cold weather use of raw water washdown

Michigan Brian

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Gang-

I have a dealer installed washdown. I am wondering about using it in the freezing weather and how to winterize it.

I just run the water out of the hose while the boat is on the trailer.

Is there anything else I should be doing? Sure dont want it to freeze and break something

thanks
 
For winterizing - open the sea-cok to drain any water, and leave it open. Disconnect the intake hose from the sea-cok and place a funnel in the hose. While running the pump, (spray nozzle open on coiled hose) pour in ant-freeze until it exits the nozzle.

If you want, you can add a permenant "t" fitting, (along with a plug or threaded cap) to the same hose between your sea-cok and pump intake. That way, any time you want to flush or winterize it, you just open up the "t" , attach a funnel and flush, but you keep the sea-cok closed. When your all done, open the sea-cok to drain.

As far as using it in freezing weather - I wouldn't risk it, especially in freash water, unless your prepared to do the above immediately afterwards. Opening the sea-cok, and draining the coiled hose is not enough because there's still water trapped in the pump, strainer and possibly other under deck hoses. Us salt water guys can get away with it a little longer, but only by a few degree's. Again, imo, it's not worth the risk.

Also, if you have a livewell, (with a 3 way valve) you want to flush that as well. Just work the valve back and forth a few times while pumping the anti-freeze. If you have a seperate pump and sea-cok set up for a livewell, do it the same way as the washdown method.
 
thanks for the reply.

if there is a seacock I dont know where it is.

There is the intake on the hull near the transom, the outlet which you screw the coiled hose into in the splashwell, and a on/off toggle switch for the pump.

I have not looked into the access ports, maybe there is one and I am not seeing it?
 
Michigan Brian said:
thanks for the reply.

if there is a seacock I dont know where it is.

There is the intake on the hull near the transom, the outlet which you screw the coiled hose into in the splashwell, and a on/off toggle switch for the pump.

I have not looked into the access ports, maybe there is one and I am not seeing it?

Yes. if you have a "raw" sea water washdown, there is definitely a sea-cok. Look for a vlave, under your deck. Usually a couple of feet away from the transom. Should look similar to this - http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/st ... lassNum=71

It's connected to a thru-hull strainer, like this - http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/st ... lassNum=71

Look under your boat and that will give you an idea where the valve will be.

If you do not have a sea-cok, maybe you have a "fresh" water rinse down set up, with a holding tank?
 
If you open the access ports in the splash well, you will be able to see the valve. It is attached to that intake that you have seen on the hull. My 208 did not come with a strainer.
 
There are two seacocks in the bilge accessible through the two access covers in the transom well. One id for the washdown and one is for the livewell if you have it. They are tought ot reach and tough to see.
 
I have an oval shaped funnel that I place over the intake strainer and I use duct tape to hold it to the bottom of the hull. I put a piece of scrap hose on the end of that funnel, then another funnel at the other end of the hose. Turn the washdown on and pour RV anti-freeze into the funnel. Pretty simple and cycles RV anti-freeze all the way through the system.
 
I fish year round if the weather allows so I've never winterized the raw water systems. I just drain them at the end of the day.

To drain the system I hold the end of the washdown hose below the level of the seacock and lock the nozzle open. Then open the seacock and the siphon effect drains the pump and hoses. Dump out the contents of the strainer and I'm done.