Frostguard Heaters

[Refueler]

Just looking at that has made me feel so cold I'll have to turn up my heating ... perhaps for the sake of your audience you should put some heating in there.

Superanne being based on a Poole Harbour workboat hull ... Searider Yachts .... she has 50mm GRP ... so survives winter fine. The bilge keels are not as splayed out as a Westerlys - so they are not strained.

She has a 500W Frostguard in there at moment till I get sorted with Anti-freeze through the system. She's actually quite warm in there as well ... but temps here are hovering 0 down to -4C only at moment.

 

[Momac]

Why?

What would be the consequences of not having frost protection heaters?

I think UK winters where temperatures swing between freeze and thaw are potentially damaging . Despite best efforts it may be some water will remain.

 

[PetiteFleur]

I leave a small tube heater on when ashore over winter. No frost stat though - not really necessary. If I'm aboard I switch on the diesel heater.

 

[Ruffles]

The problem I find when the boat is on the hard is the evening drop in temperature causing condensation. Not such a problem on the water as the boat's temperature is relatively stable.
I stick a dehumidifier in, draining into the sink. Doesn't always work as the discharge pipe can freeze! I've never got round to a heater.
I've never had a problem with frost damage to the boat. But I may have been lucky. A flat battery can freeze apparently and crack the case. I do tend to leave the water tank empty though.

 

[Refueler]

The reason discharged lead acid batterys freeze and crack ... when discharged - the fluid density is significantly less ..... charged and the density is much higher due to the electrolytic ions and acid.

There are other factors - but that's the main one.

 

[ghostlymoron]

The only frost damage I've ever had on my boats is split shower head which contained some residual water even when the rest of the was drained. Fortunately it was a caravan type item so relatively cheap to replace. (I removed it every year after that)

 

[VicS]

The only frost damage I've ever had on my boats is split shower head which contained some residual water even when the rest of the was drained. Fortunately it was a caravan type item so relatively cheap to replace. (I removed it every year after that)

The pressure pump and its inlet filter are other vulnerable items if not drained properly

 

[Refueler]

There are basically three items that concern me for winter :

1. My very expensive Blake toilet !! Having seen replacement Blakes priced at over £2000 ... I value it like gold !! I put a drop of Anti-freeze through it and leave AF in the bowl.
2. Auto Bilge pumps don't like being frozen ... so once I know rain is no longer a problem - I lift the pump out of bilge to stop it being split open by the standing water.
3. Raw water cooled 4-107 I have ... Antifreeze through her with seacock closed off.

The funny thing is ... I only ever drained my FW system once in all the years I've had the boat ... over 20yrs ... and never had a problem apart from the sink hand pump losing its seal. Its actually a heavy duty stainless steel tank ... maybe that's why and its never full ...

On another item of concern for winter though ... if you have diesel in your tank ... if its Summer Grade - it will drop paraffins as it cools. The dreaded Cold Filter Plugging Point ..... most summer diesel in UK is about -6C CFPP ... with winter diesel at -16C .... but that's road ULSD. Red diesel is another matter and may not be -16C ... depending on source.
Red before was around -4 ... -6C ... all year.

What to do ? Nothing ! What I do in Spring is to put more diesel in to tank - get it to mix ... then start engine with the old filters still in place, just in case paraffins ... you'd call them wax - are still separate ad get sucked into fuel system. Run engine and then if its your usual - to change filters after that run.
There is a quick fix to winterise summer diesel but only IF REALLY NECESSARY and you expect arctic cold ... ... and that's add Kerosine or Petrol. Up to 10% kerosine is fine ... in fact Nanuk Diesel is 100% Kerosine for the arctic. Petrol can be 5 - 10% if you cannot get Kero.
Talk to any old farmer and they'll tell you about that trick ....