Can't get my A/C winterized.

[brian thomas]

The last time I winterized the a/c on my Searay I used a two gallon plastic bucket with one gallon of pink antifreeze in it. I drilled a hole in the side of the bucket almost at the bottom and epoxyed a hose barb in it. I used clear tubing that fit tightly inside the a/c water outlet. Then drilled a hole in the lid and poped in an automotive tire/wheel air valve. I pressurized the bucket through the schrader valve with my portable air pig and forced the antifreeze through the a/c till it ran out the water intake in the bottom of the boat. No, im not an engineer, just love to do things myself.

I have noticed that if you pull the boat from the water for any reason without closing the a/c water intake seacock the pump will loose prime and you have to take the boat out and get it nearly on plane to force all the air out of the pump and lines as the water pickup is scoop shaped. I figured out a way around this is to use a fresh water hose from the dock and back feed the system from the through hull fitting where the water comes out.

 

[Brian 59]

I usually pull the hose off of the inlet valve and use a funell to pour the pink stuff in as the admiral turns the a/c on. When it starts comming out the side pure pink I know we are done. I clean the strainer prior and then reinstall the hose.

 

[jackson]

a/c

That's what I have done in the past, but this year I could not get the damn hose off the strainer. So I'm trying the hose attachment. It's at the local machine shop now. Daniel, I will post pics when I get it back.

 

[gerryb]

FWIW, my technique last year was to attach a shopvac to the outlet side, and suck out all the water (with seacock turned off). Then I fill the strainer with pink stuff, and go back to vacuum that out. Fill the strainer 3rd time and then a QUICK shot with the shopvac to get it through the lines.
I'll know this weekend as to whether this worked or if I have busted the thing over the winter... :smt018

 

[gerryb]

Just confirming my shopvac technique worked across the board. I put the vac to every above water through hull opening as part of winterization. Idea was to pull water through the various hoses, then send the pink stuff through. Did this to the genset outlet as well. No leaks or busted piping. Saved me some time for the AC winterization. I also routinely shopvac the water out of the bilge. OK, so maybe I have a compulsive disorder but I SURE DO like my shopvac. May be one of the most underutilized tools for a boatowner...saved us big time when we had one of those damn sanitary pad thingies clogged in the vflush system last year. :thumbsup: :smt043