Winterize Washdown?Through-Hull

Good News Tuna · 11-28-2006, 06:09 PM

I know this should go over at the Tech Forum, but I figured more of the Salts have washdown for the blood and all. So how does one go about getting RV antifreeze into the pump and plumbing? I understand this would be easy on some boats with a transom pickup, or other. I am talking about a boat with a through-Hull and weed guard on the bottom for pickup (see pic).

Same problem with the air conditioner and generator lines. So, whats a dog do?

bait boy · 11-28-2006, 07:41 PM

Use a suction cup with a hose attached like you find on a set of mickey mouse ears for smaller outboards. I think that the pumps will generate enough head to suck it up. if not, then top down would be the other option.

5 Salt · 11-28-2006, 08:35 PM

I open the seacock, and pull intake side hose off pump. From there I attach a funnel with long hose to intake side of pump, start pump and add antifreeze to funnel and away you go.

Shut her down and cap off the intake while you close seacock and fill the intake hose with funnel and re-attach to pump.

This is all assuming you can access the pump without major hassle.

From there

bajadan2000 · 11-28-2006, 09:02 PM

5-salt has the right idea.

To make the job easier in the future, see if you have enough room above the seacock to intall a t-fitting that will let you attach a garden hose without having to pull the washdown hose off. Then all you have to do is close the seacock, unscrew the garden hose fitting cap on the t-fitting and attach a garden hose.

The other benefit of the t-fitting above the seacock is you can convert your washdown pump into a emergency bilge pump. Just carry a short piece of hose with you in the boat. Close the seacock, install the short piece of hose on the t-fitting and stick the open end of the hose down in the bilge to suck up the water.

I have two through hull fittings on my boat like yours. Each has a seacock with the garden hose T-fitting. This gives me all kinds of redundancy. If I lose an impeller on my inboard engine I can set my washdown pump up to feed into my inboard water cooling system using the t-fittings and hose. I can also set my in-board engine up to work as a bilge pump.

5 Salt · 11-28-2006, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bajadan2000

.... If I lose an impeller on my inboard engine I can set my washdown pump up to feed into my inboard water cooling system using the t-fittings and hose. I can also set my in-board engine up to work as a bilge pump.

Now that is some creative problem solving!

tomictime · 11-28-2006, 09:53 PM

I have the welded in standpipe, so I plumbed in the "T" from radiator flush-n-fill kit. (BTW, my dad made the patterns for the molds for the packaging for that! (no, we do not get any $$$$), makes winterization easy - and yes U need to do it - new pump is spendy (ask me how I know)....
They also sell just the T, suggest double SS hose clamps - like everywhere

JD

Pilar · 11-29-2006, 06:41 AM

I've been draining the whole thing by taking the fittings apart. They just unscrew on either side of the pump. One of the few advantages of a deck over engine cockpit is you can crawl to almost anywhere under the deck and put your hands on the equipment. The pump itself may hold a small amount of water but it did no harm last winter. Pumping a little RV antifreeze to make sure there is no problem is a good idea.

I also set up an emergency pump on the main engine by plumbing a tee and isolation valve on the suction side of the belt driven seawater pump. Mainly this was to flush the engine. But after I pulled the motor last winter I realized that I could just shut the main suction and use the outdrive pump to feed the belt driven pump. It's not very practical as a bilge pump though. In the first place you may not have a running engine if the flooding is bad and second the valves are under the fishbox. A belated project is to build remote operators for the seawater valves. They are already punched through the hull and moving them is not a real option.

You got me thinking now ..... thanks.

Good News Tuna · 11-29-2006, 07:06 AM

I like Bajadans idea for the t-fitting. Seems like the kind of thing that should have been done at the factory, on all boats. A guy over at HullTruth modified a plunger with some hose and a funnel. But I think I like having a few backup bilge pumps. Boat will need about 5 of these things.

bajadan2000 · 11-29-2006, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pilar

I also set up an emergency pump on the main engine by plumbing a tee and isolation valve on the suction side of the belt driven seawater pump. Mainly this was to flush the engine. But after I pulled the motor last winter I realized that I could just shut the main suction and use the outdrive pump to feed the belt driven pump. It's not very practical as a bilge pump though. .

I agree John, my main engine tee was designed to flush the engine, and using the main engine for a back up bilge pump is at the very end of my option list. Many very bad things can go wrong doing this...I just like knowing what my last resort option is...that I never want to use...I have 5 pumps ahead of the main engine that can be used as bilge pumps. (3 full time bilge pumps, plus 1 washdown pump and 1 livewell pump that can be quickly converted over to bilge pumps using the tee system) The main engine would be bilge pump option #6...

All of my tees, seacock valves, and hoses can be reached within seconds. Sorry to hear your valve is under the fish box...