HEATER WINTERIZATION ON 2014 Z1

[glides]

I was told my storage for boat was heated. Had a friend drop boat off and found out it is not!!! I had only motor winterized. I'm looking for help with winterizing heater. I did some searching on previous threads but I need to know where hose(s) are on motor and where to access them where they connect to heater unit itself(and how to access them). I've never worked on boat before but I'm sure with all your expert advice I will get though this!!!


Thanks in advance

[SKSailboatshop]

Starboard side of the boat, if you open the seat that is front of the helm, there is a panel with i think 1 screw. The heater is bellow that. Essentially the heater is a small radiator, hot water runs through it on a loop and when you turn the heater on the fan attached to it blows hot air off of it. The Lines are fairly narrow in diameter and run off the engine...ill see if i can snag a pic of where they are off the engine. You can essentially disconnect the heater lines from the heater let the water drain out and we usually hit it with some compressed air to make sure All of the water gets out...you can even pump some Anti Freeze through it too to be extra safe, depending on how cold it gets where you are.


We typically do as February has been brutal over the past couple years(weeks of -15F )

[chpthril]

For next year, id look for a new shop to do your winterizing. Dont understand how they "winterized" just the engine and not the heater core thats attached to it.

None the less. There are only two black hoses about 1" OD leaving away from the engine towards the helm area. Find them and follow them to where they connect at the engine and disconnect. let them drop to the bilge and gravity drain. After than, blow through them to push a little more out. If you want, you can lift up one hose, stick a funnel in it and pour some marine/rv antifreeze into it till you get pink out the other hose. Finish by reconnecting the hoses. I hate leaving stuff undone over winter. A good winterizing should be turn-key ready come spring.

[Bakes5]

I am a huge fan of running for a few minutes to get thermostat open then running 5 gallons of antifreeze through the raw water intake. THEN....proceed with regular winterizing procedures.

[chpthril]

^^^^^ 2 things with this. 1) I would not trust the A/F to reach the heater core. 2) marine/RV antifreeze needs to be introduced into a drained system. it does not work like automotive A/F and needs to be used @ 100%. Running it into a system still full of water will quickly dilute it. This could leave the system with a low level of freeze protection. 2a) you certainly would not want to run an empty engine for 5 minutes, but with the system empty, the A/F will fill right it, regardless of the t-stat. 2b) cold A/F will close the stat most likely.

[lee]

At this point you should remove both heater hoses from the engine and blow all of the water out of the heater core and lines.

[Big Ned]

I have a '14 Z1 as well and in the engine compartment there is a separate pump the circulates water/AF to the heater core at the front of the boat. Once the engine has been winterized, I disconnected the hose from the pump and gently blew compressed air through the lines going to the heater core and made sure there was no water/AF in the core. That way there should be no risk of the core freezing.... Hopefully.

[scoot18]

I agree with Lee, remove both hoses from engine area, one will be coming out of the intake and the other off of the water pump or pump area, use blow gun and compressed air and push all of the water out, that way you know, you know it is good to go. Hoses should be relatively easy to locate, the only two heater hose size hoses going forward to the helm.

At this point you should remove both heater hoses from the engine and blow all of the water out of the heater core and lines.