[C320-list] Winterizing - Hot water heater bypass

[Jeff Hare]

Brad,

In my opinion, it isn't worth the effort to rig a bypass. 

It only takes about a half hour total to winterize the water system (more the first time you do it).  

Even if you bypass the water heater,  you'll still have to disconnect the hot water outlet line and use a shop vac or compressor to empty the HW tank. It still has nearly 2 gallons in it after it stops draining on it's own. 
It literally takes only a few min to vac out all the water lines from the varous faucets and no antifreeze needed.  Don't forget the stern shower.  

-Jeff H.
------Original Message------
From: Brad Kuether
Sender: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
ReplyTo: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: [C320-list] Winterizing - Hot water heater bypass
Sent: Oct 6, 2009 8:06 AM

Hearing from listers and even the broken when I bought the boat, apparently there is a way to "bypass" the hot water heater when running the antifreeze through the water lines.

I spent about an hour with a flashlight trying to understand what fed what and I think I might understand how its done.

Cold Line

  a.. The cold line comes in from under the pan
  b.. T's up towards the sink and water heater
  c.. T's again to split between the sink and water heater.
  d.. The end that goes towards the water heater goes through a very short metal pipe.
  e.. Then goes through a fitting an into the water heater.

Hot Line

  a.. The hot line comes out through a reinforced rubber hose.
  b.. The rubber hose has two hose clamps on each end. 
  c..  It then T's off to feed the sink, head, and cockpit shower.

I am thinking, taking the hot water line off (easy due to the hose clamps) and attaching it to the cold line somehow.

Here are the questions:

  a.. Can lines from the T's be removed taken apart whatever, and then be put back together and not leak?
  b.. Do you need another short line to do the bridging?
  c.. Any other wisdom I should know about?

Thanks in advance for any all advice.

-Brad, Mary, Monica, and Jarod
"Independence"
2004 Catalina 320 Hull 1006
Middle River, MD