Bilge Pump #2 Winterization R27

[toml]

Hi, new to the site and new to owning a 2015 R27.
Busy winterizing the boat and all was going along great, thanks to many of your suggestions here. Have run into a snag, cannot get bilge #2 to expel any antifreeze..Any suggestions?? Thanks and thanks for having such a great site.

 

[Bruce Moore]

Bumping delayed post.

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

I’d suggest trying to pump RV anti freeze into that pumps hull side discharge hole. Or if the boat is on a trailer and the drain plug is attached.....crank the trailer wench as far into the down position as you can. Then pour rv antifreeze into the hull and manual turn the forward bilge pump out so it discharges some antifreeze.

Jim F

 

[scross]

Or, if you are on a trailer, just pull the drain plug and run both bilge pumps manually for a minute or so. That will get all the water out of the pump and the line so you won’t need the antifreeze.

PS: We keep a Golden Rod heater in the bilge during the winter and haven’t seen sub-freezing temperatures in the bilge (reading from the Victron Bluetooth battery temperature sensor/recorder) here in Southern Oregon.

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

Something I’d never thought of, great idea and it’s free.

Jim F

 

[rpmerrill]

If your aft pump has a check valve in the discharge line, it might still be holding up a slug of water that needs to be protected.

Just to be sure you could disconnect the hose at the valve and dump that water out.

Or, once the engine has been winterized you should have a pretty good slug of antifreeze in the muffler. My muffler has a drain plug. Before I winterize the engine, I drain the muffler water into the bilge with the hull drain plug removed. Then replace the hull plug. (Or you can sponge it out to dry the bilge.) Winterizing the engine puts antifreeze into the muffler which then drains into the bilge. (It's real convenient to watch the muffler drain while pouring a/f into the sea strainer.) Once the bilge pump trips, you're done. Replace the muffler plug.

Don't forget to flush the head while putting a/f into the sea strainer. Same with the washdown pump.

 

[knotflying]

So to be clear, The #2 bilge pump is the forward pump amd # 1 is at the rear below the shaft seal. The forward pump does not have a check valve, hence no water should be in that line except if there is a loop to prevent water from entering from the outside. For piece of mind, as Jim Favors suggests, pumping it in from the hull fitting will work. I use an antifreeze pump https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Hand-P...TEEYEQEKJDJ&psc=1&refRID=M1YBC578HTEEYEQEKJDJ with a short cut off end of a washing machine rubber hose and wrap enough duct tape to make it large enough to seal inside the thru hull. Pump a bit until you see it exiting the pump. I do the same procedure for the air conditioner outlet.

 

[Osprey]

I have been through the winterizing process on my tug for a number of years. In past I have included clearing any possible water remaining in a loop of the forward bilge pump line. I used air. However, each time I did this I wondered why I was bothering. This line is open at both ends. As a result, as the water freezes, the expansion is along the line. There is no restriction to this expansion so no damaging forces are generated. To test is idea I place a loop of vinyl hose, partially filled with water, in a freezer set to -18 degrees Celsius. The water froze solid without damaging the hose. I repeated the experiment with a section of pex hose. Again, no damage.

 

[CAPTCRUNCH]

Another way to push "the pink stuff" through the a/c heat exchanger or into bilge pump discharge hoses is to supply it to the washdown pump/hose through the raw water strainer. A small hose-end "drain bladder" helps seal the connection.

 

[rpmerrill]

Slick