[C320-list] CAMCO Water Heater Bypass Winterizing Kit

[Rick]

I agree with Ted that using a wet vac as small as 1 gal works really well. It is important to get out that last gallon or more of water that remains in the water tank beyond (lower than) the tank drain valve.  A one gallon dry/wet vac costs about $30 and is also handy addition to the boat locker tool set.

Not intending to start an extended thread about winterizing the water system by using or not using pink antifreeze, but here in the Great Lakes region where we may experience temps  below zero I have found that using as little as 8 gallons of inexpensive antifreeze ensures that I will never have an expensive and time consuming spring surprise.  Using the vac to eliminate the remaining water in the hot water tank as well as removing antifreeze from the lowest portion of the water tank only takes a few minutes during the winterizing process. The wet vac saves a lot of time and money if that last gallon or more of water had remained in the lowest portion of the water tank when hard freezing temperatures may cause the water tank to rupture. 

The trick is to vacuum the water from the hot water tank before adding antifreeze and then also draining the antifreeze from the tank and then vacuuming the residual  antifreeze from the hot water tank before having the tank ready to be refilled with water in the spring. In the spring I simply flush away residual antifreeze from the lines and water tanks when refilling the tanks by draining the hot water tank only once in the spring and then vacuuming out that first flush residue from the bottom of the water tank  to eliminate any antifreeze taste or smell from subsequent water fills.  
Rick Sulewski
95' C320 hull #277

-----Original Message-----
From: C320-list [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Ted Harrison
Sent: Friday, October 14, 2016 12:37 AM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] CAMCO Water Heater Bypass Winterizing Kit

I j don't think you have to buy it. Just vacuum it out with dry vac 

I do

Hill 424 
Whitby Ont 

Ted Harrison

> On Oct 13, 2016, at 6:57 PM, Louis Spitz <aronella at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Has anyone used the Westmarine Camco Water Heater Bypass winterizing kit?  I want to winterize the water heater without using antifreeze.
> Any suggestions?
> Thanks
> Lou Spitz
> 1995 #195 ‘Merry Chase'
>