342 Winterize

McGarnicle

So its almost time to bring my first season with my 342 to an end and get her ready for the winter. 

Does anyone have a checklist/cheatsheet on what they do before winter or know how many gallons of anti freeze they typically use? 

I always had my marina winterize my boat but this year my mechanic said to just save the money and do it myself and he would help here and there if needed. 

Liberty44140

I’ve posted the steps I take to winterizing my 350s on my 342 before so have a quick search of the forum. I run 5 gal of antifreeze through each engine and 2 gal through the generator. 

Ian

McGarnicle said:

So its almost time to bring my first season with my 342 to an end and get her ready for the winter. 

Does anyone have a checklist/cheatsheet on what they do before winter or know how many gallons of anti freeze they typically use? 

I always had my marina winterize my boat but this year my mechanic said to just save the money and do it myself and he would help here and there if needed. 

You'll get great advise here but wouldn't your mechanic know this if he did in the past? Or at least others?

Black_Diamond

Don’t forget:
air conditioner
holding tank
toilet water intake
fresh water system
hot water tank
shower sump

Stodge

Black_Diamond said:

Don’t forget:
air conditioner
holding tank
toilet water intake
fresh water system
hot water tank
shower sump

Well not the WHOLE holding tank, just the lines from the head to the tanks.  Like flush a gallon or 2 of pink stuff.

And you forgot the ice maker.  Have to feed antifreeze into the city water inlet anyway.  So let the ice maker pull in some of the pink stuff.

aero3113

My first season with the boat I made the mistake of putting antifreeze in the fresh water tank. It took all season to get out!! Now I know better to just do the lines!

GMSLITHO

Yep when I bought mine there was antifreeze in the water tank took a season to clean it out I also just run the tank empty and do the lines 

Liberty44140

surprised by these comments on the freshwater tank. I dump 3 gallons of antifreeze in there and then pump it from the tank to all faucets and showers until solid pink. Done. In the spring I run the antifreeze out at the faucet and then I cycle a process 5 or 6 times of putting 5 or 6 gal of freshwater in, run it out at the faucet.... after doing that 5 - 6 times the water in the tank is crystal clear and its not even June yet

davidbrooks

Here is my winter and spring checklist.  It started from a list that @Dream_Inn
created but has been slightly altered. I have a 03 342. 

aero3113

I run the tank dry then I pull the the hose from the tank to the pump, hook up a piece of hose from the pump to the antifreeze containers. Turn the pump on and let it suck the antifreeze in. This way leaves a tiny bit of water in the tank but have been doing it for 5 seasons now with no issues.

aero3113

Liberty44140 said:

surprised by these comments on the freshwater tank. I dump 3 gallons of antifreeze in there and then pump it from the tank to all faucets and showers until solid pink. Done. In the spring I run the antifreeze out at the faucet and then I cycle a process 5 or 6 times of putting 5 or 6 gal of freshwater in, run it out at the faucet.... after doing that 5 - 6 times the water in the tank is crystal clear and its not even June yet

3 gallons is enough with the hot water tank? I use 6 gallons.

Liberty44140

aero3113 said:

Liberty44140 said:

surprised by these comments on the freshwater tank. I dump 3 gallons of antifreeze in there and then pump it from the tank to all faucets and showers until solid pink. Done. In the spring I run the antifreeze out at the faucet and then I cycle a process 5 or 6 times of putting 5 or 6 gal of freshwater in, run it out at the faucet.... after doing that 5 - 6 times the water in the tank is crystal clear and its not even June yet

3 gallons is enough with the hot water tank? I use 6 gallons.

No I don’t put antifreeze in the hot water tank, maybe that’s why it’s so hard for you to clear it. I drain the hot water tank in to the bilge. When I run antifreeze through the water system I use an extra piece of hose to bypass the hot water tank completely and leave it bypassed until I’ve ran fresh water through it in spring. 

reneechris14

Liberty44140 said:

aero3113 said:

Liberty44140 said:

surprised by these comments on the freshwater tank. I dump 3 gallons of antifreeze in there and then pump it from the tank to all faucets and showers until solid pink. Done. In the spring I run the antifreeze out at the faucet and then I cycle a process 5 or 6 times of putting 5 or 6 gal of freshwater in, run it out at the faucet.... after doing that 5 - 6 times the water in the tank is crystal clear and its not even June yet

3 gallons is enough with the hot water tank? I use 6 gallons.

No I don’t put antifreeze in the hot water tank, maybe that’s why it’s so hard for you to clear it. I drain the hot water tank in to the bilge. When I run antifreeze through the water system I use an extra piece of hose to bypass the hot water tank completely and leave it bypassed until I’ve ran fresh water through it in spring. 

That's what I do also.

randy56

One mistake made in spring, do not turn on hot water heater until water runs clear. other wise it stinks, smells like rotten eggs. wooof.  

aero3113

Liberty44140 said:

aero3113 said:

Liberty44140 said:

surprised by these comments on the freshwater tank. I dump 3 gallons of antifreeze in there and then pump it from the tank to all faucets and showers until solid pink. Done. In the spring I run the antifreeze out at the faucet and then I cycle a process 5 or 6 times of putting 5 or 6 gal of freshwater in, run it out at the faucet.... after doing that 5 - 6 times the water in the tank is crystal clear and its not even June yet

3 gallons is enough with the hot water tank? I use 6 gallons.

No I don’t put antifreeze in the hot water tank, maybe that’s why it’s so hard for you to clear it. I drain the hot water tank in to the bilge. When I run antifreeze through the water system I use an extra piece of hose to bypass the hot water tank completely and leave it bypassed until I’ve ran fresh water through it in spring. 

Ok, makes sense! I’ll have to try that next season,LoL!

McGarnicle

Liberty44140 said:

aero3113 said:

Liberty44140 said:

surprised by these comments on the freshwater tank. I dump 3 gallons of antifreeze in there and then pump it from the tank to all faucets and showers until solid pink. Done. In the spring I run the antifreeze out at the faucet and then I cycle a process 5 or 6 times of putting 5 or 6 gal of freshwater in, run it out at the faucet.... after doing that 5 - 6 times the water in the tank is crystal clear and its not even June yet

3 gallons is enough with the hot water tank? I use 6 gallons.

No I don’t put antifreeze in the hot water tank, maybe that’s why it’s so hard for you to clear it. I drain the hot water tank in to the bilge. When I run antifreeze through the water system I use an extra piece of hose to bypass the hot water tank completely and leave it bypassed until I’ve ran fresh water through it in spring. 

Thanks this is good to know and probably something I would have over looked!

zaverin1

Most hot water tanks sit in a place where opening a drain valve would flood / compartment or shallow recess.
i always ran garden hose from tank into the bilge for draining in fall.
i also bypass and leave tank free from pink stuff.
fresh tank is drains via pump and 4 gallons are used to run pink via all the lines.

Liberty44140

zaverin1 said:

Most hot water tanks sit in a place where opening a drain valve would flood / compartment or shallow recess.
i always ran garden hose from tank into the bilge for draining in fall.
i also bypass and leave tank free from pink stuff.
fresh tank is drains via pump and 4 gallons are used to run pink via all the lines.

Good point, my boat has a hose running from the hot water tank to the binge, looks to be factory installed so most should have it but a good thing to check 

zaverin1

On My 280 I even installed a hose on the pressure blow off valve that also ran to the bilge.
mine was in the aft cabin so I was afraid That god for bid it would burn my kids or something stupid like that

zaverin1

Now I need to winterize my bros ray express and my buddies 440 cruisers yacht
cruisers yacht has so much room in the engine compartment that you can have a dance off lol

zaverin1

Me and my wife will start looking this off season for a 360 dancer but once purchased I will always stay on this forum 

reneechris14

I have to open the blow off valve to get the hot water tank to drain and in the spring you have let the air out so it runs properly.

Stodge

Liberty44140 said:

zaverin1 said:

Most hot water tanks sit in a place where opening a drain valve would flood / compartment or shallow recess.
i always ran garden hose from tank into the bilge for draining in fall.
i also bypass and leave tank free from pink stuff.
fresh tank is drains via pump and 4 gallons are used to run pink via all the lines.

Good point, my boat has a hose running from the hot water tank to the binge, looks to be factory installed so most should have it but a good thing to check 

My hot water tank is in the bilge.  My 280 had it in the mid-berth area with a similar hose.

frodo13056

Here's an Excel spreadsheet of my boat winterization tasks. I print out a copy, place it in my Winterization binder and check off each item as it is completed. I have not revised it in awhile but it is a pretty comprehensive task list, including part numbers, etc. I then review it before leaving the boat for the winter. Note that I keep mine stored in heated storage so I don't really have to winterize everything but I always do in the event that the building does freeze due to a power outage or something else.

Cableguy Greg

@Dream_Inn shared a great checklist with me a few years ago. I adapted it for a single engine application. PM him and he might be willing to share. 

davidbrooks

@Cableguy Greg  if you scroll up you will find the checklist that started from him.  I adapted it to a 342 with specific part numbers for various maint items.

Dream_Inn

I tried to put a picture of it here a week ago but it wouldn't let me.  I'll try to just upload the file.

Edit...for some reason I can't put the file on here either.  Maybe I can send it to someone and they can post it.

Cableguy Greg

davidbrooks said:

@Cableguy Greg  if you scroll up you will find the checklist that started from him.  I adapted it to a 342 with specific part numbers for various maint items.

No, I didn't see it. I was on my cell phone looking at the page.

McGarnicle

Black_Diamond said:

Don’t forget:
air conditioner
holding tank
toilet water intake
fresh water system
hot water tank
shower sump

A buddy and I were just talking about the toilet water intake, do you just pull the antifreeze from the strainer in the aft cabin area?

Liberty44140

Yep, did it yesterday. For both the toilet and ac I pull both raw water hoses off of the thru hull and using a funnel pour antifreeze in while the admiral flushed the toilet and runs the ac. I put 1 gal through each. After, I clean out and empty the strainers and put back on. 

Cableguy Greg

For the AC, I back flush it thru the output thru hull until I see pink coming out the bottom. I have never done the toilet. I did flush the toilet using the wet bowl and nothing came out. It could be different on a vaccuflush toilet.