winterizing fresh water system

[steve mac]

When winterizing your fresh water system, does anyone use compressed air to blow out any water still in the system? I was told to hook up a compressor to the City Water inlet and let the pressure build up and then go around and open each faucet (hot water than cold) and then close and do the next one, starting at the bow wash down and working my way back.

Also, after blowing out all of the water, should I pump anti freeze through as well?

Any insight into what others do to winterize is would helpful.

 

[Sundancer]

Compressed air beats getting the anti-freeze taste out in the spring. The only concern with your plan is that the hot water tank needs to be emptied and probably bypassed. I just unhook my lines at the hot water tank and use that line to blow out the hot water side. There will be a drain on the hot water tank. I unhook before and after my water pump and use that line to blow out the cold water side. Unhooking the line from the tank to the pump allows me to drain the tank too. I don't have any lines from my freshwater system to my toilet, but some do.

 

[hack4alivin]

When winterizing your fresh water system, does anyone use compressed air to blow out any water still in the system? I was told to hook up a compressor to the City Water inlet and let the pressure build up and then go around and open each faucet (hot water than cold) and then close and do the next one, starting at the bow wash down and working my way back.

Should you not open a valve first before building pressure? It would seem too much pressure could damage the water system and create leaks later.

 

[sbw1]

When I stored in cold storage I bypassed the water heater (drained that and left the pressure relief valve and drain open) and used a compressor to blow out the water lines. Once that was done I filled the lines with -50 pink stuff and ran that through the system disconnecting the water to the ice maker. Cleaned out the holding tank, filled the vacuflush head with pink and flushed that. Put a couple of gallons of pink in the holding tank and ran the macerator until pink came out the discharge. Remember to check the freshwater line connection for the dock water hook up.

 

[ImpulseIII]

I have been using an air compressor for years to winterize my fresh water system. Hook up the compressor to the dockside water hookup, start it and go to the farthest spigot and open it till air comes out. Shut it and go to the next farthest, and so on. Do this several times until all the water is out of the system. Do not forget the hot water heater or showers. No need to build up pressure before opening a spigot.

 

[wingless]

My water heater is horizontal under the mid stateroom bunk. The ins and outs leave water at the bottom, dilluting the antifreeze.

My process changed to removing the bunk, then the heater, to dump out the water, for better protection.

Yes, it's a pain in the butt. But, the hot comes out nice and pink too.

 

[Skip]

I pump pink anti freeze through the entire system including anchor and transom wash downs, transom shower, ER washdown, icemaker, windhshield washer, and the oft forgotten galley sink spray head. I use the transom wash down and a 6' length of hose to pump pink stuff into the city water connection.

Takes a little more pink stuff, but I never worry about my fresh water system in the winter

regards
Skip

 

[mrsrobinson]

I have been using an air compressor for years to winterize my fresh water system. Hook up the compressor to the dockside water hookup, start it and go to the farthest spigot and open it till air comes out. Shut it and go to the next farthest, and so on. Do this several times until all the water is out of the system. Do not forget the hot water heater or showers. No need to build up pressure before opening a spigot.

Dumb question.....I own an air compressor and purchased a fancy pants accessory kit for it. I do not see anything in the kit that will allow me to connect the air compressor line to the dock side fresh water hose hook up on our boat. What am I missing here?

 

[JoeA]

Dumb question.....I own an air compressor and purchased a fancy pants accessory kit for it. I do not see anything in the kit that will allow me to connect the air compressor line to the dock side fresh water hose hook up on our boat. What am I missing here?

I dont know if it's the same for boats, but for rv's, they make a fresh water inlet adapter, that goes where your hose would go, and has a fitting on to put the air hose.

 

[doozie]

I have used compressor for years, I don't by pass the Water heater, blow enough air , most comes out if any is left there is enough room for expansion. On connecting it to the inlet I made up a short piece of hose with a regular hose conector on one end and a quick connect for the compressor side on the other. Bob

 

[mrsrobinson]

I pump pink anti freeze through the entire system including anchor and transom wash downs, transom shower, ER washdown, icemaker, windhshield washer, and the oft forgotten galley sink spray head. I use the transom wash down and a 6' length of hose to pump pink stuff into the city water connection.

Takes a little more pink stuff, but I never worry about my fresh water system in the winter

regards
Skip

"6' length of hose to pump pink stuff into the city water connection."

Why do you do this if your fresh water hose has has been disconnected?

Also, at our marina, they turn the dock water off and pump antifreeze thru the lines.

 

[osd9]

If you choose the compressor to the city water hook up route , wouldn't water remain in the line that goes from the fresh water holding tank, to the fresh water pump, and the line from the fresh water pump to the first T or spigot in the circuit that WON"T get blown out?

 

[ImpulseIII]

You are right, you have to disconnect the fitting and let any remaining water drain into the bilge or have a wet vac at the ready.

 

[Skip]

I pump pink stuff into the boat's city water connection so that no water sits in the fixture or anywhere in the line.

 

[Groucho]

I have always done my own..
I simply let the pump build pressure.
Open each faucet till it won't sputter more than a drop.
CLose each faucet...then open once more in the opposite order.
Dump some pink stuff in the water tank, open each faucet till it comes out pink...then close it. Drain HW tank.
Dump some pink stuff down each drain.
Done....never had a problem.

 

[rondds]

I am hesitant to rely on compressed air, although it seems that the crack staff at our marina has now switched to this technique. Bottom line there is that their use of pink stuff is inversely proportional to the price of said pink stuff. Still another reason for me to "do it myself."

1. run all faucets till fresh water tank is empty. open the drain valve on the HW tank.
2. disconnect the water line that leads from the fresh water tank to the pump and connect in a modified spackle bucket filled with 4 gallons of pink stuff.
3. disconnect the HW tank and put in my home-made PVC u-shaped bypass.
4. turn on everything one at a time til each runs bright pink. galley and head sinks, wet bar sink on bridge, shower, vacuflush, fresh water washdown, and ICE MAKER (dont forget this). I do the whole system with 3+ gallons.
5. put a 1/2 gallon or so of pink in a garden sprayer modified to connect to the dockside water input. Pump up a bit of pressure, go open up a a faucet (closest one to the dockside connection will do) til it runs pink. You have to turn the sprayer upside down to get the pink to come out, but it will come out with surprising pressure.

(take off this black hose and connect a piece of 5/8" garden hose with a small hose clamp, then screw the normal hose connector into the dockside water on the boat - it works like a charm!)

note: I do not put any pink in either the main or HW tanks. There's no way to get all the fresh water out of the tank and all the remaining water does is dilute the pink. The near empty tank is plenty large enough to allow for expansion of the water contained there-in so you wont burst the tank. The drained HWH is cylindrical and the shape will also allow for expansion of any remaining water nicely. Every inch of every water line is now filled with pure pink. Works great and keeps your tanks from getting that funky taste for the first month of the season.

 

[Converse48]

Have I mentioned that I hate winterizing? For a whole host of reasons.

I am in the pink stuff camp. Except for the duly noted dockside water connection. For that, there is an adaptor that screws into the hose connection but has a bicycle air pump connection on it. A few pumps with a bike pump an you're all done. Apparently, these are called "blow out plugs" see: http://www.amazon.com/Camco-36153-Blow-Plug-Brass/dp/B0006IX68O

I'm sorry if this has been mentioned already on this thread, there's only so much I can stomach on this topic so I only read the last few posts (backwards).

 

[steve mac]

Thanks everyone for the great tips. Unfortunately, it's time to start doing some winterizing