I even went through all the archives. In all the posts it talks about all sorts of things to do to winterize the water system....drain the tanks, disconnect hot water heater, blow out heater, put pink antifreeze in heater, reconnect hoses without heater, blow out the hoses, put pink antifreeze in hose, etc, etc, etc.....and all this would seem logical but it seems like alot of extra manipulations to keep the fresh water system from bursting in the winter. I have 3 Fresh water tanks (2 - 22 Gallons and 1 - 34 gallons, plus a 6 gallon Seaward hot water heater) Why wouldn't I just open all the fresh water tanks and turn on all the water systems (hot and cold) until it ran dry. THEN pour enough pink antifreeze in all 3 water tanks (through the individual deck fills) and run it through the system. I would do this making sure that all the tanks, hoses and hot water heater tank had the "pink stuff" running through it and out each individual faucet. --------I don't disconnect a thing.*Maybe* I'll end up using a little more antifreeze with this method but it seems alot easier !!!.. Is it *really* necessary to disconnect hoses, just as long as I'm sure there is antifreeze in all the fresh water pipes/tanks? (Is it OK to leave antifreeze in the tanks)? Is it ok to leave antifreeze in the hot water tank throughout the winter (will it impart a taste, chemically interact with the inside of tank, etc) ? Anybody else just "flush antifreeze through" with out disconnecting anything? Does anyone ever have a problem with leaving antifreeze through system all winter?
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Pete
water systems
Tom,I also have the same questions about taking all the hoses off etc. I have (for the last two years) drained the systems and added the pink antifreeze and run it out the faucets. Have had no problems with freeze ups or off taste(Flush out good in spring). I would be interested in what Peggy has to say but I believe that this method is what most yards do. I use a total of 12 gallons to do all the systems on my boat. Be sure to get all the faucets,don't forget the transom shower If you have one. Hope this helps Pete
Tom,I also have the same questions about taking all the hoses off etc. I have (for the last two years) drained the systems and added the pink antifreeze and run it out the faucets. Have had no problems with freeze ups or off taste(Flush out good in spring). I would be interested in what Peggy has to say but I believe that this method is what most yards do. I use a total of 12 gallons to do all the systems on my boat. Be sure to get all the faucets,don't forget the transom shower If you have one. Hope this helps Pete
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress
What you're really asking me:
My directions for winterizing the plumbing are more gonna take more work than you want to do...what's the least you can do to get by? The only answer I can give you is: Any water left trapped in the system is gonna dilute the antifreeze. Will it get cold enough and stay that cold long enough this winter for that to create a risk to your plumbing? Are you more comfortable with that level of risk than you are with doing the work necessary--perhaps another hour--to totally eliminate any risk to your plumbing? You might get away it for years...there might even be a winter when it wouldn't have been necessary to winterize at all....but then comes that one "winter from hell" when your breath freezes solid each time you exhale for a solid week... Do as much or as little as your tolerance for risk allows.
My directions for winterizing the plumbing are more gonna take more work than you want to do...what's the least you can do to get by? The only answer I can give you is: Any water left trapped in the system is gonna dilute the antifreeze. Will it get cold enough and stay that cold long enough this winter for that to create a risk to your plumbing? Are you more comfortable with that level of risk than you are with doing the work necessary--perhaps another hour--to totally eliminate any risk to your plumbing? You might get away it for years...there might even be a winter when it wouldn't have been necessary to winterize at all....but then comes that one "winter from hell" when your breath freezes solid each time you exhale for a solid week... Do as much or as little as your tolerance for risk allows.
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Bill
Pink stuff
I believe that there are two kinds of pink stuff out there, the kind used for fresh water plumbing systems which is safe for drinking water systems (not straight) and another for engines which is environmemntally safe but not so good for drinking water I suspect.. I'm getting ready to change the green antifreeze in my engine for the first time and have yet to ascertain the difference but given the price variance there should be some. When I run the pink stuff through the plumbing system I recapture it from the sink drains and and use this on the head and finally through the the drains by pulling the plug in the sink. I think that the most positive point to doing it as Peggy suggests is that you have an opportunity to check the hoses and fittings which are often neglected in these areas. If I lived up north where it can get 30-40 below I would probably do as Peggy suggests but where I live it rarely gets nore than 5 below so I just run the stuff through the system and have never had any issues but I do check my hoses twice a year.
I believe that there are two kinds of pink stuff out there, the kind used for fresh water plumbing systems which is safe for drinking water systems (not straight) and another for engines which is environmemntally safe but not so good for drinking water I suspect.. I'm getting ready to change the green antifreeze in my engine for the first time and have yet to ascertain the difference but given the price variance there should be some. When I run the pink stuff through the plumbing system I recapture it from the sink drains and and use this on the head and finally through the the drains by pulling the plug in the sink. I think that the most positive point to doing it as Peggy suggests is that you have an opportunity to check the hoses and fittings which are often neglected in these areas. If I lived up north where it can get 30-40 below I would probably do as Peggy suggests but where I live it rarely gets nore than 5 below so I just run the stuff through the system and have never had any issues but I do check my hoses twice a year.
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Rich Lemieux
Winterizing
I drain the water heater so I do not need to fill it with Antifreeze. I do not like to leave antifreeze in the heater, for me it is too hard to get it out and dose leave a taste for some time in the spring. It dose not take much time if you have what you need. I bypass the heater with a 2 ' of 3/8 clear hose and 2 hose connectors. It takes less time then it takes to drain the heater, about 5 minutes Then I drain the tanks, put 1 gallon of antifreeze in each tank and run the one set of faucets for each tank. Works great. I tried to blow out the lines with air last year but did not work, some water stayed in the lines. When you drain the heater be sure to leave the drain valve open. In the spring, put 2 gallons of water in each tank and drain using the boats water pump. Then close the heater drain value and reconnect the inlet and outlet hoses to the heater, fill the tank and you are on your way.
I drain the water heater so I do not need to fill it with Antifreeze. I do not like to leave antifreeze in the heater, for me it is too hard to get it out and dose leave a taste for some time in the spring. It dose not take much time if you have what you need. I bypass the heater with a 2 ' of 3/8 clear hose and 2 hose connectors. It takes less time then it takes to drain the heater, about 5 minutes Then I drain the tanks, put 1 gallon of antifreeze in each tank and run the one set of faucets for each tank. Works great. I tried to blow out the lines with air last year but did not work, some water stayed in the lines. When you drain the heater be sure to leave the drain valve open. In the spring, put 2 gallons of water in each tank and drain using the boats water pump. Then close the heater drain value and reconnect the inlet and outlet hoses to the heater, fill the tank and you are on your way.
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress
Getting rid of the antifreeze taste is a...
...great excuse next srping to recommission your entire fresh water system to get rid of all the mold, slime etc that the "critters" grew in your plumbing this season...Kill two birds with one stone. Complete instructions in the Head Mistress reference library. I'll make sure they're readily available next spring.
...great excuse next srping to recommission your entire fresh water system to get rid of all the mold, slime etc that the "critters" grew in your plumbing this season...Kill two birds with one stone. Complete instructions in the Head Mistress reference library. I'll make sure they're readily available next spring.
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