Posted by JRP on 11/08/17 - 7:39 AM
#6
Phil T wrote:
With due respect to J, I had a boat in Maine over 10 years and never touched my bilge pump when it came to winter.
Detach the hoses from the pump and run the pump dry for 5 seconds. Leave all plugs OUT.
Winterizing pumps and plumbing with antifreeze is a very standard practice. Another option is to drain and/or blow them out.
The method described by Phil above would not have worked in any boat I've owned, as there were no check valves to prevent water in the hose run from siphoning back down into the pump and bilge. Even if there had been check valves, this would have left standing water in the hose run, water which would have frozen.
I've never owned a boat where a plug could be left out to prevent water from accumulating in the bilge over the winter. That includes my current Whaler. So I winterize all the pumps and hose runs -- bilge, wash down, and live-well pumps. And a sufficient amount of antifreeze is left to pool in the bilge to prevent freeze up of any water that finds its way there.
Of course, the configuration of some boats may permit different approaches.