Winterizing - drain, fill or both?

[DanielC]

Yes, you need to winterize your ballast tanks. Check your boat manual on how it is done on your boat.

[WakeSlayer]

I attach a fitting to my inputs and run about a gallon of AF mix into the ballast and leave it for winter.

[DanielC]

I have removed most all of the water from some ballast systems by holding the hose from a wet-dry shop vac on the out port of the ballast system. This may, ot may not work with your boat.
If you have the Airguide speedos on your boat, you need to drain out the hoses, and balance tubes when you lay the boat up for winter.

[Andrew]

keep the engine running all winter and u don't have to winterize

[TRBenj]

If you have the Airguide speedos on your boat, you need to drain out the hoses, and balance tubes when you lay the boat up for winter.

No you dont. Only the (very short) section of hose between the pitot and balance tube should ever have water in it- and that will self drain when installed properly (like from the factory).

As far as winterizing goes, whether you choose to refill or not, you should always drain. That is the only way to ensure that the proper mix of A/F is left in the block. Improperly mixed antifreeze may not have adequate freeze protection. Like Pete, I refill with RV A/F so I dont have to drain in the spring- just blow it out when I fire it up.

[WakeSlayer]

as I said earlier this thread has made me curious about RV antifreeze. I found the below link.

http://www.camco.net/faqwinterization.cfm

Where I live, we do see -30*F. pretty much every winter, and rarely in the -40*F. range. if RV antifreeze has a freezepoint of +10*F and a burst point of -50*F. I would be nervous. My boat is inside an unheated facility so it is not going to be as cold as the actual outside temp, but I don't really like the idea of it sitting there with slushie in it, either. Has anyone used the Camco BanFrost or WinterBan product ?
When you say no drain in the spring, just blow it out, surely you mean in the driveway or something and not the lake, correct ?

[DanielC]

Airguide speedo winterizing

You should disconnect the tube from your speedos and blow then out when you winterizer your boat. It is very possible for the system to retain water, and to have it freeze.
Airguide is no longer in business. If you want to risk having to try to find parts that are longer being made, do whatever you want with your own boat, but I recommend you disconnect the air tubes, at the speedos, and blow then out. When you hook everything back up again, you will probably be suprised at how quick your Airguide speedos react again.

[TRBenj]

Re: Airguide speedo winterizing

You should disconnect the tube from your speedos and blow then out when you winterizer your boat. It is very possible for the system to retain water, and to have it freeze.
Airguide is no longer in business. If you want to risk having to try to find parts that are longer being made, do whatever you want with your own boat, but I recommend you disconnect the air tubes, at the speedos, and blow then out. When you hook everything back up again, you will probably be suprised at how quick your Airguide speedos react again.

Unless the pitot is 100% clogged, the water will drain out of that 1' of hose very easily. Ive never heard of such a ridiculous practice, and we've owned a lot of Correct Crafts with these speedos that are stored in freezing temps. Im certainly not one to be reckless in the way I maintain my boats (or anything else), but its simply unneccessary- so no need to cause anyone reading this post any undue anxiety.

[WakeSlayer]

RE: Re: Airguide speedo winterizing

Agree with the above. Have never touched my pitot tubes, and we get extremely COLD.

[DanielC]

RE: Re: Airguide speedo winterizing

I have a 1997 Ski Nautique. Page 9.6 of the manual that came with my boat has a paragraph beginning with the words "WINTERIZING YOUR SPEEDOMETER:"
If you can be totally sure you never had even a tiny air leak where your speedometer tube hooks to the back of the speedometer, you might not need to drain the system.
If there is any air leak at all, the whole tube, and the stabilizer tube will slowly fill with water, and only a little water will run out, until the speedometer reads zero.
Not every boat leaks air at the speedometer connection at the speedometer, but some do. Boats with the Airguide speedos are now over eight years old. This connection might not be as good as it was when the boat was new.
You do not have to check and drain the speedometer system on your boat if you do not want to. It is your boat, take care of your boat any way you wish.
Advise I give in these forums is usually written for everyone to read. Nine out of ten boats will probably go though the winter just fine, without draining the speedometer tubes. One may not.
Like I said, Airguide speedometers and parts are no longer available. Take care of the good parts you have.

[8122pbrainard]

Re: Airguide speedo winterizing

Unless the pitot is 100% clogged, the water will drain out of that 1' of hose very easily. Ive never heard of such a ridiculous practice, and we've owned a lot of Correct Crafts with these speedos that are stored in freezing temps. Im certainly not one to be reckless in the way I maintain my boats (or anything else), but its simply unneccessary- so no need to cause anyone reading this post any undue anxiety.

I'll confirm that Tim isn't "reckless" on his boat maintenance. In fact knowing him I can safely say he is fanatical on maintaining boats!! Anal may even be a better term!!!

BTW, I've never drained a pitot tube/pickup/speedo in over 40 years of winterizing boats and never had a problem. However, I will caution anyone who has a speedo problem before winterizing may have clogged up tubing that may cause water to be retained. I have seen a busted open pulsation dampener tube.

[east tx skier]

RE: Re: Airguide speedo winterizing

I've never done this with the speedos either, but this is not the first I've seen of it. In addition to it's apparent reference in CC owner's manuals, MC has also recommended it in their winterization section in older manuals still using airguide speedometers.

Again, I've never done this and have never had a problem with my garaged Texas boat, but I was not surprised to see it mentioned.

[jmo]

as I said earlier this thread has made me curious about RV antifreeze. I found the below link.

http://www.camco.net/faqwinterization.cfm

Where I live, we do see -30*F. pretty much every winter, and rarely in the -40*F. range. if RV antifreeze has a freezepoint of +10*F and a burst point of -50*F. I would be nervous. My boat is inside an unheated facility so it is not going to be as cold as the actual outside temp, but I don't really like the idea of it sitting there with slushie in it, either. Has anyone used the Camco BanFrost or WinterBan product ?
When you say no drain in the spring, just blow it out, surely you mean in the driveway or something and not the lake, correct ?

WakeSlayer - I have seen at WestMarine -60 & -100 degree RV antifreeze, not sure what the freezepoint is on those, but I would assume its lower than it's -50 antifreeze counterpart. I read the link you provides and it states the burst point temp is all you have to worry about for protection against freezing, but if it can approach -40 in your area (where in god's name do you live btw that it gets that cold? ) I would use the -60 or -100.

JMO

[DanielC]

I have not had to deal with -30 degree temperatures, where I live. If it is a cold winter where I live, I might have +20 degrees , for maybe a week. Some winters it does not freeze, only frost on the windshield.
The obvious, we drain because water expands when it freezes. It is when the water is trapped, or sealed in a closed container that the expansion causes problems.
This is what I would do for extreme cold winterization. I would drain the cooling system, and blow it out with air. I would then fill it with the coldest formula antifreeze I could find. I would then drain that again, and blow it out. By doing that, any antifreeze mix left in the engine has a place to expand, and would not be in a sealed container, and would not be as likely to cause physical damage to the engine castings.
Perhaps the Discovery channel could make a series about your job having to live in such a cold area?

[WakeSlayer]

Ha. It just happens every so often here. But we hit -20's every year for sure, most years we will get a -30. Every 3-4 years we will get a -40.

DC, I work in a nice warm office, but starting the car to get there in the AM is almost worthy.