Peggy Hall - How do I winterize the tanks?

[Joe]

Peggy, I referred to your article on WINTERIZING PLUMBING and have a few questions. I've numbered them in the order of the instructions. This is my first big boat (1983 H34). Your help is greatly appreciated.1) Other than running the water pump and opening the faucets is there any other way I should drain the tanks? The primary tank is completely dry but the secondary tank keeps spitting additional water. I never used the second tank and the water coming out of it is rusty in color. Every time I think it's empty another spew of water comes out the faucet. I don't want to burn out the water pump by running it too long while there's no water in the system. It's just that every time I think all the water is out another spew comes along. 2) Once I remove the hoses to the water heater is there anything else I need to do to empty it?3) Is the reason for connecting the intake and outlet hoses on the water heater so that when I flush it the water doesn't enter the heater itself? Do I need to add anything to the water heater?4) I don't know if I have a break point in my hoses between the tanks and the pump. Assuming I do, do you use a 100% non-toxic anti-freeze solution to pump through? What if there's no break point?5) Will simply running the pump drain the hoses between the tanks and the pump. If not how would I be able to drain those hoses?

 

[Peggie Hall/Head Mistress]

Anwers:

To drain the water tanks, after you've gotten all the pump can get, disconnect the discharge hose from tank and catch the last of the water in a pan. You'll still have about an inch left...add the recommended amount of antifreeze for the number of gallons that inch represents (estimate it using a little basic math...a gallon is 231 cu in). Or, if you have access to the inside of the tank, get the last of the water out with a wet vac or a dinghy bailer hand pump. and forget adding antifreeze....if there's no water in the tank to freeze, there can't be any freeze damage.Same thing applies to your water heater tank...either remove ALL the water, or add anitfreeze. Connecting the hoses to bypass the tank allows you to add antifreeze to the plumbing without putting antifreeze in a water heater that's completely dry. If you put antifreeze in the hot water tank, do NOT turn it on again until you have flushed all the antifreeze out of it next spring! Whether you have break points in the plumbing or not, use ONLY non-toxic potable antifreeze in ANY boat plumbing. That includes the sanitation system as well as the fresh water system. If you don't have break points, drain the tank by disconnecting hoses from the tanks or the pump (whichever is further downhill), after running antifreeze through the plumbing using the pump. Depending upon the age of your boat and whether you or any previous owner(s) were smart enough to keep the owners manuals for all the equipment on your boat, you'll find winterizing instructions for all of it in those manuals. If you don't have them, you should be able to get at least some of 'em from the mfrs' websites and/or by calling the mfrs.And btw...ALL the manuals should be kept on the boat...they all include trouble shooting guides and other information that does you no good if they're at home when you need them. Buy an accordian file, label each slot alphabetically by equipment type ("engine," "toilet," "heat/ac"") and store it in a space you can get to but is otherwise kinda useless (I kept mine under a dinette seat) for things you need to get to frequently.