[C320-list] Hot Water Pressure at a trickle

[B. Stumpp]

Bill, 

 

I agree with the need to get as much water as possible out of the hot water
heater. 

When our 320 was new to us (now owned 24 years) I  thought it was okay to
just drain the tank, add some antifreeze and call it finished. 

The tank froze and broke.  I tore it apart to see what the insides were
like.

The inside was like a glass bottle turned  on it's side so a fair amount of
water would still be  inside after being drained (I never understood why it
was designed that way).   

When the temperature went down, the remaining water froze and the bottle
broke.an expensive lesson.  

 

Since then, I drain all the tanks and clean them out.  Push some antifreeze
through the pipes and pump to insure they are protected.   

Then bypass the hot water tank, drain what I can and use a wet vac to suck
out as much as possible. 

Have removed as much as 2 gallons of water using this method and believe
there is still some water in there.   

The vac has a narrow tip that allows me to hold it up against the tank drain
and create a suction.  

After sucking out what I can, and just to be safe, I add about two cups of
antifreeze to the water heater.    

 

I agree with you. it's important to get as much water out of the hot water
tank as possible before completing winterization.     

 

Bruce Stumpp

Adventure, #647

Middle River, Maryland

 

Message: 7

Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2024 17:26:50 -0500

From: Christian <ccaper at gmail.com <mailto:ccaper at gmail.com> >

To: C320-List at catalina320.com <mailto:C320-List at catalina320.com> 

Subject: Re: [C320-list] Hot Water Pressure at a trickle

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Bill,

I'm in Chicago, so like you, in a hard freeze zone.  I've never put
antifreeze in my plumbing lines, only bilge and head.  I use an air
compressor to blow my lines out.  And on the hot water heater, I hook up a
wet vac to the heater spigot and suck the water out of the heater.  Just did
this on Sat, 8th year, never had an issue, where I've seen temps get below
-20F for multiple days straight.

-Christian 1994 C320 #138 "Canuck", Monroe Harbor, Chicago, IL