How bad can cheep antifreeze be?

[micky]

I need some RV antifreeze for my house because I'm going away in early February. Probably wont' freeze but who knows. (It was 13^ all night a few days ago)

The auto stores want $6 or 7 and Walmart wants $3

I'm going to be at Home Depot anyhow so I looked if they sell it. Yes. This is $6.27

But this is 88 cents! down from 2.99.

How bad could it be? What's the difference in practice between ethyl alcohol and propylene glycol? ???

I went back to Walmart, to see if maybe that's why it was so cheap, but their $3 rv antifreeze is ethylene glycol at least acc. to the webpage.

[gfretwell]

RV antifreeze should be PROPYLENE glycol not ethylene (poison). The alcohol might attack some plastic parts and it doesn't offer as much freeze protection but in Md it probably works. That stuff at HD has propylene glycol in it too tho. That seems to be a closeout and they are out of stock around here.

[invalid unparseable]

Interesting to know that both ethanol and ethylene glycol can be harmful to PVC drain pipes so propylene glycol would be best to use.

[micky]

I do have plastic drains, but it says it only harms acetate. Do acetate pipes even exist? There is Ethyl Vinyl Acetate Plastic Tubing, "Used For Agricultural, Lawn And Chemical Transfer. EVA Plastic Tubing is non reinfroced [sic] to handle common herbicides and insecticide solutions. Used for the application of anhydrous ammonia, aqua ammonia, herbicides, phosphates and all liquid fertilizers."

If I'd included the entire URL**, it would have shown that the store near me says it has 60 gallons!!!! in stock. OTOH, it doesn't give the location, what aisle it's in, so we'll see if I can actually find any.

**I truncated the url because I think Marilyn prefers it that way. :-)

[micky]

Right. Just drain pipes. So when is it not good enough, and you have to use propylene glycol?

Does the alcohol stuff evaporate like it did when it was used in car radiators? There it got hot, but here it will be below 70^.

I drain the pipes but I've never drained the water heater. But it's in the basement and I don't think the below ground basement would ever freeze, no matter what, esp. after Feb 9. Anymore than the water pipes leading to the houses freeze.

It would be a pain, and I hate to waste all that water. I turn off the water heater too, but it is Maryland, the South.

Thanks.

My thermostat won't go below 54 iirc so I turn the heat off entirely.

[Clare Snyder]

Ethelene glycol is not RV or plumbing antifreeze - and it ir lethal. Propelene glycol is generally used for plumbing and RV antifreeze and is non-toxic

[micky]

OK, I went to Home Depot and found the antifreeze/autuo section, next to the hand tools. but the closeout stuff wasn't there. I asked and she thought it moved arond (and that's why the web didn't list an aisle/bay) but suggested by the outdoor stuff. Not there, the woman, looking on her phone at the saem webpage I looked at o said it was online only, but then noticed it said In Store. Asked at the desk and she thought back by the tools but look up high. Still wasn't there.

Didn't see the $6.00 version either.

I've still got two weeks to get it. I may try buying it online, and see if they find it then. They're never going to sell their 60 gallons if they don't know where it is.

While I was there, I looked for a faucet handle for my washing machine. No handles at all, only complete valves. Most attached the handle with a nut, not a screww!!! Found a screwdriver in the tool department. and took handles off the 3 most likely. Two were 12 point and one was square. I bought the cheapest 12-point one, for $5 including the plastic valve and if it has to be forced on, that's better than being too big. Admittedly, I only use the valves every 20 years or so, but I've used it several times this year, and I'm a bit compulsive about stuff like this. ---- A friend told me about a small town plumbing supply company that she thinks has been around for a long time and may have the right part. About 30 miles frome here but a small price to pay for uniformity.

[micky]

But it is too big, doesn't have to be forced on because it's bigger than the stem.

However, then I remmebered this place right in Baltimore that my friend showed me, and used google maps to find it and find its name:

William J Theiss & Son 8-4 m-sa. 4247 Harford Rd, 410-426-8421

We Specialize in Hard to find plumbing parts Over 100 Years in Business | Locally Owned | Antique Plumbing Parts

He had stems for my bathrooms when they were only 25 years old but still hard to find, and he had a source to order more from.

I may not have time to go there for several weeks, but he may have it.

[Marilyn Manson]

Save yourself some time and gas. Call them, ask for a email address and send them a picture or two.

I often drop in an image or two into PowerPoint, add some measurements/notes and save it as a pdf or jpg. When I send that, they have the information they need and we both have something to refer to if they need more details.

When I redid my bathroom I wanted new hinges and matching hooks, so I sent this picture to a few local stores. One of them came through with exactly what I wanted.

[micky]

That is, he had some in stock and could order even more.

Good idea. first time I was there 15 years ago. iirc it was one old man, dimly lit, but now, they seem to have bought the store next door, be more than twice as big, and had pictures of at least 4 different employees.

The one old guy I'd have doubts if he could read pictures off of email, but I think these guys can. And even the old guy has had 15 more years to learn.