RV Antifreeze

[Don Crowther]

Hi

Just getting things together for the winter and I was wondering how much antifreeze to buy? I was looking though the Yanmar manual and it says to have 5 gals of antifreeze handy to winterize the engine.

My question is will RV antifreeze work for this job as well as the pressure water system? Or do I need to buy auto. antifreeze for this job?

How much do I need to buy for the water system? Should I put any in the bilge? What about the head do you dump any down there and pump it into the holding tank?

As always any help would be great!!
In a couple of years I should be able to start giving advice as well.
Don

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Don
we have contests locally to see who can use the least and still winterize thoroughly - my dock neighbor holds the record at using the minimum - 2.5 gallons to do his 40 ft Catalina with 3 water tanks, A/C and the usual water heater, engine, etc...

We all use the so-called RV antifreeze - some prefer the pink, othere prefer the extra protection of the blue which protects to a lower temp but either will suffice down to -20 F or more.

Pump all water tanks as dry as possible - no need to add antifreeze as any residual water will have room to expand without damage.

Drain heater - a vacuum helps facilitate this but isn't essential. Putting antifreeze in the heater is just wasteful as long as it's empty like the tanks. Bypass heater by connecting lines together with the proper thread size fittings or you can buy a kit intended for this purpose at most chandleries

Run hose from antifreeze to water pump and run pump until you get antifreeze into each faucet incl cockpit shower if applicable. That's it for the water system.

Pump out holding tank - again, any residual water will not harm the tank.

Pump antifreeze into toilet from water intake hose, not directly down bowl, so as to ensure antifreeze goes through the pump and rim, both of which can entrain water.

Same with A/C if applicable.

Remove engine water intake from seacock and insert it into bucket of antifreeze, run engine until you see color in discharge. The amount required is a function of engine and water-lift muffler size.

If your boat collects water in the bilge over winter, it's a good idea to add antifreeze to the bilge and run the bilge pump momentarily.

Change oil at this time as engine will be warm from running antifreeze through the heat exchanger, change filters, open all seacocks after boat comes out and wish for a quick winter.

 

[Paul J. Rusyniak]

Does the RV antifreeze contain any rust inhibitors and/or lubricity for the engine?
Paul

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Does the RV antifreeze contain any rust inhibitors and/or lubricity for the engine?
Paul

No.
It serves only one purpose. If you are inclined, you could always use regular automobile antifreeze or preferably the non-toxic propylene glycol automobile antifreeze, either of which claim to inhibit rust and do magic things for seals.
It seems to me the choice is a personal preference as I've seen folks who I believe to be knowledgeable use either the RV stuff or auto antifreeze with no definitive difference (so far).

Those who are the most cautious use prop glycol auto antifreeze and also fog their engines which arguably also helps but the latter is difficult to do properly unless you have decompression levers on your engine.

 

[Sailgunner]

Better Safe

I am a little more anal and run the pink stuff thorugh all the lines including the deck shower, bildge, refrig drain pump and hot water tank. I prefer the auo antifreeze for the engine. I also make sure there is no water left in the thru-hull valves by rolling a paper towel up and wicking it out after I remove the hoses. I use abouit 6 gallons of the pink stuff and one gallon for the engine (two gallons once diluted). I leave my boat in the water with a bubbler so that is why I just can't open the thru-hulls. Good luck.

 

[Rich Stidger]

You are missing the water in the thru hull valve

Removing the water above the thru-hull valve is good, but how about the bit of water that is inside the valve ball? This valve is inside the boat and may be subject to the temperature inside vs the outside water temperature. There is no expansion room in this ball at all.

What I did when I wet-stored was to run a hose from a bucket of antifreeze to a drill-powered pump and then to the thru-hull. While running the pump I opened the valve for a moment until antifreeze was in the hose and the valve.

Then I closed the valve and stopped the pump. Now the antifreeze is inside the ball itself and also in the hose going to the thru-hull. No need to suck out the liquid above the valve now.

 

[Don Crowther]

If I leave all the thru valves open for the winter what's the danger? Or should they be closed to stop insects from invading? Should I plug them as well?

I've pick up 5 gallons of pink antifreeze just the oil and filter to go. This will probaly open another thead but do you fill your fuel tank for the winter or empty it? If you fill do you put in an additive?

Also synth. oil or regular? If the engine been running on reg. oil will changing it over cause any problems?

How about fogging the engine for the time on the hard?
Thanks again for all the great answers
Don
S/V Nauti-Nauti

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

If I leave all the thru valves open for the winter what's the danger? Or should they be closed to stop insects from invading? Should I plug them as well?

I've pick up 5 gallons of pink antifreeze just the oil and filter to go. This will probaly open another thead but do you fill your fuel tank for the winter or empty it? If you fill do you put in an additive?

Also synth. oil or regular? If the engine been running on reg. oil will changing it over cause any problems?

How about fogging the engine for the time on the hard?
Thanks again for all the great answers
Don
S/V Nauti-Nauti

Don
If you are taking the boat out of the water for winter, definitely open the thruhulls. Insects in winter usually isn't a problem; ice is. Most folks fill the fuel tank. Additives are a controversial topic - some believe in them religiously; others don't. Make sure the seal on your fuel inlet cap is good to prevent water intrusion and add some biocide if you want.

 

[Rich Stidger]

Sorry, my reply above was really in response to Dennis23389 who is WET-STORING. If you have your boat hauled, I open the seacocks and after they drain, I close them.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Sailgunner]

Rich, I thought about that but never figure how to do it. With the bubbler shooting water on the hull I am hopefull the temp at the hull will be above 32. I try to keep some heat on but no guarantee if the electricty goes out. I put one of my dehumidifier heaters in the area right over the bellows on the non-drip shaft connector- that always concerned me as well.

 

[J Hunter]

After many years of my wife mentioning how crappy the water smelled for the first couple of tanks used (dishwashing not drinking) in the summer (even though I do a fill with chlorine bleach mixture first and then a double flush) I took a friends advice last season and used 2 liters of cheap vodka in the fresh water system instead of the pink stuff - no complaints. This spring I'm thinking of bringing some bloody mary mix when I get her ready for launch, waste not want not.

 

[Don Crowther]

Well I've just returned from pulling my boat. I've drained the oil in the engine and transmission and changed the fliter. Water tanks have been emptied and anti-freeze added to head and water system. Sails are down and soon to be shipped for re and re.
Batteries and engine cooling systems left until next weekend. I'm going to try and build a frame from pvc and tarp the boat for the winter. I've left the mast up with back stays connected. I like the idea about using vodka but there is no such thing as cheap vodka in Canada.
Thanks again for all the suggestions
Don
S/V Nauti-Nauti