Last updated on October 30th, 2023 at 07:45 am
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An essential aspect of preparing your RV for cold weather is winterization. This is especially important if you don’t plan on using your RV through the winter and are storing it for a lengthy period over the frosty months. A common way of winterizing an RV is by using RV antifreeze as it helps stop water freezing within the plumbing system. But what do you do when it’s time to clear the antifreeze out of your RV?
Let’s get to the bottom of how to dispose of RV antifreeze.
RV antifreeze should be disposed of in an appropriate way such as through a drainage system. It can be reused and recycled too which is kinder to the environment. Although RV antifreeze isn’t toxic, it’s best to avoid dumping it anywhere, and instead take precautions to dispose of it safely in a waste system.
Getting to grips with winter RV preparations can take a little bit of time, but it’s the best way to guard and protect your rig from everything the winter season brings. Whether you choose to blow out your water lines with compressed air or are planning on pumping RV antifreeze through your plumbing system, winterization is key.
Types Of Antifreeze
You may already be familiar with the bright blue antifreeze you pour into your car, but isn’t this the same as RV antifreeze? There’s a big difference between automotive and RV antifreeze. Both products have distinctive uses and contain different chemicals, so it’s vital to pump the right antifreeze into your RV plumbing!
Automotive Antifreeze
The main chemical found in automotive antifreeze is ethylene glycol, a toxic chemical that sounds similar to the main component in RV antifreeze. Since RV plumbing is linked to faucets and showers, the last thing you want to run through the lines is something toxic.
Car antifreeze should be kept away from any RV products to help avoid getting muddled up, or even better, you may find it useful to write a label on both containers, stating what they are and where they should be used.
Automotive antifreeze has its place inside a car, not your RV. It’s a product our cars would struggle without and used in the correct way, you shouldn’t experience any problems. It’s wise to take used antifreeze to an auto repair shop, a service station, or a licensed coolant disposal facility to dispose of it correctly and avoid contaminating the environment.
RV Antifreeze
As it’s designed to be flushed through RV water lines, RV antifreeze doesn’t contain any toxic ingredients and is a safe way of winterizing a camper van. It contains propylene glycol, which, unlike ethylene glycol, is safe and non-toxic.
RV antifreeze tends to be a bright pink color, so it’s easy to spot in the store, but if you’re not sure, check out the ingredients on the container. If it states ethylene glycol is an element, you’ll know to put the container down and continue hunting for RV antifreeze!
RV antifreeze may be non-toxic, but that doesn’t mean we should dump it anywhere when we’re finished with it. Keeping our environment clean and safe should be a priority for everyone, especially campers who love nothing more than spending time in nature.
You can learn more about RV antifreeze by watching the informative video below:
Why Can’t RV Antifreeze Be Dumped On The Ground?
When the winter months are looming and you’re completing lots of prep in your RV, it can be tempting to just dump leftover or used antifreeze on the ground, forget about it, and continue on with your day. This isn’t advisable, however, as even though it’s non-toxic, RV antifreeze should still be disposed of in the appropriate place to limit negative environmental effects.
Groundwater
Groundwater, as the name suggests, refers to the bodies of water found underground. This can relate to small wells to large underground lakes and streams. Groundwater is so plentiful and essential, that it accounts for around 40% of US fresh water consumption. However, for those in rural areas, this number is substantially higher, and this is why we need to be careful about what we simply dump on the ground!
RV antifreeze that’s poured on the ground runs the risk of seeping into groundwater and contaminating entire supplies of it. Luckily, propylene glycol doesn’t pose the same environmental risks as ethylene glycol, but it’s still best to keep it away from water systems and use a waste facility instead. Propylene glycol can still be harmful as it doesn’t dissolve easily, and as such, marine life, from the smallest microbes to bigger fish and animals, can all be severely impacted by it.
Damage To Plant Life
The contamination of groundwater caused by antifreeze is not the only way it can affect plant life. The toxicity of antifreeze can often cause chlorosis in plants, which is when a plant is unable to produce sufficient amounts of chlorophyll due to inadequate nutrients or damaged roots. As a result, the natural green color is replaced by a dull yellow or brown.
While a change in color is natural throughout the different seasons, chlorosis is not part of a plant’s ideal lifecycle and can impact the growth and development of an ecosystem. The chemicals found in antifreeze can also negatively impact the soil, slowing down the growth rate of many plants. Even worse, ethylene glycol itself in higher concentrations can kill plants once absorbed through soil or water.
Propylene glycol while less harmful than its more toxic counterpart, should still not come into contact with plants. Crops such as corn and soybeans, in particular, are most susceptible to propylene glycol, so it’s crucial to keep it away from the ground and dispose of it sensibly.
Permafrost
Permafrost refers to swaths of water underground that have remained frozen for a few years. Most commonly, it’s found in the Arctic but exists wherever the climate supports it. We’ve already discussed how RV antifreeze that’s dumped on the ground can disrupt groundwater, but it can be a problem for permafrost too.
Antifreeze poses the risk of melting permafrost if disposed of incorrectly. This poses a risk of land destabilization, flooding, environmental damage, and more. With all these problems being outlined, it’s clear that dumping antifreeze on the ground is the last thing you want to do! So, how should you safely dispose of your RV’s antifreeze instead?
How To Dispose Of RV Antifreeze
Though it may require a little more effort, disposing of RV antifreeze correctly is vital for the safety of you and the nearby environment. Taking the time to get rid of RV antifreeze in the right way means you’re taking precautions to protect the natural world, so we can keep camping and enjoying it year after year.
1. Drainage System
As long as the antifreeze you’re using doesn’t contain ethylene glycol, you can flush it down a drain. Generally, a drainage system will not release its content into groundwater or other important environmental locations. Instead, it will be treated at a nearby water treatment plant and be used elsewhere. It is important to always check the local governmental regulations in your area on antifreeze disposal before doing so.
2. Service Station Or Shop
While camping with the family, if you don’t have access to a drainage site of your own, you may have to recruit help from elsewhere. Excess antifreeze can be taken to a service station, shop, or manufacturer that has a system in place to dispose of it safely. This not only takes the responsibility out of your hands but also ensures the process will be taken care of correctly.
3. Reuse Or Recycle Antifreeze
Excess antifreeze can be used for other vehicles if they are compatible with it or even for your home plumbing system. If not, you can simply hang onto it until you need to winterize your RV again at a later date. RV antifreeze when stored well will typically last a few years, so it’s wise to store it in a safe place, away from furry friends and little hands, until it’s time to prep the RV water lines for winter again.
Many facilities accept antifreeze for use in recycling, with much of this being the result of increased government regulations on the disposal of antifreeze. Environmental protection is becoming an increasingly urgent concern, so taking RV antifreeze to a facility that will accept it is great, as they’ll break it down for future use in other products.
Closing Thoughts
Winterizing your RV is necessary when preparing for travel or simply storing your rig in a colder climate. It helps stop any water inside the plumbing lines from freezing, expanding, and potentially bursting, leading to leaks and a whole host of issues! Knowing how to use RV antifreeze safely is vital, as it will help keep the environment, your rig, and the health of you and those closest to you, out of harm’s way.
Being aware of the correct way to dispose of antifreeze is crucial. It’s a great tool for your RV, but it’s still a fairly dangerous one as it’s chemical-based. As long it’s used correctly, RV antifreeze is a fantastic product, able to protect RVs from sub-zero temperatures, time and time again.