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WATER DRAIN


Flissy

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Hello fellow boaters,

 

This is going to be my first winter of owning a narrow boat so far lovely.  I was just after advice about getting it winter ready. I do not live aboard and wondered if I should drain all the water off and connect it to hook up for any reasons. I have solar panels aboard but turn everything off including the electrics and gas when I leave.  All advice would be welcomed many thanks. 

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From this time of the year until spring I leave water in the cold water storage tank, half full and drain every thing inside the boat as best as I can including the hot water calorifier. If you have a gas water heater they are very susceptible to frost. I don't have a shore line but solar panels keep the batteries topped up

 

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Solar charging is allowed to and should bypass the master switch so I doubt that you can turn that off. I should look after your domestic batteries. maybe put a jump lead between the domestic positive and engine positive if it is a single output controller so the one controller keeps both banks charged. (And hop no battery develops a shorting cell but although it can happen it is not so likely).

 

I advocate hopper windows open unless above soft furnishing so the boat is well ventilated to reduce condensation, but it will feel icy when you visit.

 

The shoreline can be used to power something like greenhouse heater tubes via a thermostat and that will probably mean you can leave the water system as it is. However check this is acceptable to your insurance company, most seem OK but some may not be.

 

If you have plastic plumbing and are around Coventry then I think (based on my experience around Napton) you can drain the system down via the taps and when empty leave all the taps open. I would remove the shower mixer. If you have an instant gas water heater it is VITAL that it is properly drained because if that freezes it could ruin it so it leaks. I have had the boat frozen solid in the marina yet the plumbing was OK.

 

 

 

 

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Thank you Brian for your post though I am now more confused relating to leave tank half full and drain everything else? 

 

Thank you  Tony. I can follow clearly what you say. I do not have an instant gas water heater so that clears that for me. Much appreciated. 

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Check the antifreeze in the engine  is at the right strength.

Ditto the antifreeze in any central heating or multi fuel stove and rads.

 

You can buy antifreeze hydrometers cheaply but if not you can  put a sample in the freezer in a plastic pot overnight.  If it does not go hard it is OK.

N

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3 minutes ago, Flissy said:

Thank you Brian for your post though I am now more confused relating to leave tank half full and drain everything else? 

 

Thank you  Tony. I can follow clearly what you say. I do not have an instant gas water heater so that clears that for me. Much appreciated. 

 

In theory the calorifier may still be at risk of freezing and splitting but the water pump would have pushed some air into the it when the taps ran dry so it reduces the risk. Some boats have a calorifier drain leading into the engine bilge. if you are lucky enough to have one you need to hold the water system PRV "between clicks" to let air into the calorifier so water can run out. The PRV is usually close to the calorifier, on a pipe with a  plastic knob on top that clicks as you twist it.

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When water freezes it expands, so if you half empty the tank there is space to allow the expansion.

When we had our narrowboat I fitted a connector with a schrader valve to the calorifier and used a foot-pump to empty it and the pipework, never had a problem with damaged pipes.

Our Dutch barge which is in Europe has much better insulation but even so I still half empty the calorifier, drain the pipes and leave all the taps open.

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Just now, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Is that only applicable to the Coventry area ?

 

As I have not experienced a winter on the northern canals but have around Napton and to the south I can't say. I do know that when the boat was frozen in so solidly it could not rock when you stepped aboard the water system treated as  described was fine, and in more than one incident. You can't extrapolate that to say it will be fine over the whole of the UK. The OP gives their location as Coventry.

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2 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

As I have not experienced a winter on the northern canals but have around Napton and to the south I can't say. I do know that when the boat was frozen in so solidly it could not rock when you stepped aboard the water system treated as  described was fine, and in more than one incident. You can't extrapolate that to say it will be fine over the whole of the UK. The OP gives their location as Coventry.

 

It was simply that you said "...in Coventry you can drain the system via the taps"

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42 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

I advocate hopper windows open unless above soft furnishing so the boat is well ventilated to reduce condensation, but it will feel icy when you visit.

 

I've never really understood the need to leave windows open. The boat should have plenty of open fixed ventilation both low level at bow & stern and high level in the roof. I never leave windows open and the boat never suffers from condensation, dampness or mould.

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4 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

I've never really understood the need to leave windows open. The boat should have plenty of open fixed ventilation both low level at bow & stern and high level in the roof. I never leave windows open and the boat never suffers from condensation, dampness or mould.

I havent got windows

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When we had our NB in Ireland it was suggested we put newspaper over the carpets to help nullify the effects of the more humid climate there when we left it for the winter. 
With our barge in Burgundy, where it is not unusual to have temps of -15  I ran the water down to below half turned off the feed at the tank and ran the pump with all taps open until air came out. Drained the gas water heaters and left the drain plugs out, put anti freeze down the sinks and toilet and drained the mud box. When arriving back in the spring turn on valve at the tank replace drain plugs in heater and then start pump until water came out of taps whilst checking for any leaks from joints.

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27 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

He's posh - hes got portholes and starboardholes ...

 

Well if we're being pedantic then according to the OED a porthole is:

  1. a small window on the outside of a ship or aircraft.
     
     
    (So he probably does have windows).
Edited by blackrose
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last winter the mixer tap over the sink burst. The winter before the mixer tap ..... Yep I didn't learn, Our water pump is under the floorboards so is above freezing. the loo with valves and stuff is wrapped in old blankets, the engine is anti freezed and covered in a couple of old sleeping bags, anything I can get at is wrapped in blankets - it might just help those really cold few hours at night. The taps are left on with the pump turned off. The mixer tap over the sink is empty. The batteries are removed and taken home to keep them charged. We have no gas heater but they do split with a bit of frost.

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1 hour ago, blackrose said:

 

Well if we're being pedantic then according to the OED a porthole is:

  1. a small window on the outside of a ship or aircraft.
     
     
    (So he probably does have windows).

I may have wings for all you know, by the way what is the definition of a ship?

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There's a bit of misunderstanding about how thermal insulation works. Over time everything tends towards equilibrium including the temperature on either side of insulation. Without a heat source all the insulation does is retard the time taken for that equilibrium to be reached. So wrapping things in blankets might work for a couple of days, but if the temperature stays cold enough for long enough whatever is inside the blankets will freeze.

8 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I may have wings for all you know, by the way what is the definition of a ship?

 

I don't know. What's the definition of pedantry?

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