winterize water system

Jun 13, 2016
21
Hunter 38 Mystic, CT
A couple of people have recommended to winterize my water system with VODKA.
I have a Hunter 38 with one head, galley, and swim platform shower.
Any guesses on how many gallons needed to do the job?
 
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Sep 25, 2008
7,076
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
Waste of vodka. We used to winterize a 40 foot boat with A/C, 4 water tanks, 2 heads and 2 showers and 3 sinks with 2.5 gal of antifreeze. Use the vodka to kill virus pathogens
 
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Apr 8, 2011
768
Hunter 40 Deale, MD
Well, a gallon of antifreeze at West Marine is $4.99. A gallon of cheap vodka (say, Burnett's) is $7/litre, and there's roughly 4 litres in a gallon, or $28. So...
 

ToddS

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Sep 11, 2017
248
Beneteau 373 Cape Cod
USE NON-TOXIC ANTIFREEZE ONLY!!! (sorry for the screaming caps, but it's super-important). It's USUALLY (but not always) red, blue, or purple... not the green stuff. Read the label to be absolutely sure. Don't let even a little of the toxic stuff into the fresh water system.
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,709
- - LIttle Rock
Fwiw... Straight uncut 80 proof vodka won't freeze at -2 F (about the lowest temp in most household freezers). Cut it even 10% with water and it will. So if you live in a climate where winter temps are below freezing, vodka offers -0- protection if there's ANY water left in the system.

--Peggie
 
Apr 11, 2010
946
Hunter 38 Whitehall MI
I use about 1.5 gallons of RV antifreeze to do the plumbing on my 38. I did install a water heater bypass so I don’t push antifreeze into the water heater (I just drain it). That dramatically the quantity of antifreeze.
 
Jan 7, 2014
395
Beneteau 45F5 51551 Port Jefferson
I use 4 to 6 gallons of antifreeze and 2-3 beers. I don't really like vodka.

The cheap stuff from walmart $2.50/ gallon is good enough for the water system amd the good stuff 4.99/gallon from West Marine for the engine.
 

RoyS

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Jun 3, 2012
1,739
Hunter 33 Steamboat Wharf, Hull, MA
I just drain all of the water out of the fresh water system. I also remove the mixing valve at the water heater for the winter. Why would I want to add antifreeze?
 
Jan 7, 2014
395
Beneteau 45F5 51551 Port Jefferson
I just drain all of the water out of the fresh water system. I also remove the mixing valve at the water heater for the winter. Why would I want to add antifreeze?
If you live in the north where you can get a freeze for a month straight, the water in your hoses, pumps and fittings can freeze and burst them. the raw water pump on your engine and your heat exchanger can also get damaged.
 
Sep 25, 2008
7,076
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
If you live in the north where you can get a freeze for a month straight, the water in your hoses, pumps and fittings can freeze and burst them. the raw water pump on your engine and your heat exchanger can also get damaged.
Not if there is no water in them. That’s why people drain the plumbing.
 
Jun 4, 2004
834
Hunter 340 Forked River, NJ
I found that even though I drain the water heater, I can still pump about one gallon of residual water out of the heater using a plastic tube and pump.
 

Wl3175

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Jun 28, 2015
9
Hunter 49 San Francisco
we have a hunter 38 also .regarding the winterizing is it an issue to put antI freeze through the hot water heater and some sits in there for the winter .


Weat marine sell 3 different colors of AF . they also have different price points which is the best . Green ,pink or purple ?
 
Sep 25, 2008
1,096
CS 30 Toronto
After running compress air (I use a good tire pump) for over an hour first. She still has tiny residue of water in the lowest part of any loop. That's where RV antifreeze comes in for me. One jug will do my whole boat. Use the compress air to push anti-freeze thru and collect them at the outlets. Pump them thru again and again. Air can't freeze. Anti-freeze took care of the lower loops. Been doing that for 15 years.
 
Apr 11, 2010
946
Hunter 38 Whitehall MI
we have a hunter 38 also .regarding the winterizing is it an issue to put antI freeze through the hot water heater and some sits in there for the winter .


Weat marine sell 3 different colors of AF . they also have different price points which is the best . Green ,pink or purple ?
couple of reasons why you don’t want to put antifreeze in the water heater. First it takes a lot more antifreeze. A 5 or 6 gallon water heater will need that much antifreeze to push the water out and get to the plumbing after the water heater.
second I have read where some say the antifreeze is hard on the heating element and components in the heater
even it that’s not true, it’s difficult to flush out that much antifreeze in the spring.
Bypass it.
make sure to only use the non toxic RV type antifreeze that is made for plumbing systems. The pink stuff I use is good down to -50. For the engine I use -100 antifreeze.
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,709
- - LIttle Rock
second I have read where some say the antifreeze is hard on the heating element and components in the heater even it that’s not true, it’s difficult to flush out that much antifreeze in the spring.
Both statements are true...antifreeze will damage the heating element and it takes forever get rid of the antifreeze taste/odor in the hot water that remains ever after there's no longer enough left in it to do any damage.

--Peggie
 
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Sep 11, 2011
390
Hunter 41AC Bayfield WI, Lake Superior
I have posted this before, but if you want to actually drink the fresh water from your tanks next season, use a compressor to blow out all the lines and water heater. My first season with the boat, I did use antifreeze for winterizing the water system. The following season it was September before I was able to get the antifreeze flavor out of the water. Since them I have only used compressed air to blow out the lines and I have had NO freeze issues, even though the boat is frozen solid from NOV 1 till March 30 every year. This is season 11. The only caveat I would add is that our water tanks are only plumbed from the top, There are no pick up lines on the bottom; if there were I would have to use antifreeze in the water tanks to keep those bottom fittings from exploding.

One last point, if you have multiple water tanks, make sure that all tank selector valves are in the open position after winterization so that no water collects on top of them and then explodes them. This also goes for all of the through hull valves. Leave them open so they drain.