Winterizing water system

I appreciated all the comments made here to help me out. Last week, while I was out of state on a work assignment, my fiance made arrangements for winterization with a boat mechanic I had never worked with previously, but came with high recommendations from other boat owners at my marina. When I returned, I noticed the new mechanic didn't make a by-pass made to the hot water heater. Judging from the postings here, it's advisable to bypass the heater to avoid a lingering antifreeze odor next spring at commissioning.

OK, so now what do I do? Is the water system irrevocably damaged with a persistent odor?
 
Bob,
I wouldn't worry about it. If you follow my post #15, you'll be fine. I do it every year and have no issues.

Alex.
 
You'll be OK next year. I didn't bypass it last winter and I just ran two tanks of fresh water through the hot water heater 1st thing in the spring (about 40 gallons) and didn't have any problems with smell or taste. I did bypass mine this winter however.
 
Well, that makes me feel a bit better.

Excuse my ignorance, but is there a preferred method for flushing the water system in the Spring? In the past with my old boat, I just filled the water tank and opened up all the faucets. That would mean the water pump was running continuously for almost 15 minutes. Does running the water pump that long have a detrimental effect? Is there an alternative to using the water pump?

Having bought the present boat used, I'm assuming the hot water tank was installed at the factory. It appears to have what looks like plastic neophreme "quick-connect" type fittings for the in & outflow ports. Did SeaRay provide a by pass hose with the new boat; if not, can anyone suggest a source for one?
 
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Damaged? No, certainly not irreversibly. It'll just carry over a bit of smell until you've run enough water through it. That and wasted a bunch of antifreeze sitting there in the tank.
 
I wouldnt run the water pumps for more than a 20 minute duration. Give them a rest during the rinse process.
 
Just bought a 2000 Sea Ray Sundancer and the boat shop said they winterized it. But after reading our manual, we got concerned that it wasn't done right. So we put RV antifreeze in the head (i.e. toilet, sink and shower drain). But no water is coming out of the galley faucets? Does this mean they froze already? We have a camper and winterize every year, but the boat seems a bit different, is it?
 
Jody Farnsworth said:
Just bought a 2000 Sea Ray Sundancer and the boat shop said they winterized it. But after reading our manual, we got concerned that it wasn't done right. So we put RV antifreeze in the head (i.e. toilet, sink and shower drain). But no water is coming out of the galley faucets? Does this mean they froze already? We have a camper and winterize every year, but the boat seems a bit different, is it?
Click to expand...
Is the fresh water pump breaker turned on?
 
Jody Farnsworth said:
Just bought a 2000 Sea Ray Sundancer and the boat shop said they winterized it. But after reading our manual, we got concerned that it wasn't done right. So we put RV antifreeze in the head (i.e. toilet, sink and shower drain). But no water is coming out of the galley faucets? Does this mean they froze already? We have a camper and winterize every year, but the boat seems a bit different, is it?
Click to expand...

What makes you think they winterized the fresh water system wrong? Did you ask them specifically what they did?

You put AF into the head, but you didn't mention putting it into the fresh water holding tank. You won't get anything coming out of the faucets if there is nothing in the tank. FYI, with your model boat, many will bypass the tank and NOT put AF into it - just run it dry - since it's easy to get to. Then just run AF through the lines - which includes the line to the toilet. Another way is to blow the system out. Check with your marina - they may have very well done it correctly since you have no water in your lines.

Yes, roughly the same idea as an RV.
 
If they blew the lines out with an air compressor there would be no water or antifreeze to come out and as JVM225 said if the fresh water pump is not on you would not get any flow even with A/F in the tank.

-Kevin
 
Thanks for responding. Yep got it figured out. First cruiser and there's a little learning curve. A little different from our camper, but close enough to figure out easily.
 
First year we wintered we emptied the 100 gallon water tank. Blew down the lines. Put pink in the 100 gallon tank. Pumped it through the lines including the bypass on the hot water tank. Next year we just blew down the lines emptied the 100 gallon tank, drained the hot water tank, disconnected the water pump from the 100 gallon tank and took the carbon filter off the ice maker. All was fine in the spring. Main thing I feel is to flush a gallon of pink into the head and put enough in the sinks to ensure the drain lines do not have water in them. All was fine in the spring last year. If in doubt ask the marina what they did and tell them your concerns.
 
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