Draining 1986 H34 Hot Water Tank

Nov 13, 2020
89
Hunter H34 Chesapeake Bay
How do you drain the hot water tank? I have a hose to connect to the drain, but I don't see how to run the hose to the bilge.
Thanks,
John
 
Jan 7, 2011
5,456
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
On my boat (O’Day 322), I remove a scupper drain lose, and route my WH drain hose out the scupper thru-hull. Then I open the drain valve and also pop open the T&P valve to allow air into the tank.

If I am in a hurry, I will also use an air compressor and a blow down gun pushed into the T&P valve to pressurize the water tank and speed up the process.

Greg
 
Feb 10, 2004
4,096
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
I attach a 6' hose with garden hose fittings. You may need a longer hose to reach your bilge. At the bilge end of the hose I attach a drill pump. Put a few drops of oil (3 in 1 works) into the output of the pump and rotate it a turn or two. The oil is so that you don't damage the pump before it primes with water. Open a hot faucet and run the drill while directing the discharge into the bilge. It not only empties the tank, but it pulls water from the hose that attaches to the faucet.
I do this with a full tank of hot water then add some soap to the bilge and scrub it out with the hot soapy water.
 
Jun 4, 2004
834
Hunter 340 Forked River, NJ
I could never get the WH tank on my 2000 H340 to drain fully. I would open the drain valve on the bottom and then open the pressure relief valve but never was quite sure how much water came out or where it went (down that bilge hose?). I would disconnect the hot and cold water inlet/outlet hoses to the tank and actually blow (with my mouth) into a hose attached the the cold water inlet. Lots of water - maybe a gallon - would then come out of the hot water outlet. When that was done. I would snake a plastic tube into the cold water inlet and push it down into the tank. Using a drill pump I would get another gallon or so of water out of the tank. After all of that, I would add a gallon or so of pink antifreeze to the tank for safe winter storage.
 
Last edited:
Jan 7, 2014
443
Beneteau 45F5 51551 Port Jefferson
My tank has no drain. I always just remove the inlet and outlets and let it drain into the bilge. Then I bypass the heater and pump antifreeze through the system. Should I be worried about the residual water left in the hot water tank? I always assumed it had room to expand upwards if it freezes. Raritan 1700 series.