Does the water left in the toilet pump never freeze in the UK ?

[simonfraser]

sorting the fresh water precautions tomorrow
short of taking the pump apart I can’t see how to get the water out!
shall add some antifreeze to the Bowl and give the pump a few strokes …

or does the ‘contamination’ work as antifreeze ?!

 

[Daydream believer]

Undo the plug under the pan on the side of the bottom of the bowl. Opposite the outlet. That will get the water out of the bowl itself, but not the pipework.. However, water will drain back over time as the joker valve is not absolutely perfect & leaving the bung out will allow it to drain out into any receptacle one might place there. It helps to stop evaporation leaving a stain at the bottom if any does run back. I always pump some Thetford Blue to lay in the black water tank ( A small amount will always get trapped), then some Pink additive into the pipework with fresh water, so that any water remaining in the anti vac loop has less smell. Being on the hard I can leave the inlet side open to drain out most of the water, but some salt water will remain. An amount of vigorous pumping gets most of it away.
You can also operate the pump a few times to empty the pump chamber.
At the start of the season Steradent tablets and a small brush helps clean the bowl at the bottom. Just pour the glass full from the wife's false teeth when she goes to sleep. & leave for a few hours. But put the false teeth back in the jar before she wakes up, as she might get the hump if she sees them in the bowl.

 

[ChromeDome]

I pour some winter windscreen wash fluid in. Doesn't leave colour, kind to rubber, seals etc..

My neighbour in the marina uses the cheapest available vodka!

 

[Plum]

sorting the fresh water precautions tomorrow
short of taking the pump apart I can’t see how to get the water out!
shall add some antifreeze to the Bowl and give the pump a few strokes …

or does the ‘contamination’ work as antifreeze ?!

In salt water in Essex mine has never frozen in 30 years.

www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[Refueler]

Our winters drop to -20 .... -25C .... even -30C at times .......

I pour about 1/2 litre Anti-freeze into the bowl .... then pump out .....

I have often wondered what to do with inlet ... but pipes are old and very stiff - preventing disconnection. So far after many years - they've never had any problem.

I do admit that I place a Frost Protector heater in the cabin ... max 500W to try prevent cabin freezing. I have had bilge water frozen ....
For 10 years she stayed in the water through winter ... and will do this winter .....

She's built like a battle tank in the 70's and survived this :

A 5m high wall of ice and water came down river after authorities dynamited about 30kms up river .... I live on a bend of the river and the ice / water came up and over the bank ..... breaking the metre thick ice in my channel, putting my boat up the bank .....

View from top of the 14m high ice wall left behind ...

Anyone for ice in their Scotch ??

 

[RunAgroundHard]

... I have often wondered what to do with inlet ... but pipes are old and very stiff - preventing disconnection. So far after many years - they've never had any problem. ...

I have drilled oil wells in Russia, offshore, near the arctic circle and freezing in pipes was always a concern. The freezing is less of a problem if there is an open end, as the ice tends to grown along the pipe displacing whatever is in front. If the ends are plugged, or the water can't move, like a typical copper water pipe in a house, then the ice has no where to expand to so the pressure increases and ruptures the pipe. It is why the old adage to leave a running tap on in freezing conditions probably exists. I guess your inlet is open ended, at least at one end and any ductility or high yield point material would also be beneficial against freezing.

 

[Birdseye]

I have never bothered doing anything in 30 years or more and never had a problem. To be honest it never occurred to me that I might have a problem. Maybe this year I will put some windscreen antifreeze stuff in it.

 

[Refueler]

I have drilled oil wells in Russia, offshore, near the arctic circle and freezing in pipes was always a concern. The freezing is less of a problem if there is an open end, as the ice tends to grown along the pipe displacing whatever is in front. If the ends are plugged, or the water can't move, like a typical copper water pipe in a house, then the ice has no where to expand to so the pressure increases and ruptures the pipe. It is why the old adage to leave a running tap on in freezing conditions probably exists. I guess your inlet is open ended, at least at one end and any ductility or high yield point material would also be beneficial against freezing.

The seacock is closed ..... but the pipe of course terminates at the inlet pump. Its a Blakes Royal bog ... so a vertical piston pump ... all metal ....

 

[dansaskip]

I always strip my pump down when I lay up the boat for winter. It gives me a chance to inspect everything and make sure all in order. Doesn't take long to do and ensures no water remains and pump doesn't seize up.

 

[vyv_cox]

A boat ashore is far more susceptible than one afloat. The fresh water system in my motorhome froze and suffered damage in North Wales at temperatures not very far below freezing quite briefly whereas my boat in a marina in the Netherlands suffered no damage at all in temperatures down to -10C for extended periods

 

[LadyInBed]

S UK coast on a river, boat stays in all winter so have never bothered.
If the river had any likelihood of freezing I would rethink.

 

[QBhoy]

Sure does. I suffered a cracked pump years ago in my youth

 

[Momac]

Cant say I have ever worried about the toilet.
But now you mention it I have some antifreeze left over from the engine coolant change so I may as well put that in the toilet.

I do have a dehumidifier which creates some warmth plus some low wattage heaters on board which are set to cut in if the temperature falls below 5 degrees or thereabouts.

Today with no heaters on the engine bay was at 8 degrees according to the thermostat while the outside temp was 6 degrees according to my phone.

 

[Stemar]

It obviously depends where you are, and there have been times on the S Coast when ice has formed at the edges of calm inlets, but it's very rare. and will take several days of SERIOUSLY cold weather. In Gosport, I've never taken any special precautions and never had a problem. If a big freeze were forecast, I'd hook up a small heater or a desiccant-type dehumidifier just in case.

 

[srm]

I was thinking a winter berthed in the Caledonian Canal might be interesting. Then I saw a poster put up by the Canal Authority warning of water freezing and causing damage in sea cocks and pipework.

 

[Refueler]

Who knows with climate change ?

Baltics for some years were lacking the real snow volumes ... then BHAM back again. At times here - we were literally having awful UK style winters .... damp, most days temps hovering round the 0 ... -2C range ... UGH !! Much better when it just gets real cold and dry.

 

[Stemar]

I reckon the worst days in a UK winter are 4C and wet Give me -4 and dry any time

 

[Refueler]

I reckon the worst days in a UK winter are 4C and wet Give me -4 and dry any time

Absolutely ... I feel more cold and bad in UK winters than any here ... that cold damp gets me everytime.

 

[thinwater]

sorting the fresh water precautions tomorrow
short of taking the pump apart I can’t see how to get the water out!
shall add some antifreeze to the Bowl and give the pump a few strokes …

or does the ‘contamination’ work as antifreeze ?!

A. Where in the UK? In the water or on the hard? I'm quite sure both matter. Not quite as extreme, but to post such a question on a US forum would be a laugher.

B. Piss has no measurable effect in freezing, and if you are using the head correctly, the piss is flushed through to the tank or overboard with each use (and not left in the hose or head). Flush more.

C. The surest way to winterize is to install a Tee and valves on the suction side so that you can such AF through the entire system. Dumping it into the bowl is a waste of time.

 

[Refueler]

Actually 'dumping in the bowl' and then pumped out at least looks after bowl and outflow side.

My system has no T on the inlet .... basically because the inlet piping is a formed metal pipe designed, bent for my boat .... Only way yo fit a T would be remove that pipe and modify.
But since 2004 when boat came from UK - it has not been a problem even in coldest winters.