Winterizing Fresh Water System

[Water U Lookin' At]

Hi All,

This is my first winter with my 300DA and I'm doing all my own winterization.

I poured 3+ gallons of anti-freeze in my water tank, and proceeded to open all the faucets. However, my galley sink faucet didn't produce anything but a trickle of water. All other faucets eventually sprayed pink fluid.

Any ideas as to why the galley sink might not have received the anti-freeze? I was hoping someone else might have experienced this before. Thanks in advance!!

Eddie

 

[rondds]

hey water

good luck with the boat and i like your name!

three gallons isnt all that much pink stuff for a boat your size with that many "miles" of plumbing. they recommend turning on the faucet FURTHEST from the source of pink first. then move closer as you turn on stuff. maybe you ran out the tank contents by the time you got to the galley faucet??

 

[Water U Lookin' At]

Thanks

Thanks for the reply! I'll try just that faucet, now that everything else is winterized. Luckily it's been warm in the MD area still. So, chance of freezing has been minimal.

Take care,
Eddie

 

[Crushin It]

Hey Water!

When you figure it out let me know!! Where in MD??

 

[chef_doctor]

Hi All,

This is my first winter with my 300DA and I'm doing all my own winterization.

I poured 3+ gallons of anti-freeze in my water tank, and proceeded to open all the faucets. However, my galley sink faucet didn't produce anything but a trickle of water. All other faucets eventually sprayed pink fluid.

Any ideas as to why the galley sink might not have received the anti-freeze? I was hoping someone else might have experienced this before. Thanks in advance!!

Eddie

If you have a hot water heater, the FW pump will push everything into it and pressurize it first. Thats a six gallon fill. It takes me about 10 gals to do my boat (FW system only). Once you've run the pink stuff through all the lines and the toilet, you can drain the hot water heater into a bucket and reuse it for the holding tank and anything else you have. Dont forget to leave the hot water tank drain valve OPEN. You can having a water heater bypass installed and avoid filling the hot water tank but you'll still need to drain it and leave the Drain open.

 

[Stray Cat]

I started with 7 gallon, and ended up using about 14 gallon of pink stuff to winterize our 300DA. That covered the fresh water system, AC, and genny.

I let the yard do my engines.

 

[thunderbird1]

I used 18 gallons so that I would have some extra pink in the fresh water tank to flush the head if needed. Next year I may try bypassing the hot water heater to reduce the number of gallons required.

 

[Bottom Line]

I had the SR dealer do my winterization this year...I was charged for 12 gallons of antifreeze.

 

[jg300da]

Ditto, 10-12 gallons and that's with the water heater isolated and drained. Don't forget to pumpout twice and then pour 1 gallon in the head and flush to the holding tank. Also, remove the cover to the AC condensate/shower pump below the cabin floor and slowly pour another gallon in there and let the float cycle the pump a few times. Also, very important, don't forget to remove the brass caps from the ends of the water manifolds in the bilge.

 

[Stray Cat]

Also, very important, don't forget to remove the brass caps from the ends of the water manifolds in the bilge.

Could you elaborate on this...if the manifolds are full of pink stuff, would this need to be done?

 

[PMvdb395DA]

Also, very important, don't forget to remove the brass caps from the ends of the water manifolds in the bilge.

Could you elaborate on this...if the manifolds are full of pink stuff, would this need to be done?

And what are brass caps???

 

[skolbe]

If you have Whale fittings on your hot water heater. You can bypass it in the matter of a minute. Then you won't have to waste so much antifreeze. The fittings just require you to pull the retainer clip out and push down on the top of the fitting and pull the hose out. Then after you remove both you just push the cold and hot water line together with one fitting.

 

[jg300da]

Just an added margin of safety in case it gets bitter cold. It provides an outlet for expansion. The brass caps are located on each end of the water manifold.

 

[PMvdb395DA]

Just an added margin of safety in case it gets bitter cold. It provides an outlet for expansion. The brass caps are located on each end of the water manifold.

Ok now I know, we call the freeze caps.. (free translated)

 

[Water U Lookin' At]

Been away awhile - Thanks for the responses!!

Everyone, thanks for the replies!! I think I just needed to put more anti-freeze in my system. I have a bilge heater and a cabin heater going on the boat. I'm just being anal about my first winterization.

 

[RiverGalsMan]

Water,

I do my winterization and did two winters with my 300, two before that ith my 260. Basically you've got all good advice.

My simple system: Bilge and cabin heaters, pink stuff in all the water systems & holding tank. Fill gas tank(s) and add stabilizer. Change oil and filters and run the engines and generator every couple of weeks. 18 gallons of pink stuff did it for me, including the water heater. I figure leaving the water heater in the loop keeps the process that much simpler. Adding more pink stuff will make the difference as you'll have enough to get it everywhere it needs to go.

This year I had no choice but to leave the water heater in the loop and fill it with pink stuff... I can't find it :smt017 I know the boat has one, but I can't find it. I called my dealer and they say it's in the bilge/engine compartment... wrong. Not there. Finding it will be a spring project.

Anyway, sounds like your winterization is on track, just don't forget to get an oil change before winter. I think everyone agrees there should be fresh oil in the engine before winter lay up.

 

[rondds]

you can NEVER be TOO anal about winterization of a boat! :thumbsup:

 

[Skip]

If you go to my thread on 420DA winterization lessons learned it may be helpful to you. I include in that thread my winterization checklist--including all freshwater outlets in my 420--anchor washdown, galley sink sprayer, windshield washers (thanks DOM!), icemaker, transom shower, fresh water fill in the transom trunk, etc. And no, there is no such thing as too detail oriented at winterization time. Mother nature is one cold bit$h and the penalty paid for improper winterization can be a steep one.

regards
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