Yet another winterizing question

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Carol H

I an so baffled as to where does the idea that RV & plumping anti freeze is toxic come from? If RV anti freeze is toxic there would be a lot of dead or very sick RV owners each year.... enough to be headliner news based on how many use it.

Carol; Maybe Thinh has auto anti freeze (coolant- toxic ) (ethylene glycol) confused with RV anti freeze (propylene glycol) which is non toxic. I worked at a vegetable oil refining plant and I believe we processed soybeans to make glycol for use in latex paints and RV anti freeze and toxicity was not a major issue

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Maybe the post suggesting its use should be removed Just a thought!

I commend the membership on a measured and restrained commentary.
I think that as long as the comments are as civil as Steve's suggestion, this can be a learning experience.
I have added information to the referenced post instead of removing it.

[carlkeigley]

I'm learning...........

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

... confused with RV anti freeze (propylene glycol) which is non toxic. I worked at a vegetable oil refining plant and I believe we processed soybeans to make glycol for use in latex paints and RV anti freeze and toxicity was not a major issue

I maintain the scales at the edge of the marine mammal pools at Sea World San Diego that the Orcas and Dolphins are trained to leap out of the water and land on, thus weighing themselves in the presence of the trainers and veterinarians much in the same way that humans do at their doctors' offices.

The pools that these animals live in are filled with 55 degree Fahrenheit salt water. The scales are electronic, yet must function in this environment. What one company has designed is an intermediate hydro-static pressure sensor system to place the electronic components remote from the cold salt water, while being connected through the digital-to-hydrostatic transfer module to the platform the animals weigh on.

The hydrostatic (or hydraulic) fluid must be:

• High viscosity to flow without loss of pressure transfer at low temperature
• non-toxic so leakage does not harm the animals

The closed-loop fluid chosen is 50% distilled water, 50% propylene glycol, and red food coloring... or in other words diluted RV anti-freeze.

[Byron Kinnaman]

I would suggest that you look up Propylene Glycol. To say it's non-toxic isn't the full story.

[Thinh]

Thanks for the inputs from forum. I was mixed up b/t auto coolant and anti-freeze for trailers, also the toxic of windshield auto fluid. I't's never too late to learn more. With my own Trillium, I don't use anything, just drain water tank, dismantle water pump and leave all caps opened....Thanks again...

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

I would suggest that you look up Propylene Glycol. To say it's non-toxic isn't the full story.

Good idea Byron.

Propylene glycol - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Propylene Glycol: The Good, the Bad and the Alternatives

[carlkeigley]

pg is found in a lot of our food labels.......

[OneTim]

Originally Posted by Frederick L. Simson

Good idea Byron. Propylene glycol - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Propylene Glycol: The Good, the Bad and the Alternatives

The second article contains junk science: "It's foreign to our body and as such is toxic."

It's OK If someone doesn't want to use propylene glycol. However, safety isn't an issue.

[Pam Garlow]

I only have a hand pump in my camper. Just like Thinh, I don't use any antifreeze. I empty the water tank and pump the hand-pump until it is pulling only air

Since I don't have a bathroom, grey/black tanks, 12v pump, there's not much else to do.