Fresh Water Engine Flush

[rfrye1]

My Hunter 376 is moored in San Diego, I live in Phoenix. We spend a lot of time ther in the summer (of course). But during the winter my boat can sit for a couple months. Its a 1998 and been in saltwater the whole time. Question is: Should I consider a Fresh Water flush when I'm going to be away to several weeks?

I always cringe when I watch the first blast of exhast water and see the rust/brown colored water blast out for a second or two.

Your comments are appreciated.

Thanks. Bob

 

[Tom J]

I like to flush out my raw water system when I know the boat will be sitting for a while. I have rigged a hose to my raw water strainer so that I can use it as an emergency bilge pump. Occasionally, I fill the bilge with fresh water, deploy the hose from the strainer into the bilge, and run the engine. Both the bilge and raw water system are flushed using this setup.

 

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

Similar to Tom, I flush my engine if it is going to sit for more than a couple of weeks. I will also flush after our summer cruise, since they always seem to mean a lot of motoring (why is the wind always dead out of where we are trying to go?).

I have a "T" installed in my freshwater intake line between the thruhull and the strainer. There is a ball valve in the end of the T and then a 3 foot length of hose. I put the house in a bucket and fill it will tap water. I than run the engine and keep the bucket full with a garden house.

Another option is that Perkins now makes strainers with a valve and garden hose attachment right on it. You could change to one of those. (Sorry, no link because I am posting from my iPhone)

Fair winds,

Jesse

 

[alexco38]

Volvo penta came out with a kit to inject salt neutralizer fluid into the system.