Winterizing pumps

Stodge

This is actually for my center console.  I have a wash down pump and a livewell pump.  I'd like to run some antifreeze through them before it gets really cold.  Since the pickups are on the bottom of the hull, I'm not sure how best to get them fed.  Is there a contraption that covers the through-hull intakes for feeding antifreeze to pumps like this?

Stodge

Thanks Al!

Liberty44140

I made something similar, connected a hose to a plunger and it worked well, but als real device is probably better!

skennelly

would it be hard to disconnect hose going to the pump and attached a new hose that runs into a bottle of AF?  Or put in a T with a ball valve so you can easily shut off the through hull?

Stodge

skennelly said:

would it be hard to disconnect hose going to the pump and attached a new hose that runs into a bottle of AF?  Or put in a T with a ball valve so you can easily shut off the through hull?

The pumps are pretty tough to reach.  

I might try @Liberty44140 idea and get a plunger.  Only need to run a few ounces through the pump.

Dream_Inn

Just take the hose off the seacock and put a funnel in the hose, fill with AF and turn on pump.  I actually don't use my wash down, I have it connected to a hose now that goes to bottom aft in the bilge (near drain plug) and at any time I can drain my bilge to dry (way more than the bilge pump).  So, I usually just pull hoses off of pump and let the wash down hoses drain and call it ok for winter.  Everything else I put AF thru, but for some reason I just do that for the wash down.

Stodge

Actually @Dream_Inn was pretty close.  Turns out that the 2 pumps feed off the same thru-hull intake.  One line goes to a diaphragm style pump.  On top of the intake is a housing for a plastic impeller cartridge style pump.  I was able to close the ball valve, and fill the housing to feed antifreeze to the diaphragm pump.  Not worried about the impeller pump as there is nothing there to hold water.  Any in the line drained out when I pulled the cartridge.  

Little boat is shrink wrapped and sleeping.