I am interested to know if anyone has found a easy way to drain the pressureized water system including the hot water system. I am most concerend about the water heater retaining water. I would just as soon not add antfreeze to the tanks if possible because it takes so long, in the spring, to purge the system.
Winterizing pressurized water system
- Thread starter Bobby2204
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Drain water heater through petcock at bottom
Then disconnect the hoses from it and by-pass it (kits are available at most marine stores). Use a shop-vac or manual pump to get the last of the water out of it. To avoid using antifreeze in the rest of the fresh water plumbing, drain the tank through all the faucets...then--through cleanout or any other accessible opening, pump any remaining water out of it. Use compressed air with all faucets open to blow any remaining water out of the plumbing (depending upon how your plumbing runs, that may require disconnecting some hoses too). Leave all faucets open all winter. In the spring, recommission the system according to the directions I've posted here at least a dozen times--you'll find 'em in the archives (also in my book, see link below). Doing that will also get rid of the taste/smell of antifreeze. Do NOT use cheap vodka as an antifreeze substitute...it doesn't work. Although 100% straight uncut vodka won't freeze (but if there's no water in the tank to cut, there's none to freeze either), even an 80-20 cut will...so anyone who claims it does work just happens to live in a climate where winterizing their fresh water system isn't necessary.
Then disconnect the hoses from it and by-pass it (kits are available at most marine stores). Use a shop-vac or manual pump to get the last of the water out of it. To avoid using antifreeze in the rest of the fresh water plumbing, drain the tank through all the faucets...then--through cleanout or any other accessible opening, pump any remaining water out of it. Use compressed air with all faucets open to blow any remaining water out of the plumbing (depending upon how your plumbing runs, that may require disconnecting some hoses too). Leave all faucets open all winter. In the spring, recommission the system according to the directions I've posted here at least a dozen times--you'll find 'em in the archives (also in my book, see link below). Doing that will also get rid of the taste/smell of antifreeze. Do NOT use cheap vodka as an antifreeze substitute...it doesn't work. Although 100% straight uncut vodka won't freeze (but if there's no water in the tank to cut, there's none to freeze either), even an 80-20 cut will...so anyone who claims it does work just happens to live in a climate where winterizing their fresh water system isn't necessary.
See the links in the archives
I wrote a reply on 10/16/2000 "Purge with air" and this reply references other postings. In a nutshell I use my dinghy pump to blow all the water out of the system. I pump the HW tank with a drill pump. I never add antifreeze.
I wrote a reply on 10/16/2000 "Purge with air" and this reply references other postings. In a nutshell I use my dinghy pump to blow all the water out of the system. I pump the HW tank with a drill pump. I never add antifreeze.
Too much work.
Good ideas if you want to spend all that time and effort. Much easier to bypass the hot water tank and pump two gallons of anti-freeze through the system. I use three just to be safe and it is on sale at WM for $2.50/gal. That is on a 37-foot boat with galley, vanity, and separate shower. Drain the water tank(s) first. One plastic nipple is all it takes to bypass the hot water tank. Use the clamps that you loosen to remove the cold(in) and hot(out). Connect the two hoses. Drain the tank by opening the petcock at the bottom AND the vent at the top. Some water lying in the bottom will not hurt anything. My tank is 25 years old.
Good ideas if you want to spend all that time and effort. Much easier to bypass the hot water tank and pump two gallons of anti-freeze through the system. I use three just to be safe and it is on sale at WM for $2.50/gal. That is on a 37-foot boat with galley, vanity, and separate shower. Drain the water tank(s) first. One plastic nipple is all it takes to bypass the hot water tank. Use the clamps that you loosen to remove the cold(in) and hot(out). Connect the two hoses. Drain the tank by opening the petcock at the bottom AND the vent at the top. Some water lying in the bottom will not hurt anything. My tank is 25 years old.
Easier than it seems
I traded my 356 in this year on the 426DS. I had winterized the 356 the last two winters with no trouble. Before the haul out, run the tank dry using the water pump by opening a few faucets. Once the tank is dry, shut off the water pump circuit breaker. Open the drain on the hot water heater and let it drain on its own. Take the hoses out of the hot water heater and join them together. The fittings have a piece near the hose end that you push into the fitting to release the hose (or push the hose into the fitting and hold that peice near the fitting as you pull the hose out, sort of a reverse of intuition thing). Once you get the hoses separated from the heater you should be able to connect them with either a new female to female peice, or if you are lucky that piece may already be there as it was on my boat. Once you have joined the cold and hot water hoses and have bypassed the heater you can move on to running the RV antifreeze through the system. I bought a winterizing jug from Westmarine. It comes with a few miscellanious fittings, but you may need to buy a few more that adapts different sizes. Disconnect the hose that feeds the pressure water pump that is coming from the water tank and let it drain into the bilge. Take a hose piece and connect it from the winterizing kit tank to the input of the pressure water pump. Fill the winterizing tank with RV antifreeze (I went through about 6 gallons total, but only thre on this stage). Turn the water pump breaker back on and run the antifreeze through all faucets until there is no sign of clear water. Don't forget the cockpit shower! The hard part is now done. Next, shut the through hull for the head intake. Disconnect the hose from the through hull. A little heat may help in getting the hose off. Using the winterizing jug, run RV antifreeze through the head system (this assumes you have pumped out well). A few gallons of antifreeze is all that you need here. You need only be concerned with the lines, not the tank, if it is dry. Do the same with the engine if you don't trust the yard to do it. I had them do the engine just to keep the warranty stuff going. If you do the engine make sure you use the lower temp antifreeze!! If you have heat and air you do the same thing, oly using the heat and air raw water pump to pump it through the system. Once the boat is in the cradle run antifreeze through the sink drains and operate all through hulls a few times to get any moisture out. Use a turkey baster to get some antifreeze into all through hull ball valves and operate them a few times. Use a shop vac to get the water out of the bilge and then run antifreeze through the bilge system. Shop vac out any remaining liquid and wipe dry. That's it. I used four of the humidity traps from westmarine and they all stayed dry until late winter. I stopped in late winter / early spring to do my bottom paint and emptied them each time. Good luck. Email me if you want to get more info. Teetera@aol.com Steve Achtemeier Wissota, Hunter 426DS
I traded my 356 in this year on the 426DS. I had winterized the 356 the last two winters with no trouble. Before the haul out, run the tank dry using the water pump by opening a few faucets. Once the tank is dry, shut off the water pump circuit breaker. Open the drain on the hot water heater and let it drain on its own. Take the hoses out of the hot water heater and join them together. The fittings have a piece near the hose end that you push into the fitting to release the hose (or push the hose into the fitting and hold that peice near the fitting as you pull the hose out, sort of a reverse of intuition thing). Once you get the hoses separated from the heater you should be able to connect them with either a new female to female peice, or if you are lucky that piece may already be there as it was on my boat. Once you have joined the cold and hot water hoses and have bypassed the heater you can move on to running the RV antifreeze through the system. I bought a winterizing jug from Westmarine. It comes with a few miscellanious fittings, but you may need to buy a few more that adapts different sizes. Disconnect the hose that feeds the pressure water pump that is coming from the water tank and let it drain into the bilge. Take a hose piece and connect it from the winterizing kit tank to the input of the pressure water pump. Fill the winterizing tank with RV antifreeze (I went through about 6 gallons total, but only thre on this stage). Turn the water pump breaker back on and run the antifreeze through all faucets until there is no sign of clear water. Don't forget the cockpit shower! The hard part is now done. Next, shut the through hull for the head intake. Disconnect the hose from the through hull. A little heat may help in getting the hose off. Using the winterizing jug, run RV antifreeze through the head system (this assumes you have pumped out well). A few gallons of antifreeze is all that you need here. You need only be concerned with the lines, not the tank, if it is dry. Do the same with the engine if you don't trust the yard to do it. I had them do the engine just to keep the warranty stuff going. If you do the engine make sure you use the lower temp antifreeze!! If you have heat and air you do the same thing, oly using the heat and air raw water pump to pump it through the system. Once the boat is in the cradle run antifreeze through the sink drains and operate all through hulls a few times to get any moisture out. Use a turkey baster to get some antifreeze into all through hull ball valves and operate them a few times. Use a shop vac to get the water out of the bilge and then run antifreeze through the bilge system. Shop vac out any remaining liquid and wipe dry. That's it. I used four of the humidity traps from westmarine and they all stayed dry until late winter. I stopped in late winter / early spring to do my bottom paint and emptied them each time. Good luck. Email me if you want to get more info. Teetera@aol.com Steve Achtemeier Wissota, Hunter 426DS
Just use air pressure
I have a 426DS in NYC all I did was empty the tanks with the water pump, attach the RV-hose to air pressure attachment to your hose bibb, then air compressor from your auto, blow out the system. Leave your hot water heater releif valve and all valves open. You should add 1 gallon of anti/freze to your water tank just in case the tank has a little water left (you never know?). This makes clean up in the spring easier. good luck
I have a 426DS in NYC all I did was empty the tanks with the water pump, attach the RV-hose to air pressure attachment to your hose bibb, then air compressor from your auto, blow out the system. Leave your hot water heater releif valve and all valves open. You should add 1 gallon of anti/freze to your water tank just in case the tank has a little water left (you never know?). This makes clean up in the spring easier. good luck
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