Winterization Thread

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by mbianka

FYI for those here in the U.S. my local ACE hardware store had a gallon of Camco -50 RV antifreeze for $1.99 ($2.99 + $1 rebate limit 3)

Good deal.

Remember, it's only 32% PG, so it won't stand much dilution at all.

[Maine Sail]

Here's how I do it for both customers and on our own boat..

With boat still in the water drain water tanks and disconnect pump feed/drain hoses. Allow rocking motion of boat to empty any small bit of remaining water into bilge over a couple of days. If on the hard, and you forgot to drain the tanks, and lack the rocking motion, you can blow compressed air through the tank vent to finish purging the water
out the tank feed lines. BE SURE the drain lines are OPEN or you could pop the tank.... Leave tanks empty for winter.

If you have a water filter remove it:


Drain & bypass the water heater:

Here's one:


And another way:


If you don't want the entire contents of the water heater in your bilge pump it out with a $7.00 drill pump..



Install short piece of extension hose onto FW pump and stick into AF bottle and then open each tap one at a time.

Test the concentration that comes out of the taps to be sure burst point is higher than what you'll see in your area. Once the lines are full of
AF I disconnect the pump supply and inlet hoses and let the AF drain out of the pump head and reconnect for spring.



Alternatively you can blow the system out by running compressed air through the plumbing lines. This however is not always suitable depending upon the complexity of the system and burst fittings are still possible as you do not always get all the water out, it can condense on the pipe walls, and eventually drains back and finds a low spot. Small contractor sized compressors are usually not big enough to do the job adequately.

On our own boat blowing out does not work even though that would be my preference. I did burst a fitting, so I am back to pink stuff. On customers boats I won't risk it.

In the spring I suck fresh water through the system plumbing hoses for a good while then shock the system with bleach, drain and purge the bleach all before reconnecting the H20 heater...

No AF taste or residue and less AF used.....

We drink out of our tanks, with filters, so not putting anything but water in them is important to us.

P.S. Some fresh water pumps don't self prime well after being run dry. A turkey baster can easily fill the hose and aid in priming it.

[Black Diamond]

A couple of other points to be considered....

1. When winterizing the heads, make sure to get it thru the mechanism fully if fresh water based (like Vacuflush).

2. The shower mixing valves (particularly Groco) are ceramic and can freeze easily if you don't get some of the anti-freeze thru the showerheads and valve. Make sure you get this.

3. Cockpit hoses or swim platform hoses can be easily forgotten. Don't or you will regret in the spring.

4. I change the oil in the winter and the filter and oil after about 20 hours of use in the spring. All the in-line fuel filters get changed every 50 hours of engine time.

5. I make sure to run some anti-freeze into the bilge and thru the pumps just in case.

6. I take all the sheets off the boat and only leave the in-mast running rigging. I take any deck hardware that can go below off the boat.

7. I put one pot of humidity soaking material into each cabin of the boat. Its a dry boat but just in case.

Rick
Hylas 49-057 "Black Diamond"
Portsmouth, RI.

[SailFastTri]

I do the fresh water systems like MaineSail, but this year I'm going to use air to blow out the lines after using the pink stuff. Probably better not to let the lines sit full all winter, but any residual will be antifreeze rather than water. Will flush then shock the system with bleach in Spring anyway.

Nobody has mentioned the holding tank and overboard pump-out system. I pump-out and flush the tank as well as possible, then add two gallons of pink antifreeze to the holding tank by flushing a gallon through each of the toilets, along with some KO treatment. After the boat is hauled I place a 5 gallon bucket below the overboard discharge and pump out what I can to circulate the antifreeze through the macerator and discharge hoses/valves. That bucket is emptied into shore-side toilets.

Other details: Don't forget to winterize the shower sump system (I use pink antifreeze and pump it through) and anchor wash-down (I just open the through-hull and start the pump until it runs dry). I also leave all sea-cocks and through-hulls open after haul-out so any trapped water doesn't burst the fittings.

[Black Diamond]

No one has also mentioned checking the coolant in the engine. You need to make sure this is fresh and tests well to (say) -20 or more.

Rick

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by Black Diamond

No one has also mentioned checking the coolant in the engine. You need to make sure this is fresh and tests well to (say) -20 or more.

Rick

That is a critical test point and one I always check, as well as the concentration of PG for freeze point. With engine AF/EG I like to see a -50F rating...

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by Black Diamond

No one has also mentioned checking the coolant in the engine. You need to make sure this is fresh and tests well to (say) -20 or more.

I went to electric propusion four years ago. No engine, no antifreeze, no oil, no diesel. No problem!

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by SailFastTri

I do the fresh water systems like MaineSail, but this year I'm going to use air to blow out the lines after using the pink stuff. Probably better not to let the lines sit full all winter, but any residual will be antifreeze rather than water. Will flush then shock the system with bleach in Spring anyway.

Nobody has mentioned the holding tank and overboard pump-out system. I pump-out and flush the tank as well as possible, then add two gallons of pink antifreeze to the holding tank by flushing a gallon through each of the toilets, along with some KO treatment. After the boat is hauled I place a 5 gallon bucket below the overboard discharge and pump out what I can to circulate the antifreeze through the macerator and discharge hoses/valves. That bucket is emptied into shore-side toilets.

Other details: Don't forget to winterize the shower sump system (I use pink antifreeze and pump it through) and anchor wash-down (I just open the through-hull and start the pump until it runs dry). I also leave all sea-cocks and through-hulls open after haul-out so any trapped water doesn't burst the fittings.

Doesn't the antifreeze kill off the KO enzymes or maybe dilute the anti freeze? I use the stuff during the season but, never thought about for winterizing. Just asking. The shower sump and holding tanks are the last things I winterize after collecting the antifreeze from the rest of the water systems. I also put a little anti freeze down the pump out fitting too.

[bighopper]

Why doesn't anyone suggest to blow the lines with compressed air? Every gardeners do that for the sprinklers! ???