Winterize Raw Water System With Wet Vac

[CAMELLA]

I wanted to come up with a better way to winterize my raw water systems. I got this idea from another post and I thought I would share my design. Most other designs use either a garbage can or some sort of plastic tank. I am not using the wet vac motor during the flushing process, at this point it's only a holding tank.

On my boat I have 2 different size strainers, 2.5" and 3" NPT threads. The NPT's fittings in the picture are loose which allows me to screw them into the strainers and attach the hose. I installed a valve on both ends of the hose, this gives me better control of the antifreeze without making a huge mess. I picked the wet vac due to the size of the holding tank, it's on wheels, it had a drain built into it, and I have to use the wet vac for removing the water from the strainers. I leave my boat in the water so I also remove the raw water from the scupper to the strainer.

 

[JV II]

So, are you blowing the raw water out of the intake like to the scupper using the vacuum, then vacuuming the raw water out of your engines first? Are you pumping the antifreeze through the engines with the vacuum instead of starting the engines and using the impeller to do that?

 

[CAMELLA]

So, are you blowing the raw water out of the intake like to the scupper using the vacuum, then vacuuming the raw water out of your engines first? Are you pumping the antifreeze through the engines with the vacuum instead of starting the engines and using the impeller to do that?

I blow the water out of the scupper and vacuum out the strainer. Then I fill the wet vac holding tank up with antifreeze, connect the NPT fitting to the strainers, open the valves and turn the engines on. Same for the genset and ac lines.

 

[JV II]

I wonder what would happen if you put the NPT fittings on the strainers and turned on vacuum. Would it suck the water out of the engines? Could you use a shop vac air pressure to force antifreeze into the engines?

 

[CAMELLA]

Not sure but I had a similar set up last year for my 420DA and it worked well.

 

[belliswood]

I just finished winterizing my boat and engines. I bought the Sea Flush and used a shop vac to blow water out of the sea cock valves and then closed them. You cant suck water out of the engines or put antifreez in with a shop vac because of the impellors. They block all flow (been there tried that). The Sea Flush works great for winterizing Engines, A/c and generator. Don't have to buy anything else to go with it. Google it and watch some of the you tube videos.

 

[Air O'Nautical]

Around northern boatyards this time of year its amusing to see all the different set-ups that owners have come up with......garbage cans, Tupperware bins, big funnels, drill pumps, air compressors, blowers, the list go's on and on.....
Some ideas work better than others. I think it's fun to watch.

I like your idea because its multipurpose and most boaters already have a shop vac laying around.

Good idea,

Mark.

 

[Searaybio270]

Neat looking design.
I have the SeaFlush but may try that as I have a large shopvac and the SeaFlush doesn't give me much room for the strainers.
I wish there was a way, and I am sure there is, to start the engine from the engine room and somehow see the antifreeze come out.

 

[JV II]

Neat looking design.
I have the SeaFlush but may try that as I have a large shopvac and the SeaFlush doesn't give me much room for the strainers.
I wish there was a way, and I am sure there is, to start the engine from the engine room and somehow see the antifreeze come out.

I know, it seems like a 3 man job. I wish it were easy to pull the impeller. Then you could pump the pink into the engines slowly.

 

[CAMELLA]

It's a one man job. Remove water in strainer with wet vac, empty raw water out of wet vac. Place wet vac in cockpit, fill with antifreeze. Run the hose down to the engine room. Attach the NPT fitting to strainer(threaded type only). Attach hose to NPT fitting, open valves on wet vac system. Comfirm antifreeze is running through the hoses. Start engine or AC and watch the antifreeze in the wet vac lower, look for pink out the port holes. Turn off engine or AC unit. The trick is to have enough antifreeze in the wet vac holding tank to give you time to perform the job.

 

[Searaybio270]

I am taking a few hours today and will try that. Usually I have help, someone to watch for the pink stuff. My strainers are not the threaded type so I need to figure out a way to seat what you made into my strainer. I believe you have to have a tight system for the engine to pump/pull the antifreeze through. That was the problem I had last night with the SeaFlush - couldn't get it tight enough so the no pink came out.

 

[Air O'Nautical]

I am taking a few hours today and will try that. Usually I have help, someone to watch for the pink stuff. My strainers are not the threaded type so I need to figure out a way to seat what you made into my strainer. I believe you have to have a tight system for the engine to pump/pull the antifreeze through. That was the problem I had last night with the SeaFlush - couldn't get it tight enough so the no pink came out.

I know there's a million ways to skin a cat,

I just find it easier to pull the raw water line off the thru-hull (warm it first with a heat gun) and found a plastic reducing fitting at WMarine that fits into the raw water intake line and onto my 5 gallon jug of antifreeze. You could use the original post shop vac idea as the jug.
Its an air tight set up, I don't even open the strainers..
After watching the jug empty while fogging the carb. I don't need to see it come out of the exhaust because, 5 gallons is plenty through a closed water system.
Then, I drain the mufflers and thru-hull valves via their drain screws and reattach the raw water line. Springtime open the seacocks and start the engines.

Easy peasy, (took years to get to this point)

Mark.

P.S. anyone with raw water cooling needs to use a completely different method due to your need of getting antifreeze into the block.

 

[alnav]

I am taking a few hours today and will try that. Usually I have help, someone to watch for the pink stuff. My strainers are not the threaded type so I need to figure out a way to seat what you made into my strainer. I believe you have to have a tight system for the engine to pump/pull the antifreeze through. That was the problem I had last night with the SeaFlush - couldn't get it tight enough so the no pink came out.

Joe, there's a procedure for the Sea Flush to solve the bad seal problem that involves using a paper towel for a gasket. Essentially double fold the paper towel then tear a hole in the center of the fold and push the Sea Flush through then into the strainer; the paper towel is enough to create the seal. There's a video demo on the web site.