winterizing - heater/shower

The Drake · Newbie Joined: 12 Jun 2004 Posts: 32 City: B.C. Interior

I installed a heatercraft heater & a shower system in my boat last spring. Should I worry about winterizing these units?

I usually get my dealer to do a basic winterizing on the boat...but should I do some other tasks???

For the heater, I was thinking of removing the cooling lines from the engine & blowing them out.
The shower, I would just disconnect the heater line from the engine & maybe drain the other lines.

Good enough??

MrBlean · Posted: Aug 25, 2004 12:15 am Post subject:

Yes to winterising the heater and shower. Surely if the dealer is doing the winterisation, if you tell him these are fitted he should deal with them too?

Having just fitted a heater too I have ben wondering about how best to do it. I Think I will actually remove the heat exchanger unit and store it in my house. The feed and supply lines aren't a problem as they are rubber and will expand if water freezes in them.

A well as draining my engine, I pour anti-freeze into the block by disconnecting one of the top hoses. I do that until it runs out of the block drain plugs. That way I am confident if there is any water left, it has a high concentration of anti-freeze in it.

ElmoG · Newbie Joined: 23 Jun 2003 Posts: 20

When I do it, I take the heater hoses off of the engine and blow through one till all of the water comes out the other hose.

For the shower, I take both the hot and cold tubes off of the engine and put them in a gallon of RV antifreeze and turn on the shower pump and spray it out of the boat until the red freeze comes out.

MrBlean · Posted: Aug 25, 2004 4:55 am Post subject:

Elmo - the inlet/outlet pipe for the heater matrix are toward the bottom and toward the top of the exchanger. Hence, once the water level falls below the level of the lowest pipe, blowing through it will have no effect on water in the bottom reaches of the matrix.

I'd be inclined to detach both the pipes at the engine end, lift one high and pour some anti-freeze down it. Then blow to ensure that gets into the matrix and some comes out the end of the other pipe. That way you know any water left inside the matrix is "protected".

I've only just thought this through but that's what I will plan to do this winter. Less work than removing the exchanger/blower unit!

Broccoli B · Posted: Aug 25, 2004 9:26 am Post subject:

Is it possible to just get a large bucket (5 or 10 gallons) of antifreeze and use a fake-a-lake type setup and let the boat suck it up? Does the water pump have enough power to suck water from a bucket?

MrBlean · Posted: Aug 25, 2004 9:41 am Post subject:

Yup, the raw water pump is impeller style and hence self-priming. There will be a limit to the head it can pull but a few feet should be fine.

However, you'd need to be sure that with your engine's thermostat arrangement and a cold engine that water is circulated to your heater matrix if you want to protect it also.

I mention that simply because on my MC the return to the engine is via a thermostat housing. I haven't used the boat since installing the heater so am unable to check if water always flow in the heater circuit regardless of engine temperature.

tryan · Soul Rider Joined: 06 Feb 2003 Posts: 257

do not go over a 66% mixture of antifreeze/water. beyond 66% the freeze point moves up in temperature.

i'm not a tree hugger, but drain any type of antifreeze thu your block drains and reuse it or recycle it when you pull the boat out of storage. don't dump it in the lake next spring.

hitit · Outlaw Joined: 26 Aug 2003 Posts: 178 City: Nor-Cal

What the hell. It's August still. Please don't start talking about winterization yet!!!!!

Erik · Posted: Aug 25, 2004 11:23 am Post subject:

Oh my God. A winterizing thread. First one of the summer.
I am going to start crying now!!!
Season is too short Sad

I need to move.

MrBlean · Posted: Aug 25, 2004 12:58 pm Post subject:

The weather has been so terrible here in the UK this year that it may as well be winter!

The Drake · Newbie Joined: 12 Jun 2004 Posts: 32 City: B.C. Interior

good posts!!
I like the idea of throwing some plumbing antifreeze into the lines.
Think I'll do that with the pump & heater hoses.

I'll hold off for a while. September & October are the best months to ride!!!!

tommyadrian5 · Addict Joined: 16 Sep 2003 Posts: 907

tryan, most standard marine "winterization" antifreeze is -50 degree or lower, so diluting it really doesn't hurt it too much, unless you are from canada. Not that I do it, but i'm just saying.

tryan · Soul Rider Joined: 06 Feb 2003 Posts: 257

http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF6/680.html

i'll see if the graph will post. pure antifreeze is not recommended. i guess 'marine' antifreeze is pre dilluted.