I have a boat which is new to me and have never winterized a Jabsco head before, I wonder if anyone has any advice on how to do it? Thanks a lot - We need winterizing on the North Channel of Lake Huron
Winterizing Jabsco Head
- Thread starter Buena Vela
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Over the past several years is to make sure as much of the water in the bowl is removed (usually with the Y-valve in the overboard position) and then add RV antifreeze ( not the regular stuff you put in the car). I pump the bowl dry again with the Y-value in the position to pump to the holding tank. The last step is to put a few cups of antifreeze in the bowl to finish. Pretty simple...
Pouring antifreeze into the bowl will not protect the entire head or it's rim which contains water. You should remove the raw water intake from the seacock, insert it into a container of antifreeze and pump sufficiently until you displace all the water in the system through to the holding tank. Pump out the tank so that only residual water remains which will be fine as there is room for expansion.
Winterizing any sea water toilet and holding tank
First, pump out and THOROUGHLY rinse out the holding tank...make sure to rinse out any macerator or manual discharge pump too. Run plenty of clean fresh water through the toilet to rinse out the pump and discharge hose. Now you're ready to winterize:
Disconnect the toilet intake line from the thru-hull (if the boat is in the water, it would be a good idea to close the seacock first). Stick it into a jug of non-toxic potable antifreeze--"the pink stuff" (do NOT use automotive antifreeze, it will damage the rubber parts in the toilet) and pump the whole gallon through the system and into the holding tank by pumping the toilet...or if you have an electric toilet that uses sea water, push the flush button. Pump enough times after the jug is empty to move any antifreeze still in the pump and discharge line to the tank. Leave the head intake line disconnected till spring. If the boat is out of the water, leave the seacock(s) open.
That's all there is to it.
If your toilet uses onboard pressurized flush water... After you've added antifreeze to the fresh water system, flush the toilet till you see pink flush water. Add antifreeze to the tank by pouring it down the toilet.
First, pump out and THOROUGHLY rinse out the holding tank...make sure to rinse out any macerator or manual discharge pump too. Run plenty of clean fresh water through the toilet to rinse out the pump and discharge hose. Now you're ready to winterize:
Disconnect the toilet intake line from the thru-hull (if the boat is in the water, it would be a good idea to close the seacock first). Stick it into a jug of non-toxic potable antifreeze--"the pink stuff" (do NOT use automotive antifreeze, it will damage the rubber parts in the toilet) and pump the whole gallon through the system and into the holding tank by pumping the toilet...or if you have an electric toilet that uses sea water, push the flush button. Pump enough times after the jug is empty to move any antifreeze still in the pump and discharge line to the tank. Leave the head intake line disconnected till spring. If the boat is out of the water, leave the seacock(s) open.
That's all there is to it.
If your toilet uses onboard pressurized flush water... After you've added antifreeze to the fresh water system, flush the toilet till you see pink flush water. Add antifreeze to the tank by pouring it down the toilet.
Re: Winterizing any sea water toilet and holding tank
Peggy Rocks. Often there is also a plug that can be removed to drain water from the head pump and do not forget to make sure your holding tank is pumped dry and make sure you have some antifreeze in the tank too if there is any liquid left behind to freeze.
Peggy Rocks. Often there is also a plug that can be removed to drain water from the head pump and do not forget to make sure your holding tank is pumped dry and make sure you have some antifreeze in the tank too if there is any liquid left behind to freeze.
Re: Winterizing any sea water toilet and holding tank
I've always poured the better portion of a gallon of pink antifreeze into my jabsco manual head (connected to a lectrasan unit) after each weekend of use in my old boat during the cold months. I never had any issues.
I just got done rebuilding the heads on my new-to-me boat. I was surprised to see it stated in the instructions not to use antifreeze. Specifically, they said to remove all water from the unit (via disconnecting hoses and the opening of drain plug(s)) and to not use antifreeze of any type (paraphrasing).
It seems that I only got about three years use out of a rebuild kit on my old boat. Maybe if I don't use the pink stuff I can go longer between rebuilds.
I've always poured the better portion of a gallon of pink antifreeze into my jabsco manual head (connected to a lectrasan unit) after each weekend of use in my old boat during the cold months. I never had any issues.
I just got done rebuilding the heads on my new-to-me boat. I was surprised to see it stated in the instructions not to use antifreeze. Specifically, they said to remove all water from the unit (via disconnecting hoses and the opening of drain plug(s)) and to not use antifreeze of any type (paraphrasing).
It seems that I only got about three years use out of a rebuild kit on my old boat. Maybe if I don't use the pink stuff I can go longer between rebuilds.
One thing to add. I had my head seacock freeze and crack one winter. fortunately, the crack didn't let water into the boat with the seacock in the closed position. The following spring, when i opened the seacock it leaked a lot. Now, I disconnect the intake hose at the pump with the seacock closed. I fill the hose w/ pink stuff and open the seacock. when about half the hose has drained, I close the seacock. This assures that there is antifreeze in the seacock. I do the same thinh on my raw water intake seacock when i winterize the engine.
I followed your advice Peggy, winterizing my head yesterday. However, I was wondering about how or if it was necessary to get antifreeze into the lines between the tank, macerator pump and exit through hull. Unfortunately my tank wasn't squeaky clean, my friend's son used it after I pumped out and flushed out for the winter, so I don't want to break any lines at this point. I did dump some pink antifreeze down the deck fill and opened the valve to the fill in the hope that that would help.
Thanks,
Bob
Thanks,
Bob
It's important to winterize the line from the tank to the macerator and thru-hull
It's really only necessary to make sure that NO water is left in 'em to freeze and expand...running antifreeze through 'em is the simplest way to accomplish that.
If someone used the toilet after you winterized the system, he flushed out all the antifreeze you ran through the plumbing and toilet pump, so you need to do that again...although, since you've already added more antifreeze to the tank, you won't need as much...only about half a gal. this time.
And then put a sign on the toilet: "Winterized Do Not Use."
It's really only necessary to make sure that NO water is left in 'em to freeze and expand...running antifreeze through 'em is the simplest way to accomplish that.
If someone used the toilet after you winterized the system, he flushed out all the antifreeze you ran through the plumbing and toilet pump, so you need to do that again...although, since you've already added more antifreeze to the tank, you won't need as much...only about half a gal. this time.
And then put a sign on the toilet: "Winterized Do Not Use."
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