wiinterizing fresh water system

[jim rosenthal]

I have been through several changes of method with which to winterize my FW system (1971 36C Hatteras) The main purpose of this thread is to demonstrate 1) a good way to do it 2) how slow a learner I am, which will not come as news to many of you.

I began by just running all the water out of the tank with the FW pump, and then putting pink AF in the tank and running it through the system. I then shut it all off and left the taps open. This worked pretty well but it took three or four tankfuls of water in the spring to get the antifreeze feeling out of the water. It won't hurt you, but it doesn't feel good and tastes worse. New method sought.

2) Next method was to run all the water out of the system using the FW pump, drain the water heater, and use compressed air to blow all the water out of the system. This worked great until water standing in the copper pipes ruptured them when we had a freeze.

3) Next method was to try method #2 with a bigger air compressor. Same result.

4) Next method was to have a friend, who is a plumber, come on the boat to repair the most recent broken pipe, and winterize the boat's plumbing. Watching him, I finally got how to do it.

5) Today's method: I drained the water heater using a small garden hose, into the bilge sump. Then turned the water heater valves to the "winter" position so it is isolated form the rest of the plumbing. I then used the boat's FW pump to pump the tank dry. I then used a small 120vac fluid transfer pump to push pink AF through the system using the shore water inlet. The pipe coming from it was one of the ones that broke when I first winterized the FW system. Of course it did; I was forgetting that when you pump AF from the tank, it doesn't get up to the shore water inlet. I pressurized the system with pink AF and opened each tap in turn, not forgetting the engine room faucet. My boat has two sinks, galley and head, and a shower, and the engine room faucet. I ran pink AF through all of them, then shut the pump off and left all the taps open.


I'm reasonably sure that this is going to be effective. A proper winterizing of the FW system fulfills the following requirements:

1) all the plain water is out of the system
2) the tank is empty
3) pink AF (or whatever you use) is flushed through the entire system
4) ALL the pipes in the system contain either just air, or air and pink AF.

We do get hard freezes here in MD, although not every year. This is the first year I have used this method, which I hope will address all the above requirements. Questions, comments, welcome.

Oh- a plug for Groco. My FW pump is a Groco system. They are not cheap, but everything can be rebuilt, and their products are locally made in MD using USA parts. They are a third generation American manufacturing company, about ten miles from me. But if they were on the other coast, I'd still buy their stuff.

[oscarvan]

I'm a strictly "pink" guy. Boats and RV's. Never trust the air 100%. I use it to push the water out and minimize dilution but then it's pink until it comes out everywhere. As far as the taste.... I don't use tank water for coffee. Other than that I drink coffee.

[Jammin']

Thanks Jim. Very timely as now that my boat is in the same area, I've been mulling over the same issues. I think I will by-pass the filters I recently installed as well. Do you keep any heat on in the boat?

[whoover]

I do the same thing but blow the pink stuff out of the plumbing with air when I'm finished. I also remove my water pump and keep it in the basement for the winter but it is easy to remove. I bring the ice maker water valve home also.

Walt Hoover

[questover]

Thanks Jim. Very timely as now that my boat is in the same area, I've been mulling over the same issues. I think I will by-pass the filters I recently installed as well. Do you keep any heat on in the boat?

I might add to Jim last system. I then blow out the pink. You be surprised there is a little bit of clear water that comes out. Also instead of house pump to pump out tank I use a little transfer pump an pump overboard.

[Beachcomber]

Don’t forget the windshield washers!
Only lines I’ve ever had to repair.

[UNIQUE_NAME]

I do the same thing but blow the pink stuff out of the plumbing with air when I'm finished. I also remove my water pump and keep it in the basement for the winter but it is easy to remove. I bring the ice maker water valve home also.

Walt Hoover

X2 same here

[dottieshusband]

The only approved method of winterizing the freshwater system... is taking the boat South of Clearwater !

[tjshuler]

I open the drain to the hot water heater. Change the valves to bypass it. Haven't used the on board water tank for years, so that part doesn't need winterizing. Attach a small utility pump from West Marine or Home Depot to the domestic water hook up. Line up a dozen or so gallons of pink stuff with tops and foil removed. Put the suction line in the first gallon and fire up the pump. Have my wife start in the galley, then forward head, washing machine, engine room spigot, mid cabin head, and aft head. While she is doing that, I open the two deck spigots, bar tap and ice maker water inlet. Run the windshield washer last. If I am not at the pump to change AF bottles, I can hear the pump change tone, so I tend to it. Whole thing takes 10 minutes and about 10 gallons +/-. So far, never a burst pipe. Last winter here in Michigan we had negative 15 or so for a number of days, so I guess my method works.

In the spring, I hook up to shore water, open all the faucets and let them run for a while. Throw out the first couple of tubs of ice from the ice maker. Otherwise the Jack Daniels tastes funny

[jim rosenthal]

Right- I don't use tank water for drinking, only cleanup and showers. The compressed air is a good idea, actually. I might try that this coming week, it would not be difficult.