Fresh water clean out

[Arl798]

I was curious if anyone does or if their is a benefit to cycle fresh water through my raw water cooling system after each use? My boat is in Mexico and things tend to grow in the heat exchanger and was curious if this can help stop this, as the boat sometimes sits for a month or 2 while I am back in Canada.

My idea was to close the seacock and put my fresh water hose in the strainer and turn the engine on for a min or so till its fresh water in the system rather than salt water.

Thoughts?

Thank you in advance

 

[rcknecht]

I used to do that for my HEs in the mains and genny, until I hydro-locked my genny, and it cost me $10K... I don't do it anymore, only for winterization... It is not a bad idea for the mains, but I don't believe it is necessary, even in Mexico...

 

[dpmulvey]

This may be an easier solution. Expensive I am sure, but easier.

http://www.perko.com/catalog/category/underwater_hardware/product/55/

You could leave a couple of extra long stainless braided washing machine hoses attached to the strainer and merely connect the fresh water to the hose when you need to flush the engine.

 

[Arl798]

Can you give me a heads up on what hydro-lock is? Was the system full of air and overheated the engine?

 

[Bucit]

Can you give me a heads up on what hydro-lock is? Was the system full of air and overheated the engine?

While flushing he ingested water into the cylinders and did major damage to the genny.

 

[Arl798]

350$ Each and I need the ones twice that size....I was more thinking as a thing to do right before I lock the door and leave for the airport

 

[Arl798]

Jeeeezzzzz

 

[rcknecht]

While flushing he ingested water into the cylinders and did major damage to the genny.

If you to attached a garden hose to your genny, like I did, with a inline hose fitting. Then turn the water on and wait a minute, without the genny running.... The water pushes by the raw water pump, and dumps into the cyliners from the exhaust manifold.... Then you start the engine... Water does not compress, so the in my case, the connecting rods bent, yada yada yada... I am out $10K,....

 

[Arl798]

What a shame. Sorry to hear that. I was thinking of just letting the engine suck it out of the strainer rather than forcing it down the line. But thx for the heads up I would not have known that.

 

[Air O'Nautical]

Flushing an engine is a great idea but, as mentioned be careful of using city water pressure, its at least 50PSI !

Your generator manual will state limit cranking if engine fails to start and if prolonged cranking is necessary, close the seacock to prevent engine flooding.

This is because of the small water lift muffler that needs a running engine's exhaust pulse to push the water up and overboard. This is less of a problem in the main engines because, the mufflers are much bigger but, still very possible for the same reasons as long as water lift mufflers are used.
Your boat has water lift mufflers.

There are many boaters on here that have installed some sort of flush valves to do as you asked. I expected a larger group of examples of what they have done and the benefits of their systems.
You could do a search on here and find most of them..

Cheers,
Mark.

 

[Arl798]

Thx Mark for the info....Every day I learn a few things about marine diesels. Much Diff systems than the Diesels we use in the oilfield...