freeze proofing

I need to set up a quick and easy way to protect a dishwasher, a clothes washer and a water softener from freezing...

My first plan is to solder a Tee and two valves in the water line near each unit. Switch valves so that an air hose can pressure blow unit out. (I'll be doing this through out the water system to blow all water lines out) Or, do I need to get more fancy and figure some way to pump RV antifreeze in? Anybody got an idea on a quick easy way to pump a couple quarts in?

Karl

Reply to
Karl Townsend
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I'd put a snorkel, stone filter and check valve at the highest point in the system and a valve to the sanitary sewer at the lowest point in the system. Shut off the house supply and open drain valve. Check valve allows air to displace water. Presto!

I've never tasted RV antifreeze but I think that isn't the healthiest thing to put in your water line. I'd go with air. Air is good.

--Winston

Reply to
Winston

One thing to keep in mind is that the washing machine and dishwasher probably have some water in the bottom of them at all times. They never pump out fully (can't really). You either need to put antifreeze in there or break into them and put a drain at the lowest point. I'm pointing this out since I'm in the same situation right now. I just changed my shop washing machine from a old Maytag wringer (just lay the hose on the ground and it drains all the way) to a newer (but still old) Maytag. The water pump on the newer washer was busted from sitting outside and water freezing in it. I'm working on a way to drain it fully (my shop washing machine sits outside).

Reply to
Wayne Cook

When we winterize our cabin, the drill is:

  • shut off water at source. Flush toilet to drain tank
  • open all valves and faucets. Water drains out of the lowest valve, an outside drain valve that is there for that purpose
  • turn off water heater and drain
  • pour RV juice into anything with residual standing water: traps, appliances, commodes.

I don't know if blowing would clear the softener or not. Culligan comes and pulls ours for the winter, brings another in the spring. Most folks there do it that way. Culligan comes round and replaces the tank about once a month during the season, then I suppose they regenerate them at their plant in Wilmar. Cost isn't much more than salt would be (the well water is quite hard), and it's a lot more convenient.

Reply to
Don Foreman

For the washer and dishwasher I would blow out the lines as you suggest (make sure they are at the appropriate point in the cycle that the inlet solenoid is open) Then I would put some RV antifreeze inside each of them and cycle them so they began to drain, thus distributing the antifreeze through the drain system. As far as the water softener, I have no idea. I am not very familiar with how they work.

Steve

Reply to
Steve Potter

Reply to
RoyJ

Have you ever used RV antifreeze? It is non toxic and specifically intended for use on the potable water system.

Reply to
Pete C.

I just went through this drill with the irrigation system at our cabin. The house is well insulated and the furnace is setup with an emergency freeze protection to keep the inside of the house at 35 degrees (only kicked on twice last winter) so we just drain (no air or antifreeze) those pipes. However, the irrigation system and the shop are another story. I put antifreeze in the trap of my unheated shop sink, and we drain the irrigation system. However, poor design means that the irrigation system still has several gallons even after being completely gravity drained. I learned this when one well insulated, supposedly drained pipe froze and split open 5 places along a 10' length of pipe. There is a spigot at one end of the pipe and a ball valve/drain at the other. I just permanently attached a quick connect airline fitting, hook up my compressor, and open the valve. This time, even after completely draining the pipe, 3 more gallons blew out of the line. Now it's truly empty. The main concern is potential damage from high pressure. A solid copper pipe is very different from pumps, valves, etc in an appliance. ww88

Reply to
woodworker88

I stop my dish washer and clothes washer from freezing by taking her out for the occasional meal :-)

Mark Rand RTFM

Reply to
Mark Rand

I was gonna say ... my camper in the Ozarks is getting winterized in a couple of weeks with the stuff . Been doing it that way for years and I ain't dead yet .

Reply to
Snag

Quite common practice here is to blow out lawn sprinkler systems for the winter about this time of year. Kind of odd driving by a big lawn and seeing what looks like high-pressure steam popping out of the ground everywhere. Most end up calling a service outfit to do it, not having either the fitting or the compressor to do it. They never plant the things more than a foot down and everything is PVC, it breaks very easily.

Stan

Reply to
stans4

fill the water softener with brine and it will not freeze. the dishwasher and washer are more problematic. Even blowing them out can leave water in the vulnerable valves.

Reply to
clare at snyder.on.ca

Why not test how soap or detergent changes the freezing point. It might be that you simply put in a 1/4 load and add detergent - mix and let it sit. Not much is known about this behavior since it is out of the norm.

Martin

Mart> >

Reply to
Martin H. Eastburn

There's yer answer. Run each machine, empty, time the rinse cycle. Close to the end of the rinse cycle, dump in a canister of table salt. This will fill the pump with (home-made) brine.

technomaNge

Reply to
technomaNge

On Wed, 24 Oct 2007 22:15:55 -0400, with neither quill nor qualm, clare at snyder.on.ca quickly quoth:

What the hell are people doing with dishwashers in cabins, anyway? Sheesh! Use paper plates while on vacation. Wash the pans by hand. Use a laundry tub and hang dry. That's an easy fix. Live the Country Life, Karl.

-- Jewish Zen: Be here now. Be someplace else later. Is that so complicated, already?

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Reply to
Larry Jaques

I winterized my sailboat with a quart of vodka. Never felt the need to flush it out ;)

Free men own guns - www(dot)geocities(dot)com/CapitolHill/5357/

Reply to
nick hull

Might be cheaper than RV antifreeze too...

Reply to
Pete C.

No Way!

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Reply to
cavelamb himself

I'd just blow the lines out and not try putting any antifreeze inside. Just add some antifreeze to the sink and toilet traps and the bottom of the dishwasher and washing machine.

My thought too - I would put on quick disconnects and take it totally out of the line. You might be able to turn the resin canister upside down and drain enough water that the residual water won't harm the resin bed by freezing...

As always the best way is to check with the softener maker for the winterizing procedures. They should know what works, because they have to pay warranty claims if the process they suggest fails.

Safest thing would be to cap the lines of the resin bed cylinder and toss it in the back of a Southbound truck or trailer. Take it with you. Or store it at a neighbors who'll be home for the winter and keep the heat on.

It's propylene glycol, FDA approved for food use.

Not sure what the ingestion quantity restrictions are (you wouldn't want to drink large quantities of it on purpose anyway) but small incidental contact quantities certainly won't hurt. Much.

Reply to
Bruce L. Bergman

Not really , a 750 of Smirnoff red is like 14 bucks , I can get three gallons of RV antifreeze for that much . The vodka sounds like a lot more fun though .

Reply to
Snag

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