Winterizing the water tanks

[Jeff Griglack]

In the past, there has been some discussion of people winterizing their water system using cheap vodka or wine rather than the pink stuff.  Is there anybody in the group who actually does this?

Has anybody thought of, possibly, using something like Everclear instead?  This idea is that you could add Everclear (or another brand of grain alcohol) to the water tanks and pump it through the hoses without worrying much about over diluting it.

I would, of course, continue to use the pink stuff on the toilet/holding tank and engine.

Thoughts?

Jeff

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| Jeff Griglack             "Jabberwocky" P-365 #269

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| "Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent"
|                   - Walt Kelly
| 'Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, "In this
| world, Elwood, you must be" – she always called me Elwood –
| "In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant."
| Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me.'
|               —James Stewart as Elwood P. Dowd
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[David Lidrbauch]

How much water are you trying to prevent from freezing?  I think Everclear is a good choice but might need a lot of it depending on volume you're protecting.

Curious: why not drain the system?

I have 80 gals in three tanks, 6 gal hot water tank, mixing valves, head sink, galley sink, carbon filter and pressure system.   

To winterize, I open all the faucets, the strainers, the fill ports and open the drain ports, and open all the three individual tank valves in the manifold as well as the hot water tank drain spigot. Then remove the cap and strainer in the lowest part of the supply hose under the saloon floor to dump everything into the bilge.   Ive added a garboard plug under the lowest part of the bilge so that fresh water  easily drains out onto the yard gravel.

I also make sure to disconnect the inputs and outputs of all the pumps (fresh and salt) so they drain.

With my setup the entire system is empty.

Any residual water that might linger in a sagging hose has plenty room to freeze and expand with no risk of damage.

I suppose, if i had to do this in the water, id first run a hose from the tanks to the engine RW intake to drain the tanks and minimize the amount that then needs to be pumped out of the bilge.

-David Lidrbauch

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[Jeff Griglack]

I have up to 150 gallons split between 3 tanks, the head sink, shower, galley sink, and a 6 gallon water heater.  I do not have a garboard drain, but I do put some pink stuff in the deep bilge.  I have no idea where the low point of my water system is, and I'm pretty sure there's no drain.  To drain it, I run the pressure pump until there is no more water coming out, and then I add anti-freeze to the system until I see pink coming out of the faucet (both hot and cold water).

------------------------------------------------------------------
| Jeff Griglack             "Jabberwocky" P-365 #269

------------------------------------------------------------------
| "Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent"
|                   - Walt Kelly
| 'Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, "In this
| world, Elwood, you must be" – she always called me Elwood –
| "In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant."
| Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me.'
|               —James Stewart as Elwood P. Dowd
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[David Lidrbauch]

Anybody know whether the grain alcohol will bother the pump components?  I believe the pink stuff is friendly to those seals and such...

You can add some food coloring to the Everclear to indicate when you've flooded the system.   

How many gallons of pink stuff does it usually take past seasons?

Looks like inflation has hit Everclear hard since the pandemic.  It's now about $34 for 0.46 gal.

-David Lidrbauch

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[James Keszenheimer]

Yes, ethanol can be bad for some seals as well as hoses depending on their composition and the length of exposure. It tends to leach plasticizers and cause swelling and loss of elasticity over time. EPDM rubber and Viton are more resistant. In only use the pink stuff because of this, but it might not be a big deal if you replace seals every five years or so.

Jim Keszenheimer

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[Al Taylor]

Replace seals?? I thought you only replace them after they start leaking…. 🤣🤣🤣

I have not been using the pink stuff on my water systems. I’ve been emptying and  vacuuming out the waterlines every year. Water can’t freeze if it’s not there. 

On Oct 14, 2025, at 7:24 AM, James Keszenheimer <jkesze...@gmail.com> wrote:

Yes, ethanol can be bad for some seals as well as hoses depending on their composition and the length of exposure. It tends to leach plasticizers and cause swelling and loss of elasticity over time. EPDM rubber and Viton are more resistant. In only use the pink stuff because of this, but it might not be a big deal if you replace seals every five years or so.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pearson-boats/D306292A-94E5-413A-882E-7F87FE8660CF%40gmail.com.

[Andrew Milkovits]

Like David, I also stopped using any antifreeze in my system and just drain the system.  After running the tanks dry I disconnect a line and blow air through the system using my dinghy bellows pump.  Works great and is nice to not have to flush out the antifreeze in the spring, which would always seem to take more flushing and time than I would expect.  My .02. 

On Mon, Oct 13, 2025 at 9:19 PM David Lidrbauch <david.l...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[Guy Johnson]

I drain my fresh water tanks, run the pressure pump with the faucets open and then disconnect the pressure pump. 

I pump the hand pumps until they are dry. 

I do use pink RV antifreeze in the head bowl and the raw water side of the engine. 

I did use the pink stuff in the water system about 35 years ago, once was enough. 

Guy

Puffin 10M #6

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Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2025 8:43 AM
To: pearso...@googlegroups.com <pearso...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [pearson ] Winterizing the water tanks

 

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[Jeff Griglack]

It does take a lot to clear the pink stuff out of the system, and that's why I am looking for an alternative.  Maybe I should pump the tanks dry, and then disconnect a hose to drain the rest, like you do.

I am hoping to replumb the system over the winter anyway.  I would like to be able to drink from the water tanks, and I don't think old hoses are conducive to that.

Thanks,

Jeff

------------------------------------------------------------------
| Jeff Griglack             "Jabberwocky" P-365 #269

------------------------------------------------------------------
| "Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent"
|                   - Walt Kelly
| 'Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, "In this
| world, Elwood, you must be" – she always called me Elwood –
| "In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant."
| Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me.'
|               —James Stewart as Elwood P. Dowd
------------------------------------------------------------------

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pearson-boats/LV3P220MB1540DD61FE83959C968B8B71BCEBA%40LV3P220MB1540.NAMP220.PROD.OUTLOOK.COM.

[Guy Johnson]

I use a blow out plug for my home sprinkler system that lets me connect the compressor directly to the sprinklers. Lowes sells something similar,,, 

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Road-Home-Plumbing-Blow-Out-Plug-for-RVs-with-Standard-Male-Hose-Threads-and-Schrader-Style-Air-Valve-with-Cap-Plastic-Rubber-and-Brass-Construction-Materials/1002751768

Guy

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From: pearso...@googlegroups.com <pearso...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Jeff Griglack <grig...@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2025 9:06 AM

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