Radarman
Western Washington
New Member
Joined: 08/23/2007
View Profile
 Offline
|
I have heard that you should use RV antifreeze at full strength but I wanted to test it to see if it could be diluted and used in the water system to flush the toilet while camping in cold weather. I made up 4 samples at 25%, 30%, 33%, and 50% antifreeze. I put them in the freezing compartment of the refrigerator in the house which is at 0 degrees F.
All of the samples froze solid. The 50% solution was not as hard as the others but it was solid. I think the lesson is you should use it at full strength if it is going to be zero or below.
Dale
2007 PleasureWay Ford V8 Excel-TS
“B”ing there is half the fun.
|
JudoJeff
Southwick, MA
Senior Member
Joined: 08/06/2008
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
Offline
|
NOT intended to be diluted, you're thinking of EG products.
RV antifreeze does not freeze solid, just turns "slushy", and won't break pipes, etc.
K1BE Jeff
Vulneratus Non Victus
"Wounded but not Conquered!"
|
Handbasket
Asheville, NC
Senior Member
Joined: 01/17/2003
View Profile
|
The issue is not 'does it freeze solid', it's 'does it expand when it freezes'.
Jim, "Nothing right in my left brain, nothing left in my right brain."
'06 Tiger CX 'C Minus' on a Silverado 2500HD 4x4, 8.1 & Allison ('Loafer's Glory'); '07 Forester 2.5 ( the 'HANDBSKT'); '95 Toyota SR5 V-6 4x4 pickup, ARB locker, Bilsteins, Warn hubs & M8000, etc;
'94 968, M030 swaybars ('DOPPLER')
|
CJBill
Rockville Md.
Full Member
Joined: 10/09/2005
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
Offline
|
I did a similar test on my patio even though I know it is not supposed to be mixed. I tried a 50/50 mixture and a 1/3 antifreeze with 2/3 water in a plastic jug. When the overnight temperature got to around 20F the 1/3 mixture froze but was crushable with my fingers. Somewhere in the teens the 50/50 mixture was crushable and the 1/3 mixture was not. At 11 degrees F. neither mixture was crushable with my fingers but my "impression" was that the mixtures did not expand a noticeable amount at least not as much as a comparison water jug did.
Take the above with a grain of salt as I didn't actually record anything as we have only had one really cold spell here, I had just set up my jugs, and I was planning to be more careful and make some notes next time around. My interest is to know how much pink stuff I need to add to the grey and black tanks if we use them in cold weather.
|
My Roadtrek
Tucson, AZ.
Senior Member
Joined: 03/20/2002
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
|
Moved from "CVC".
|
|
|
camperbuds3
NE Pennsylvania
Senior Member
Joined: 08/23/2003
View Profile
|
Your test might satisfy curiousity, but RV anti-freeze is not meant to be diluted, period, when used to winterize an RV's water system.
Think of what would happen if the temperature was to drop much lower than predicted. A couple of dollars saved on RV anti-freeze can suddenly turn very costly or very inconvenient to say the least.
|
nbounder
Arizona mountains
Senior Member
Joined: 11/26/2006
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
Offline
|
According to the charts supplied by the mfr, dilution of 2 parts AF to one part water will do just fine. Realize that your pipes (PEX) can withstand 50-60 PSI all day long. As long as the pressure from expansion of a freezing liquid is less than the operating pressure of the pipes, you're OK. The first year I owned my rig I did not winterize properly, and I lost the toilet flush valve during a cold spell.Eveything else survived. Of course, if you live in North Dakota, all bets are off.
|
markopolo
Vancouver Island, BC
Senior Member
Joined: 05/15/2005
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
|
From the spec sheets I've seen -50 degree RV antifreeze is already very much diluted. It is only 25% to 30% Propylene Glycol and 70% to 75% water etc. Propylene Glycol is the "active ingredient" in RV antifreeze.
-100 degree RV antifreeze is approx 50% Propylene Glycol.
You can find higher concentrations such as -200 degree!
Those higher concentrations would be better to use if it is going to be further diluted.
This chart shows the freezing point for various percentages of propylene glycol and water mix.
|
dougrainer
Carrolton, Texas
Senior Member
Joined: 06/11/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
Years ago they sold 100% pink antifreeze and you were supposed to dilute as needed. Now, they sell already diluted to the correct low temp for almost all applications. Doug
|
beemerphile1
I'm only 54, I'm not a
Senior Member
Joined: 04/20/2007
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
Offline
|
Hmmmm, makes me wonder. When I pour the RV antifreeze into my traps it is diluted by the water that is already in them.
Tim (in NE Ohio)
"Okay, I admit it, the only thing I'm really good at is being me."
2006 Weekend Warrior FK1900 towed by 1998 Ford E150 4.6L
2009 Aliner Sport towed by 2009 Pontiac Vibe 1.8L
1996 BMW R1100GS
2007 Trek 7.2FX
2005 Trek Madone 9spd.
|
|
|
