Do you backflush the inlet hose when you winterize your raw water systems?

[mrsrobinson]

I see online where some folks use a shop vac to backflush the inlet hose, then close the sea cock handle so water doesn't come back in. This removes the water in the hose going into the strainer. I never did this with my previous boats, honestly never thought about it.

I would think one could close to sea cock handle and vacuum out any remaining water just as easy. I did do that on my previous boats.

Do you do it?

 

[quality time]

You should definitely do this when wet storing because water will be trapped inside the ball and could freeze and crack the seacock.

 

[mrsrobinson]

You should definitely do this when wet storing because water will be trapped inside the ball and could freeze and crack the seacock.

Yeah, I am thinking I got lucky, it never got cold enough, or both on my previous boats.

 

[alnav]

I found it difficult to vacuum out the hose leading from the seacock to the strainer (I stay in the water over winter) so I was never sure it was dry. Several years ago, I got a Sea Flush (https://www.seaflush.com/). One of its options is to use the blower side of a shop-vac to push air out the seacock with it open until you hear bubbles then close the seacock; then it's certain there's no water in there. I find it even more useful for injecting antifreeze into the engines and the other systems. Just looked at the website and they are NIS but there may be third party providers who may have them.

 

[Skybolt]

@mrsrobinson Greg, I answered this in your other thread. But you need to use air to blow through the seacock and then shut it while the air is still bubbling through. Then put a little -50 in there and reconnect everything.

I do this for all seacock's, on the Chesapeake this may be a little over kill. I use to have to do this on Long Island as the temps could get cold enough to burst the fittings if water were left in there.

 

[mrsrobinson]

I found it difficult to vacuum out the hose leading from the seacock to the strainer (I stay in the water over winter) so I was never sure it was dry. Several years ago, I got a Sea Flush (https://www.seaflush.com/). One of its options is to use the blower side of a shop-vac to push air out the seacock with it open until you hear bubbles then close the seacock; then it's certain there's no water in there. I find it even more useful for injecting antifreeze into the engines and the other systems. Just looked at the website and they are NIS but there may be third party providers who may have them.

Fellow member on here is loaning me his SeaFlush. I watched a video where they used a shop vac, like you said, to backflush. I have never done this before when leaving an inboards boat in the water for the winter. Dumb luck I guess coupled with it's probably warmer where I kept them, and I had a BoatSafe heater in the engine compartment.

 

[Chris-380]

I vacuum the water out. There is also a drain plug on the sea cock, it’s a small square head that you can remove to drain the water out also…. I do both

I see online where some folks use a shop vac to backflush the inlet hose, then close the sea cock handle so water doesn't come back in. This removes the water in the hose going into the strainer. I never did this with my previous boats, honestly never thought about it.

I would think one could close to sea cock handle and vacuum out any remaining water just as easy. I did do that on my previous boats.

Do you do it?

 

[Skybolt]

I vacuum the water out. There is also a drain plug on the sea cock, it’s a small square head that you can remove to drain the water out also…. I do both

The issue is not getting the water out of the strainer, it's getting it out of the hose that leads to the seacock. As you mentioned there is a drain plug on the strainer but not on the seacock.

 

[Chris-380]

Sorry

The issue is not getting the water out of the strainer, it's getting it out of the hose that leads to the seacock. As you mentioned there is a drain plug on the strainer but not on the seacock.

Sorry, if I misstated (I don’t think I did), the drain is on my sea cock

 

[Skybolt]

Sorry

Sorry, if I misstated (I don’t think I did), the drain is on my sea cock

Wish I had a set of those. Yours must have been upgraded somewhere along the way. Sorry if I miss spoke.

 

[Jaybeaux]

I vacuum the water out. There is also a drain plug on the sea cock, it’s a small square head that you can remove to drain the water out also…. I do both

That small drain plug only drains the void in the ball valve when the valve is in the closed position. It will not drain the water in the hose between the seacock and the strainer.

Jaybeaux

 

[b_arrington]

I use my Sea Flush blow the water out of the raw water supply lines, just like their video shows. It's very easy and fast. My boat is winters on the hard, but I tend do the winterization in the water before it's hauled out. The advantage to that is it's very easy to get the engine warmed up to change the oil, then do the AF in the raw water side.

I like to get the water out of the supply lines and sea cock to ensure there's no water in there that will freeze when the boat is a hauled. I've not tried to suck it out with a shop vac, but it seems like it would be difficult. Seems much easier to blow it out with the Sea Flush since I already have that tool.

 

[alnav]

One tip I can add is to not try and use a puny blower with the Sea Flush; a typical boat 2 gallon 2HP vac won't work; 5HP or above definitely. I have a big shop vac with a removable blower assembly and that seems to be ideal. It's compact enough to easily get into the ER and powerful enough for the job.

 

[b_arrington]

One tip I can add is to not try and use a puny blower with the Sea Flush; a typical boat 2 gallon 2HP vac won't work; 5HP or above definitely. I have a big shop vac with a removable blower assembly and that seems to be ideal. It's compact enough to easily get into the ER and powerful enough for the job.

That might be boat-specific. I use my wife’s small Buster B handheld vac and it works just fine. It blows out a 2.5” main intake, and 1” intakes for the AC and generator.

 

[alnav]

That might be boat-specific. I use my wife’s small Buster B handheld vac and it works just fine. It blows out a 2.5” main intake, and 1” intakes for the AC and generator.

View attachment 136626

Brad, I couldn't find the specs online but based on the price I suspect your Oreck has a pretty capable motor. I think the small one I used that didn't work well was a Home Depot Stinger.