Empty mobile home - winterizing?

[KansasFarmgirl]

My mom and I have a mobile home that is on flat acreage with alot of cold wind whipping around. It sometimes gets down to 10 below here for short spells... in NE Kansas.

We are not going to live in it this winter... long story... but not because we are rich and have a second home we would rather stay in!

I heard you winterize an RV by putting antifreeze down the pipes?

Can we turn off the water at the meter, turn on all the faucets to drain them, and then put antifreeze in the drains and shut the heat down? Or do you somehow have to put the antifreeze in the incoming lines?

We have a septic tank... don't know if antifreeze would be bad when we turn the water back on in the spring?

I do have heat tapes on the pipes under the house in the crawl space, but if the electric went out, I don't want to depend soley on the heat tapes.

Last year we spent $500 on propane heating it to 50 degrees to keep the pipes from freezing... I am wondering if we can do something else and not have to run the furnace out there.

[Susan]

I have a mobile home that no one is living in and this is what we done...
we completely shut off the water from pumphouse, drained the pump and tank and all the lines and water heater, both tiolets also drained. Also cut off all power at the main breaker on the pole. No sense in spending 30.00 a month on power just to keep the stove and fridge plugged in, now its only runnin about ten a month which is cheaper than having it turned off and payin a reconnect fee and deposit!
We have used anti freeze in the tiolets before deciding to completely drain everything.

By draining the tank, pump and all lines we have not had any problems and its been like this for a few winters now....

Hoping to get the needed repairs done on it, 2 floors have water damage from water dynamite, a tiolet and three teenagers and it back where can be lived in soon tho....i want out of town and back in the country!!!

[tamsam]

To really drain the pipes I would unhook the incoming line and after draining the water heater open all the facets and drain all you can that way. Next you need an air compresser to blow out the lines. If possible find a small pump such as a water puppy (I have heard them called that) to pump the rv antifreeze through the pipes. There should be a turn off for the water heater so you won't fill it back with the antifreeze. Make sure the heater is turned off before draining. If you pump in the anti freeze pump a gallon or so to the water heater and open all the hot water facets so the antifreeze can get into those lines.close the hot water and open the cold and pump the antifreeze till it comes out of each facet and turn them off. This is the way I do our motor home and never had it freeze. The antifreeze is for rv and not auto. And it will not harm your septic unless you flood it with it. http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...atchallpartial Tis is a page fro www.northerntool.com that has all kinds of pumps. The one toward the bottom of the page runs on 110 so it will be simple to run. Wayne 115 volt transfer pump model #PC2. Hope this helps. Sam

[OkieDavid]

All good tips and don't forget the drain structures. Remember to put a little antifreeze in the toilets, sink drains and bath tub drains. You don't want any frozen "P" traps. Unhook the water line to the toilet and drain the tank. Alternatively you can flush,flush,flush and then dip out the remaining water.

[fantasymaker]

I use a shop vac to get water out of tolit tanks and traps be sure to get antifreeze into the hotwater tank after draining cause the silly things are set up to trap a few gallons at the worst place.
If you can disconnect the main water line and drain thru it you can open one faucet at a time into a tub of antifreeze and it will suck it into the lines as it goes.Do the hot water lines and tank last so that you dont try to fill a hotwater tank with antifreeze and then just drain from the hotwater tank for the hotwater lines.

[KansasFarmgirl]

Thanks so much for all the good help!

This will be much better than paying for heating a empty home!

[haypoint]

There is a type of antifreeze to use in the drains instead of the stuff in your car's radiator. They sell it in the RV section of the big box stores. Better for the environment. You don't really want auto antifreeze in your septic anyway.
Also, water will stay trapped in the shower head untill you switch it over to the tub drain. You can still have enough water in the pipes to do damage if you only open everything out to drain. To be sure you have the water out, hook an aircompressor to the inlet pipe to blow al the water out.
Don't forget the pump in the bottom of the washing machine holds water. It'll crack if left with water in it. Just pouring water into the tub won't get it out. The pump has to suck up the antifreeze to be protected.