Winterize with air compressor

Liberty44140

The previous owner of my boat used air to winterize the freshwater system with air. I just hate running the pink out of the freshwater tank and lines in the spring and since I have a compressor I decided to do it. Worked pretty well, connected line to the city water inlet and kept the regulator lower, 25-40 psi. Did each shower and faucet a few times starting in the bow until it was nothing but air. Then blew a little air through the fw pump to be sure it was empty too. I made up this rig years ago to connect my compressor to my home sprinkler system and just had to add one more piece to connect it to the boat. All little pieces from Lowe’s sprinkler system section except the brass nipple for the compressor which came from harbor freight, it is not 100% air tight, probably 95, but for my uses that is just fine....

Of course still used pink in ac units, drains and sump tanks, down the toilet to holding tank, and raw wash down. 

aero3113

I was going to ask  if anyone uses air to winterize. What about your ice maker? And how do you get the water out of the pump? Would be nice not to use pink anymore!

Liberty44140

Ice maker was easy, while the compressor was running i pulled the front grill and pulled both lines off the valve. The inlet line ran the water out in to a rag and then turned to all air. All set, re attach. The line from the valve to the box i just blow out with my mouth, shoots water in to the tray and is then air. Water can freeze in ice maker tray, but mine always drys out over winter anyway.

similar for the fresh water pump I pulled both lines in and out and with my mouth blew air from pump to tank and then line out to galley faucet that was open and with pump on I blew air through it left to right. 

Cableguy Greg

I have always wanted to blow out my lines with air, but with the rush to winterize, I always forget to do it. I have the city water air attachment and my boat is currently in my yard, so I just might do it this year. 

Dream_Inn

@Liberty44140 As impressive as all those little pieces together look, you do know they make a brass one that plugs right into the city water inlet?  

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002XL2IEA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use it to blow all the air out of my fresh lines as well, but then I take the hose off my fresh water tank and run some pink in just the lines (not the tank).  I have no problem in the spring getting the pink out.  The key is to continuosly put just a little water in the tank, then flush, then again a little in tank, flush.  This allows the concentration to be less.  Takes me maybe an hour in the spring.  I usually wait a weekend or so before I use the ice out of the ice maker.  (I let it fill up the maker at least twice full)

Aqua_Aura

Glad I read this first cause I was considering this but hadn't given it enough thought so my first thought was blowing air into the faucets 😒. This would be good for me since we don't want to fully winterize since we keep it in the water for winter use. 

Liberty44140

Yep Dream I did know about that. Since I had the brass piece from the compressors starter kit the other pieces were only $2 when I made this 7 years ago for the sprinklers, then another $0.75 piece to make it work for the boat this fall. But no doubt that one on Amazon is way better!!!!

Liberty44140

I’d thought about doing this years ago but was worried about traces of water in the lines and faucets, no doubt that there are some drips and traces left. But with the boat being done this way before and I know that it got below freezing where it was stored, I gained confidence. Also, we do this every fall for the  sprinklers and never a problem come spring! 

Dream_Inn

Liberty44140 said:

I’d thought about doing this years ago but was worried about traces of water in the lines and faucets, no doubt that there are some drips and traces left. But with the boat being done this way before and I know that it got below freezing where it was stored, I gained confidence. Also, we do this every fall for the  sprinklers and never a problem come spring! 

Keep talking like that & you may just have me convinced when I do mine this Friday.  Right now I'm still concerned about at least the pump, since it would stop there.  But, I could pull the strainer at the fresh water pump.  I just feel like somewhere in there water would still stay, but maybe a little might be ok.  I mean, I do leave some in the bottom of my fresh water tank.

Aqua_Aura

You could pump antifreeze through and then blow out with air that way of any is left it's antifreeze and you don't have to deal with getting all that out and clear in the spring. 

For those concerned with some water behind. 

Aqua_Aura

We have one of those small pumps to inflate our floating water toys. If I made an adapter do you think that would be enough pressure? That would make it easy as the pump is always on the boat. 

YYZRC

I think you need around 30PSI to do it right.

Aqua_Aura

Not getting that from those little pumps. Guess I'll have to drag my compressor down or get a portable tank which I might have already 🤔

Dream_Inn

I have a small 3 gallon pancake compressor (cheap when on sale from harbor freight) that works perfect.  It has 100psi, but then I usually set the regulator to around 35psi.

Liberty44140

Yea I have a 6 gal compressor, was the min to be able to do the sprinkler. 3 would definitely do the boat just fine but a little bike pump compressor with no tank will not be able to do the boat. Needs a tank. 25 psi did fine but that was the min, indeed up towards 40 worked better. I figured city water regulator is 50 so keep it well below that and no risk of blowout 

seadogs

I use air every time I unhook the lines to and from the water pump made a connector  for the lines and blow out from there. Then blow out from the city water connector.  I also blow the a/c lines out. .  The rest gets pink stuff.

boatman37

They sell an adapter that has a tire valve stem on it that attaches to the fresh water fitting. I bought mine at a local RV shop. The first few years I winterized I just blew the lines out but be sure to keep the PSI below 30ish. I usually still blow all water out then pump pink through but was in a hurry this year so didn't blow them out first.

Aqua_Aura

This worked out perfectly. Much easier than dragging my compressor down. 

Liberty44140

Awesome! Glad that worked out 

aero3113

Nice @Aqua_Aura . Do you feel it got all the water out? Are you going to use any pink?

Aqua_Aura

I won't add any antifreeze. I'm sure there is some water still in the lines, maybe at the low spots but all the faucets were definitely blowing air. I'm not really concerned if the little bit of water freezes as it should have plenty of room to expand if needed and won't break anything. I also have a bilge heater so that helps and it doesn't really get that cold here especially in the river. 

aero3113

Nice, I will most likely do this next winter. I bought the adapter for an air hose. I’ll use it to blow out the antifreeze in spring. What about the pump and lines to it? Since the pump isn’t used with city water there has to still be water in it.

Aqua_Aura

Yeah good point I didn't think about that. I can get in the bay and disconnect to drain it. Again though for me I am not that worried given our weather and the river gets no less than 50. I was mostly concerned with making sure the cockpit faucet and wash down were clear as these are a little more exposed.

Even if the bilge heater quit we would need some really low temps to freeze the pump in which case I would go check it better if I see a bad forecast. I also have a cabin heater which helps. 

aero3113

I have a few months to figure it out for next winter, LoL.

boatman37

Yep. Thats the fitting I use. I bought one for the boat and my son got one for his camper. Makes it very simple. Just be sure to turn your PSI down. I think I read that 35-40 is the highest you want to go but I go a little lower to be safe

aero3113

I received the Camco adapter yesterday, I was able to use it to winterize my sprinklers today. Comes in handy already!

Liberty44140

Hey nice! It’s awesome to diy the sprinkler system. So easy...

aero3113

Liberty44140 said:

Hey nice! It’s awesome to diy the sprinkler system. So easy...

Yes, very easy. Just time consuming. I have 19 zones and using a 20 gallon compressor. Had to do each zone 2-3 times. Would be really nice if I had a bigger compressor. The company I used in the past had a big compressor he would tow with his truck. I think he even opened multiple zones at once.

Liberty44140

Yea with my 6 gal I have to do each zone 3 times, but only 7 zones. 19 zones, holey moley!!!