How To Winterize Your Boat

!±8± How To Winterize Your Boat

Winterizing your boat is the single most important maintenance duty that you will have to perform as a boat owner. If it is done correctly, very little work will be required to get the boat ready for the water in the spring. Proper winterization greatly extends the life of the boat and its engine by protecting its components from freezing, corrosion and lying idle for long periods.

The first step in the winterization process is to ensure that the boat's fuel tank is full - leave just a little room for expansion - and add fuel stabilizer in accordance with the instructions on the product. If the fuel tank isn't full you run the risk of condensation forming within the tank which can lead to corrosion and clogging.

Turn off fuel valves and seal through-hull exhaust ports with duct tape. Replace the water separator and the fuel filter.

Protecting Your Engine

Run the engine for a while to warm it up and change the oil while it's warm. This allows many of the impurities in the oil to be drained away. Change the oil filters. If your engine uses coolant drain the current fluid from the engine block and manifolds and replace it with a propylene glycol based antifreeze.

When a boat is not being used, oil tends to settle at the bottom of the engine block, exposing the pistons and valves to air, humidity and other corrosive materials. To avoid this situation remove the spark plugs and spray "fogging oil" inside the carburetor and into each cylinder. Replace the spark plugs without reconnecting the wires.

Replace the engine's old gear oil with fresh oil. Dispose of any used oil at an authorized recycling center.

Outboards

Flush outboard engines with fresh water. Allow all water to drain from the engine and wash down the engine with soap and water. Disconnect the fuel hose and run the engine until it stops. It is important to ensure that all fuel is drained from the carburetor. Use fogging oil in the cylinders. Apply water resistant grease to propeller shaft and threads, and lightly lubricate the exterior of the engine or polish with a quality wax. Change the gear oil in the lower unit.

If your boat will be stored out of the water during the off season, disconnect the battery and store it at home. Boats left in the water should have the battery left in place on board and functioning so the bilge pump will continue to function if required. If you are removing the battery from the boat, ensure it is fully charged before stowing it away. Recharge every 30-60 days or keep on a trickle charger during the storage period and check the water level from time to time.

It is also sensible to remove any valuable marine electronics from the boat for the winter, and to store this equipment in a safe place to avoid theft and possible damage caused by temperature changes and humidity. The winterization process also offers an opportunity to inspect items like lines, flotation devices, flares, fire extinguishers, etc., for wear and tear and possible replacement.

Propeller

This is also a good time to check your boat's propeller and hub. Bent or nicked propeller blades will diminish performance. The hub may also be have sustained extensive wear. If this type of damage is apparent, replace the propeller and make any necessary repairs during the winterizing process.

Clean, Clean, Clean

Clean the boat thoroughly inside and out. If you store your boat with dirt, scum, barnacles and the like on the exterior, these impurities will be even harder to remove in the spring. After the exterior of the boat has been cleaned, apply a quality polish to the exterior surfaces to create a protective barrier against dirt and dust. Clean the interior, including all timber, vinyl and carpet.

To help keep your boat free from mildew, you may wish to install a dehumidifier or use a moisture absorber. Turn any cushions up on edge so that air can circulate around them, or better yet, remove them from the boat.

Drain and clean the bilges. (If your boat will be stored out of the water remove all drain plugs and put them in a place where they'll be easy to find when relaunching your boat in the spring.) Spray the bilges with moisture displacing lubricant and add a little antifreeze.

Empty The Head

Pump out the holding tank at an approved facility. While pumping, add fresh water to the bowl and flush several times. Use an approved cleaner for your type of system, and let the solution sit for a few minutes before adding more fresh water and pumping it out again. Add antifreeze and pump the coolant through the hoses, holding tank, Y-valve, macerator and discharge hose. Check your owner's manual to be sure that an alcohol based antifreeze won't damage your system.

Water Tanks

Drain the fresh water tank and any hot water heater. Isolate the hot water heater by disconnecting the in and out lines and connecting them together. Pump non-toxic antifreeze through the system by turning on all the taps / shower until the antifreeze starts coming out. Add non-toxic antifreeze to the water heater.

Put it on Blocks

If you own a trailer boat, consider putting the boat and trailer up on blocks for winter to take the pressure off the tires. Inspect the trailer and tires for wear and tear. Grease the wheel bearings and replace if necessary.

If at all possible, store your boat undercover. If you need to leave it outdoors you'll require a boat cover. A good quality 8- to 10-ounce canvas boat cover should be adequate for most situation. Even undercover the boat should be covered to protect against dust and dirt, pests and bird droppings. For extreme conditions you could consider shrink-wrapping the boat. Do-it-yourself kits are available.

How To Winterize Your Boat

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Fixing That Annoying Blinking Fluorescent Light

!±8± Fixing That Annoying Blinking Fluorescent Light

So now its time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. There are some very important guidelines to follow when doing electrical work:

-MAKE SURE THE POWER IS OFF AND THERE IS NO CHANCE OF IT ACCIDENTALLY BEING TURNED ON WHILE WORKING ON IT.
-Have all the materials you will need for your project. There is nothing worse than being half way in your project to find out you don't have everything you need.
-Have the right tool for the job your doing

Following our safety guide we need to turn the power off to the light. You can just turn the switch off to the light and that will remove power, but we need to make sure nobody will accidentally turn it on when your working on it. So find your fuse box or circuit panel and shut the breaker off as well. Look for breaker tags such as gen lighting, or lighting.

Now that we know we are safe to work on the fluorescent light here are the tools you will need:

-A fiberglass ladder (make sure it is fiberglass when working with electricity because fiberglass does not conduct electricity.)
-Lineman pliers
-Nut driver
-Wire strippers
-Voltage tester

Now that we have our tools we need to rule out some simple fixes. I have been on calls that I felt so bad charging a customer for something they easily could have done themselves. Number one thing to do is replace the bulb. Keep in mind there are two types most commonly found and they are T-12 and T-8. The T-12 is a fat tube and a T-8 is thin in circumference, that's the easiest way to figure out what it is. If your still not sure remove the bulb and look at the end of the tube and there will be a model number on it with either T-12 of T-8 in or around that area.

Ok, so we changed the bulb and it's not the fix. The problem most likely lies in the ballast. By removing the center cover we can access the ballast, you should see wire colors of black, red, blue, yellow, white and green. Before you remove anything you need to make sure you have the right type of ballast. Make sure the model numbers are the same and the type of ballast is the same. All newer fixtures use electronic ballasts, while older models might use rapid start, and magnetic type ballasts as some examples. We know we have the right ballast so what I do before I even remove the ballast is take the black and white wire from the ceiling box and remove it from the ballast without touching the bare copper and test them with your voltage tester to make absolute sure they are dead,cap each one with a wire nut, these wires are what give power to the ballast.

Look at the colors and where there connected to. I then cut the wires with my linesmans pliers after the wire nut. I do this because when you put the new ballast in it will have the same colored leads as the old one, so you can use it to help you reconnect the colors of wires to the light. After you cut the wires remove the ballast with your nut driver making sure not to lose that nut you will need it later!!! CAUTION: The ballast may be hot to the touch, put some gloves on or use a rag when handling the ballast. Install the new ballast by aligning it into the slots and the hole where the nut was. Simply fasten the nut down and the ballast should now be secured to the fixture. Now connect blue to blue, red to red, yellow to yellow using orange wire nuts. Next hook up the black wire being careful because this is your "HOT" wire to the black and the white to the white. One thing you need to do when connecting the wires is to make sure that you twist your wires together, do not just rely on the wire nut. If you do not twist your wires it could cause a fire by not having a good connection.

Place the cover back on the fixture, put some new lamps in and your done.

Turn the breaker back on at the panel, turn the switch on and let there be light. Now the bragging starts.

Fixing That Annoying Blinking Fluorescent Light

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What is the Best Type of Space Heater?

!±8± What is the Best Type of Space Heater?

Nowadays, space heaters come in a multitude of designs and guises - from electric to infrared to micrathermic, from quartz to baseboard, and from kerosene to propane to natural gas. This can make choosing one of these appliances very confusing; nevertheless, there are, for all intents and purposes, only two fundamental kinds - radiant and convection. Your circumstances will ultimately dictate which one you choose.

Convection heaters work by heating the air surrounding the appliance, which in turn will warm you. Oil or water filled radiators, baseboard electric heaters and almost all heaters that directly burn fossil fuels are classed as convection type heaters. As a simple explanation, imagine that you are in front of an outlet connected to your home's central heating system, and you feel the warm air flow over you; this is known as convection heating.

On the other hand, radiant heaters make use of light waves to heat a particular object, or element, and it is then this element that heats up the surrounding area. It is akin to the way the sun warms you up but you can still feel the cooler air around you; once the sun goes down it appears like the temperature takes a tumble. This is radiant heating. Halogen, quartz and infrared heaters all fall under the banner of radiant heating.

For a human being to feel "comfortable" with the ambient temperature, three very important elements come into play - humidity, heat and wind (speed). The heat part of the equation is self-evident, nonetheless, when humidity levels are low, you evaporate moisture through your skin, making you feel cooler; with a breeze blowing you will lose heat at a faster rate.

With radiant type heaters, you will find that they do not create any "wind speed" or air movement as such, and they also do not lower humidity. Nonetheless, as these heat elements and then it is the elements that heat the room, the overall temperature is slower to rise. Therefore, if the area you need to heat is a small area, then a radiant heater would be the best alternative for you, but if it is a larger room you are looking to heat, a convection heater is often the best bet.

What is the Best Type of Space Heater?

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