Winterisation of my J3

[Floaty Me Boaty]

Hi All,

This will be my first winter with my J3, so quick question, should i be doing anything special to make her ready for the cold months ahead?

I will be testing the anti-freeze next week, but not sure what else i should be taking care of.

Thanks in anticipation.

[MtB]

17 minutes ago, Floaty Me Boaty said:

Hi All,

This will be my first winter with my J3, so quick question, should i be doing anything special to make her ready for the cold months ahead?

I will be testing the anti-freeze next week, but not sure what else i should be taking care of.

Thanks in anticipation.

 

Yep, take a sample of the coolant and put it in your freezer at home to see what happens at -20c. Other than that, nothing much is needed for the J3.

 

It would be a good idea to give careful consideration to your calorifier/Morco and the domestic water though. Small pipes freeze and burst much more easily than whole engines.

 

 

[Floaty Me Boaty]

35 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Yep, take a sample of the coolant and put it in your freezer at home to see what happens at -20c. Other than that, nothing much is needed for the J3.

 

It would be a good idea to give careful consideration to your calorifier/Morco and the domestic water though. Small pipes freeze and burst much more easily than whole engines.

 

 

That's great news, thank you.

I will drain down the domestic water system to be on the safe side.

I presume the calorifier will drain down naturally, as the tanks empty?

Central heating won't be an issue, as i am currently upgrading the Rads so when i refill them, i will make sure the antifreeze is the correct strength.

[MtB]

49 minutes ago, Floaty Me Boaty said:

I presume the calorifier will drain down naturally, as the tanks empty?

 

Never presume ANYTHING where boats are concerned. No a calorifier won't drain down naturally, they fill from the bottom connection and the outlet pipe is from the top. You'll need to find the drain cock <snigger> and and us that to empty it if you think it might freeze. 

 

A calorifier being a large volume of water takes a helluva long time to freeze, and I never used to drain mine. Just the pipes and taps etc and I got away with it for 15 years. Also if u are in a marina with main power, you could put a frost heater in the boat instead of draining all the pipework.

 

 

[system 4-50]

and beware of NRVs.

[BEngo]

Worth giving the J a wipe over with an oily rag, then put an old sheet or blanket over the engine,  to keep condensation and rust at bay.  Also a good idea to change the oil so it's not old, acidic, oil sitting against the bearings.

 

N

[Floaty Me Boaty]

4 hours ago, MtB said:

 

Never presume ANYTHING where boats are concerned. No a calorifier won't drain down naturally, they fill from the bottom connection and the outlet pipe is from the top. You'll need to find the drain cock <snigger> and and us that to empty it if you think it might freeze. 

 

A calorifier being a large volume of water takes a helluva long time to freeze, and I never used to drain mine. Just the pipes and taps etc and I got away with it for 15 years. Also if u are in a marina with main power, you could put a frost heater in the boat instead of draining all the pipework.

 

 

https://www.toolstation.com/airmaster-tubular-heater/p14805

 

Would this be powerful enough

[IanD]

42 minutes ago, Floaty Me Boaty said:

https://www.toolstation.com/airmaster-tubular-heater/p14805

 

Would this be powerful enough

60W is about the same as one small incandescent light bulb, that's not going to do much to protect against frost except in the immediate vicinity. You need several bigger ones if you're trying to protect a narrowboat.

 

This -- probably more than one needed in a long narrow boat? -- is designed for the job, and is going to be much more effective and cheaper.

 

https://www.toolstation.com/airmaster-frost-watch-heater/p76189

Edited October 28, 2023 by IanD

[Floaty Me Boaty]

1 hour ago, IanD said:

60W is about the same as one small incandescent light bulb, that's not going to do much to protect against frost except in the immediate vicinity. You need several bigger ones if you're trying to protect a narrowboat.

 

This -- probably more than one needed in a long narrow boat? -- is designed for the job, and is going to be much more effective and cheaper.

 

https://www.toolstation.com/airmaster-frost-watch-heater/p76189

That's the one i will get then. Thank You

[Momac]

7 hours ago, MtB said:

 if u are in a marina with main power, you could put a frost heater in the boat instead of draining all the pipework.

 

 

That's what I do to protect the calorifier . But I drain off as much domestic water from the system as is possible by running the pump until the taps are spitting drops of water.

Potable antifreeze is available and not extravagantly expensive.