Date:         Mon, 5 Oct 1998 13:15:25 -0700
Reply-To:     YauMan Chan <YauMan@CCHEM.BERKELEY.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         YauMan Chan <YauMan@CCHEM.BERKELEY.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Winterize Westy
Comments: To: jfritz@DECORAH.K12.IA.US, Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

Now ..now.. let's not take this too seriously.. lest us vangoneers become known for our vodka/gin spiked water tanks <g>

Actually I think the reason it is bad is that alcohol is really not good for plastic (or is it the other way around) That's why wine and liquor is always sold in glass bottles... despite the huge disadvantage of weight and fragility of glass.. imagine if liquor bottlers can ship their stuff in plastic bottles.. must save them a lot of money.  The wine-in-a-box wine you get is contained in a metalize mylar bag.. not just a plastic bag.  I don't remember what the specific interaction of plastic and alchol is.. some chemist in the list may enlighten us on the subject.. or I'll check with my chemist friends here ..

Yau-Man Chan
87 GL

>>> Jim Fritz <jfritz@DECORAH.K12.IA.US> 10/05 12:10 PM >>>
I've been reading the posts about the use of non-toxic RV anti-freeze to winterize the water supply.  Two questions (probably both dumb) #1 in all seriousness:  why won't Vodka (or Tangueray gin - as recommended by YauMan Chan) work?  As a lover of vodka martinis, I see this as the most elegant solution :-)  #2  What about just plain old grain alcohol?  If the system is flushed thoroughly there should be no apparent long-term damage.  
I'd be interested in other's thoughts because I'm winterizing my Westy for the first time this season.

Jim
jfritz@decorah.k12.ia.us