But, But, Wait......
But, but I read on the internet that skeg-hung rudders can't FAIL.........
Well then I guess you saw it here first..... (wink)
"I Have A Grinding Noise"
Ah, yes you do...... Come on, really.....????
DIY Winterizing FAIL
But Yogi the Ranger is not going to like this........
Improper Winterizing Of A Seacock
I have seen this one all to often. Very expensive tapered cone seacocks split open by frozen water.. Cha-Ching $$$$$$$.....
Winterizing FAIL
This owner thought it a reasonable approach to save $6.00 on propylene glycol antifreeze. He decided to suck just two gallons of -50 PG into his expensive engine. Once he "saw pink" out the exhaust he immediately shut the engine off.
Sorry to break it to you but merely "seeing pink" arrive at the aft end means SQUAT unless you previously KNOW exactly how much it takes.. If in doubt please MEASURE the concentration coming out the exhaust by catching it in a cup and then measuring it with a sight refractometer. Alternatively spend the extra $$ & suck in a couple more gallons of PG. The concentration coming out the wet exhaust should match what it went in at.
This owner froze and split his expensive heat exchanger. It cost a hell of a lot more than the $6.00 he saved on antifreeze.
This is what remained inside the HX in the spring. Please understand that when you suck in a gallon of antifreeze it does not simply displace 1 gallon of water. IT MIXES with the water already in the system. Pre-diluted propylene glycol should not get diluted any further...
You may get away with saving a penny in the mid Atlantic region but in the far North you can run into serious trouble.
I Measured What Came Out
Seeing as it is next to impossible to photograph my sight refractometer, what is used to measure PG concentrations, I used a test strip specifically designed for PG..
Winterize FAIL!
As a point of reference this was two gallons sucked through a Universal M-25 diesel engine. I measured the freeze point of what was in the heat exchanger at just 25F!!!!!
You ALWAYS Drain & By-Pass A Water Heater
The drain cock on this water heater is there for a reason! This owner sucked 6 gallons of -50F antifreeze into his 6 gallon water heater & system without bypassing the water heater......!
Freeze, split, cha-ching $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ !!!
DO NOT DILUTE YOUR PROPYLENE GLYCOL!!!
It would take far more than 6 gallons of antifreeze, in a 6 gallon water heater, to get zero dilution.
If you don't know how to winterize you had better know how to write checks.... D'oh!!
Water Heater Winterize FAIL
Here is another prime example of why marine water heaters are DRAINED in the winter. This owner attempted to dilute the six gallons of water with seven gallons of antifreeze.... Seems reasonable... WRONG!
Fill a 16 oz glass with milk. Now place it under the faucet and turn the faucet on. Let me know how many GALLONS of water it takes until the water in the glass is clear....... FAIL!!!!!!
Perforated Hose Clamp FAIL
I used to collect failed perforated hose clamps but then my bucket got full........
Want to be safe use non-perforated AWAB hose clamps!!
This was the ONLY hose clamp on a head seacock... Lucky the hose did not blow off and it was only weeping water when I found the clamp in the bilge...
Consider using non-perforated clamps instead!!
One More...
Once again this was the ONLY hose clamp on a below waterline seacock!
This is why I do not like nor entirely trust perforated hose clamps. If using perforated clamps please use TWO for any connections that can become submerged or that are submerged.
Observe and check all below waterline hose clamps OFTEN......
Some Are Not As Easy To Spot
For Christ sake PLEASE stop using these sub standard POS hose clamps for below water applications, and ALWAYS double clamp below water.......,br />
This one was spotted on a frozen OPEN seacock and this was the ONLY clamp..... D'oh....
Multiple Issues
I won't be shy here. I am NOT a big fan of any PVC hose used for below waterline applications. Why? I think this picture sums it up. This hose was four years old..
Also there is NO SEACOCK here to close off the thru-hull fitting for when these cracks finally let go... DUMB!!!!
