Water in the tank over winter?

[larrysanders]

On an unattended narrowboat would you empty the water out of your tank and pipes over the winter months or not bother? I go and check on it every other week or so.

 

Thanks!

[Athy]

We always have done but, because we have, we've no idea what would have happened if we hadn't!

[Chertsey]

We never have, and have suffered no ill effects to the main water system. If it is below the waterline, it is unlikely to freeze.

However, appliances above the waterline that hold a small amount of water are vulnerable - Paloma type water heaters particularly so. I lost one of those that way.

[RLWP]

We also always have too. Although I don't leave the front tank brimming, bursting full so it has a bit of a chance if it froze.

 

Richard

[Athy]

We never have, and have suffered no ill effects to the main water system. If it is below the waterline, it is unlikely to freeze.

However, appliances above the waterline that hold a small amount of water are vulnerable - Paloma type water heaters particularly so. I lost one of those that way.

Much of our water tank is above the waterline, so I guess we are wise to empty it.

[Naughty Cal]

We never drain ours but we do heat the boat when we are not there to keep it above freezing.

[weeble]

On an unattended narrowboat would you empty the water out of your tank and pipes over the winter months or not bother? I go and check on it every other week or so.

 

Thanks!

For winterisation I've always:

-- drained the water tank,

-- disconnected the output from the water pump to drain the accumulator,

-- left all taps open,

-- filled the fuel tank,

-- left an offside window open (ventilation/condensation)

-- drawn back the curtains to get some heat in if the sun does shine

-- topped up the batteries and give a good charge.

 

I then visit the boat at least every six weeks to run the engine for an hour or two and light the fire to heat things through. - although now that I'm the proud owner of a SmartGauge I might not have to run the engine for quite so long this year

 

I know some people don't take things quite this far, yet others go as far as draining the calorifier and shower outlet, and disconnect the shower pump! It's down to choice, but since owning the boat (7 years) I've never had any "over-wintering" problem when taking the above approach.

Anyway if global warming takes off I guess we wont have to do much of anything in future

[Naughty Cal]

What if you want to use it after winterising it? Sounds like a lot of hassle to unwinterise it and then rewinterise it afterwards. Some of the best boating is in the winter.

[Athy]

to unwinterise it

[quote

 

Springerise?

If we use the boat in the winter (as, for example, we usually do on Christmas day) we just take a couple of containers and bottles of water for washing and drinking.

[David Schweizer]

I do what all the hire Boat companies do. leave the tank half full, turn off the stop valve and drain down the water in the pipes and calorifier. I then disconnect the pump and allow the residue of water to drain out of the pipes. I do have the advantage that 90% of the tank is underwater, so freezing up is not really a major issue.

 

I have also installed a second Stop valve after the tank valve which I open after closing the main stop cock, to admit air which helps with the drain down proceedure. It also allows me to refill the pipes in the spring with a Milton solution to sterilise the system prior to re-filling.

[Naughty Cal]

I dont know you part time boaters............................

[weeble]

What if you want to use it after winterising it? Sounds like a lot of hassle to unwinterise it and then rewinterise it afterwards. Some of the best boating is in the winter.

 

Takes less than half an hour to winterise it Phylis (did it last week). Went out for 5 days without topping up the water tank, then drained off most of what was left on the way back to the marina. The remainder was drained off whilst packing up the car, then 10 minutes to disconnect the pump outlet and drain -- "simples" (as the modern idiom goes ).

 

As for winter cruising being "some of the best" -- I've still got the bill for reblacking the hull two years ago when "ice breaking" (just 3 months after I'd had the blacking done) But I guess you'd plane over the top of that and not experience that particular problem

[NB Alnwick]

On an unattended narrowboat would you empty the water out of your tank and pipes over the winter months or not bother? I go and check on it every other week or so.

 

Thanks!

 

Whatever you do, don't be persuaded to add Ethylene Glycol to your fresh water system!

[larrysanders]

Whatever you do, don't be persuaded to add Ethylene Glycol to your fresh water system!

 

what's ethylene glycol... a cleaning liquid? and what not?

[tomsk]

what's ethylene glycol... a cleaning liquid? and what not?

 

 

Anti-freeze, Alnwicks little joke

[steve hayes]

what's ethylene glycol... a cleaning liquid? and what not?

 

Anti Freeze

 

Our boat is in plastic piping for all plumbing including central heating, all we have done for the last five years is to turn off the water pump, open taps and turn off the main tank stop cock and we have had no trouble with the fresh water system.

 

However we had the water pump on the Mikuni heater freeze and push out, the heating circuit is 50% antifreeze, so either it was bl%^&y cold or most likley I guess the water / antifreeze had somehow seperated in the Mikuni do to the heat.

 

Just to add to frustration, walked to the back of the boat this afternoon and got wet feet found out that the cold inlet to the calorifer had been leaking (thats why the pump had been running in the night) and for some reason had choosen this day to let go. On draining it down, amazing how many bucket full a calorfier holds foung the O ring on the tank coupling had split.

 

Anyway Mrs H is already planning new carpet for the back of the boat, more expense

 

Hey ho the joys of boating

[Athy]

Steve, you raise a good point. If all the water piping in one's boat is plastic (as ours is), do we need to drain it for the winter?

[RLWP]

Steve, you raise a good point. If all the water piping in one's boat is plastic (as ours is), do we need to drain it for the winter?

 

We don't drain ours and it has been fine - up unitl last winter when one joint blew. But I had forgotten to leave taps open.

 

Richard

 

Hep2o is quick to fix

[mrsmelly]

Steve, you raise a good point. If all the water piping in one's boat is plastic (as ours is), do we need to drain it for the winter?

 

Surely all these posts beggar the question why the hell do you need to winterise any boats ? Surely we are all agreed the best time to cruise is the winter, its absolutely great and so with the stove lit 24/7 there is no need to " Winterise ? "

[matty40s]

oh, yes, I winterised last winter, squirrel on full, eco fan humming it was going so fast, cruising with the epping cooking tatty's, if I'm wearing shorts and t-shirts in the cabin when its -10 outside then I don't think my water tank is going to freeze.

 

Oh, sorry, off topic, the OP mentioned unattended.

[PhilR]

oh, yes, I winterised last winter, squirrel on full, eco fan humming it was going so fast, cruising with the epping cooking tatty's, if I'm wearing shorts and t-shirts in the cabin when its -10 outside then I don't think my water tank is going to freeze.

 

Oh, sorry, off topic, the OP mentioned unattended.

 

Last autumn we had a very hard frost (I think it was early November). This caught me unprepared, but fortunately the only damage was a chromed shower pipe which was blown out of the compression fittings and was lying in the shower tray and bent like a lock windlass. I was able to bend it straight and refit it. Surprisingly, the Morco water heater survived undamaged.

 

My normal winterising only takes 10 minutes. I leave the tank (GRP) half full and open drain taps in the hot and cold pipework. These are at the lowest point and drain into the engine bilge. I then open all taps and run the pump for a few seconds and that is it - job done. The cold feed to the Morco is at the lowest point on the heat exchanger so there is no need to open the drain tap on the heater (good job as the plastic threads are knackered).

 

To be on the safe side I usually pour a cupful of antifreeze solution down the shower waste and pump it out.

 

The engine is air cooled

 

Phil

[Phil Ambrose]

I dont know you part time boaters............................

 

 

 

Just a thought for you Phylis, your water tank is the least of your worries, you need to ensure your weed filter does'nt freeze. My local yard always has to raise at least one boat every winter because the weed filter has frozen and popped, so dont forget to wrap it up or forget your heater. In fact it is now such a problem he has invested in a new pump that shifts 2 tons a minute.

 

Phil

[Naughty Cal]

Takes less than half an hour to winterise it Phylis (did it last week). Went out for 5 days without topping up the water tank, then drained off most of what was left on the way back to the marina. The remainder was drained off whilst packing up the car, then 10 minutes to disconnect the pump outlet and drain -- "simples" (as the modern idiom goes ).

 

As for winter cruising being "some of the best" -- I've still got the bill for reblacking the hull two years ago when "ice breaking" (just 3 months after I'd had the blacking done) But I guess you'd plane over the top of that and not experience that particular problem

 

Nah we did some ice breaking last winter, no damage to the hull the fenders at the front took the wrst of the damage with a few scratches but nothing worse. Although we do try to avoid straying too far from the marina if ice is forecast to occur.

 

Just a thought for you Phylis, your water tank is the least of your worries, you need to ensure your weed filter does'nt freeze. My local yard always has to raise at least one boat every winter because the weed filter has frozen and popped, so dont forget to wrap it up or forget your heater. In fact it is now such a problem he has invested in a new pump that shifts 2 tons a minute.

 

Phil

 

Our heaters in the engine bay sort that one plus if we have been out and about the heat created by the engine keeps the engine bay well above freezing over night. We do carry a spare duvet for the engine though if we are staying somewhere for a couple of days with no electric hook up.

[WJM]

My theory is that things that are designed to be wet should not be allowed to dry out. Draining everything sounds like a surefire way to shorten the life of seals and gaskets. You might not get a frozen pipe in winter, bit you will get failed gaskets in summer.

 

I have never drained anything on my boat, the whole idea of 'winterising' seems madness to me. Never had a problem, and as long as the canal is not frozen, I can jump onboard and go boating on a winter whim!

[David Schweizer]

Surely all these posts beggar the question why the hell do you need to winterise any boats ? Surely we are all agreed the best time to cruise is the winter, its absolutely great and so with the stove lit 24/7 there is no need to " Winterise ? "

It surely it depends upon circumstances. People who live on their boats do not usually have a problem, but for most people winter can present difficulties. When we kept our boat at the bottom of the hill from our house, I could get to it within ten minutes and take it for a little cruise during the winter, which i used to enjoy. Alternatively I could pop down and just run the engine if it was getting a bit cold. But now it is hundred miles away, it is not that easy, particularly if a long cold snap makes driving conditions difficult.

 

It also depends on the weather. If we have cold nights and bright sunny days, the sun warms the boat up and freezing overnight is unlikely, but if we have a winter similar to 1997, when the canal froze over for several weeks, and the days were almost as cold as the nights, the pipes will freeze up if you are not on board all the time with a stove going. Even then I can remember the liveaboards had problems because the BW waterpoint at Bradford on Avon froze up and they needed to heat the tap and pipes with a blow lamp to thaw it out before watering up. and those who were moored upin isolated places couild not get through the ice to get to a water point.

Edited October 28, 2009 by David Schweizer