Irie308
Well-Known Member
- May 28, 2013
- 2,604
- Boat Info
- 2004 420 DB, GHS Hydraulic Lift
Garmin 8600/Garmin 1222 plus
AB Mares 10 VSX with 30 hp Tohatsu
- Engines
- Cummins 450C 8.3 L Turbocharged
Perhaps the issue on the QSM winterization is the volume of pink you are supplying. If you were using the garden hose it was definitely not supplying enough flow and you were then pulling air. I can't image gravity feeding should affect the flow to your QSM's as the pumps move a tremendous amount of water. I would look to increase the size of the hose you are using to provide pink. As for the AC and Gen i too use the clear groco cap but with great success. I do find that you do have to gravity feed the AC pump and you can't allow any air in the hose before you start the feed.View attachment 136660
Just winterized my boat solo today. A little hectic running in and out of the bilge but in the end it cost me $265 in antifreeze vs $1500 to have it done for me.
11 gallons to each QSM11, 3 gallons to the generator.
I used the clear screw on cap with the hose adapter for the generator and the SeaFlush for the engines. Only because the clear cap thingy was too small for the engine strainers.
What really sucked, or should i say didn't suck was the fact that neither the engines nor the generator had enough "pull" to get the pink stuff from the bucket to engine when the bucket was in the bilge. Had to use some hose, electrical tape and placed the 5 gallon bucket in the cockpit. Even then it wouldn't pull the pink. Had to really work to prime the system to get it to flow. Once it started I was good to go.
Tried the clear cap and also the SeaFlush system for the AC units and failed miserably. The only way the AC pump (1 big pump to 4 AC units) would pull is if the seacock was open and the strainer cap was on tightly. Once I closed the seacock there was nothing I could do to prime the pump. Tried lots of gravity, funnel in the strainer while dumping pink and a few other things and no go. Strainer was full of pink but could never get the pump to pull it through.
I'm out of town for a week during this brief cold stretch but it'll be OK. Bilge is relatively warm (twin hornet 1000w heater) and the cabin is staying at 60 with the portable heater in there.