Fresh water egress

[Jamnan1]

I recently purchased a 2005 Hunter 33. The Owner is deceased and minimal info on boat other than owners manual. Boat is slipped at Kerr Lake in NC. We will use the boat during the winter season, but I was going to winterize engine as needed. Also was going to drain/winterize fresh and waste water holding tanks. The boat has sea cock/thru hull valves for the galley and vanity, so assumed it exited the boat in to the water. however, when draining the fresh water tank, the waste water tank gauge increased the same amount. Is it possible that the fresh water system exits to the holding tank? Problematic as the specs stated the fresh water tank larger than the waste water tank.
Also wondering if necessary ( and how) to winterize air cond system. water heater in this region ( Kerr Lake, NC).

Thank you in advance.

 

[Jerry Clark H356 SV Persi]

Winterize all your systems. Engine, water, waste, HVAC, and check to see if you have a wash down pump system that comes from lake water. Also pour a little down the drains and make sure you get antifreeze into your shower sump and into the bilge to protect,your bilge pump.

We are at Kentucky Lake in Kentucky and TN in the winter, but you can have systems freeze. I normally winterize late and do so in early December when I move back to TN for the winter. I de-winterize in the early spring after March 1. Water temps generally get down to about 40 degrees in our area but we have freezing weather that will get into the teens. Usually, it will get down to the high teens once before I winterize and I don't have any problems due to residual heat in the boat and water, but if it stays below freezing for a few days you could be in trouble.

It is highly unlikely that your fresh water drains into the holding tank. That would be a modification from standard.

Use the pink antifreeze for everything in our climate and you should be ok. DO NOT USE ANYTHING ELSE IN YOUR POTABLE WATER SYSTEM. It takes me about 12 gallons but I have washdown pump and generator. The stuff costs about $4.00 per gallon so don't skimp on the quantity.

If you need further advice on how to do it, there are a lot of articles on here on methods.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

The very first post in the plumbing and sanitation forum is a "sticky" (a [post that's been permanently pinned in place) that provides complete instructions for winterizing fresh water and sanitation systems.

 

[Jake N Eggs]

It is not difficult to follow the hoses from the through hull to see if they are in fact direct discharge. Mine are. I suspect that you may have some sort of electrical issue at the gauge panel. When the fresh water is drained you can drain the water heater and either bypass it or run plumbing antifreeze through it and then drain the antifreeze. I have a container that I connect to the water pressure pump intake and pump the antifreeze through all of the systems. I save the antifreeze that I reclaim from the water heater. We get a little more cold here than you do.

The engine should be protected with engine antifreeze in a closed loop system. The water that is pumped through the engine runs through a heat exchanger and into the exhaust and out the back. If you will use the boat during the winter you should leave a ceramic heater in the boat to protect this system. Otherwise you can close the engine through hull valve, remove the suction hose and pump antifreeze through after each use.

Nice boat by the way. I am sure that you will enjoy it. I may be a little biased.

 

[Jamnan1]

The very first post in the plumbing and sanitation forum is a "sticky" (a [post that's been permanently pinned in place) that provides complete instructions for winterizing fresh water and sanitation systems.

Thank you.

 

[Jamnan1]

Thank you very much. Sure seems like the egress is through hull, it was jut odd since the waste tank gauge was "empty" until we started draining the fresh water tank. Must be the gauge, and it was a coincidence.

Take care.

 

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[Crazy Dave Condon]

Jamnan1,
Did the boat come from American Marine & Sail Supply that use to be located In Zebulon, NC. IF so, that was me. Send me a private email?

Dave Condon

 

[IH82BL8]

I might know why the water appears to be going into the holding tank. I replumbed the head sink drain so I could flush the head using fresh water at the end of each outing. It also makes winterizing the head a breeze. Take a look in the vanity and see if there is a 3-way valve to direct the water either into the drain or into the head. BTW, I can't take credit for thinking of this, Miss Peggy suggested it.