline washing machine engines or my 1920s McCormick Deering 2hp hit and miss gas engine with exposed valve assy. and crankshaft.
We only have ONE camper though. We used to winterize the irrigation system at the 38 field soccer complex. Three Ingersoll rand compressors blowing through 975 irrigation heads. If you screwed up and didn't have enough heads up, that air pressure would launch those heads high enough that I was done swearing by the time they landed. Have a great weekend.
Dave

[padlin]

Originally Posted by thoer

I'm one of those belt and suspender types, so I blow out and then use antifreeze.

And just to be different, I do it bass ackwards from you. Run in the antifreeze, then blow it out.

[thoer]

Originally Posted by padlin

And just to be different, I do it bass ackwards from you. Run in the antifreeze, then blow it out.

Actually my full routine is: drain at the lowpoint drain, blow out, antifreeze, then drain it all again at the low point drain. I must have too much time on my hands...

[Brian B-P]

Perhaps the most thorough approach would be to

1. drain the system through the low-point drains (if you have them), to minimize the amount of water to be blown out, then
2. blow out remaining water so it won't dilute the antifreeze, then
3. pump through antifreeze because you don't trust the draining or blowing, then
4. drain the antifreeze from the low-point drain to minimize the amount to be flushed out in the spring (and move it into the drains which need it anyway), then
5. blow out the antifreeze to get the parts that don't drain.

Belt and suspenders and... what are three more ways to hold your pants up?

[padlin]

Originally Posted by thoer

Actually my full one is drain at the lowpoint drain, blow out, antifreeze, then drain it all again at the low point drain. I must have too much time on my hands...

At least you have the low point drain.

[thoer]

Originally Posted by padlin

At least you have the low point drain.

I'm going to try to talk Reace into one on our new 21.

[padlin]

I would have done the same had I known there wasn't one.

[lyndamac]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

I bought a 6 gal. Porter Cable air compressor and used it a couple times. Switched to pumping RV antifreeze through the system. It was so much easier and when I saw pink fluid coming out of the taps, I knew the job was done.
Compressor cost a couple hundred dollars and came with a brad nailer ( used that once ). The hand pump for the antifreeze cost about $20. Is light weight. Doesn't need to be plugged in or be serviced.
Just connect to city water inlet and pump. Partner inside opens taps one at a time until pink liquid comes out. You'd be surprised how few pumps it takes.

I liked the look of your hand pump, Glenn, but when I checked at Canadian Tire, they didn't have one that would connect to the city water intake. Do you recall where you purchased yours?

Thanks

Lynda

[cpaharley2008]

Did you try Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Camco-36003-H...s=rv+hand+pump

[gbaglo]

I think I got my pump at North Shore RV.
You could give them a call. If they don't have it on hand, they could order it for you.