Winterizing

[tgrass462]

With Grasshopper III - we have a new (to us) pressurized water system. I need some guidance on winterizing this system. Do I drain completely then add antifreeze? Do I add the antifreeze as I drain? How much antifreeze is enough? Where do you buy the antifreeze? (West Marine? Home Depot?)

Tom Grass
Grasshopper III
1999 H-260

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Shop around - WM is usually more expensive than the box stores.
Drain the water system and tank(s) by whatever means you choose - most simply run the system dry. No need to add antifreeze to the tank(s). Just open the line close to the pump filter and run the pump feed side into a gallon of antifreeze; run the pump until the antifreeze comes out every faucet. Drain and by-pass the heater BEFORE doing this. No need to add anything to it as long as you get most of the water out leaving room for expansion.
Same for head(s) making sure you feed antifreeze into the intake line as opposed to just dumping some down the toilet which is useless. Empty holding tank and open all seacocks.

Total amount needed is a function of how much piping you have. As a guide, we use 2.5 gal total for everything incl. 2 heads, 3 sinks, A/C lines, 2 shower sumps. Your mileage may vary.

 

[navigator97]

Tom,
We have a Hunter 33.5 (1990) and I completely drain the fresh water tank by opening all the fawcets until it is just sputtering out. I the close all but one and drain the remaining out of both cold and hot side seperately. I then disconnect the lines going to and from the water heater (fresh water lines only) and connect them together (a bypass). Next drain the water heater it self. There is a small drain petcock near the bottom, but it takes forever. To speedup the water heater draining, I connect two psc of clear tubing to the F. W. fittings. One goes into a pail, the other I connect my dinghy foot pump to and pump air into the heater tank which forces water out the other. I put in about 4 gals. of -60F (or -50F) antifreeze into the water tank. I then open all fawcets and run until I get "Pink" out of each. Lastly I add some antifreeze into the water heater via a funnel. That it. Plumbing is now winterized. Good luck.

Dick, S/v Puffin

 

[shemandr]

Winterizing? Say it isn't so!

 

[tgrass462]

Winterizing - Say it isn't so!

Winterizing? Say it isn't so!

I know - it's not even Labor day ... BUT - last week we sailed (southern Illinois) in long sleeves. Fall came early this year.

Tom Grass

 

[som1335]

When pumping out remaining water do NOT run pump continuously for more than 10 minutes at a time, then do something else for 10 minutes. no sense in burning out your pump!

 

[BrianW]

WINTERIZE! You mean it gets below freezing where you live? BrianW