Mile High
Denver, CO
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Joined: 02/05/2008
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Seamutt wrote:I have never opened my low point drains,not easy to access. Never had a problem, can get to 40 below in winter. I believe the antifreeze is heavier than water and will displace the water anyhow. I don't think its necessarily heavier than water or it would separate and go to the low points, but maybe so. I know it dissolves or mixes in water but I don't know how far that will go down a line without help.
The low point drains on mine are over 2' of dead end. I can see the antifreeze in my tubing and if I don't flush the low points, they remain clear. Maybe if I left it a while it might mix. Anyway, folks sometimes forget the washer dryer hookups a lot too if they don't have a washer installed. If it doesn't freeze, it can get nasty yuckey if you don't flush them out in the spring.
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Vulcaneer
Northern New England
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Joined: 10/17/2007
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Mile High wrote:You might have broke the drain line - but go ahead and pop them open and let them drain. You don't have to keep any antifreeze in the system, its only there to displace the water. Pop the drains and let it run into a bucket and cross your fingers for spring! That tubing is pretty resiliant, and you might have got some natural mixing going on.
I agree with this. And I also agree that A/F will mix with water. But probably not at the bottom of a deadend pipe. Certainly for the cost of losing a little $4/gallon A/F, and a minute or two of time, Open the low point drains and remove all doubt. Pretty risk free, if you ask me.
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kennethwooster
Perryton Tx USA
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I didn't know I had low point drains until a few years ago. I started making sure they were antifreezed. The Cameo is very easy to get to these items. My service man was helping me and said let me show you something. Everything was full of A/F so his last step was to take an empty bottle, and open the low point drain and he caught 2/3 of a gallon of antifreeze. A/F not that expensive but I will catch it from now on.
anyway I doubt if you froze anything, but would definitely drain and make sure.
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Bumpyroad
Virginia
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just catch the antifreeze and run it mixed back thru the system.
bumpy
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Mile High
Denver, CO
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Bumpyroad wrote:just catch the antifreeze and run it mixed back thru the system.
bumpy That can actually degrade the protection level. The more water in the mix, the less protection. Just dump it in a drain.
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weathershak
Delaware
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After I run the Antifreeze thru, I open the 3 low point drains to let the small amount of clear water out, then collect the antifreeze back in the bottle. I usually lose a bit over a qt every time, mostly due to the P traps. Since I have to do this every week, I elected to save what I can every time. No need to leave the stuff sitting in the lines once you pump it thru. I spent over $32.00 last winter on antifreeze. This year, after 4 winter trips , I have only spent about $8.00 so far.
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Bumpyroad
Virginia
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Mile High wrote:Bumpyroad wrote:just catch the antifreeze and run it mixed back thru the system.
bumpy That can actually degrade the protection level. The more water in the mix, the less protection. Just dump it in a drain.
I am assuming that the amount of water left in the low points is minimal. yes it will reduce protection slightly, but isn't the AF normally to about 40 below or some crazy number?
bumpy
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Mile High
Denver, CO
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Ya - I think it is down to -40. I guess I was thinking if you re-use it, over time the mixture would be less protection than you might think. I figure I loose some of the protection by just by pumping it in and hoping I get most the water out. Here I worry less than -20 below.
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