I am planning to keep my 2002 Catalina 310 in the water this winter at her slip. I am on the Chesapeake Bay, and the winters are generally mild. My question is how I might go about winterizing the factory AC? I am considering closing the seacock and then opening the horizontally mounted strainer to drain what water I can. Then, I would use my drill pump to push antifreeze through the system from the cooling water drain port above the waterline on the hull. Presumably, this would take care of everything but the seacock itself. Does this sound viable? How have others done it?
Winterizing Air Conditioner While in the Water
- Thread starter Monheganlover
- Start date
I take the intake hose off the seacock and suck antifreeze through from there by running the AC (usually on heat mode at that time of year). It’s hard to get the pump to prime so I use an aquarium pump to help push it through from a funnel into the intake hose. Your drill pump might do the same.
If you have a separate condensate pump or Venturi be sure to get antifreeze through that as well
If you have a separate condensate pump or Venturi be sure to get antifreeze through that as well
I don't think a vertically mounted condenser will completely drain like that. They have several loops and will hold water in the lower half. A horizontally mounted condenser would probably be fine. AC units are expensive and difficult to replace so I carefully winterize mine.