Winterize With/without "Red Pop"?

[geast]

For 13 years, I successfully winterized my previous MH by blowing out the waterlines with compressed air, then pouring a small amount of RV Antifreeze into the three sinks and the shower for the traps.  I also poured it into the toilet bowl.  This method used just a gallon of antifreeze.

My newer to me coach has a residential refrigerator with an ice maker, as well as a washing machine, that I've never had to deal with before.  I've received conflicting advice how to deal with these two items: 

     1.  One person said I shouldn't let the red pop get to the ice maker at all. His instructions are: shut off the inline valve for the waterline to the ice maker while leaving the ice maker on.  He claims when it stops making ice, the line will be empty so nothing will freeze.  Another person said I will need between 9 & 13 gallons of RV Antifreeze to winterize the entire system. He said to leave the ice maker on after adding the antifreeze until I see pink cubes.

     2.  The instructions with the washing machine says to "start a load", watch until the filling water is pink, let it run for a couple of minutes, then drain.

Having never winterized appliances like these, I'm a little nervous about doing it correctly.  I sure don't want busted appliances, and/or, waterlines when I pull it out of the barn in February with 20 degree, or less, temps. But, the aggravation and cost of using that much antifreeze doesn't get me excited.  Any thoughts and suggestion will be greatly appreciated.

Gray

[five]

Do you have good VERY reliable power?  I do, and here's what I do.  I have eight trouble lights, each with a 60 w bulb.  I put two in the washer tub, two in with the Aqua Hot, two with the ice maker, and two in the water bay.  I use two in case a bulb burns out.  I also pour anti freeze in the sinks and shower P traps.  I have electric toilets, so after emptying the fresh water tank, I flush the toilets a few times to get the water out of them.  Then I dump anti freeze in them and flush them, then repeat that process, adding anti freeze and flushing, until they flush red.  Then I pour extra anti freeze in the bowl and leave it.  When really cold, I check the coach every few days.

[manholt]

FIVE.  You live in Alaska?   Off the grid at 65 degrees N?

[jleamont]

I would just run the RV antifreeze through all of it, spring time run the ice maker until it produces clear ice cubes. Sanitize the fresh system and run the ice maker off of the tank to get the chlorine through the system. I have a friend that tried the blowing of the lines....needless to say he flooded his unit first trip out. Good thing for him I had a spare water pump and shark bite fittings. RV antifreeze is cheap insurance, my coach when I had a washer dryer combo unit was 6 gallons, now 5 for the entire unit (washer removed). Less than $20.00 its all safe.

Five, do you have a ceramic heater in your wet bay tied to the Aqua Hot system? I leave those on all winter set to 40 degrees.

[five]

I've done running the anti freeze through the system.  However, it's a PITA when it has to go through the washer, icemaker, refer water line, hot water dispenser, toilets and Aqua Hot.  Plus, we spend part of Dec and Jan on the Gulf Coast...when we come home I'd have to do it all over again.  The light bulbs are lots faster and easier.  I use the cheap trouble lights, about $6 in Walmart.

Carl...Don't live in AK...the letters are close though...AR.  We are near I 40 and the OK border.  Doesn't usually get too cold, however one year when we headed for the Gulf Coast and it was eight degrees.

[manholt]

FIVE.  I use those lights also, when in Gladewater, TX. in Winter or Kaplan, LA., same time...use heat lamp bulbs in mine.

[five]

22 hours ago, jleamont said:

...Five, do you have a ceramic heater in your wet bay tied to the Aqua Hot system? I leave those on all winter set to 40 degrees...

Didn't notice this earlier.  No, I just use my standard two 60 w bulbs in two trouble lights.  With all the door closed, it's usually pretty warm in there...plus it's lots colder in PA than here.

I should add, these light bulbs are the old kind, not LED and not the curly ones.  I have a big stash of the old ones...getting them before the gubmint totally bans them.

[manholt]

Have found that the curly ones last about as long as a standard Phillips, for 3 times the price, some give up, before my regular bulbs!  I leave the bays open in the barn, with the lights on...cats like it and they keep the mice away...  In the winter, there are more cats than in Summer and yes, they have mostly turned into "Garfield's"...James DW, keep feeding them!