3200 fresh water tank/line access

[geoffm70]

This maybe a dumb question, but is there access to the fresh water tank under the salon floor? Looks to me like you have to cut the floor out. Got really cold here around Xmas and now I might have fresh water systems leak. And no, I didn't put any antifreeze in, doesn't normally get that cold on Vancouver Island anymore :0(

[shrew]

I'm sorry to hear that. Hopefully you didn't get a hard freeze. I bought a boat where the previous owner failed to winterize the pressure water system. I was constantly chasing broken connectors. I started inspecting them and found all of them had stress cracks. I ended up replacing the entire pressure system. Lines, fittings, both hot and cold.

[geoffm70]

OMG Shrew, what a nightmare that would be, likely have to rip apart the interior!?!

I did have a heater in the boat and the ocean didn't totally freeze (there's a creek nearby and that helped freeze a thin layer on the surface. Currently warmed up to about 45f and have the water pump off, no leaks. Afraid to turn the pump on!

[geoffm70]

Dec.27, 2021 Nanaimo, BC -5c.

After experiencing the hottest weather this part of the world has ever seen in June 2021, we just finished a surprisingly long stretch of some of the coldest temps ever.

[shrew]

Originally Posted by geoffm70

Dec.27, 2021 Nanaimo, BC -5c.

After experiencing the hottest weather this part of the world has ever seen in June 2021, we just finished a surprisingly long stretch of some of the coldest temps ever.

Is this your boat in the picture?

Anything you DIDN'T winterize is highly likely that it's incurred freeze damage.

Your pressure water system will not be able to handle that amount of freezing. It doesn't matter whether the body of water you're floating in has frozen. That large body of water has thermal mass. You're water is a 1/2" plastic line surrounded by freezing cold air. There is no thermal mass to fight the freeze.

Are your seacocks open or closed?

-> If seacocks are closed, there is a high probably that you ruptured the interior portion of the seacock. The hose is also suspect now.

Did you winterize the engine? (Is the engine Freshwater cooled or raw water cooled?)

Did you winterize the head, sanitation lines and holding tank?

[geoffm70]

Noted Shrew, with much regret and yes, that's my "Therapy", frozen in her berth in Nanaimo a couple weeks back. I go to her almost everyday and there is a heater in the cabin and another in the engine room, hence the ice running off the boat from snowmelt.
Seacocks are open.
Engines have antifreeze
Holding tank and lines was removed before this. Service needed anyway. (board under the holding tank was rotten and collapsed due to drain lines from under seats didn't make it to bilge). So yep, her fresh lines are likely gone. And this was my 1st winter with her.

[geoffm70]

another angle showing snow melt from heated cabin.

[geoffm70]

When I get the holding tank and water heater back in, will turn on the pump and cross my fingers and toes that she holds fresh water again. Currently there is liquid fresh in the holding tank and no signs of leaks.

[shrew]

You might do ok if the heaters are keeping the interior above 32F/0C. Are all of the lockers and bilge hatches open to allow the warm air to circulate?

While it's frozen, inspect the fittings for hairline cracks. They are easier to see when there is expansion. Once the water thaws, the cracks close up and they're hard to see. you could rub them with a little ash to expose the hairline cracks.

[geoffm70]

Again, thanks Shrew. The temps inside the boat never went below freezing, of that I am certain. The icicles off the weather deck I suspect were from snow melting underneath on the hatches/deck. Not freezing here anymore, hasn't been for a couple weeks now and looks like Spring is on the way, so maybe out of the woods this year. Great tip re cracks, will use some baby powder maybe, again after I reinstall the waste water lines and tank.

[geoffm70]

wrote this yesterday, and today we're getting more snow! guess I jinxed it

[geoffm70]

Got the waste water system back in the boat. Also fired up the water pump and heater. No leaks and everything works! Talk about dogging a bullet, will forever put antifreeze protection in the fresh system from now on.

[yahoo82]

Just a tip, you don’t need to put antifreeze in the fresh tank. It will take forever to flush it out in the spring. My marina’s process is really straightforward and I’ve never had an issue.

1) They require the freshwater tank to be empty so I just run the pump until it sputters.
2) They disconnect the inlet line to the pump to the tank and drop it into a bottle of antifreeze.
3) turn on the pump and open the furtherest fixture first and work back. Don’t forget the transom shower, ice makers, coffee pot, etc.

This keeps the antifreeze out of the tank and ensures the pump is also winterized.

Another tip … if you have the Atwood or kuuma horizontal hot water heater, keep the antifreeze out if it. Also very hard to flush and I’ve found it leaves an odor. Instead, put in a bypass so that the cold water (with antifreeze) goes right to the Hot water lines and just drain the tank by opening the drain and relief valve.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[geoffm70]

thank you Yahoo82, will for sure follow these steps next year.