Compressed Air for winterizing water system?

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bakerha's picture
bakerha
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Joined: 7/23/10
Posts: 267
Compressed Air for winterizing water system?

I am looking to blow out all my water lines this fall with compressed air before I pump a few gallons of pink stuff through to keep the dilution down.  Also want to use less pink stuff as a result.
My question is - will this damage the pump in the water system or will it just pass the air past the impeller or diaphram.  I would like to just add an air fitting, tee and valve near the center water tank to make it easy in the future and blow out as much of the system as possible.

_____________
Harold Baker
S/V Lucky Duck
Duncan Bay Boat Club
Cheboygan Michigan - Lake Huron
1989 C-36 mkI TR/WK M25XP

mschubert
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Joined: 6/21/13
Posts: 18

Harold,

I have a T with an air fitting on the discharge side of the domestic water pump.  I also have a valve between the T and pump to isolate the pump and impeller.  To winterize, I empty all fresh water from the tanks first then hook up my compressor to the T (with backflow valve closed) with a low pressure setting.  I blow out all of the lines and then put enough antifreeze to get suction from the tank.  I then isolate each fresh water fixture and run the pump until I recover all of the antifreeze.  I do this for each fixture to ensure each line has been flushed.  Doing it this way, you use very little antifreeze and you can reclaim it.

Matthew Schubert
S/V Mary Lynne  #436
Annapolis/Newport
1985 C-36 M25XPB

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Chachere
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Joined: 10/27/10
Posts: 825

Also, if you haven't done so already, consider installing a by-pass for the hot water tank, which will prevent any antifreeze from entering (you can simply drain the tank).
See this thread comment for details:
www.catalina36.org/comment/58225#comment-58225

Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY

bakerha's picture
bakerha
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Joined: 7/23/10
Posts: 267

Thanks guys.  I bought the valves and fittings to make it like you suggested.  Will be blowing out the lines after the water pump then pumping in a gallon of antifreeze just to make sure it's good to go (it gets cold in Michigan). I have the bypass kit as well but never installed it because the PO broke the drain petcock and I've been siphoning the water out of the cold input (quite a pain) but will be fixing that too!
 

_____________
Harold Baker
S/V Lucky Duck
Duncan Bay Boat Club
Cheboygan Michigan - Lake Huron
1989 C-36 mkI TR/WK M25XP

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