I know, I know!! It's early, but the conversation came up this weekend. If you are draining the fresh water tank and blowing out the various water lines is the pink antifreeze stuff necessary? For the water that may remain in the bottom of the tank and the bend in the lines can "Vodka" be used instead and still have a good safety factor against freezing and expansion? Thanks
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Why not for two bucks a gallon?
With all the work required to drain and blow out the lines why would you not spend $6.00 or $8.00 for anti-freeze? I drain the water system but still run the pink stuff through all the lines including some in the hot water tank. Cheap insurance I think.
With all the work required to drain and blow out the lines why would you not spend $6.00 or $8.00 for anti-freeze? I drain the water system but still run the pink stuff through all the lines including some in the hot water tank. Cheap insurance I think.
I agree with Ed
Why gamble on "cheap vodka" to protect an engine that would cost thousands to repair if it freezes? Ten bucks for anti-freeze doesn't seem like that much to me. Besides, Peggie has said over and over that VODKA DOESN"T WORK (on engines, anyway!)
Why gamble on "cheap vodka" to protect an engine that would cost thousands to repair if it freezes? Ten bucks for anti-freeze doesn't seem like that much to me. Besides, Peggie has said over and over that VODKA DOESN"T WORK (on engines, anyway!)
Speaking of winterizing...
There's an article in the Head Mistress forum Reference Library (right side of the forum homepage) called "Winterizing Plumbing" that provides complete instructions for winterizing both the potable water system and the sanitation system. Now might be a good time to print it out to keep on the boat to follow when the time comes.
There's an article in the Head Mistress forum Reference Library (right side of the forum homepage) called "Winterizing Plumbing" that provides complete instructions for winterizing both the potable water system and the sanitation system. Now might be a good time to print it out to keep on the boat to follow when the time comes.
KISS- Just blow it out
IMHO, I would just blow out the fresh water lines after pumping the tanks as dry as possible. I've done this for 20 years and never had any problem in the cold Massachusetts region. Be sure to blow out the pump so it is protected, and any slight pools or drips of water in a line is no problem. Water expands and does damage when the container of that water is full and the water has nowhere to expand into. A sag in a water line poses no risk IMO. Blowing out the lines is very simple. I use my dinghy pump that I have adapted to the input line of the pump. I disconnect the output of the pump and blow it out. Then I attach the dinghy pump to the output line of the pump that goes to the faucets and turn each one on in sequence and blow air until the water stops spritzing out of the faucet. The hot water heater is simply drained into the bilge (do first, before blowing) and the bilge pumped out. Again, a 1/2" of water in the bottom of the water heater won't cause any problem. A big advantage is that in the spring, you simply fill the tanks and you are good to go. There is no flushing of the pink stuff and no taste. The engine is a completely different story. I flush the engine and A/C units also with fresh water, and then let them suck in the enviromentally frendily engine-type antifreeze. The pink stuff THAT IS MARKETED FOR ENGINES should be just as good, but I note that it is no less expensive to use. These antifreeze formulations have corrosion inhibitors that I believe are beneficial to the engine and systems that have metal lines in them. You pays your money and you takes your choice.
IMHO, I would just blow out the fresh water lines after pumping the tanks as dry as possible. I've done this for 20 years and never had any problem in the cold Massachusetts region. Be sure to blow out the pump so it is protected, and any slight pools or drips of water in a line is no problem. Water expands and does damage when the container of that water is full and the water has nowhere to expand into. A sag in a water line poses no risk IMO. Blowing out the lines is very simple. I use my dinghy pump that I have adapted to the input line of the pump. I disconnect the output of the pump and blow it out. Then I attach the dinghy pump to the output line of the pump that goes to the faucets and turn each one on in sequence and blow air until the water stops spritzing out of the faucet. The hot water heater is simply drained into the bilge (do first, before blowing) and the bilge pumped out. Again, a 1/2" of water in the bottom of the water heater won't cause any problem. A big advantage is that in the spring, you simply fill the tanks and you are good to go. There is no flushing of the pink stuff and no taste. The engine is a completely different story. I flush the engine and A/C units also with fresh water, and then let them suck in the enviromentally frendily engine-type antifreeze. The pink stuff THAT IS MARKETED FOR ENGINES should be just as good, but I note that it is no less expensive to use. These antifreeze formulations have corrosion inhibitors that I believe are beneficial to the engine and systems that have metal lines in them. You pays your money and you takes your choice.
Vodka in the spring.
Had a friend down in Waukegan with a catalina who swore by the vodka treatment for the water system only. Previously mentioned THE ENGINE IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT MATTER. Granted he kept his boat indoors. Swore the vodka treatment eliminated any traces of odors, etc. besides, it was a spring ceremony/party comissioning his boat. Everybody joined in and helped him "purge" his system.!!!!
Had a friend down in Waukegan with a catalina who swore by the vodka treatment for the water system only. Previously mentioned THE ENGINE IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT MATTER. Granted he kept his boat indoors. Swore the vodka treatment eliminated any traces of odors, etc. besides, it was a spring ceremony/party comissioning his boat. Everybody joined in and helped him "purge" his system.!!!!
Vodka is ok...IF it's full strength...
However, even an 80-20 ratio of vodka to water will freeze. Since that means you'd have to blow ALL the water out of the system, there's really not much point in wasting the booze, 'cuz if there's no water in the system, there's no need to add anything to keep it from freezing. Most of the people who swear by vodka as antifreeze either keep their boats in the water all winter, or in a shed.What they fail to realize is that as long as the water or the air around the boat doesn't freeze, neither will anything on the boat below decks, because the hull takes its temperature off the water or the surrounding air and nothing inside a hull that's above freezing can freeze. So of course just dumping a bottle of vodka in the tank works...so would doing nothing.
However, even an 80-20 ratio of vodka to water will freeze. Since that means you'd have to blow ALL the water out of the system, there's really not much point in wasting the booze, 'cuz if there's no water in the system, there's no need to add anything to keep it from freezing. Most of the people who swear by vodka as antifreeze either keep their boats in the water all winter, or in a shed.What they fail to realize is that as long as the water or the air around the boat doesn't freeze, neither will anything on the boat below decks, because the hull takes its temperature off the water or the surrounding air and nothing inside a hull that's above freezing can freeze. So of course just dumping a bottle of vodka in the tank works...so would doing nothing.
Careful with pink
When I replaced a 13 yr old hot water heater I found it full of a jello type material. After reading the instructions on the pink antifreeze it suggested not using in the hot water heater. I plumb around the hot water heater before putting pink in the fresh water lines. I believe that the jello was pink that had been cooked in the hot water heater.
When I replaced a 13 yr old hot water heater I found it full of a jello type material. After reading the instructions on the pink antifreeze it suggested not using in the hot water heater. I plumb around the hot water heater before putting pink in the fresh water lines. I believe that the jello was pink that had been cooked in the hot water heater.
Well, Ben...
There's no reason not to use antifreeze ("the pink stuff") n the hot water tank. You've only explained better than I could why it's necessary to make sure the hot water tank is OFF before adding antifreeze...and why its necessary to flush all the antifreeze out of the system before turning on the hot water tank again in the spring.
There's no reason not to use antifreeze ("the pink stuff") n the hot water tank. You've only explained better than I could why it's necessary to make sure the hot water tank is OFF before adding antifreeze...and why its necessary to flush all the antifreeze out of the system before turning on the hot water tank again in the spring.
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