getting pink into the dockside water fitting and beyond

[thunderbird1]

... I will disconnect these lines at the various "manifold points" in the bilge and then cap all of the manifold points. That way I can use the rest of the fresh water system which will be protected by my bilge heater and my cabin heater.

Dave S: I had a similar plan, but I'm now leaning toward just filling the water heater and water lines with pink. I do plan to continue using the head during the winter months (we'll just flush with antifreeze). I am wondering where you found caps to seal off the manifold points?

 

[Stray Cat]

I looked at trying to do as Larry suggested, however on my 300 the dock side water inlet is fed into the same manifold leg as the pump outlet.

On my manifold it would seem a hydraulic lock up would result from trying to run the pump to the wash down spigot back into the dock side inlet... :smt017

Maybe enough pink would make it through before it locked up...I used a hand pump sprayer filled with pink; disconnected the dockside inlet at the manifold and shot pink through.

 

[Dave S]

I am wondering where you found caps to seal off the manifold points?

They are just 3/4 inch threaded white plastic pipe caps I bought at Home Depot in the plumbing department.....less than a buck a piece. They have a knurled finish on the outside so all you need to do is put some teflon tape around the manifold fitting thread and tighten the cap down by hand.........you dont even need a wrench. :thumbsup:

 

[PMvdb395DA]

I have another question about the system Larry uses.

What about the icemaker??

I can't imagine that you make pink ice cubes?

And I don’t know if you got a icemaker?

Peter

 

[rondds]

you dont make pink "cubes." they drop out as pink slushies!

 

[Alex D]

What I have been doing for the past few years is fill my fresh water tank with all the antifreeze I will be using (after I drained all the water). For winterizing I attach a 25 ft. hose to my fresh water wash down and now I have preasurized antifreeze anywere I need it (i.e. A/C sea strainer, dock side water connection, and even running it through my heat exchangers). This seems to work great for me.


Larry
1998 33 Sundancer

That's how I have been doing it. First I make sure the freshwater system has AF all the way through, then I use the transom wash down to do everything in the bilge

 

[PMvdb395DA]

Another tip: Don't forget your windshield washer system if you have this on your boat!!

Pink windows?! :smt017 :smt017

It is going to be a pink winter :lol:

Peter

 

[osd9]

Another tip: Don't forget your windshield washer system if you have this on your boat!!

Pink windows?! :smt017 :smt017

It is going to be a pink winter :lol:

Peter

While we're on the subject of things not to forget....If you have an anchor wash down don't forget to get some pink out of that line also....and also run some pink into the shower drain.....I like to get two cycles of the sump pump...may even want to get some pink into the bilge so that the bilge pump cycles also....anything else... :smt017


later,

 

[rondds]

ive often thought about the bilge pumps and the shower sump. those discharge hoses are so steeply angled that nothing can really lay in them - as soon as the pump cycles off, all residual stuff in the lines runs back into the sump box or the bilge. just the same, i crawl down and thoroughly clean the sump box, pour pink into it and into the shower drain and make sure it cycles and pumps overboard. i've never bothered with the bilge pumps.

good call on the anchor washdown. wet bar sinks and transom shower/fresh water washdowns are easily forgotten too. my wet bar is behind a tinted door on the flybridge and i really dont know where the heck it drains to, so i am sure to run plenty of pink out the faucet and down to wherever.

 

[PMvdb395DA]

Ok I made a list.
Hope I missed nothing.

Hot water heater.
Dock side water connection.
Transom wash down.
Anchor wash down.
Shower sump.
Transom shower.
Head shower.
Head sink.
Head sink faucet.
Vac flush toilet.
Waste holding tank
macerator including the pump
Galley faucet.
Galley sink.
Cockpit Faucet.
Cockpit sink.
Icemaker.
Windshield washer system.
Shower sump.
Bilge pumps.
Sump pump.
Cooling water discharge A/C system.


A/C seacock & strainer & flush the comp. A/C system.
Engine seacock & strainer.
Flush the heat exchangers.
Generator seacock & strainer

 

[osd9]

I'm starting to like Dancin' Dave's winterization method more and more.....Head South... :thumbsup:

 

[osd9]

What about the icemaker??

Like rondds said...just make a few pink slushies.....keep in mind here....the only real issue is to get pink stuff into the lines that feed the icemaker....everything else inside the icemaker is used to the cold...after all...its a freezer...right.... :thumbsup:

 

[osd9]

Ok I made a list.
Hope I missed nothing.

Hot water heater.
Dock side water connection.
Transom wash down.
Anchor wash down.
Shower sump.
Transom shower.
Head shower.
Head sink.
Head sink faucet.
Vac flush toilet.
Waste holding tank
macerator including the pump
Galley faucet.
Galley sink.
Cockpit Faucet.
Cockpit sink.
Icemaker.
Windshield washer system.
Shower sump.
Bilge pumps.
Sump pump.
Cooling water discharge A/C system.


A/C seacock & strainer & flush the comp. A/C system.
Engine seacock & strainer.
Flush the heat exchangers.
Generator seacock & strainer

Galley sink Sprayer....I know...because I almost forgot mine this afternoon...had to go back on board and get it done....

 

[PMvdb395DA]

[quote

Galley sink Sprayer....I know...because I almost forgot mine this afternoon...had to go back on board and get it done....

Good tip! these are the little items that you can forget.

Peter

 

[PMvdb395DA]

Did anyone already did winterize the water system with the mentioned method??

What I have been doing for the past few years is fill my fresh water tank with all the antifreeze I will be using (after I drained all the water). For winterizing I attach a 25 ft. hose to my fresh water wash down and now I have preasurized antifreeze anywere I need it (i.e. A/C sea strainer, dock side water connection, and even running it through my heat exchangers). This seems to work great for me.

Larry
1998 33 Sundancer

Peter

 

[rondds]

quick tip: rather than wait for pink slushies, take the plastic plate off the end of the icemaker mechanism (inside the freezer). there's a nut you can turn to force the icemaker to spin. spin it gently with a wrench (7/16"?) til pink comes out where water normally comes out.

 

[eldoubleu]

Did this question ever get answered?
"my question is, since this check valve/regulator is just inside the bulkhead, will antifreeze, run in from the tank (or in my case, the bypassed tank) find its way to the checkvalve, thus making the process of pumping antifreeze in through the dockside connection after the rest of the system is pinked a waste of time?"

I am winterizing the water system in my '06 260DA (dealer is doing the rest- last year I had them do it all). The Sea Ray manual for the 260 does not mention the dockside water connection in the Winterization instructions. I have never connected the boat to dockside water. Tracing the routing of the hose to the dockside connection from the distribution block, I would think that pressurizing the system with the 260's water pump would force pink into the tubing up to the valve. And, I would think any water left between the valve and the outside hose connection would run out after the dockside water is disconnected (or eventually evaporate).

I would like to avoid any "geyser effects" in the spring.....

Thanks!

 

[SeaHarley]

I connect my 5-gallon jug winterization kit hose to the city water inlet connection.
Usually, gravity feed down into the inlet works by holding it up and higher than the inlet.
With the pump OFF, I then open the wash down hose spigot until antifreeze is visible and then close it.
Remove the kit.
You're done that part.

Lee

 

[Skip]

I use a method similar to a previous post (i think). I drain my fresh water system. I add pink antifreeze. I do not bypass my hot water heater. I then turn on the 12V water pump to pressurize the system, and run pink antifreeze through all the hot and cold water lines in the boat, starting with the anchor washdown and ending up at the city water inlet in the transom locker.

To get pink antifreeze into my city water connection, I run a hose from the raw water washdown faucet in the transom locker, and connect it to the city water inlet. I turn on the spigot for the raw water washdown, and pump pink antifreeze into the city water connection.

This will work on a 260DA so long as you have a spigot for raw water washdown in the transom locker, engine compartment, etc. It has been a while since I owned my 260DA and I do not recall if that boat had a raw water washdown anywhere.

regards
Skip

 

[rondds]

The pink stuff will work it's way only as far as the check valve or regulator, whichever comes first. There's probably still a foot or so that does not get pinked. Do whatever it takes but get pink into the couple of feet btwn the dockside inlet and the checkvalve.