Here are a few ideas how to treat and prevent freezing in your equipment. If you don’t do this, the water will freeze, expand and crack the housings. Most of the time this will destroy the equipment and in the cases of pumps or boats it is very expensive to repair. While its best to take it into a shop, here are some ideas to consider if you cant.
For boats:
Inboard engines have drain plugs on the side of the motor. They are thumb screws and are yellow, or blue or any color really. Take them out. Look on the sides low and also in the front. Once you find on its easy to find the others. Take them all out and let the water drain out
Also pull the drain plug on the boat as well to make sure there is no standing water. You would be amazed how much water can collect in the battery compartment. Not only will it freeze but ruin the electrical system as well.
Click this image and really look at the damage water can cause. Nasty bad.
If you are really concerned with freezing you can take off the input hose to the water pump and pour in environmentally friendly antifreeze. This is the type that goes in RV systems and is non toxic.
Pull the hose, start the engine and free pour the antifreeze into the engine until it comes out the exhaust pink. Now you need to do this first before you pull all the plugs or the antifreeze will all do out the first hole. Basically the pump will push the chemicals through the whole system just like in your car.
Outboard engines are basically the same. On the water jackets there will be some drain plugs. You can also use the earmuffs, cut a small section of hose and put a funnel on the end and free pour into the funnel. Keep pouring until the pink colored antifreeze comes out the top of the engine. Make sure not to engage the prop as that is way dangerous and just do it at an idle. For engines you cant start it is possible to pull the thermostats on the top of the engine and free pour in until full and it comes out the bottom. You have to do both sides.
For pressure washers use pump saver. Hook upon the pump and it sprays into the pump protecting it. Super simple.
If you don’t have a kit like this us the hose and funnel trick. Hook up the hose with the funnel. Raise it up several feet and free pour the RV antifreeze into he pump while it is running until it sprays out the other side. Turn off, disconnect and your done,
For submersible or transfer pumps cut the top off the antifreeze bottle and set the pum in it, turn on and once it is sucked through and comes out the other side your good to go.
I hope this helps. Most important is that you get it all the way through the systems and that you use the non toxic environmentally friendly anti freeze.
Be sure to visit our video on youtube.com/askthemowerguy for lots of ideas and ways of repairing equipment. There you will also find out TV show – Ask the Mower Guy. Also, if you're looking for something and it's not in our parts room check out our Ebay page!
Parts and repairs in Carlsbad, NM
