www.iFourWinns.com

I have a bit of a dilemna on what to do with the water system on our boat over the winter. We will use the boat quite a bit over the course of the winter so its very important to have water available while we are on the boat. The problem lies in that it will get cold enough to freeze more than once over the course of the winter (not likelly less than 20 degrees). It doesnt make sense to put antifreeze in the water system all the time and have to continually flush it out to use it for an overnight stay or weekend stay.

What should I do?

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Current Boat:
2004 Sea Ray 320 Sundancer "Nauti Luvin'"

Previous Boats:
1999 298 Vista "Seas The Day"
2008 H200SS "Nauti Luv"
2006 Tahoe Q4

If you have a bilge heater to keep the tank form freezing up you could rig up something to blow air into the external water connection.

When you are ready to leave for the week you could blow all the lines out thru that connection without draining your tank. then when you return you just need refill the lines with the pump.

You will either have to shut the water heater off and drain that with the lines or you could probably rig a couple valves and do a bypass of the water heater to be able to keep that on so you have hot water right away.

_________________
Jeff

'14 Cruisers 380 Express "Simon Sez"
Merc 8.2 Mag MPI 380
DTS B3X, (x2) Axius Premier


(SOLD)
'08 V318
Merc 350 Mag MPI 300
DTS Seacore, B3 (x2)

_________________
2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

I do have a bilge heater. Another thing I have done is set my heater to the lowest setting (55 degrees) so at the very least, the inside of the boat is kept warm enough to prevent freezing. We have not yet had the dockside water connected (had water in the onboard tank). Beginning this weekend, I intend on connecting the dockside water and using it as my water supply. I dont have any sort of compressed air available at the dock, so one of those nipples wont really work for me.

_________________
Current Boat:
2004 Sea Ray 320 Sundancer "Nauti Luvin'"

Previous Boats:
1999 298 Vista "Seas The Day"
2008 H200SS "Nauti Luv"
2006 Tahoe Q4

Buy one of those jump starter battery packs with a built in compressor. You will want one on the boat at all times anyway, just in case you need it, or a fellow boater needs a jump start.

What do your slip neighbors due this time of year to their water systems ?

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

It seems to me that a cigarette lighter type of pump isnt going to have the pressure to truly blow out the lines unless I guess you let it build 20-30 lbs of pressure (manual says no more than 35 psi of water pressure) and then open each faucet individually after the pressure builds.

I need to ask a few slip neighbors to see what they do.

_________________
Current Boat:
2004 Sea Ray 320 Sundancer "Nauti Luvin'"

Previous Boats:
1999 298 Vista "Seas The Day"
2008 H200SS "Nauti Luv"
2006 Tahoe Q4

Not sure if you understand.....

Not a cig lighter inflatable toy compressor. A self contained unit. Like this.
Compressor is 120 psi. Enough pressure ???

Stanley 500 Amp Jumper Battery Jump-Starter With Compressor AC Charger



Ours is always on board, never leave the dock without it.

_________________
One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

I agree those do make enough pressure...no question about that. What I am getting at is that its not like a regular compressor that has a reserve tank to give you a "blast" of air to blow out the lines.

_________________
Current Boat:
2004 Sea Ray 320 Sundancer "Nauti Luvin'"

Previous Boats:
1999 298 Vista "Seas The Day"
2008 H200SS "Nauti Luv"
2006 Tahoe Q4

But.......... never mind.

_________________
One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Cap'n....Im not an idiot...I understand that this unit will create enough pressure if left attached and allowed to build up in the system. Those pumps dont have the capability of blowing out a line unless its left pressurized is my concern. If you let it build to say 35psi and open one faucet....it wont take long to bleed out the pressure as there isnt a solid supply of air behind it like a compressor would have.

I am thinking of it like this....lets say you are using a die grinder with a huge compressor behind it. A die grinder uses a LOT of air volume and it take a good sized compressor to supply it. Just because this self contained unit you used as an example is capable of 120psi doesnt mean it could run a 100psi required die grinder simply because it has no reserve tank to hold any sort of volume to provide a constant air stream.

Heck, I dont know...I've never messed with this sort of thing before.

_________________
Current Boat:
2004 Sea Ray 320 Sundancer "Nauti Luvin'"

Previous Boats:
1999 298 Vista "Seas The Day"
2008 H200SS "Nauti Luv"
2006 Tahoe Q4

I know its easy for me to say, but I don't think you will have to worry about getting every drop out of the lines. I would equate it to my underground sprinkler system, the guys comes with a big compressor, but you never really get all the water out. As long as the line is not completely full and it freezes it wont break the line. Along with the lines are plastic so there is some flex to the line vs like copper.



It is a good question what everyone else around you does.

_________________
Jeff

'14 Cruisers 380 Express "Simon Sez"
Merc 8.2 Mag MPI 380
DTS B3X, (x2) Axius Premier


(SOLD)
'08 V318
Merc 350 Mag MPI 300
DTS Seacore, B3 (x2)

Oh yeah, you can buy one of those pancake compressors pretty cheap to blow the lines out if you dont think the self contained one wil do the trick.

_________________
Jeff

'14 Cruisers 380 Express "Simon Sez"
Merc 8.2 Mag MPI 380
DTS B3X, (x2) Axius Premier


(SOLD)
'08 V318
Merc 350 Mag MPI 300
DTS Seacore, B3 (x2)

We use the boat all winter and keep the water systems going. Our lows in the winter are in the low 30'-mid 20' with the occasional dip below 20. We are moored and when the temp is going to drop below 20 and not get to freezing for a couple days I turn on the water heater, put a small heater in the cabin and put a heater/dehumidifier in the bilge, even on the hook at 15 I haven't had any freezing problems with no heat. I doubt the water temp in your area gets down to the upper 30's, if your water is in the 50's or higher I wouldn't do anything unless the air was going to stay below 25 for more than 2 days.

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2000 268 Vista "Reely Nauti"
http://www.facebook.com/#!/rivercruiser

Another thought for blowing out the lines would be to use a portable air tank that you can take from home that would provide adequate air pressure. Theyre relatively cheap to buy.

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2011 Bennington 2075 GLi
2012 Key West 211 DC
2005 Four winns 180 Horizon LE
1997 Horizon QXsold
2000 248 Vistasold
2002 Key West 2020WA sold

Maybe a dumb question, but aside from flushing the head what are you using fresh water for on the boat during the winter months? If I were in your position I might just go ahead and winterize the system so I didn't have to worry about it. Then use bottled water for drinking and a couple of jugs of water for flushing and dishes. Just a thought.....then you won't lose any sleep over busting a water line on your brand new boat.

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'01 Vista 298