AARON IN BALTIMORE, WATER SYSTEM WINTERIZING ASSISTANCE

[aaronbocknek]

okay gang, maybe i'm missing something here. i tried winterizing my fresh water system the way i used to with my f-32 but no such luck. am i missing something here? first off, my tri cabin comes with a 22 gallon hot water heater but it does not have a bypass system. in previous years (with the f-32)i used an air pump to blow air and cleared the city water line with the taps open. then i ran the fresh water pump to drain the tanks both hot and cold. i then drained the hot water tank from a valve that was at the bottom. i then filled the fresh water tank with about 3 gallons of antifreeze. turned on both hot and cold taps and ran the fresh water pump and shut them down when pink ran out, starting from the farthest tap moving aft. i tried the same thing with the tri cabin but i get absolutely no pink from the water pump. i did however use a small pump to suck anti freeze from the bottle to the city water inlet and then, starting forward, open the cold tap until pink ran out. then into the galley, then down to the aft head sink and shower. what else do i need to do? i'm totally confused about this. it's probably something so simple i'm not seeing it. i did however disconnect the hose to the fresh water pump, drained the tank (surprised how much water was still in there), took off the intake and outlet hoses from the pump and ran the pump dry per instructions. so, what else do i need to do?
also, it is my first boat with holding tanks. how do i winterize this system?

appreciate the help.

aaron in baltimore.

[aweimer]

Not sure if this is the same being mine is so much older.

I disconnect both feeds to the hot water heater. Then with a 12" piece of hose i join both ends with some clamps. Then put 3 gallons in the water tank, turn on the internal pump.

On mine i have to cap the city inlet or the internal pump pushes out that inlet. So of course i start there and let pink come out then cap it. Then do all the internals.

Hot water tank, just drains into the bilge. I do poor a small ammount in the top inlet on the tank just to make sure i'm good on the inside.

[prowlersfish]

Aaron (in MD ) to get it to come out you may need to ad more pink then 3 gal. for the holding tanks pump them out and flush a gallons down .

[alexander38]

Aaaah welcome to the bigger boat club instead 3 gallons try 6 on you need to install a bypass in the hot water lines to the heater for sure., If you are to lay up your heads and ac's I remove the lines from my seacocks put them in a 5 gallon bucket and turn the ac pump on and run almost dry . Then do the heads the same way. Are you going to lay up your engines to ?

[Allen Sr]

Aaron you definately have to put the bypass on the hot water heater. Then pump the pink thru the system. If you can wait til next weekend (12/4) I'll come over and give you a hand. By the way my marina has the pink stuff for $4.50gal. With a dollar gallon rebate up to 5gal. Call me and I'll explain it in more detail. By the way you have had plenty of time to clean that rug!!

[rbcool]

Ditto both paul and tony.
I start by running the fresh water completely out through the cold lines, therefore not adding more water to the hot tank. Then I drain the hot tank. Are you sure theres no drain on it?? Maybe a pressure relief valve? bottom line you gotta get that tank empty or you'll have to use 22 gal of RV to winterize it.
I always add at least 6 gal. RV to fresh tank then run until empty.
You've got my number if you need more help.

Ron

[Old Flame]

Aaron, I just sent you an email with my winterizing procedures attached. We can discuss via email.

Good luck with your new boat!

[aaronbocknek]

Ditto both paul and tony.
I start by running the fresh water completely out through the cold lines, therefore not adding more water to the hot tank. Then I drain the hot tank. Are you sure theres no drain on it?? Maybe a pressure relief valve? bottom line you gotta get that tank empty or you'll have to use 22 gal of RV to winterize it.
I always add at least 6 gal. RV to fresh tank then run until empty.
You've got my number if you need more help.

Ron

hi ron, yes the hot water tank has an exterior type of spigot/faucet mounted at the very bottom of the tank. i attached a small piece of garden hose to this and drained all the water out, so the hot water tank is empty. i removed the hoses from the water pump both from the main water tank and the outlet to the 'house system' and ran the pump dry (according to the ITT-PAR winterization instructions). i then used a hand pump to inject anti-freeze from the shore hookup into the supply line (i guess it's just the cold lines). opening the taps from forward to galley to aft (shower/tub and sink). pink fluid came out of the taps so i know something was injected into the line. same for the fresh water supply to the aft head. (fwd head uses raw water but it is never used) now, i know i need to put a bypass system onto the hot water heater otherwise the hot lines are not winterized---is that correct? i know the previous owners winterized without one, but i am stumped as to how they did it.

aaron in baltimore

[aaronbocknek]

Aaron you definately have to put the bypass on the hot water heater. Then pump the pink thru the system. If you can wait til next weekend (12/4) I'll come over and give you a hand. By the way my marina has the pink stuff for $4.50gal. With a dollar gallon rebate up to 5gal. Call me and I'll explain it in more detail. By the way you have had plenty of time to clean that rug!!

hi allen, i'm on call mon thru weds and off the 2/3/4 but go back on call/duty for 5 days the afternoon of the 4th. john, my mechanic, is going to help me with the engine/genset winterizing the morning of the 10th with dad coming up to visit and watch.
if we do get together to do the bypass on the water heater, it would have to be on the 3rd or really early the morning of the 4th.

thanks for the response. i really appreciate it.

aaron