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Post by bamber on Oct 18, 2017 8:02:13 GMT
For the past 15 years I have winterised my boat by fully draining the water tank, run the pump until nothing comes out of any of the taps and removing the shower head. Leave the boat with all taps fully open. This has been successful and I've never had a problem.
This year we moved to a more pleasant site and plan to spend a few weekends on the boat sat in the marina. Question is how do you go about a 'Partial winterisation.? Would I get away with leaving the tank half full, level below the waterline, turn off the main water valve, and just drain the taps as usual? I have mains hook up but don't really want to leave heaters running unattended for long periods.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2017 8:26:05 GMT
I don't think you'll have a problem, provided it is not an excessively cold winter. If you are going to be visiting regularly, you can start off as you describe, and subject to forecasts, maybe winterise fully as necessary. I used to do as you describe, until the winter of 2009, which split my water pump and blew several water pipe joints. Since then I run the tank low and remove the water pump, but I'm not in a position to visit regularly so play it safe. Let's hope for a mild damp winter  Rog |
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Post by Saltysplash on Oct 18, 2017 8:34:52 GMT
As above really, Just make sure the pump is drained and if you have a gas type waterheater that is drained as well.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2017 10:37:53 GMT
For the past 15 years I have winterised my boat by fully draining the water tank, run the pump until nothing comes out of any of the taps and removing the shower head. Leave the boat with all taps fully open. This has been successful and I've never had a problem. This year we moved to a more pleasant site and plan to spend a few weekends on the boat sat in the marina. Question is how do you go about a 'Partial winterisation.? Would I get away with leaving the tank half full, level below the waterline, turn off the main water valve, and just drain the taps as usual? I have mains hook up but don't really want to leave heaters running unattended for long periods. We never fully drained the water tank on our boat, only the pipework, the pumps and the shower head. If the water in the tank ever froze I was never aware of it. We never had a problem including during two particularly bad winter spells. Our boat though was never left for weeks on end as we used to use it in Winter. It also had a solid steel integral water tank not a separate stainless one (in case this makes a difference). |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2017 16:17:44 GMT
Water expands by about 9% when it freezes.
Giving this expansion somewhere to go is the key to not suffering burst pipes, fittings and pumps.
When it expands it can burst valves and pipework rated at PN40 BAR - we suffered very expensive damage at work when the crews failed to drain down boilers in the winter of 2011.
On the boat I drain the engine raw water system, empty the water tank to about 3/4. Drain down the cauliflower to about the same. Leave taps open, empty 10" water filter and leave off the housing. Remove shower head and leave taps open.
Remove inlet and outlet pipes to water pump and give it a couple of seconds to run dry.
This year I have a couple of inline tee appliance valves to drain the hot and cold pipework at it's lowest point.
I'm hoping to add a tee to the engine raw water pipework so I can flush bio friendly antifreeze through the system rather than breaking it open to drain.
The raw water flush toilet also will need flushing with bio friendly antifreeze to protect its pump and pipework.
All sounds a lot of effort but it doesn't take long and is much quicker than mending any frost damage!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2017 17:00:00 GMT
I don't think you'll have a problem, provided it is not an excessively cold winter. If you are going to be visiting regularly, you can start off as you describe, and subject to forecasts, maybe winterise fully as necessary. I used to do as you describe, until the winter of 2009, which split my water pump and blew several water pipe joints. Since then I run the tank low and remove the water pump, but I'm not in a position to visit regularly so play it safe. Let's hope for a mild damp winter Rog Tucking the pump up nice and cosy in a warm house is the kindest thing you can do for it if the boat is unattended - I'm trying out my new system this year with the hope that it works as well as the designer planned it to  |
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Post by Mr Stabby on Oct 18, 2017 18:13:23 GMT
Don't leave any biscuits on the boat over the Winter as they have a tendency to go soggy.
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