Baitwell & S/W Wash Winterization

[sluggoe]

My 02 282 is located in the northeast and one dealer says yes to winterizing the baitwell and saltwater washdown and the other says no need to do it.

What do you guys think....and if you do winterize, how do you go about it?

--slug.

 

[Lainie J]

Winterize

I had a 272 for 6 season and now a Marlin for 8 seasons. I do not winterize the washdown, bilge pumps or livewell. I run them dry for a minute or so and leave all the seacocks open. I have never had a problem in 14 years. I only winterize the freshwater system. I live on long island.

 

[Gman25]

Never did the livewell but I do the washdown. I pull the hose off the seacock and pour the pink down that hose and run the pump till I see pink at the other end. With the livewell I just let it run dry till it stops pumping water then open seacocks for the winter.Im also from LI.

________________

2005 300 Marlin w/F250's

 

[Grog]

I pull the hose off the seacock and stuff it into the gallon of antifreeze and run it to the washdown until it runs pink and a the rest to the livewell.

 

[seasick]

I had to replace a fresh water pump this season and in the box were instructions. One section said that for winterization, unscrew the inlet and outlet hoses and let them drop down to self drain. I wil do that and also add the pink stuff to my fresh water tank after I run off all the water. I pump some of the antifreeze until it runs pink at the sprayer. Then i will undo the hoses. I leave the seacocks open and do not treat the livewell although pouring a little pink in there may not be a bad idea.

 

[Simple Interest]

Better safe than sorry but if you open the sea cocks and run the raw water and live well pumps dry you should not have a problem. It does not take long to put a little antifreeze in these systems. I always run antifreeze (pink stuff) through the fresh water system and the head. Water always stay in these pumps so run the pumps until you see "pink" on the discharge side. Had the boat for 13 years in coastal NC and never have had a problem with frozen pumps or hoses.

 

[Bill_N]

Re: Winterize

I had a 272 for 6 season and now a Marlin for 8 seasons. I do not winterize the washdown, bilge pumps or livewell. I run them dry for a minute or so and leave all the seacocks open. I have never had a problem in 14 years. I only winterize the freshwater system. I live on long island.

That's what the manual tells you to do. Water can't freeze if there's none in there.....

 

[UpGrady]

I've been around boats on Lake Ontario for 30 years and have never winterized a washdown system, just pump it dry, leave the seacocks open and be done with it. Freshwater system needs to be dry and add either pink alcohol or cheap vodka to the tank, prime it til it comes out the spout and you're done. Don't forget to empty your head as well!

 

[Bassman]

Don't forget to winterize your windshield washer system or the fitting will freeze and break.

 

[sluggoe]

windshield washer

thx for all the responses;

i suspect the windshield washer water is hooked up to the freshwater system....so if i put the pink stuff in the fresh water tank and pump it thru all facucets, heater, etc it will also be pumped thru the winshield washer outlet on the wipers, right?

also, how many gallons of the pink stuff should i add if my water tank is 32 gallons??

--slugg

 

[Lainie J]

pink stuff

I buy a 6 pack, 4 in water and 2 in head.

 

[Lainie J]

Hot water heater

While on the subject. Does anyone else bypass the hot water heater or am I the only one? It is a pain in the butt to do. If you guys just run the antifreeze through the hot water heater, please let me know.
Thanks

 

[Bassman]

You will need many many gallons of antifreeze to fill the hot water tank, if you don't want to go that route you can use a air tank or small air compressor to blow out the lines and then add antifreeze. And yes you w/w fluid is from the freshwater tank, just make sure it's flowing pink or you will be replacing that hard to reach fitting like I had to!

 

[Gman25]

Re: Hot water heater

While on the subject. Does anyone else bypass the hot water heater or am I the only one? It is a pain in the butt to do. If you guys just run the antifreeze through the hot water heater, please let me know.
Thanks

I bypass the water heater. I disconnect @ the 1 way valve going into the heater and connect that to the tank output.It creates a loop bypassing the heater...then unscrew the drain valve and flick the air suction valve to help the water flow out. No need to fill the tank with pink. Then I place a piece of tape over the breaker switch on the panal for the heater so nobody accidently turns it on with no water in the tank.

____________________

2005 300 Marlin w/F250's

 

[gwwannabe]

For those of you who bypass the water heater, you can get bypass kits that make it a lot easier. Here's an example - many RV dealers carry them and I've seen them in a few boating stores.

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/it ... kit/15717#

Many RV dealers drain holding tanks, the water tank(s), water heater and then use a compressor to blow out the lines. The ones I've seen winterize only put antifreeze in the drains and toilet. The key to successful winterization is ensuring there is no standing water anywhere.

Last winter I failed to get some standing water out of the water pump strainer on the side of the pump in my motorhome and the plastic housing cracked. Never had a problem before.

This spring I found the drain fitting in the starboard fishbox broken off and thanks to this thread, I think I know how it happened. I left my boat on the lift last winter with the bimini and curtains up. The guy who installed my lift has the bow a lot higher than the stern. In heavy rain I get water in the fishboxes but it doesn't flow freely out the thru-hull. It pools in the drain hose at the fitting. I think this standing water froze and broke the fitting. It's definitely something I need to watch this year.

Gary 89 Overnighter

 

[sluggoe]

are you using a simple fitting (i can purchase at West Marine etc?) that will allow me to connect the heater input hose and output hose together so the pink stuff bypasses the water heater tank?

thx everyone for all the good responses.

-slugg

 

[Gman25]

are you using a simple fitting (i can purchase at West Marine etc?) that will allow me to connect the heater input hose and output hose together so the pink stuff bypasses the water heater tank?

thx everyone for all the good responses.

-slugg

If that was to me, Im not adding any fittings. The one way valve(on the input side of the tank) has two male ends. I disconnect the hose at the one way valve on the tank side and remove the hose on the discharge side right at the tank. I take the discharge side hose and loop it to the one way valve creating the loop. If I confused you next time Im at the boat, Ill snap a few pics for you.

 

[gradyfish22]

You can buy a scution cup like reverse funnel that will create a tight seal from the sea cock below the boat, and put the tube end into a bottle of marine/rv anti freeze, and run the pumps until it comes out the other end. I know plenty of guys who do this. I've never done it before, I run the systems dry and leave my sea cocks 1/2 open, you should NEVER store a boat out of the water with sea cocks fully closed or fully open, these 2 positions are the easiest for corrosion to lock them in place, being able to move the handle both directions will allow you to free it and keep it from breaking if necessary. Also, leaving it open allows all water to drip out of the system leaving it dry over time. Spray the sea cock from below and in the boat with WD-40 or a similar lubricant, last thing you want in the spring is a frozen sea cock that needs to be replaced.

 

[sluggoe]

for grady22: as far as closing half way, guess the same goes for the head sea cocks as well -- and spray with corrosion block or CRC; also, do u fill up the hot water tank with pink stuff or bypass it somehow?

for Gman25: if u can snap a few pics, that would be great!

seems to me if i put in 4-6 gallons of the pink stuff into my 32 gallon water tank and first pump it thru all faucets/showers, windshield washer, deck shower until it comes out and then turn on the hot water via the sink handle then that should put some pink stuff in the water heater tank....is this right?

 

[gradyfish22]

You only need enough of the RV/marine antifreeze to fill your lines once you turn them on, and then have some remain in the tanks, you do not need a lot to fill it if no water is in there. My hot water heater has never been used, I open the sea cocks 1/2 way as well for the winter. During the year they stay closed but I do periodically open them to keep them moving. I do not winterize it since it has never seen water in the hot water system by us or the original owner. To be honest I have not even tried to operate it, my marina has big clean showers with all the water I could want, no need to soap and rinse super quick in a tight area and then have the shower and cabin feel damp for a week.