Winterization ?'s

[turkish6]

We bought the one from WM and the guy there said to dilute it even though the label said not to

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by turkish6

We bought the one from WM and the guy there said to dilute it even though the label said not to

The glycol mixture design concentration must be determined withregard to the minimum temperature that the system is expected to encounter.

Always follow the antifreeze manufacturer's instructions (not some retail clerk) for temperature ranges and mixtures to match your climate.

Expected freezing point as a function of anti-freeze concentration
Concentration by volume: Propylene Glycol (Ethylene Glycol)
55%: -40F (-50F)
50%: -28F (-37F)
40%: -13F (-14F)
30%: +4F (+2F)
20%: +17F (+15F)

Refractometers are the most accurate conventional testing method, available for determining freeze point and concentration of engine coolants and antifreeze solutions.

[Jentine]

Anti-freeze (the pink stuff) is a waste of money and time. I have winterized in Connecticut for the past 25 years. For the past 15 I have not used any anit-freeze in the water systems because I don't like the taste and don't want to have to remove the stuff in the spring. It is not harmful if consumed, but it tastes lie s**t. Several flushings are necessary to eliminate it from the water system.
I have been disconnecting the water lines at the source and, using an air pump (a fireplace bellows works fine), I blow the water out of the lines. I vacuum the water from the shower drain, heads, hot water tank, bilge and water filter. No water, no freeze.
The engine is the only place I use anti-freeze. I use the green stuff (good to 100 below) in the raw water system. The engine is already protected with anti-freeze.
The process takes a little longer than just dumping the pink stuff everywhere, but the time is more than equalized in the spring when I just fill the tanks and turn the water on.

[Vasco]

Jim,

Tried the air pump way a few years ago. Used one of those electric compressors and an air tank but I must have not done it well enough because in the spring I has one split pipe in the head. Went back to the pink stuff because I can see it. There is very little to get rid of in the spring because I bypass the hot water tank. The pink stuff is only in the fw line as I drain the water tank first.

[JohnnyC]

You can see from GordMay's post how quickly the protection drops off when this stuff is diluted. From 55% to 50% ethylene glycol you loose 12 degrees of protection. If the stuff were pure ethylene glycol in the bottle you could cut it 50% and probably be OK.
It is not.
The problem is if there is any water in your fresh water system as you add the antifreeze, or if any rain water/snow melt leaks into your bilge while laid up, then the antifreeze in those areas is diluted an unknown amount. Depending on how cold it gets that could spell trouble. Connecticut can get fairly cold. I buy the best antifreeze I can find and use it full strength for that reason. You just don't need that much. It is cheaper and much easier to use good antifreeze now than to fix the damage later.
Don't run antifreeze through your water heater. It will take months of use to flush the stuff out next season (made that mistake already).
John

[Lancerbye]

I have entertained the thought of using Vodka as an antifreeze in the water system. It would make for a happy crew the first cruise out. My father- in- law born in Russia used to use this in a water system in the prairies in Canada where -40F was a common winter temp. It wasn't a boat but he swore by it. Anyone else have any experience with this method. I don't know what the ratio was.

[GordMay]

1. If you are using a 55% antifreeze solution (-50̊F nominal protection) in PVC (plastic) hoses or pipes, remember that the burst point is actually only about -15̊F.

An antifreeze fluid that protects to -50̊F, means that a copper pipe filled with that product will burst at -50̊F.
However, the actual solution will start to form ice crystals at approximately +12̊F.
As the temperature drops, the solution continues to form more dense ice crystals and expands. As the solution expands, it puts pressure on the pipe; and at -50̊F the copper pipe will burst.
Because they are not as strong as copper, PVC hoses & pipes, thus protected, will burst at about -15̊F.

2. When winterizing your Engine, remember that adding antifreeze must be done with the engine totally warmed up and the thermostat OPEN.
A closed thermostat will not allow the antifreeze to enter the block or heads. This means the antifreeze will go through the manifolds and out the exhaust, leaving the block and heads completely void of any antifreeze.

3. Vodka is mixture of water and ethanol. Pure 80 proof (40%) vodka will freeze at approximately -20F (-29C) - roughly equivalent 45% glycol.
You’d have to fill your water system with ONLY undiluted Vodka to achieve freeze protection.
In addition to propylene glycol, a good antifreeze will contain a number of additives (lubricants, PH stabilizers, & corrosion, scale & algae inhibitors).

See also Chuck Husick on Antifreeze
(Techno-Talk, May 2006 from BoatUS Magazine)
Goto: Chuck Husick on BoatUScom

And numerous other Winterizing tips from BoatUS:
Goto: BoatUS.com Winterization Tips