Fresh water use during the Winter
tdoggie1
Member Posts: 16 ✭
Is there any type of antifreeze, that is non-toxic, that can be used in the fresh water supply that will allow you to use your fresh water tank to shower in a pretty mild Tennessee Winter? Or is it always best to drain all water and winterize the water system????
Comments
the pink stuff at Walmart is like $3.50 a gallon. If you only use it when there is a cold snap coming you should be able to drain it when you want to use the water system and put fresh back in. In your water system keep the empty bottles and fill them back up from one of the faucets to reuse the same few gallons all winter. You will have to flush out pink residual before you shower but that should be no big deal either. Just don't drink it!
Our first hard freeze is Friday night. I am not worried about the boat since it is under cover and in the water. Therefore it is preserving the small amount of warmth left in the water.
Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express
When I lived on my Carver the following was most helpful
An ice bubbler to keep ice off the hull and to keep the hull above freezing (not much but it helped)
a parabolic heater (set on low about 400 watts) pointed at the water tank, on a timer for about 2-3 hours a day) kept the water above freezing and radiated the warmth to the black tank.
get the following at the hardware store
1 roll of foil backed insulation (shiny bubble wrap)
2 sheets of pink foam board
1 roll of duct tape
cut and tape the foil back insulation to anywhere you get or think you will get cold.
line the engine compartment with the foam board, make a box around the engine and water tank with room for the parabolic heater. The engine, if warm will radiate heat into the cabin.
line the floor of the boat with the foam board as well. it wont do much for heat loss but will do wonders to prevent cold gain. AHH warm ankles