Raw water engine draining ideas

[sdowney717]

I have 5 heat exchangers I drain in various ways.
Mostly by undoing some plug. Some I take off the rubber hose and suck it out with a wetvac.

But my generator HE has no plug, I have to take off the raw water hose and it is in an awkward spot. I was thinking a guick disconnect inline the rubber hose would be nice, or a TEE with a removable cap or something. The raw water line is 1/2" hose coming from raw water pump.

I thought a flush adapter like they use on car heater hoses would be good idea, but they are too big?

I suppose I could make one using a plastic or metal pipe with a petcock drain threaded into the side.

It is going down very cold tonight as in the teens for a few days so I winterized the lines and drained the fresh water pipes.

 

[High Wire]

How about running non-toxic engine antifreeze thru the engine which gets the sea strainer to the waterlift muffler all at once? You might use 4 or 5 gallons, but it only takes a few minutes and everything stays intact.

 

[O C Diver]

On my charter boat, I put a bronze tee in just above the seacock. To winterize, I close the seacock, remove the pipe plug in the tee, connect a hose to the tee port, insert the other end in a bucket with RV antifreeze and run the engine till it's completely full of antifreeze. Pretty quick and simple.

Ted

 

[sdowney717]

Would cost more money over time buying RV antifreeze?
I did find something. Dorman makes one for 1/2" hoses for $2 to $4 not a bad price.
https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/dorman-help-1-2-in-radiator-flush-tee-with-cap-47122/21299840-p
https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/dorman-help-radiator-flush-tee-1-2-in-47151/21299842-P

https://www.dormanproducts.com/c-570-radiator-flush-tees.aspx

 

[O C Diver]

The trick is to buy the RV antifreeze in the off season. Friend of mine usually gets it late winter or early spring for a dollar a gallon. Stores don't want it sitting around for 6 to 9 months. My charter boat takes 6 gallons to winterize the C series Cummins diesel, raw water system for the head and air conditioning, and a very small freshwater tank and shower rinse hose. In the cost of boating, 6 gallons of the pink stuff is nothing and far cheaper than a cracked heat exchanger.

Ted

 

[sdowney717]

Last winter my AC water pump froze solid, but it survived (it is actually a dishwater drain pump). This year I remembered to drain it.

It uses a 3/4" inlet hose and I suppose one of those flush kits could work on it too. Turn off thru hull, then unscrew the cap idea, very simple.

I have one of those clear reinforced 3/4" hoses on it, and with effort it can be removed. But the pump does allow you to twist the end off to let it drain, but its a tight fit with a short section of stiff hose like under a foot running to the thru-hull, so a TEE inline with a cap would be easier.

 

[Cigatoo]

On my charter boat, I put a bronze tee in just above the seacock. To winterize, I close the seacock, remove the pipe plug in the tee, connect a hose to the tee port, insert the other end in a bucket with RV antifreeze and run the engine till it's completely full of antifreeze. Pretty quick and simple.

Ted

I have the Bronze “T” fittings in the engine, generator, both ac units and refrigeration. All used as stated above. Makes things easy. (The refrigerator and ac units have to be gravity fed but works just the same)

 

[sdowney717]

I finished winterizing it today. For the oil-trans cooler HE located by the transmission, I simply pulled its inlet hose off up high by the main HE, and sucked out the water with my little wet vac. Beats crawling, twisting and feeling for the little brass drain plug and then maybe dropping it into the bilge.

I also have valves sitting on top of the thru hulls which I could put a hose on and let the engine suck antifreeze up, but I have never used them.

 

[Lepke]

I added an air fitting to each engine so I can use air pressure to blow the water out thru the seacock. When I hear bubbling, I close the seacock. I had to add a drain to the exhaust manifolds and the mufflers had drains. Yes a lot of the air goes out the exhaust, but you only need a few psi above the water pressure a few feet below the surface.

I liveaboard so my boat doesn't get too cold. I wintered once in Nanaimo, BC. During zero F weather the coldest spot in the bilge was about 35°F. Sea water was 50-55°F.

 

[Fish53]

On my charter boat, I put a bronze tee in just above the seacock. To winterize, I close the seacock, remove the pipe plug in the tee, connect a hose to the tee port, insert the other end in a bucket with RV antifreeze and run the engine till it's completely full of antifreeze. Pretty quick and simple.

Ted

Same with me, I added clear hose a tee and valve at the exhaust injection fitting and when the antifreeze starts to come up I redirect to a container and reuse several times. I have a rotary hand pump that makes it fairly easy to control. I drain my waterlift into the bilge.