Nice checklist by "Jking". If I could add, don't forget the bilge pump. The check valve holds a certain amount of water in the hose, and I think it is a good idea not to have water freeze around the keel bolts. I use windshield antifreeze in the bilge (cheaper) and let the bilge pump run a little, just to fill the hose.
Erik
Haul #309
Winterizing water heater
Moderator: KenKrawford
Re: Winterizing water heater
Winterizing now - I have a couple of questions - 1st -
Do I take the hose off the thru hull from the engine into a bucket of AntiFreeze and flush thru a couple of gallons? is that how? that's it for engine?
Do I take the hose off the thru hull from the engine into a bucket of AntiFreeze and flush thru a couple of gallons? is that how? that's it for engine?
Re: Winterizing water heater
Yes, disconnect the hose from the engine thru hull and sticking in a bucket of automotive coolant. Start the engine and let it idle until you (or your helper) sees "green" coming out the exhaust thru hull. That will protect the raw water side of your engine's cooling system.
If coolant in the engine is old, a good time to replace it and use the old coolant for the raw water side.
Brett
If coolant in the engine is old, a good time to replace it and use the old coolant for the raw water side.
Brett
Brett Wolfe
C350 #180
"Vindaloo"
Ft Myers FL
C350 #180
"Vindaloo"
Ft Myers FL
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KenKrawford
- Posts: 614
- Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2005 8:54 pm
- Location: Atlanta, GA
Re: Winterizing water heater
Nice tip on a clever way to recycle old engine coolant Brett. Thanks.
Ken Krawford
Message Board Moderator
C350 # 351
Lake Lanier, GA
Message Board Moderator
C350 # 351
Lake Lanier, GA
Re: Winterizing water heater-Now I am just like you
This fall was able to snag a mechanic that used to work for a Catalina dealer and with Gerry regarding the 350 specifically.
He diagnosed that my H20 manifold was incorrectly hooked up from the factory
-the red hose at the end of the HWH manifold should have been switched with the first red hose next to it on the manifold. The end of the manifold has a straight black connector/spigot and the first red hose next to it an L shaped black connector/spigot (or vice versa I cant remember) So the shape of the black connector/spigots prevented the hoses from being accidentally switched after purchase. He snipped off of both hoses, the factory hose bands that need a special tool to replace with identical new; he pulled out the black connector/spigots and interchanged them, first adding my hose clamps to clamp down and VOILA! I winterized just like you all.
2 gals of antifreeze instead of 12. Avoids putting antifreeze in H20 tanks that have to be pumped out in the spring (I had already pumped all the H20 out of fwd & aft H20 tanks as well as drained the HWH and bypassed)) What a deal!
He also had made a winterizing bucket contraption he brought with him that was really cool.
He took what looked to be a 2'-2'.5" tall white square container with a removable lid (like you would get from buying bulk cookies at Costco or Sam's club product) and metal wire handle, cut a small hole in the bottom, fitted with some kind of rubber washer and plastic hose connector; connected what looked to be a 2 ft clear with white lines (H20?) hose with another 1' of white flexible accordion type hose, with a hose connector on the end of that; all secured with hose clamps. The flexible hose is added to get in tight places. He went under the kitchen sink, disconnected the H20 hose at the H20 pump,hooked up his flex hose contraption and gravity fed through the entire H20 system just by opening taps/shower heads, right and left side to get hot & cold. HWH already bypassed. Used the same to winterize the toilet pump at the lake/sea H20 thru hull in bow berth. Had I not already winterized the A/C he would have used his contraption there as well. Think he uses same contraption for the engine but with heavier duty antifreeze - the blue or green instead of pink.
"Bucket Contraption Thing" is now on my Christmas List.
Teri
He diagnosed that my H20 manifold was incorrectly hooked up from the factory
-the red hose at the end of the HWH manifold should have been switched with the first red hose next to it on the manifold. The end of the manifold has a straight black connector/spigot and the first red hose next to it an L shaped black connector/spigot (or vice versa I cant remember) So the shape of the black connector/spigots prevented the hoses from being accidentally switched after purchase. He snipped off of both hoses, the factory hose bands that need a special tool to replace with identical new; he pulled out the black connector/spigots and interchanged them, first adding my hose clamps to clamp down and VOILA! I winterized just like you all.
2 gals of antifreeze instead of 12. Avoids putting antifreeze in H20 tanks that have to be pumped out in the spring (I had already pumped all the H20 out of fwd & aft H20 tanks as well as drained the HWH and bypassed)) What a deal!
He also had made a winterizing bucket contraption he brought with him that was really cool.
He took what looked to be a 2'-2'.5" tall white square container with a removable lid (like you would get from buying bulk cookies at Costco or Sam's club product) and metal wire handle, cut a small hole in the bottom, fitted with some kind of rubber washer and plastic hose connector; connected what looked to be a 2 ft clear with white lines (H20?) hose with another 1' of white flexible accordion type hose, with a hose connector on the end of that; all secured with hose clamps. The flexible hose is added to get in tight places. He went under the kitchen sink, disconnected the H20 hose at the H20 pump,hooked up his flex hose contraption and gravity fed through the entire H20 system just by opening taps/shower heads, right and left side to get hot & cold. HWH already bypassed. Used the same to winterize the toilet pump at the lake/sea H20 thru hull in bow berth. Had I not already winterized the A/C he would have used his contraption there as well. Think he uses same contraption for the engine but with heavier duty antifreeze - the blue or green instead of pink.
"Bucket Contraption Thing" is now on my Christmas List.
Teri
Re: Winterizing water system - Catalina error
Greetings from the Windy City!
Update: November 2018 my mechanic came out and discovered that Catalina had hooked up my H20 manifolds incorrectly - validated by factory hose clamps that require a special tool as opposed to those purchased in the store. Apparently the previous marina that did my winterizing had figured it out and neglected to mention it. Voila - all winterizing issues resolved and this is the 2nd year I'v winterized quickly, easily and with 3-4 gallons of pink stuff.
Wahoo!!!! Now everything y'all said is true!
Teri
Update: November 2018 my mechanic came out and discovered that Catalina had hooked up my H20 manifolds incorrectly - validated by factory hose clamps that require a special tool as opposed to those purchased in the store. Apparently the previous marina that did my winterizing had figured it out and neglected to mention it. Voila - all winterizing issues resolved and this is the 2nd year I'v winterized quickly, easily and with 3-4 gallons of pink stuff.
Wahoo!!!! Now everything y'all said is true!
Teri
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stevewitt1
- Posts: 22
- Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2022 12:36 pm
Re: Winterizing water heater
WOW I found out my boat was plumbed wrong too but on the cold manifold.
I took off the red on the end of the red manifold and the blue that was labeled {water heater} to drain the water heater and water came out through the manifold, not from the blue one I unhooked labeled water heater. I cracked the feed one [end of blue manifold] and that turned out to be the line that should have been feeding the water heater.
But, here's where it gets freaky, I capped the end of the blue manifold where the water heater feed was put in error and made a jumper to go from an unused port on the blue manifold to the end of the red manifold where it would have been fed by the red from the water heater. I put a line from the inlet side of my demand pump down in a jug of antifreeze,
OK Ready for this? before turning on the valve on the cold manifold I turned on the pump and started going from on faucet to another but only opening for cold water. While doing this red antifreeze showed up in the hot water manifold!!!! How did it get there??? I had a clear tube jumping between the unused port on the cold water manifold and the warm water manifold but none of the antifreeze had gone through my jumper yet!!!!
HELP
Steve
I took off the red on the end of the red manifold and the blue that was labeled {water heater} to drain the water heater and water came out through the manifold, not from the blue one I unhooked labeled water heater. I cracked the feed one [end of blue manifold] and that turned out to be the line that should have been feeding the water heater.
But, here's where it gets freaky, I capped the end of the blue manifold where the water heater feed was put in error and made a jumper to go from an unused port on the blue manifold to the end of the red manifold where it would have been fed by the red from the water heater. I put a line from the inlet side of my demand pump down in a jug of antifreeze,
OK Ready for this? before turning on the valve on the cold manifold I turned on the pump and started going from on faucet to another but only opening for cold water. While doing this red antifreeze showed up in the hot water manifold!!!! How did it get there??? I had a clear tube jumping between the unused port on the cold water manifold and the warm water manifold but none of the antifreeze had gone through my jumper yet!!!!
HELP
Steve