skibum
Well-Known Member
This is my 5th year winterizing the boat myself. Prior to this year, I would run all of the sinks until the fresh water tank was empty, pour 5 or 6 gallons of antifreeze into the water tank, and then run the sinks until the lines were full. In the spring, I had to clear the antifreeze from both the tank, and the water lines. Every year, I keep telling myself to find a way to avoid putting the antifreeze in the tank. The small amount of water left in the bottom of the tank is not going to cause a problem as it has plenty of room for expansion.
This year, I made a quick stop at Home Depot and found the $6.85 worth of parts that did the trick.
1 - SharkBite 1/2 in. Plastic FNPT Swivel Barb Adapter Model # UP526A $2.47
1 - Watts 1/2 in. x 10 ft. Clear PVC Tubing Model # SVKI10 $4.38
The tubing pushes right onto the barb of the fitting. It makes a tight fit, so no clamps are required (if you make one, put the end of the tubing into some hot water for a minute or 2 and it will be easy to push it on). I bypassed the water heater, ran the water tank dry, hooked up my tubing to the inlet of the water pump, and stuck the other end of the tubing directly into the gallon jug of antifreeze.
It took just under 3 1-gallon jugs of AF to do all of the water lines. I did not spill antifreeze all over the side of the boat trying to pour it in the water tank deck fitting, and in the spring I will only have to fill up the tank with water and add a little bleach. No more filling the tank 3 or 4 times and running it dry to get the antifreeze out of it.
Next year, I am going to use 2 of these fittings with a short piece of hose to bypass the water heater, so I don't have to bend the very stiff cold water line that goes into the HWH in a U turn in order to connect it back to the inlet of the HW manifold.
This year, I made a quick stop at Home Depot and found the $6.85 worth of parts that did the trick.
1 - SharkBite 1/2 in. Plastic FNPT Swivel Barb Adapter Model # UP526A $2.47
1 - Watts 1/2 in. x 10 ft. Clear PVC Tubing Model # SVKI10 $4.38
The tubing pushes right onto the barb of the fitting. It makes a tight fit, so no clamps are required (if you make one, put the end of the tubing into some hot water for a minute or 2 and it will be easy to push it on). I bypassed the water heater, ran the water tank dry, hooked up my tubing to the inlet of the water pump, and stuck the other end of the tubing directly into the gallon jug of antifreeze.
It took just under 3 1-gallon jugs of AF to do all of the water lines. I did not spill antifreeze all over the side of the boat trying to pour it in the water tank deck fitting, and in the spring I will only have to fill up the tank with water and add a little bleach. No more filling the tank 3 or 4 times and running it dry to get the antifreeze out of it.
Next year, I am going to use 2 of these fittings with a short piece of hose to bypass the water heater, so I don't have to bend the very stiff cold water line that goes into the HWH in a U turn in order to connect it back to the inlet of the HW manifold.
