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Old 11-04-2019, 12:48 AM   #1
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Choice of RV Antifreeze

Going to winterize my Kodiak Ultra myself this year and wondering if there is really any difference in the various RV brands out there. The Walmart one town over has the Absolute Zero brand for $3.60 /gal which seems to be a good price (compared to online brands for sale). Anyone used this brand with the desired results? Are there other brands which some of you feel are better or is RV antifreeze pretty much all the same?

Thanks,
Dan
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Old 11-04-2019, 03:39 AM   #2
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Some of the cheaper brands have alcohol in them. I had a bad experience with one a couple of years ago. It took a lot of extra flushing to get the bad taste out of my water supply. I recommend you skip any with alcohol in them. Otherwise any -50* F RV anti-freeze is good for the lower US states.
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Old 11-09-2019, 10:01 PM   #3
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I would just find the least expensive and get 4 gallons to start with. You never know how much the system takes until you do it, and better to have more than not enough. You can always use what is left over next year.



Then come spring time when they want to get rid of the overstock, buy a few for next season. I didn't have to buy any this year, had enough from last year when I bought then for $1.50 a gallon. Bought a case of them, and used 2 gallons for my laser cooling system too.
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Old 11-10-2019, 04:58 AM   #4
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Went with the Absolute Zero - met all the criteria. Used four gallons my first time doing the dewinterizing myself. Probably take four to do it next year.

Thanks for the replies.
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Old 11-11-2019, 09:00 PM   #5
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Four gallons seems like a lot! If the water heater is bypassed, and you feed the pump directly, with the fresh tank cut off, then all you have to do is run through the pipes until each faucet runs pink. Let some pink flow into the drain, for the trap. That only takes me about one gallon, maybe 1.5
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Old 11-11-2019, 09:05 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by acdii View Post
I would just find the least expensive and get 4 gallons to start with. You never know how much the system takes until you do it, and better to have more than not enough. You can always use what is left over next year.



Then come spring time when they want to get rid of the overstock, buy a few for next season. I didn't have to buy any this year, had enough from last year when I bought then for $1.50 a gallon. Bought a case of them, and used 2 gallons for my laser cooling system too.
Laser cooling, eh? Yeah, that's what caught my eye! My laser is inside ... so I've no need to antifreeze the chiller, but it's worth passing on the idea to others. Better than standard antifreeze because of the lack of alcohol?
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Old 11-11-2019, 09:11 PM   #7
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Laser cooling, eh? Yeah, that's what caught my eye! My laser is inside ... so I've no need to antifreeze the chiller, but it's worth passing on the idea to others. Better than standard antifreeze because of the lack of alcohol?

More for the antimicrobial properties than for temperature. I use a CW5200 so it is pretty much a sealed system. It holds roughly 3 gallons, so have a 50/50 mix with distilled water and the pink color helps to show the flow is working and the tube is full. It keeps the tube at 16*C.
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Old 11-11-2019, 11:20 PM   #8
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Wet tank bottoms

Quote:
Originally Posted by MartyG View Post
Four gallons seems like a lot! If the water heater is bypassed, and you feed the pump directly, with the fresh tank cut off, then all you have to do is run through the pipes until each faucet runs pink. Let some pink flow into the drain, for the trap. That only takes me about one gallon, maybe 1.5
There is a plausible argument to keep the bottom of the black water tank wet to prevent solids build up. Gray tanks may benefit as well.

I have not seen solid evidence on this yet.

I buy it by the case, as I winter camp and repeat winterize. I am considering going to blow out to simplify rewetting and flushing the system in cold weather.
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Old 11-12-2019, 01:48 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MartyG View Post
Four gallons seems like a lot! If the water heater is bypassed, and you feed the pump directly, with the fresh tank cut off, then all you have to do is run through the pipes until each faucet runs pink. Let some pink flow into the drain, for the trap. That only takes me about one gallon, maybe 1.5
I made sure it was running well out of all the faucets. Also dumped a decent amount down the traps and toilet. Also, the black water tank flush port got some pumped into it.
My last sentence in my post above should have read, “It will likely take around three gallons (or less) next year.”
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