How do I keep the water system running in winter?

[Capt.Golightly]

How are water tanks, piping etc, protected against frost damage in sub zero snaps? aside from draining and switching off the system.

Edited July 15, 2013 by Capt.Golightly

[MtB]

By draining and switching off the system!

 

 

MtB

[Biggles]

If you have a CH system on the boat then there should be a frost protect default which will hit the heat at about 7c providing there is powere in the batteries and fuel in the tank.

 

If you are on shore power then some very low wattage heaters will keep it from freezing, but to be sure then draining the system and leaving all taps open is the only sure fire way to avoid damage.

[Richard10002]

If you keep your stove going when onboard, and drain it down when not, you should be fine. Some people have their stoves going 24/7 from October to March.

[dmr]

If you are not a liveaboard then draining the system is the way to go.

If you liveaboard then you keep the boat warm. The only problem is that you cant really leave the boat overnight (should you want to) during a cold snap.

We still had a oipe freeze two years ago when it got to -15 outside.

 

............Dave

[canals are us?]

When I was buying my boat and it was finally completing I left it and got back to my temporary accommodation and thought I wonder if the broker switched the water off as I had totally forgot. Very frosty end of November!!

 

Arrived 2 days later and the boat was covered in frost, canal frozen over and I thought oh dear hope the water was switched off!!

 

Went inside, turned tap on and all was fine. Probably helped as it was only for a few days, but there was no heating on but the boat has sprayfoam insulation .

 

I'm a liveaboard and I just keep the stove lit 24/7 in winter. The stove is the best thing onboard that I have installed.

 

 

James

Edited July 15, 2013 by canals are us?

[Capt.Golightly]

I see I shall love my stove even more than I had anticipated! Thanks for the replies.

[ditchcrawler]

By draining and switching off the system!

 

 

MtB

Me to. It takes minutes to refill before winter cruising with my set up and 10 minutes to drain at the end.

[Señor Chris]

Putting anti-freeze in the system is another option.

[mark99]

Me to. It takes minutes to refill before winter cruising with my set up and 10 minutes to drain at the end.

 

Do you drain your main potable water tank? some take 40 mins to fill up - ok that's still minutes! but you get my point.

 

 

Edited July 15, 2013 by mark99

[Iain_S]

We drain Gamebird's tank in winter. On Copperkins, (bow locker tank) we just make sure it's got a bit of space on top.

 

Iain

[Ratty & Moley]

I get confused between which needs to be drained ?? We have a raw water cooling system ??? Other than antifreeze do we need to do anything in winter ?? And the on board water which I'm assuming just gets emptied and left dry ???

[ditchcrawler]

 

 

Do you drain your main potable water tank? some take 40 mins to fill up - ok that's still minutes! but you get my point.

 

 

 

No, half full

[Iain_S]

I get confused between which needs to be drained ?? We have a raw water cooling system ??? Other than antifreeze do we need to do anything in winter ?? And the on board water which I'm assuming just gets emptied and left dry ???

 

Gamebird has indirect raw water cooling. I drain the raw water pump and the (plastic) exhaust silencer, I'm also fairly careful about the domestic system, having been caught out once by some water freezing in the pump and cracking the casing, even though the system had been drained,

 

Iain

[craftycarper]

i drain mine in winter and also leave a small oil filled rad in the bedroom were the boiler and shower live i dont live aboard but spend as much time in the winter as summer on board i then leave a 5 gallon container of water on board for times when the water points are out of action, as long as i have a coffee when i wake i"m ok

[lee b]

not that i know too much about boats but i have done lots of plumbing and where possible i always clad pipes with the round foam tubes and when going around bends using a miter cut and some insulation tape...believe it or not but water can drop below freezing point without actually freezing,even outside in the winter when water is kept inside a plastic container and out of the wind the air temperature haves to be way bellow freezing before the water in the container will freeze...keeping draft from the pipe work in a home or garage is a key point in stopping pipes from freezing''i will keep this in mind when plumbing out my sail away''....

also by cladding both hot and cold water pipes you conserve heat in the hot pipe,this is especially good for central heating systems but also if you are like me and turn off the shower tap when soaping up the water doesn't freeze ya tits off when you put it back on...

you can buy the tubes from wickes,b&q etc...they are well worth the few quid they cost...

your pumps should have a shut off valve each side to allow for easy replacement if they fail or for draining if you are leaving your boat for extended periods''also shut off valves on all taps is a great idea,even today i still see the same old tricks with plumbers just allowing one stop cock for the whole system when you can buy a bag of 15ml shut off vales for £10 ,....some one above said to leave the taps open after draining the system....this is sound advice cause it creates space for expansion if the remaining water in the system freezes....

[nebulae]

Skin tank cooling system shoul have antifreeze/inhibitor at all times.(Some antifreeze solution such as John Deere should NOT be diluted with water.It has a higher boiling point than water)Raw water cooling systems must be carefully drained down,including the water trap .Gas heaters such as Paloma and Morco,wich are fitted high inside the cabin,may be particularly prone to freezing in an unheated boat.Radiator systems should have an antifreeze/inhibitor. Hot and cold systems,take precautions as other people have said.