ballast winterization

[Birdman]

what do you guys do to make sure nothing breaks within you ballast system over the winter I'm up in canada here and it gets cold. i ran the ballast pumps out of the lake both ways and blew a little air down the lines (didn't seem to do much) any thing else you guys do?

[Kidder522]

Hey Birdman,

I live in Red Deer Alberta and I just winterized my boat. I took all the bags out, and then disconnected the lines from the pumps. Took my air compressor and pushed air through them. Start from the Fill lines, have a pail to catch the water, otherwise it will soak your lockers. Then put air through the empty lines. The fill lines did not have that much water in them, but the empty lines did....lots of water out the holes on the side of the boat. Drain the water out of the strainer, and put it back together. Keep all the hoses off, and take the bags out. Leave everything apart, then the water will have room to expand if anything is left in.

Richard

[mmandley]

Just a note if you have a Heater don't use very high air pressure, 15-25psi or you could rupture the core while it blows the water out.

[Birdman]

i winterized with antifreeze so no need to blow out the heater core thanks for the heads up though mman

[dusty2221]

Been a victim of a heater core that froze one year. Antifreeze didn't make it thru all of the coils.

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[Birdman]

I pumped 7 gallons thru so hopefully I'm g2g


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[DOCDRS]

For my ballast pumps I attach a hose to the bag side of the pump and suck up about a litre or 2 of plumbing antifreeze to displace any residual water then a quick bump to the fill position as i like my veins that way

[5:00]

I remove the impellers for the ballast pumps and store them, close the pumps back up then suck out the water with a shop vac from one end to the other from the bottom of the hull. Gravity and suction work wonders. I get a lot of water out and leaves voids through the whole system. We don't get the deep freeze as you do up north but enough to break things. Replace with new impellers or reuse the old ones on the spring.

[Birdman]

For my ballast pumps I attach a hose to the bag side of the pump and suck up about a litre or 2 of plumbing antifreeze to displace any residual water then a quick bump to the fill position as i like my veins that way this seems like my kinda easy might have to get some more antifreeze

[DOCDRS]

this seems like my kinda easy might have to get some more antifreeze

Im in northern ontario .... -35 temps at times in winter and never had an issue ,