Winterizing… the Air Con / Heat

[AGLyme]

My 31cb is a 2013 boat. On the Port side, there are 4 hull throughs, (not 5 as shown in the current manual), I do not have a macerator.

When only the salon/helm unit is turned on, the hull through closest to the stern is spitting a strong stream + the hull through next to that is spitting a weak stream.

Ditto, when only the bow unit is turned on, the SAME 2 hull throughs are doing the same thing.

When both units are turned on, again… both hull throughs are spitting water as described above.

First, is this normal that both units would be tied into 2 water exit lines? I would have thought that each air con/ heater unit would have its own exit water line - not share 2 exit water lines.

And secondly, what is the trick to pouring the pink into the strainer ?
I keep breaking the vacuum and have to prime with seawater all over again.
Thx in advance.

 

[Bosn Mate]

I have a 2017 R-29 sedan and my water flow is the same. I understand that is because one raw water pump feeds both air-conditioners.

In regards to winterizing through the strainer, I also had the same problem with losing prime. My fix was to install a ball valve close to the AC strainer to be used if the system lost its prime and to winterize.

Mike

 

[AGLyme]

Thx for confirming the water exit program… thumbs up !
Mike would you have a photo of the ball valve you added ? And where you added it ?
Thank you for responding

 

[S. Todd]

Ditto on the water exit. When winterizing I have to put a cork in the aft through hull to get the pink to flow out of the forward line.
I found the same problem with getting anti-freeze into the strainer. My solution was to put a T in the line that goes to the washdown pump, that was the easiest to get to. From that T I put on about a foot long section of flexible hose that is capped during use. When I winterize I remove the cap and put another short section of hose from a 5 gallon bucket that I have installed an on off hose spigot on. I use the same set up for winterizing the generator because removing the line to the generator straiiner is a non-starter on my particular boat.

 

[AGLyme]

I am def going to add a “T” ball valve for next year… Mike has a great system.

On my second try, after I lost the vacuum and made a pink mess on the first try, I changed up the following technique:

1) My spotter was in place watching for solid pink. And I asked her to see if there was pink, then clear (for the 2nd AC/Heater unit)…, then pink again. She just saw solid pink so I added another gallon to be on the safe side.

2) closed the seacock with my foot while pouring the pink from the bottle immediately after opening the strainer.

3) used a “diesel” funnel… the funnel exit point is wide killing any of the glub glub factor coming out of the bottle ensuring a steady stream of pink into the strainer after the seacock was closed (by my foot).

Worked.
Next year, a “T” will be in place and a pump coming out of a white 5 gallon pail filled with pink.

Learning. I $&@$ hate the color pink now.