Winterizing water system

bob

New Member
May 15, 2007
110
Saco River/Coastal Waters--Maine
Boat Info
240 Sundancer 2000
Engines
5.0 Mercruiser w/Bravo III
Pulling the boat out of its slip this weekend and will start the winterizing soon after. My question is what is the best way to winterize the water system?

On previous boats, I accomplished this by running the faucets until dry; then adding RV type of antifreeze, (and a little bit of water), until the liquid coming out of the faucets were the same color as the antifreeze. My 240 DA owner's manual suggests blowing out the water system with compressed air.

Which method do you use? If you "blow-out" with compressed air, from which point would you inject the air?

Moderators: After posting this thread, I realized it probably should belong in the "Winterizing" forum. Please move it as you see fit.
 
Last edited:
I use both methods. First I bypass my water heater after draining it. Then you will need to get the air blow out adapter from West to go on your dockside water inlet. Connect air compressor at 25-28 psi. open each facuet 2x. Pink in tank and run to each facaut. lastly I pump a little pink into the hot water heater from the openings or from the outside pressure vent (after opening the vent release). That's basically it.
 
I have used the compressed air method as well in the past on my 240 SD. I remove the intake to the fresh water pump and use a rubber tipped gun against the intake opening to blow air thru the lines. I do one line at a time and remove the sprayer hose on those lines that have them. It is easier to do the job with a helper because you must also turn on the water pump momentarily while blowing air thru each line.
 
I follow these steps from my general checklist:

*** Winterizing Water System ***
1. Make sure all water is drained from all facets and heater
2. Put few gallons of -50 antifreeze in the water tank.
3. Start running antifreeze water from the furthest facet (head). Do hot and cold
facets separate.
4. Run it in shower facet in to shower drain. Make sure that shower drain lines have
enough antifreeze.
5. Run antifreeze water in the galley.
6. Run antifreeze water through the swim platform shower.
7. Open water heater valve and let it drain until mostly pink antifreeze starts to come out.
8. Flush the head several times to make sure enough antifreeze gets in to the VacuFlush
system and the holding tank.

This method doens't require disconnecting anything and worked fine for me.

Alex.
 
I recommend bypassing the hot water heater.
 
Agree with bypassing the water heater. Drain it, leave the pressure relief valve and drain open and you are done. Make sure any fresh water sumps are clean and dry and then pump a little pink overboard. Don't forget your transom shower. Run pink out the shower handle. Do the head as a seperate project. Pump holding tank dry and irrigate it a lot and pump it empty. Flush it to make sure pink flows through the water line to the bowl. Then fill the bowl with pink and flush that through. If you have a macerator, pump it onto the ground until pink comes out. Blowing the lines out prior to all of these steps helps to insure that the pink you see coming out is undiluted. It also insures that the shore power water line has no water behind a check valve.
 
If all the water is drained, why use anti freeze?

Only because there's no such thing as 100% guaranty that ALL of the water is out. This is a extra insurance for me. Also, I could be mistaken, but chances are that when you strt running hot water facets the water heater should get filled first anyway.

Alex.
 
Bob, Most of these guys are right on the money. Let me add this, Instead of using compressed air(to timely getting things together and damage could be done) simply drain the fresh water tank as they say. Drain hot water tank and bypass it. Never put antifreeze in the fresh water tank, you will never get it all out and will smell like rotten eggs forever. Remove the hose on the intake side of the water pump. Open faucet as far forward as possible. Pour antifreeze into pump very slowly so as to make air get in. Open and close all facets, showers, flush vacuflush, and pull feed line off ice maker. This will winterize entire boat in less than 10 min. with less than 1 gallon of antifreeze. I lay up 100's of boats a year this way.
Brad
Pflieger Marine Services.
When done simply flush 1 gallon through toilet to holding tank.
 
Can someone give me easy instructions for bypassing the water heater? I may try winterizing this year. And why is the water heater bypassed...just to save using 6 extra of antifreeze or does it affect the taste? Since MM purchased the local dealer, which was Port Arrowhead, it seems as if they have gone to some sort of "national" pricing for service. Winterizing my boat this year would be around $680.
 
Some boats are plumbed with a by pass. My 37 was not. To bypass it, I drained the tank first and left the pressure relief valve and drain open. I disconnnected the fresh water hose that fed water into the heater and did the same with the hose that came out of the heater. I connected the two of those with a piece of copper pipe that had the same outside diameter as the inside diameter of the heater hoses. It is only necessary to force fit them as this is not a high pressure system. You are now ready to pump pink through the potable water system and the line to the head. I usually left the copper bypass in place as a reminder to look at lines and stuff in the spring time prior to starting the system up again. You can flush the pink out in the spring this way too and not run it into your water heater where it can cause foaming and smells.
 
There are two ways to bypass the heater. One is to add valves to the heater that shunt water away from it. The other is to remove the hoses from it and use a section of pipe as suggested above. I added a camco by-pass kit, the one with a single valve. I just turn the valve and the cold water inlet into the heater is bypassed over to the hot water return line (which has a one-way flow preventer). Then it's just a matter of draining the tank using the drain valve and the pressure relief valve. The tank then just sits empty with nothing in it. This saves you from having to waste any antifreeze inside the tank.
 
My water heater has a heat exchanger with heater hoses going to and from the Starboard engine. (Plumbed from the water pump like a heater coil in a car.)
Any recommendations on that side of the water?
I assume it should flow antifreeze in that direction when I winterize the engine.

But I'm worried because you know what happens when you ass-ume.

I'm lucky (maybe) that my water system has the quick (hand turn) fittings. To bi-pass the water heater, I just bought a 1/2 x 4" or so plastic threaded pipe nipple.

Good tip on the smell caused by the antifreeze. My boat was winterized before I bought it and I had no clue what caused that bad smell in the hot water. Luckily I don't think they put it in the water tank.



Question: What's the difference between the RV or potable water side antifreeze and what is used in the engine? (If any)
 
Never put antifreeze in the fresh water tank, you will never get it all out and will smell like rotten eggs forever. quote]

Boatdoc100,
I have to disagree with you on this. I use it all the time and in the spring I follow this method to make it clean again. At the end of the procedure below I fill the water tank and drain it through all farcets twice. This makes it nice and clean.

Alex.

Sanitizing Fresh Water System
The fresh water system should be sanitized before initial use, after winter storage or when system has not been used for extended periods of time.
NOTE: The water tank must be empty before beginning the sanitizing process.
1. In an appropriate size bucket, make a solution of 1-1/4 cups (10 oz.) of household bleach and 5 gallons (19 liters) of fresh water.
2. Dump water into water tank and allow treated water solution to remain in water tank for 3 to 4 hours.
3. Use faucet pump to bleed air from the fresh water line.
4. Drain treated water solution from the lines and empty tank.
5. Flush entire system with fresh water.
IMPORTANT: Thoroughly flush entire system with fresh water after each sanitizing process.
If fresh water has an excessive chlorine taste after sanitizing the system:
1. Pour a solution of 1 quart (approx. 1 liter) of vinegar and 5 gallons (19 liters) of fresh water into tank.
2. Allow solution to stand in tank for several days.
3. Drain entire system and flush with fresh water.
IMPORTANT: Thoroughly flush entire system with fresh water after treatment.
Initial Start-Up
1. Sanitize the system as described above.
2. Fill the fresh water tank with drinking water.
3. Operate the faucet until a steady flow of water is visible.
4. Refill the tank to capacity if necessary.
 
Never put antifreeze in the fresh water tank, you will never get it all out and will smell like rotten eggs forever. quote]

Boatdoc100,
I have to disagree with you on this. I use it all the time and in the spring I follow this method to make it clean again. At the end of the procedure below I fill the water tank and drain it through all farcets twice. This makes it nice and clean.

Alex.

Sanitizing Fresh Water System
The fresh water system should be sanitized before initial use, after winter storage or when system has not been used for extended periods of time.
NOTE: The water tank must be empty before beginning the sanitizing process.
1. In an appropriate size bucket, make a solution of 1-1/4 cups (10 oz.) of household bleach and 5 gallons (19 liters) of fresh water.
2. Dump water into water tank and allow treated water solution to remain in water tank for 3 to 4 hours.
3. Use faucet pump to bleed air from the fresh water line.
4. Drain treated water solution from the lines and empty tank.
5. Flush entire system with fresh water.
IMPORTANT: Thoroughly flush entire system with fresh water after each sanitizing process.
If fresh water has an excessive chlorine taste after sanitizing the system:
1. Pour a solution of 1 quart (approx. 1 liter) of vinegar and 5 gallons (19 liters) of fresh water into tank.
2. Allow solution to stand in tank for several days.
3. Drain entire system and flush with fresh water.
IMPORTANT: Thoroughly flush entire system with fresh water after treatment.
Initial Start-Up
1. Sanitize the system as described above.
2. Fill the fresh water tank with drinking water.
3. Operate the faucet until a steady flow of water is visible.
4. Refill the tank to capacity if necessary.

I understand my friend but if you dont put it in there you dont have to go through that.
 
That is a good question. This a real good reason to use Blue antifreeze because that heat exchanger in the hot water tank can hold up to a gallon of water. There is no way to get it all out. Remember it takes water (or liquid) to move water. After the engine has been drained and the manifolds. The engine is started and reved as discribed in my earlier posts. This reving will push much(not all) of the water into the block and out the drain plugs that were pulled. Pouring 2 gallons into the block as discribed and then running 2 through the intake will get that heat exchanger winterized.
Brad
Pflieger Marine Services
 
I understand my friend but if you dont put it in there you dont have to go through that.

Actually Boat doc you do have to do something very similar to what he described just to have safe drinking water when you turn the system on. The step the poster left off is the extensive flushing with fresh water just to get rid of the pink smell and taste. After he follows a bypass procedure he will find that it is easier to get good tasting water with less work. People who charge by the job figure this stuff out quickly. People who enjoy messing around with boats are under no such pressure. :)-)
 
Actually Boat doc you do have to do something very similar to what he described just to have safe drinking water when you turn the system on. The step the poster left off is the extensive flushing with fresh water just to get rid of the pink smell and taste. After he follows a bypass procedure he will find that it is easier to get good tasting water with less work. People who charge by the job figure this stuff out quickly. People who enjoy messing around with boats are under no such pressure. :)-)

Not quite sure what you are refreing to but you did make my oint, A bypass is faster, safer and cheaper.
 
Not quite sure what you are refreing to...

The point I was making is you do need to follow the procedure he describes to make your potable water safe to drink. If it has the added advantage of getting rid of the antifreeze smell and taste that would be a good thing. If you want safe water, you'll be doing something like this every year. Your post suggested there was no need to sanitize the system if you bypass the water heater. That's all....
 

Forum statistics

Threads
112,948
Messages
1,422,806
Members
60,930
Latest member
Ebrown69
Back
Top