OT septic antifreeze

danmcdonald · Nov 28, 2011

I live in a big house by my self and I don't need the upstairs. I want to block off the duct going upstairs to save on heat costs. There are two bathrooms up there that I don't need as well I will drain the plumbing but for the traps and the toilets can I use auto antifreeze as I have a lot on hand? Will auto antifreeze hurt the septic when I hook back up?

Lumpie · Nov 28, 2011

Use RV antifreeze. We use that at the scout camp every winter.

Zachary Hoyt · Nov 28, 2011

I second the RV, it is cheap and smells nicer. We drain the pipes in the house every winter since we live in a converted barn and the house is just for extra visitors.
Zach

tjdub · Nov 28, 2011

Yep, RV Antifreeze (Propylene glycol) is what you want to fill you traps with. I think it's always colored pink now, it used to be sold as a clear liquid though. It breaks down into an acid when exposed to air (eventually), but it won't be enough to cause any problems in a septic system.

old · Nov 28, 2011

RV type antifreeze only or you could have big problem with your septic system down the road.

Mark-Mi · Nov 28, 2011

Heat rises I doubt that it would freeze upstairs even with the stairwell shut.

TomR Ont · Nov 29, 2011

danmcdonald,

Also . . . don't forget to put RV Antifreeze in the sink traps and add some every month to make sure the gasses don't come up in the house.

TGIN · Nov 29, 2011

Rent the upstairs out to a couple pretty girls that can cook .

Dan-IA · Nov 29, 2011

I've used regular and RV antifreeze without problems. Keep in mind that the amount of fluid in each trap is only a cup or three, it's not a lot, and don't dump in a whole gallon.

Then remember a tiny bit of maintenance on a septic system is required. You are keeping up with your monthly dose of RidX, right?

Harold Hubbard · Nov 29, 2011

Back when I was in high school Dad was taking care of a summer place for some people from down country. Usually he waited until after deer hunting to drain and winterize the house. One year there came an early freeze, and he did a quick job of draining the water, but had nothing to freeze-proof the traps. OH YEAH, wait, they have a gallon of gin, and I don't like it much anyway. It was probably pretty expensive anti-freeze, but still cheaper than letting things freeze up.

kito 169 · Nov 29, 2011

I have used rock salt in the traps for years with no noticeable adverse affects. Just two or three rocks is all it takes.

Nancy Howell · Nov 29, 2011

If you have central heat/air, I would caution blocking off the ducts. You can cause back pressure on the compressor that will cause excessive wear (BTDT). Very expensive lesson.

mkirsch · Nov 29, 2011

What's your definition of a rock? The water needs to be saturated with salt to do any good, and then it's only good to 0F. Three grains of the stuff you spread on your sidewalk in winter hardly seems like enough.

Do you also do this in metal traps? Normal old water rots metal traps out in a few years. I can't imagine salt water sitting for months can do them any good.

danmcdonald · Nov 29, 2011

Yes I have central heat/air was told by my brother who installed the system that the heat can be blocked off but not the air. Last summer I used window air instead of central. THANKS

HenryO · Nov 29, 2011

Blocking off the vents has nothing to do with the compressor except that the freon will be colder returning to the condenser in the summertime. Short circuiting the air flow is a different matter.A lot depends on the return air system. The fan is designed to pass x number of cubic feet across the coil and is not enough air comes back that puts a strain on the fan motor. be sure you have adequate return air and then seal off the area being isolated so no air passes through it. Close and tape all doors. Also get several gallons of RV antifreeze for the traps. I use it every winter for my cabin. Won't harm septic tanks. All hardwares and Walmart has it.

Nancy Howell · Nov 29, 2011

When my unit failed after only 5 yrs, the repairman told me there weren't enough vents in the house for that system and the resulting back pressure caused the unit to fail.

danmcdonald · Nov 29, 2011

I had a pretty girl that could cook that how I would up in to big of a house. THANKS

Anonymous-0 · Nov 30, 2011

Where I work they use vegetable oil in the water traps of unheated areas.

Indiana Ken · Nov 30, 2011

(quoted from post at 19:54:12 11/28/11)

I have an old house and do not heat the upstairs. There is one heat duct to the upstairs and I simply close the register, there are no return ducts or bathrooms to worry about. I sleep upstairs and leave the stairway door closed during the day and open during the night. However, the upstairs temperature typically runs about 20 degrees below the downstairs during the day with the door closed and has never reached freezing temperature. As suggested by another poster - you may want to just monitor the temperature before putting anti-freeze in everything. One exception would be if the plumbing runs along outside walls - in which case drain it.

One caution - high efficiency furnaces are/can be subject to heat exchanger over heating damage if the air flow is restricted such that the heat is not carried away. Since I recently replaced my furnace I checked the pressure drops and temperature rise with the upstairs duct closed. The required numbers are listed in your furnace manual.

OT septic antifreeze

danmcdonald

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Lumpie

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Zachary Hoyt

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tjdub

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old

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Mark-Mi

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TomR Ont

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TGIN

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Dan-IA

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Harold Hubbard

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kito 169

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Nancy Howell

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danmcdonald

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danmcdonald

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