Winterizing - Pink Vs. Blue

[JLR]

There are certain costs of maintenance that drive me nuts. Other costs of boating are no problem. I have no problem spending $2,500 in fuel for a quick (24 hour) trip up and down the Hudson but I just hate paying $5 a gallon for that pink winterizing anti freeze. With that said, I use about 37 gallons or so of the pink stuff to winterize the raw water sides of the engines, gensets, air units on my boats. I never use it in potable water areas or on the fresh water side of anything. So, and please excuse my ignorance on this one, is there any reason why I cannot use the blue wiper fluid antifreeze which works down to -20 at about $1.20 a gallon rather than the pink stuff at $5 a gallon. I am no chemist (by far) so if this is a ridiculous question, I apologize.

 

[sgharford]

Great you posted about this one. Another member told me about using windshield wiper fluid last year (in PM) when I posted almost identical disdain for paying $5/gallon for pink stuff. I'm on the fence about doing it this year, the pink stuff should go on sale at ACE Hardware Oct 1st, waiting to see what it goes for (usually a little over $3/gallon).

 

[JLR]

I was hesitant to post the question ion case it was really silly but I guess at least someone else has considered the idea.

 

[rsmith]

I think the rating on the blue stuff is bull crap you never had it freeze on the windshield?
Walmart had the pink here in Fla for 3.18 the other day. Why they have it here is beyond me.

 

[RT46]

RE why thay had it in Walmart in FLA:

Most winterization and freezing claims occur in areas that dont normally freeze....

 

[sgharford]

I was hesitant to post the question ion case it was really silly but I guess at least someone else has considered the idea.

Way it was put to me, this is insider 'professional' knowledge. Not public knowledge because it's not environmentally friendly like pink stuff. I don't like polluting anymore then I already do at 30 gallons of diesel/hour. I also like my boat yard and don't want to pollute the ground, even though I’m sure it’s already a superfund site. I'm pretty certain I will go with pink stuff at ACE when it goes on sale for this reason alone. Allot of pain is mitigated when I get a good deal (as compared to West Marine anyway).

 

[smoothmove]

The blue that you would put in your windshield washer is actually a lot of water and a little methanol. The pink that you are probably referring to (RV antifreeze) is Propylene Glycol. Interestingly there are actually 2 varieties of the RV antifreeze - Pink and Blue - with 1 of them offering further stated protection down near 80 below zero (can't recall which) The methanol in the windshield juice can evaporate out of the mixture, leaving you with mostly water. Add to the equation that methanol can be very corrosive to a variety of materials and is quite toxic and I think the choice is pretty clear which way to go.

Eric

 

[JLR]

Eric - probably so. I was also wondering whether the alcohol in the wiper fluid might attack the rubber in the impellers. Nevertheless, all thoughts are welcome.

 

[Jaxfishgyd]

Heck, just bring your boats down here to Florida and don't worry about it ...

 

[rsmith]

RE why thay had it in Walmart in FLA:

Most winterization and freezing claims occur in areas that dont normally freeze....

Soooo.... the insurance co's get Wally world to stock it so they can say "hey dummy you could have bought it but we're denying your claim because you did'nt" ?????

 

[Boatsb]

In my distant past we used blue dyed methanol in drums for the raw water sides of things and even blew most of it out afterwards leaving nothing much in the raw water side. It was not only flamable but burns clear so be very careful. it will ignite easily.

it's not that much cheaper than to use the non toxic on a boat or two and probably not worth the risk or the issues with corrosion it may cause.

 

[Walter P]

AT $5/gal x 37 gals, it may be worth thinking about (but after reading this thread, I wouldn't use the window stuff). At $3 and change for the pink stuff it's a no brainer....don't do it - not worth the risk, real or not.

I do everything on my boat every year including engines, generator, air cond, potable water system, heads etc. This is done even though I keep my block heaters on all year and my engine room stays at about 60 deg. F. even when it's 20 outside. Can't take a chance on power failures.

Walt

 

[sgharford]

Just got email from ACE Hardware - $2.99 gallon (pink) starting Saturday, Oct 1st. The first 3 gallons there is a $1 mail in rebate - $1.99 gallon.

 

[TopHattandTails]

...or go heated storage and work on your boat all winter long in 60* temps and save a bunch of days on both ends of the season not winterizing or de-winterizing...

 

[MikeP]

I used to use around that amount of antifreeze on our 53 but have gotten down to around 22 (4 cases with 2 gal left over for next year). I was putting way too much through the engines and there is no need for it since 90% of what you run into the RW system ends up sitting in the muffler where none is needed UNLESS you have water-lift mufflers. The folks I know here who winterize for money don't even use that much (22gal) on a 53.

I use a little bilge pump/bucket and pump AF into the Mains'RW system via one of the zinc fittings on the HE. I run it until I hear the A/F running into the exhaust collector. On the genny I run enough in to get to the lift muffler - I check it muffler via a small fitting on the bottom to be sure some pink is there.

I understand the comfort feeling that using lots of AF provides but it's really not necessary. I have found that 5 gal will easily do the FW system throughout the boat. Then a gal for each of the 3 heads. and the rest for the engs/seacocks does the job.

 

[OBXTucker]

Is there a winterizing section in our Hatt manuals? I've changed marinas and am entertaining the idea of doing the winterizing myself this year. I'm ok with the physical process, just don't want to miss anything.

Engines
Gensets
Strainers
Water Tanks
Hot water heater
Sinks
Heads
Wipers
Forward/Aft Hoses
What else?

 

[TROUBLE]

Don't forgrt those a/c units and your ice maker

Art

 

[Avenger]

Also, drain the strainers. The acrylic doesn't like checmicals.

 

[MikeP]

A couple of comments -

THe hot water heater doesn't require anything except draining the tank (make sure breaker is off). No AF is needed. Your tank should be able to be isolated from the rest of the FW system with oem valves. Isolate it and drain it; leave the drain open. It certainly doesn't hurt to put pink in it but it's just a waste of pink and takes more clean water to flush it all out in the spring.


IMO the best way to winterize the entire FW system is to set up a bucket of pink near the FW pump and route the pump input - either by moving the hose or (better) with a fitting/valve on the intake side - to intake from the bucket. Turn on the pump to pressurize the system and then go to each faucet (hot and cold) and turn on until pink runs out. BE SURE to do any deck washdowns and the windshield washers. Doing it this way ensures pink is everywhere, including the various drains.

It's a good idea to pour a gallon of pink in the EMPTY FW tank to ensure that there is no chance of a freeze problem at the pickup portion or the hose/fitting linking multiple tanks.

 

[sgharford]

For FW water system, I run tank empty, then pour 6 gallons of pink down fill tube directly into tank and run thru all systems as Mike described. I use to use pvc male to male hose barb to bypass hot water tank, but got fancy last year and spent $20 at Defender for permanent bypass valve kit.