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Old 24-09-2021, 10:08   #16
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Re: What Pink Fluid Tastes Sweet

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Originally Posted by Sailor647 View Post
Why would you add that stuff to water tanks instead of just draining the tanks, lines, and pumps? Honest question.

When we winterize the travel trailer, the antifreeze is only added to pea traps and the water lines in case there are any low spots. Tanks are emptied.
It's about how well you can truly get the lines empty, whether there are any low spots that moisture may settle to over the winter, etc. I just drain the water heater, but the lines get flushed with antifreeze just to be safe.
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Old 24-09-2021, 11:08   #17
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Re: What Pink Fluid Tastes Sweet

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Pink and sweet = fresh water system antifreeze. Made from sugar I think.
The primary ingredients in pink non-toxic RV antifreeze are ethanol and propylene glycol.
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Old 24-09-2021, 12:13   #18
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Re: What Pink Fluid Tastes Sweet

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Originally Posted by Sailor647 View Post
Why would you add that stuff to water tanks instead of just draining the tanks, lines, and pumps? Honest question.

When we winterize the travel trailer, the antifreeze is only added to pea traps and the water lines in case there are any low spots. Tanks are emptied.

Yes, tanks are "emptied" - usually not absolutely empty. Pumps and fittings can still have water in them. It can be a lot harder to drain boat tanks than RV tanks. Usually you can get to a drain plug in the bottom of an RV tank. You can't get to the bottom of a tank in the bilge.


I think it is excellent practice to drain the tanks as much as possible, then add potable anti-freeze (pink, sweet), then pump it throughout the system. I had a tap freeze and split because I forgot to run the antifreeze through that particular fitting.


Those of us who live in areas where freezing is possible (or probable, or inevitable) quickly learn to do a thorough job of draining systems and filling with antifreeze.
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Old 24-09-2021, 14:06   #19
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Re: What Pink Fluid Tastes Sweet

I would say an old bottle of Glycol antifreeze-anti-boil. There are two types, one is very poisonous and not generally for sale any longer.

I would dispose of it in a proper waste product facility.
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Old 24-09-2021, 14:50   #20
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Re: What Pink Fluid Tastes Sweet

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Originally Posted by Scorpius View Post
Yes, tanks are "emptied" - usually not absolutely empty. Pumps and fittings can still have water in them. It can be a lot harder to drain boat tanks than RV tanks. Usually you can get to a drain plug in the bottom of an RV tank. You can't get to the bottom of a tank in the bilge.


I think it is excellent practice to drain the tanks as much as possible, then add potable anti-freeze (pink, sweet), then pump it throughout the system. I had a tap freeze and split because I forgot to run the antifreeze through that particular fitting.


Those of us who live in areas where freezing is possible (or probable, or inevitable) quickly learn to do a thorough job of draining systems and filling with antifreeze.


I drain as much as possible then use antifreeze. I use a refractometer at each outlet to be certain I’ve got enough antifreeze through. It’s a basic automotive tool.
I have had a thermostatic mixing valve in my head shower fail due to my carelessness. Hours and cash to fix.
Previous boats I have blown out the water.

When clearing out the antifreeze I fill a bit and pump out and repeat.
Many smaller dilutions is more effective than one large dilution.
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Old 24-09-2021, 17:55   #21
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Re: What Pink Fluid Tastes Sweet

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Originally Posted by FabioC View Post
I use pink non-toxic antifreeze and blue toxic antifreeze... I thought it was common practice to do that for that very reason, you want to be able to visually distinguish them at all times (not just in the bilge, but most importantly to avoid grabbing the bottle of the toxic one and pour it in your fresh water tank by mistake...). :-)

Apparently there are many colors of antifreeze, and the color isn't always a good indication of the composition. But a web search seems to confirm that pink is non-toxic.

Prestone is standard around here, it is yellow. Well maybe yellow antifreeze is just a CA thing, anyway it is toxic also, it is mostly ethylene glycol.
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Old 24-09-2021, 18:10   #22
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Re: What Pink Fluid Tastes Sweet

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Originally Posted by waterman46 View Post
Apparently there are many colors of antifreeze, and the color isn't always a good indication of the composition. But a web search seems to confirm that pink is non-toxic.

Prestone is standard around here, it is yellow. Well maybe yellow antifreeze is just a CA thing, anyway it is toxic also, it is mostly ethylene glycol.
Color definitely doesn't mean much. There are pink ethylene glycol antifreezes out there.
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Old 01-10-2021, 07:39   #23
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Re: What Pink Fluid Tastes Sweet

Can you taste my used engine oil to save the cost of the oil analysis?
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Old 01-10-2021, 08:39   #24
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Re: What Pink Fluid Tastes Sweet

It is well known that cats and dogs have died through drinking antifreeze, leaked on to the ground, which is sweet. Don’t taste anything in the bilge unless it is clear to test if it is sea or fresh water leaking.
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Old 01-10-2021, 09:14   #25
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Re: What Pink Fluid Tastes Sweet

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Originally Posted by belizesailor View Post
Its never crossed my mind to taste either propylene or ethylene glycol, but the Google search concensus appears to be that propylene has effectively no taste while ethylene is sweet (assuming no bittering agent added).
It’s antifreeze and it’s likely leaking from a hose fitting on your water heater. Ethylene Glycol is slightly oily & sweet. In 1985 a number of Austrian wineries were caught adding it to their wines to add mouthfeel & sweetness…the resulting fallout gave rise to some of the strictest laws in the world - that’s why today, you see a red & white banderole on the top of every Austrian wine- indicates the producer is compliant with the law.
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Old 01-10-2021, 09:44   #26
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Re: What Pink Fluid Tastes Sweet

Antifreeze.... very toxic...
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Old 01-10-2021, 10:18   #27
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Re: What Pink Fluid Tastes Sweet

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Originally Posted by Sailor647 View Post
Why would you add that stuff to water tanks instead of just draining the tanks, lines, and pumps? Honest question.

When we winterize the travel trailer, the antifreeze is only added to pea traps and the water lines in case there are any low spots. Tanks are emptied.
Kind of how I do it too. Drain the tanks, then run a hose from the pump to the AF jug. Only the lines get pickled, no AF in the tanks. If it's in the tanks you can taste it all summer.
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Old 01-10-2021, 10:24   #28
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Re: What Pink Fluid Tastes Sweet

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Originally Posted by Sofa King Fishy View Post
It’s antifreeze and it’s likely leaking from a hose fitting on your water heater. Ethylene Glycol is slightly oily & sweet. In 1985 a number of Austrian wineries were caught adding it to their wines to add mouthfeel & sweetness…the resulting fallout gave rise to some of the strictest laws in the world - that’s why today, you see a red & white banderole on the top of every Austrian wine- indicates the producer is compliant with the law.
It's also an ingredient in colonoscopy prep. In wine that could make for a really unpleasant hangover!
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Old 01-10-2021, 10:25   #29
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Re: What Pink Fluid Tastes Sweet

Propylene Glycol has a lot of sugars in it. I forget what chemical kind they are though.
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Old 01-10-2021, 10:25   #30
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Re: What Pink Fluid Tastes Sweet

Was hoping this was a joke, apparently not. Propylene glycol and Ethylene glycol are sweet. From the CDC site: Ethylene glycol is a potent cause of acute toxicity in humans. In contrast, propylene glycol is a “generally recognized as safe” additive for foods and medications. Propylene glycol has "faintly sweet taste." ethylene glycol "sweet tasting". And the color thing, was it HOAT?

From the CDC:
https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/ethyl...ne_glycol.html

"Toxicity
Ethylene glycol poisoning is a relatively common occurrence worldwide. Thousands of cases of poisoning and some fatal cases occur annually in the United States alone (AAPCC 2016).
Systemic ethylene glycol toxicity can occur following ingestion. The toxic metabolic by-products of ethylene glycol metabolism cause a buildup of acids in the blood (metabolic acidosis). These toxic substances first affect the central nervous system, then the cardiopulmonary system, and finally can cause renal failure. Untreated ethylene glycol poisoning can be fatal (NIOSH 2014). The lethal oral dose in humans is approximately 1.4 mL/kg of pure ethylene glycol (Brent 2001)."


The blue water post was priceless.
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