Widespread shortages of plumbing-grade antifreeze have made winterizing buildings in the seasonal cruise ship community of Skagway a difficult process this fall. Both the local hardware store and fuel company have hit roadblocks in supplying the organic chemical compound that many seasonal businesses use to keep their pipes from freezing in the winter.
At the end of a typical busy cruise ship season, Cris Siegel from Skagway Float Tours and Frontier Excursions and Adventures winterizes all of his vehicles and his house before he heads south for the winter. This year, he had to scramble to find propylene glycol to add into his plumbing lines at home, because there just wasn’t any available in Skagway. He also had to figure out how to do it himself.
“I’m not a plumber. I studied at YouTube University for quite a long time,” said Siegel.
Siegel said his first step was to get help from the hardware store to find special attachments for his compressor.
“I would attach my compressor with a pressure regulator to a hose bib on the outside and blow the lines out. And just keep doing it and, and go to each faucet numerous times to make sure that there’s no water left in the lines,” said Siegel.
Then he’d drain the hot water tank and pressurize it. His next step was to pump the glycol into his plumbing system.
“A lot of people suggested putting the antifreeze in the lines to cover any low points. If there’s like a sagging low point in your plumbing, then water might collect in that and freeze that one section,” said Siegel.
He said he is also responsible for making sure the line that runs from his house and connects to the city’s main water line doesn’t freeze because he’d be on the hook for that repair if it burst.
Ultimately for him, he could only source five gallons of glycol, when his usual plumber would use twice that amount.
John L O’Daniel, manager of Skagway Hardware Store says he’s having problems finding the RV grade antifreeze which protects to -50 degrees F. And has had no luck ordering Boiler grade antifreeze which protects to -100 degrees F and has additives to keep the boiler systems properly lubricated.
“Of course this year, we’re running a little problem because (Hurricane) Ida went through Louisiana and wiped out the RV antifreeze plants just as Katrina did many years ago. Back in those days, they were able to stockpile quite a bit of it. But as you know, with COVID supply lines have been a major issue. So there is really, unfortunately right now, not much to be found,” said O’Daniel.
Typically he has a supply in stock by the first week of September, but not this year.
“The company that I usually get it from, you know, I would contact them like I normally do and everything seemed fine and then a hurricane went through and she’s just like nope, we got nothing. We’re barely keeping up with the big box stores that they have contracts with. So all us little guys, they’re like we’re unable to drop ship you guys anything,” said O’Daniel.
The RV-grade glycol products are in high demand nationwide with some online retailers saying it’s out of stock altogether. Though some 5-liter jugs are available at Canadian Tire in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, but that’s 110 miles away and on the other side of an international border crossing.
The Hardware Store is working with local fuel company Petro Marine Services to try and round out their supply. And though O’Daniel thinks they will be able to stock enough of the RV grade solution by early October for the typical size buildings, the boiler grade product for larger plumbing systems may not be available at all.
“Tim Cochran from Petro marine says he has found a source up in Anchorage, but you got to get a barge from Anchorage, to here and I don’t know if it’s got to go all the way to Seattle and back here… and I’m sure that it would be so cheap,” joked O’Daniel.
O’Daniel also says spray foam that you would typically use around windows, doors, and to fill any cracks under the house that could allow cold wind to hit exposed pipes, is unavailable.
“It’s been a really good month… Let me tell you,” lamented O’Daniel.
There are numerous businesses large and small that will find closing up shop in Skagway this fall challenging — from large outfits like White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad to smaller seasonal retail shops in the historic downtown commercial district.
The last cruise ship is scheduled to call on Skagway on October 11 this year. After that most seasonal businesses will close down, leaving just a handful of shops open in Skagway during the winter.
I use cheap vodka to winterize my boats water lines.. Works perfectly and no taste of antifreeze come spring. In fact it’s quite fun.