Best RV Antifreeze To Keep Your RV In Great Condition

RV antifreeze helps your mobile home remain protected when exposed to high or low temperatures, but sometimes these products can also have many other uses. With that in mind, let’s explore some important things you should know about RV antifreeze. 

What is different about RV antifreeze?

At the start of this article, we looked at how RV antifreeze differs from antifreeze you’ll use in your car. But let’s explore that a bit deeper. 

RV antifreeze is designed to be non-toxic, whereas car antifreeze is highly toxic. RV antifreeze can be put directly into the plumbing system of your mobile home. 

That said, both car and RV antifreeze essentially do the same thing. They decrease the liquid’s freezing point and increase its boiling point so that the antifreeze will maintain its liquid consistency even in high or low temperatures. 

You should be using RV antifreeze to winterize your RV every year so that you protect it against freezing temperatures. RV antifreeze products have many uses. Here are three main ones that are important to protect your mobile home.

• Antifreeze can protect your fixtures and freshwater pipes so that they can’t expand so much that they become damaged or burst. However, when using antifreeze on your RV’s freshwater system, always flush it thoroughly to prevent any unpleasant odors or tastes from lingering in the water. 
• Antifreeze can be poured in the P-traps of showers and sinks. This prevents them from freezing and becoming damaged. 
• Antifreeze can be applied to your gray and black water tanks to prevent them from freezing solid. 

Based on the above points, it’s clear to see that it’s not safe to use car antifreeze in your RV. Car antifreeze is highly toxic so never use it instead of RV antifreeze, even if it looks the same.

Similarly, you should never use RV antifreeze in your car. They are not interchangeable! Before purchasing an antifreeze product, make sure it specifies where and how it can be safely used so you know you’re getting the right one.

Is RV antifreeze safe to dump on the ground?

We’ve already mentioned that RV antifreeze contains non-toxic ingredients. This might make you assume that it’s safe to dump on the ground when you’re on the road. However, this is something you should never do. 

RV antifreeze might be listed as non-toxic and biodegradable, but it still contains chemicals. Dumping it can be harmful and toxic to the environment, such as if it gets into the soil or water sources.

In the home environment, antifreeze is dangerous to pets if ingested. In addition, it’s worth mentioning that some ingredients found in RV antifreeze can be flammable, so you don’t want to dump antifreeze on the ground and risk it getting ignited.  

You can safely dispose of RV antifreeze in other ways. You could send it to a facility that accepts antifreeze or recycles it, for example.

If you’re not sure how to go about doing that, check with your RV manufacturer, local auto service stations, or local auto parts stores for suggestions of how to safely get rid of RV antifreeze. 

When getting rid of antifreeze, make sure you drain it into a bucket so that you can dispose of it properly later.

Will RV pipes freeze in one night?

While your RV pipes might not freeze overnight, if you’re staying in an area where the temperature has decreased a lot and you’re experiencing freezing temperatures, this can cause your pipes to freeze very quickly.

It will generally take around 24 hours for your RV pipes to freeze up. It’s also worth noting that the temperature has to get below freezing (which is 32 degrees Fahrenheit) during this time for your pipes to freeze. 

To prevent your RV from freezing, you should insulate its water tanks. You should also take other preventative measures, such as heating its underbelly where hoses and valves are usually found.

You can do this with foam board insulation. Using a quality antifreeze product is also recommended. 

If you think you can dump antifreeze at an RV dumping station, it’s worth bearing in mind that you’re usually not allowed to dump regular antifreeze there. Your best bet would be to check with your local RV dumping station before going ahead. 

Will RV antifreeze hurt a septic system?

Whether or not RV antifreeze is safe for a septic system will depend on its main ingredient. RV antifreeze products usually contain propylene glycol or ethylene glycol, or a combination of both. 

If your RV antifreeze has propylene glycol in it, this is safe for your septic system. It won’t damage it or cause it other problems. The same goes for propylene ethanol. So, it is fine for you to flush this type of RV antifreeze into the water system. 

If ethylene glycol is an ingredient in your RV antifreeze, this is toxic! It can cause harm to your septic system. It kills the system’s good bacteria that’s required to keep it working properly, so never allow this product to come into contact with it.  

Conclusion

You should always have a bottle of high-quality RV antifreeze in your motorhome. This product can be used in your RV’s plumbing system to prevent it from being damaged by extreme temperatures.

The last thing you want is for your RV pipes and tanks to freeze over, resulting in expensive repairs. 

Before reading this article, you might have wondered what is the best RV antifreeze to buy. We’ve featured the best RV antifreeze and four competing products to keep your RV safe and protected all year round.

Before purchasing RV antifreeze, though, always make sure that you’ve checked (and double-checked!) that it’s compatible with your specific RV or camper van. 

We’ve also featured some questions you might have about RV antifreeze, such as if it’s the same thing as car antifreeze and if you can use RV antifreeze in a septic system.

Let your outdoor adventures begin, and make them last longer by keeping your RV protected against extreme temperatures and damage.

Resources:

• FamilyHandyman.com
• DifferenceBetween.com