Winterize shps systems how to

boatdoc100

New Member
Apr 9, 2007
101
Toilet, raw water application: Remove hose from intske, drain strainer, pour 1 qt or so through till flushes red in in toilet. Pour remainder through toilet to holding tank.

Fresh water system: Drain water tank, drain hot water tank. Remove hot and cold lines from hot water tank and hook together. Close all faucets except the farthest forward cold faucet. Pour red pop into fresh water filter or a hose added to the intake side of the pump. Allow red to come from hot and cold faucets including the showers and the toilet(if fresh water application). Turn off pump and remove 2 lines connected at ice maker to drain. All this usually only uses 1 gallon.

A/C single: Drain sea strainer. Remove a hose anywhere in the system that is easy to get to. Use a shop vac to suck water from each end of the hoses. Pour a pint or so into each end of the hoses and blow it through till there is no back pressure. Use canned air, the shop vac or simply blow with your mouth.

Your boat is now winterized. I have a selection of different size hoses I use to hook up here or there to get antifreeze where I want it. You guys only donig one boat can just find the little piece you need and keep it for future use.
Brad
Pflieger Marine Services.
 
I don't know of any Sea Rays with raw water heads, so the obvious addition to this list is to winterize your fresh water system first, then pump the pink stuff into your heads and into the recently pumped holding tank. Spray your vacuflush gaskets with silicone as a useful first step. Do not forget to winterize your city water inlet, transom shower, galley sink sprayer, anchor wash down, engine room wash down, etc. If fresh water goes into or comes out of it during boating season, pink stuff needs to go into or out of it at winterization time.
Of course, this includes the shower sump. Clean the sump thoroughly, inspect the pump and float for proper operation, then add pink antifreeze into the shower drains until the sump pumps some pink stuff overboard.
Do not forget your windshield washers and icemaker. These need pink stuff as well. Easy since both pulll from the fresh water tank, at least on the 03 420DA.
I posted a complete witnerization checklist a while back.
You can do all this stuff yourself in a day, and ensure that it gets done right, and save yourself a ton of money in the process.
regards
Skip
 
Did my winterization today. Bypassed hot water heater and drained it. COnnected lines from water heater, then used the compressed air method to blow out all lines. Note that I blow all lines TWICE! I think doing it twice is critical to this particular technique. (As is not missing any of the water outlets) Lastly, disconnected lines to/from water pump and let them drain out.

Pink in sump, ac pan, drains, head and holding tank. Not putting Pink in the water tank or water heater this year as it took over a month to get rid of the smell this year.

Last was to fog and winterize engines. Spent alot of time looking into this. Decided to fog using the oil in filter technique. Flushed water through engines until reached operating temp. THen drained water via blue plugs. Then sent approx 4 gallons of pink through into each engine using stern drive muffler technique. (Considered removing hoses but muffs seemed easier and more thorough. Replaced oil and water filters. (Oil Filters were RIDICULOUSLY hard to get off, btw. Mangled them to turn them off.)

Last part of winterization will be to have the boat shrink wrapped and to put my bilge heater (belt and suspenders leads to better sleep at night).

Dealer already did the outdrives and genset.

Marks the official end to summer of 2007...even though it almost hit 80 degrees today...!
 
I'll add.....It's always a good idea to check with your servicing marina and more importantly your Sea Ray manual for the proper procedures when winterizing or maintaining your boat. There....someone had to say it!!!
 

Forum statistics

Threads
112,948
Messages
1,422,821
Members
60,930
Latest member
Ebrown69
Back
Top