[C320-list] easy way to winterize the raw water and conform toABYC code?

Fri Oct 21 16:35:49 PDT 2011

Jeff, not your BAD I've got a running battle going on with my Club over the antifreeze issue. Our Canadian Fisheries and Oceans makes it illegal to put anything deliterious into the water, even propylene glycol which is listed as a 'low tox" antifreeze not "no tox".I never looked at plumbers antifreeze the way you described it below and if Yanmar is happy with it in the raw water system I'll probably convert.Cheers and thanksJohnM1999#574 > From: Catalina at thehares.com
> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
> Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:26:28 -0400
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] easy way to winterize the raw water and	conform	toABYC code?
> 
> Major correction from my last post... Sorry my bad....   I screwed up by not reading it as carefully as I should have.
> 
> I read "Propylene glycol" and was thinking you meant "Ethylene glycol", which we mostly agree is just generally too dangerous in this situation.  
> 
> "Propylene glycol" as mentioned *is* really RV Antifreeze as it's commonly known and the ones I've seen list rust inhibitors.
> 
> So, maybe you could collect it and dispose of it, but everyone I know just watches it blow out the exhaust and on the ground while commenting on the pretty colors... :-)
> 
> Again, sorry about any confusion I created here.
> -Jeff
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Jeff Hare
> Sent: Friday, October 21, 2011 12:22 PM
> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] easy way to winterize the raw water and conform toABYC code?
> 
> Sorry, but that's a really bad idea and unnecessary since the metals in the raw water side don't require the inhibitors like the fresh water side does. Also the RV antifreeze does provide enough of a protective coating for a winter. Ask Yanmar if you doubt this or open your heat exchanger in the spring and you'll see it'll show no signs of any kind of winter corrosion. 
> 
> The raw water side should never have glycol run through it. RV antifreeze provides everything necessary to protect that after a good flushing with fresh water.
> 
> After the RV antifreeze bucket is empty, running the engine another 20 seconds after water stops coming out the exhaust guarantees the exchanger is empty but still coated and the muffler is almost entirely empty. The impeller is plenty lubricated by this.
> 
> 
> Save yourself the time, effort, money and trouble and skip the glycol. 
> 
> -Jeff
> 
> 
> JJ Morrison <sail-ability at sympatico.ca> wrote:
> 
> 
> i don't like putting plumbers antifreeze into the engine as it does not have any inhibitors in it. I put propylene glycol in the engine when the boat is on the hard and catch the overflow in a bucket and dispose of it correctly. I'm also investigating draining the raw water system and leaving the heat exchanger dry during the winter. Anyone do this?CheersJohnM1999#574 
> > From: cdescher at cedtulsa.com
> > To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
> > Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2011 09:37:14 -0500
> > Subject: Re: [C320-list] easy way to winterize the raw water and conform	toABYC code?
> > 
> > I set the jugs on the cover over the water tank and run the hose from 
> > the jug to the T valve. I start the engine, so raw water is going from 
> > the lake through the engine. Then I switch the T valve from raw water 
> > to the jug, and it doesn't lose prime. If I switch quickly to the 
> > second jug it still doesn't lose prime. After I start the second jug, 
> > I go back to the cockpit, look over the back, see pink stuff coming 
> > out and shut off the engine. For me, it's an easy one man job. When I 
> > bought the boat, this was already installed. Now I'm a little 
> > concerned about what Jeff mentioned on the brass fitting. I try to 
> > remember to close my raw water through hull when I leave the boat, so maybe I shouldn't worry too much.
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
> > [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com]On Behalf Of 
> > wflowe3 at aim.com
> > Sent: Friday, October 21, 2011 9:26 AM
> > To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
> > Subject: Re: [C320-list] easy way to winterize the raw water and 
> > conform toABYC code?
> > 
> > 
> > Chris,
> > 
> > Does the water pump pick up prime from the jugs in the cabin or do you 
> > have to elevate the jugs (to the cockpit say) and fill the hose to get 
> > the antifreeze started through the pump?
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Chris Descher <cdescher at cedtulsa.com>
> > To: C320-List <C320-List at Catalina320.com>
> > Sent: Thu, Oct 20, 2011 3:44 pm
> > Subject: Re: [C320-list] easy way to winterize the raw water and 
> > conform toABYC code?
> > 
> > 
> > I think that I've got something like what you're describing. It's a 
> > brass T
> > 
> > valve installed between the through hull and the engine. In one 
> > position,
> > 
> > it lets raw water pass through. In the other position I can feed
> > 
> > antifreeze. When I want to winterize, I take a couple of gallon jugs 
> > of
> > 
> > antifreeze to the aft cabin. Then I put one end of a 6' section of 
> > vinyl
> > 
> > tube on the empty hose barb of the T valve and the other end of the 
> > hose
> > 
> > goes in the antifreeze jug. I start the engine, turn the T valve to 
> > the
> > 
> > antifreeze position, and by the time I've run two gallons of 
> > antifreeze
> > 
> > through, it's done. I can assemble, winterize, and disassemble in well
> > 
> > under five minutes. This allows me to easily use the boat throughout 
> > the
> > 
> > winter with minimal hassle. I don't know about ABYC code, but it works.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Chris Descher
> > 
> > #500
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > 
> > From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
> > 
> > [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com]On Behalf Of Alan
> > 
> > Goodman
> > 
> > Sent: Thursday, October 20, 2011 3:26 PM
> > 
> > To: c320-list at lists.catalina320.com
> > 
> > Subject: [C320-list] easy way to winterwise the raw water and conform
> > 
> > toABYC code?
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > I recently was looking through the Forespar catalog
> > 
> > (http://www.forespar.com/pdf/M20-marelon-plumbing-product-chart.pdf) 
> > for
> > 
> > head vent parts, and while doing so a thought occurred to me. I have 
> > been
> > 
> > seeking a permanent way to provide easy addition of antifreeze to 
> > flush the
> > 
> > raw water side of the engine. I looked at adding a Prestone radiator 
> > flush
> > 
> > kit into the water supply hose after the raw water intake seacock, but 
> > I was
> > 
> > concerned about (i) inability to properly double clamp the hose as per 
> > ABYC
> > 
> > standards for below water line fittings, (ii) whether it was wise to 
> > trust a
> > 
> > screw on type cap to seal the flush kit (leaks or failure would be 
> > very bad
> > 
> > !!), (iii) would I pass a marine survey when I sell the boat in the 
> > future
> > 
> > or (iv) would I jepordize my insurance coverage in the event the
> > 
> > 'non-marine' part failed and flooded the boat. A standard Forespar 'Y
> > 
> > valve' (such as part number 902001 MF 853 found at
> > 
> > http://www.forespar.com/pdf/M20-marelon-plumbing-product-chart.pdf) 
> > would
> > 
> > provide a two source supply to the raw water system and meet all ABYC
> > 
> > requirements. One leg provides fresh water from the thru-hull and the 
> > other
> > 
> > leg of the Y valve allows the antifreeze supply line to be directly 
> > plumbed
> > 
> > into the raw water system. Which supply stream (either raw water or
> > 
> > anti-freeze) proceeds through the strainer and into the engine block 
> > is
> > 
> > controlled by appropriate positioning of the Y valve handle. Thoughts?
> > 
> > Alan Hull 67 Holland MI
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> 		 	 		 
>