I went to winterize the new boat today and thought I new what I was doing, but it seems I may have done some things wrong? I put about 10 gallons of antifreeze into the two tanks and was running all the lines - the cold was fine, but hot just wouldn't spit pink. Then I figured out that it was all going to the hot water heater - which I had not bypassed (I know that now). I read in the Hunter owners manual (some 20 page piece that tells you almost nothing) and it said to drain the hot water tank... The only drain looking thing I could find was near the top of the tank? It had a red metal tag on it and looked like a spiggot that you could connect a hose to. I turned it on with the pump on and drained all the water out until it quit draining, then left it open. A good amount of water seemed to come out, but never any antifreeze... My question is was this the right valve (near the top? of the tank) to drain the tank? Also, do I run a chance of going back to a boat full of 6 gallons of water from the hot water tank draining water all over the boat (I read something here of having to let some air in the system to drain it???) Or, am I good to go for the winter here in Virginia or do I need to do something else like bypass the lines and start over? Thanks in advance for any help.
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TP Valve
The valve you open is the TP (temperature/pressure) safety valve and not the drain valve. The drain is a bolt about 1" diameter located lower down the heater to one side. Remove it and open the TP valve to let in air to break the vaccum in the tank to allow the water to flow out. Now pump your antifreeze through the system. Before you were diluting the antifreeze with that 6 gallons of water that was still in the HW tank. You don't need a full 6 gallons of antifreeze in the HW tank to get it to flow to faucets down the line on the hot side. I use 5 gallons of antifreeze total for both hot & cold. I start by draining the HW tank, replacing the drain plug, closing the TP valve and running the farthest hot side faucet first till I see antifreeze, then work back. Then I do the cold side.
The valve you open is the TP (temperature/pressure) safety valve and not the drain valve. The drain is a bolt about 1" diameter located lower down the heater to one side. Remove it and open the TP valve to let in air to break the vaccum in the tank to allow the water to flow out. Now pump your antifreeze through the system. Before you were diluting the antifreeze with that 6 gallons of water that was still in the HW tank. You don't need a full 6 gallons of antifreeze in the HW tank to get it to flow to faucets down the line on the hot side. I use 5 gallons of antifreeze total for both hot & cold. I start by draining the HW tank, replacing the drain plug, closing the TP valve and running the farthest hot side faucet first till I see antifreeze, then work back. Then I do the cold side.
Patrick is right
Drain out all the water in the hot water tank from the bottom value. Ten allow the pink stuff to flow out the the bottom value. The close the bottom value. Remove the hoses from the top of the hot water tank and screw them together: You will need a coupler. Now flush the rest of the pipes with the good pink (may not be pink) stuff!
Drain out all the water in the hot water tank from the bottom value. Ten allow the pink stuff to flow out the the bottom value. The close the bottom value. Remove the hoses from the top of the hot water tank and screw them together: You will need a coupler. Now flush the rest of the pipes with the good pink (may not be pink) stuff!
Winterizing Hot Water Tank
I don't recommend running anti-freeze into your hot water tank. It isn't needed and I think you will find that it takes a LOT of flushing next spring when you commission the system to get rid of the anti-freeze taste. Just drain the hot water tank as described by the others here, connect the input and output water hoses, and run the pink non-toxic anti-freeze thru your system until it comes out your faucets. While I realize that you will not be able to get every drop of water out of your hot water tank, what remains in there will not be enough to worry about. And remember not to turn on your hot water tank element until you refill the tank next spring...
I don't recommend running anti-freeze into your hot water tank. It isn't needed and I think you will find that it takes a LOT of flushing next spring when you commission the system to get rid of the anti-freeze taste. Just drain the hot water tank as described by the others here, connect the input and output water hoses, and run the pink non-toxic anti-freeze thru your system until it comes out your faucets. While I realize that you will not be able to get every drop of water out of your hot water tank, what remains in there will not be enough to worry about. And remember not to turn on your hot water tank element until you refill the tank next spring...
Where does the water go?
How do you drain the water out of the hot water heater? It looked like to me that if I drain it, I cannot get a bucket or anything for that matter down in there to drain the water into. If I just let the thing drain, eventually it will make it to the bilge, but it will make a huge wet mess on the boat first. We have oak interior since it is a 1987 H34, and oak hates water (good idea to put it in a boat), so I want to avoid flooding the cabin to drain the hot water heater... What have others done to drain this thing? Thanks.
How do you drain the water out of the hot water heater? It looked like to me that if I drain it, I cannot get a bucket or anything for that matter down in there to drain the water into. If I just let the thing drain, eventually it will make it to the bilge, but it will make a huge wet mess on the boat first. We have oak interior since it is a 1987 H34, and oak hates water (good idea to put it in a boat), so I want to avoid flooding the cabin to drain the hot water heater... What have others done to drain this thing? Thanks.
H34 Water Heater
Another wonderful design feature of this vessel required you have to disconnect and lift the water heater to drain it. Leave it drained and hook the water input and output lines together. The entire water system can be winterized with under one gallon of antifreeze (I did it ten times) Loading the tanks with antifreeze is unnecessary. I blew out the line with a zodiac foot pump and pumped a few cups to protect the lines.
Another wonderful design feature of this vessel required you have to disconnect and lift the water heater to drain it. Leave it drained and hook the water input and output lines together. The entire water system can be winterized with under one gallon of antifreeze (I did it ten times) Loading the tanks with antifreeze is unnecessary. I blew out the line with a zodiac foot pump and pumped a few cups to protect the lines.
Use Wet/Dry Vac
I just winterized my H34 this past weekend. I used my wet/dry vac to drain the hot water heater. Simply put the vac hose to the hot water heater drain valve. You may have to empty your vac a couple of times. Simply cut off the hotwater heater drain valve when you need to do so and then turn it back on when you are ready to vac again.
I just winterized my H34 this past weekend. I used my wet/dry vac to drain the hot water heater. Simply put the vac hose to the hot water heater drain valve. You may have to empty your vac a couple of times. Simply cut off the hotwater heater drain valve when you need to do so and then turn it back on when you are ready to vac again.
Antifreeze - Dry Vac
Will it mess up my shop vac if I try to suck the antifreeze that is in the hot water heater out? I am not sure if that would mess up the filters in the vac or not. Anyway mess up and do this before and want to warn me about it?
Will it mess up my shop vac if I try to suck the antifreeze that is in the hot water heater out? I am not sure if that would mess up the filters in the vac or not. Anyway mess up and do this before and want to warn me about it?
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