Is there something in the pink stuff that if left in over the winter will damages the hot water heater. Why not just fill the heater and its lines with anti-freeze and wash it out in the Spring?
- Status
Save Time and Pink Stuff!
In the fall, I run my water tanks until as empty as possible. Then disconnect both Hot and Cold lines from my water heater and hook them up together. Then I run 1.5 gals of Pink stuff into my water tank and run my 2 taps (Head and Galley sinks) until pink comes out of all. Then I hook a hose to the hot water tank and run it into the bilge and empty the water tank. Never had any problems in 15 years. Total process takes maybe 45 minutes. In Spring, I run bleach water through my tanks, rinse a couple of times with vinegar water. Empty the tank, reconnect the hot water tank hoses, and fill the tank with clean water.This takes maybe an hour. Hope this helps!
In the fall, I run my water tanks until as empty as possible. Then disconnect both Hot and Cold lines from my water heater and hook them up together. Then I run 1.5 gals of Pink stuff into my water tank and run my 2 taps (Head and Galley sinks) until pink comes out of all. Then I hook a hose to the hot water tank and run it into the bilge and empty the water tank. Never had any problems in 15 years. Total process takes maybe 45 minutes. In Spring, I run bleach water through my tanks, rinse a couple of times with vinegar water. Empty the tank, reconnect the hot water tank hoses, and fill the tank with clean water.This takes maybe an hour. Hope this helps!
Look at where they're from
Nosocks doesn't need so elaborate a winterization in Annapolis as Rick does in Racine. In the lower Ches Bay, I just run the pink stuff into the water heater as well as the fresh water tank. Then flush in the spring, which for us is March (July in Wisconsin).
Nosocks doesn't need so elaborate a winterization in Annapolis as Rick does in Racine. In the lower Ches Bay, I just run the pink stuff into the water heater as well as the fresh water tank. Then flush in the spring, which for us is March (July in Wisconsin).
Why Drain the HW Heater?
Two Primary Reasons: 1. Remove water from HW Hwater so it won't freeze & crack the tank. 2. Why waste 6 gals of pink stuff in the HW heater when you don't need to, if it's drained? Even in the lower Ches, you can get cold enough to freeze the tank. All it takes is one cold spell. So it's not worth taking the chance. I wouldn't.
As It is, I can winterize my water system w/ less than 2 gallons of pink stuff.
Two Primary Reasons: 1. Remove water from HW Hwater so it won't freeze & crack the tank. 2. Why waste 6 gals of pink stuff in the HW heater when you don't need to, if it's drained? Even in the lower Ches, you can get cold enough to freeze the tank. All it takes is one cold spell. So it's not worth taking the chance. I wouldn't.
As It is, I can winterize my water system w/ less than 2 gallons of pink stuff.
Because...
The cold water inlet from the water tank is at the bottom of a water heater...the hot water outlet is at the top. So if you run antifreeze through the water heater instead of bypassing it, you'd have to use enough to completely fill the water heater with the correct water/antifreeze dilution for the lowest anticipated temps in your climate to get it into the hot water plumbing to the sinks. If you haven't been using that much antifreeze, your hot water system hasn't been protected. Plus, if you fill the water heater with an antfreeze mixture, it'll take forever to flush it all out in the spring...and if you don't get it all out, running the water heater on AC power can damage the heating element and/or the thermostat. It's a little more work to install a bypass kit...but once you've done it, winterizing and recommissioning every year becomes a LOT easier.
The cold water inlet from the water tank is at the bottom of a water heater...the hot water outlet is at the top. So if you run antifreeze through the water heater instead of bypassing it, you'd have to use enough to completely fill the water heater with the correct water/antifreeze dilution for the lowest anticipated temps in your climate to get it into the hot water plumbing to the sinks. If you haven't been using that much antifreeze, your hot water system hasn't been protected. Plus, if you fill the water heater with an antfreeze mixture, it'll take forever to flush it all out in the spring...and if you don't get it all out, running the water heater on AC power can damage the heating element and/or the thermostat. It's a little more work to install a bypass kit...but once you've done it, winterizing and recommissioning every year becomes a LOT easier.
Mine split last August
Last August my tank (Seaward) split. I had drained it the previous 4 winters and not had a problem. Even though it failed this August, Seward clained it was because I didn't antifreeze it because all the water won't drain as the drain is not all the way to the bottom of the tank. The tank split all the way from the top to the bottom along the weld on one side. They did sell me a new unit at their cost. I plan to drain it next winter and add a gallon of -1oo degree antifreeze to it after draining.
Last August my tank (Seaward) split. I had drained it the previous 4 winters and not had a problem. Even though it failed this August, Seward clained it was because I didn't antifreeze it because all the water won't drain as the drain is not all the way to the bottom of the tank. The tank split all the way from the top to the bottom along the weld on one side. They did sell me a new unit at their cost. I plan to drain it next winter and add a gallon of -1oo degree antifreeze to it after draining.
- Status