Winterizing - a little water left in tanks?

[Skipper]

This will be my third winter with a boat on the East Coast. I'm from California, so winterizing is still a little new. This year, for the domestic water system I'm draining instead if anti-freezing. All the water is out of everything except a couple gallons left in the 25 gallon fiberglass keel-tank, and maybe a gallon left in the 38 gallon fiberglass forward berth tank.

I'd think the water would expand upward, if it actually froze. Anyone see any trouble here?

It's a PITA to get all the water out of the aft part of the keel tank, and somewhat troublesome for the forward tank. I pumped them till it sucked air, so the only way to get the rest is to use a turkey baster and then a sponge, with access only through a small round hatch. Even a portable manual pump won't reach properly.

I've done it before, but I'm wondering if I actually need to.

 

[Maine Sail]

This will be my third winter with a boat on the East Coast. I'm from California, so winterizing is still a little new. This year, for the domestic water system I'm draining instead if anti-freezing. All the water is out of everything except a couple gallons left in the 25 gallon fiberglass keel-tank, and maybe a gallon left in the 38 gallon fiberglass forward berth tank.

I'd think the water would expand upward, if it actually froze. Anyone see any trouble here?

It's a PITA to get all the water out of the aft part of the keel tank, and somewhat troublesome for the forward tank. I pumped them till it sucked air, so the only way to get the rest is to use a turkey baster and then a sponge, with access only through a small round hatch. Even a portable manual pump won't reach properly.

I've done it before, but I'm wondering if I actually need to.

I use a 3.5' piece of 1/2" PEX tube inserted into a short piece of 5/8" garden hose. I then connect that to a 12V utility pump I grabbed at HFT for about $30.00.. I use my jump-start pack to power it... Just stick the PEX to the deepest part of the tank and turn on the pump....


The only freeze concern you will have is water in the hoses & fittings at low points..

 

[Sanjuan26]

Put a half gallon of cheap vodka to prevent freezing and have a bloody Mary in the spring

 

[Ian McGain]

It's not your tank you need to worry about, It's the lines and the pump. I pull the intake hose off my water pump and then attach a short hose to pull from a gallon of 50 degree pink until I see pink coming out of the hot and cold facets at the head. Use a whale pump to drain the main water tank. What is left in the tank is not enough to worry about.

 

[GBaySail]

... This year, for the domestic water system I'm draining instead if anti-freezing. All the water is out of everything except a couple gallons left in the 25 gallon fiberglass keel-tank, and maybe a gallon left in the 38 gallon fiberglass forward berth tank.

I'd think the water would expand upward, if it actually froze. Anyone see any trouble here? ......

.

Hi, you are right in that the water in the tank expands upwards and lateral damage is probably not an issue with sufficient "headspace". The problems will more likely occur in valves and piping from the tank outlet. As such, I play it safe and add that pink plumbing hooch.

 

[stevec22206]

I drain the tank by pumping as much water out through the faucets. Also attach a short piece of garden hose to the hot water heater and drain it to the bilge. Once that's finished I disconnect the primary supply line from the freshwater tank and blow compressed air through the entire system. Use a small pancake compressor set at 40 psi. Have done this every year without issue and no antifreeze to deal with come Spring.

Steve

 

[Skipper]

Thank you.
The consensus seems to be not to worry.

To answer some questions: I drained the water heater, then disconnected\drained the copper hot piping and the cold hose at the low points. Then drained the accumulator. Then sucked antifreeze into the water pump till it shot out the open hose at the accumulator. Also left the faucets open.

I like this method as it eliminates most of the antifreeze flushing requirement in the spring. I still used -50 in the head, and -100 in the raw side of the engine.