Protect Drains and P-Traps Pour about one quart of RV antifreeze into each drain and P-trap, as well as the toilet.
Pour a cup of antifreeze down every sink and tub drain, and two cups down shower-stall drains, which have larger traps. The trap under a drain holds water that prevents sewer gas from coming up through the drain. If left unprotected, the pooled water in that trap may freeze and crack the trap.
No, you generally should not put antifreeze into potable water piping because several kinds (methanol and ethylene glycol) are highly toxic. An intermittently-occupied mountain cabin can be designed for the potable water piping to drain down to leave the pipes empty while the structure is unoccupied and unheated.
Like others have said, the best permanent solution would be to insulate and heat trace the P-trap. However if that is not possible then you what you could look at doing is mixing a saltwater solution and that will lower the freezing point of the water anywhere from -6 to -16 degrees Celsius.
Best way to avoid dry traps is to ``winterize'' your drains. Blow the traps out (flip the hose on a shop vac to the exhaust), and fill them with mineral oil, or RV antifreeze (VERY important it's RV antifreeze, not the normal stuff 🤢).
If dry, the p-trap cannot perform its function correctly. To eliminate odors coming from a dry p-trap, pour half a gallon of water into the trap to restore the barrier. It will prevent the odors from seeping through the drain.
This is one reason antifreeze effectively protects your RV's plumbing when you aren't using it for an extended period. Under the right conditions, however, the antifreeze will evaporate. The first condition is if the antifreeze temperature rises above 223℉—not impossible, but highly unlikely, during winter RV storage.
Simply pour a handful of salt down your drain pipe, quickly followed by boiling water. Alternatively, boil the water in a saucepan and stir the salt in the boiling water. Once the salt has completely dispersed, carefully pour it down the drain.
Antifreeze will provide a small amount of help in thawing ice, but this should not be treated as a primary thawing technique. This should be used in conjunction with an unfreezing approach like heating cables, heating blanket, or propane heater.
You should never dump spent antifreeze onto the ground or down a drain (see Q. 8). Doing so would allow ethylene glycol to seep into the nearby soils and groundwater, which could pollute water sources, kill flora, sicken fauna, and make the EPA very, very unhappy.
Can you use car antifreeze as a plumbing antifreeze? No, instead use “RV antifreeze” or 91% Isopropyl medicinal alcohol. Its a different plumbing and sanitary waste system acceptable antifreeze solution.
Scientists refer to this formation as a crystal lattice. However, when antifreeze is added to water, it prevents the H2O molecules from forming crystal lattices. Therefore, antifreeze stops water from freezing until the temperature drops well below 0°C. Freezing is delayed by the interference between the two liquids.
Protect Drains and P-Traps
Pour about one quart of RV antifreeze into each drain and P-trap, as well as the toilet. Leave a little antifreeze in the toilet to maintain the air seal.
Evaporation. Overly dry air conditions can cause the water in your plumbing trap to evaporate.
Tip #7: A Thaw Machine Will Be Your Savior
It's exactly what it sounds like: a portable device that plumbers use to thaw pipes quickly.
You should not use the same antifreeze that you use in your car, however. There are safe, non-toxic varieties of antifreeze specially designed for winterizing pipes.
Ethylene glycol is a key ingredient in automotive antifreeze and coolant, to help keep a car's engine from overheating or from freezing in the winter. It is a major component of deicing solutions used in cars, boats and aircraft, as well as on airport runways during the winter.
Deeper P-Traps could be used, but they would require more space close to the fixture, so the HepvO sanitary waste valve with its slimline design is an ideal alternative in this situation. In cold climates the water in a p-trap is likely to freeze, block with ice and potentially crack.
Pouring hot water will thaw in most cases. Use a plunger ( the kind used to unclog a commode.) while pouring the water.
The job goes more quickly by pouring hot water or a mixture of vinegar, baking soda and salt water down the drain. Space heaters, hair dryers and heating pads are highly efficient tools for unfreezing a drain pipe. If a frozen drain line ruptures, turn off your home's main water supply.
Antifreeze for homes is a liquid that contains chemicals that lower the freezing point of water, protecting pipes and other plumbing components from bursting. Without anti-freeze, residual moisture in plumbing systems can freeze and expand, causing cracks in the pipes, joints, or other fittings in a plumbing system.
For long-term prevention, consider adding a small amount of mineral oil on top of the water in the P-trap. The oil will float and slow down the evaporation process, keeping your P-trap hydrated longer. Regular usage can prevent P-traps from drying out.
Did you know that plumbing antifreeze is not just used to prevent pipes from freezing, but it may also have the ability to melt ice? Yes, that's right! Plumbing antifreeze, also known as propylene glycol, is a commonly used solution in plumbing systems to protect against freezing temperatures.