C Warm Calorifier SO35

[2953]

Seeking documentation for winterization/spring commissioning for a C Warm CWB40-VJ3 Calorifier.  Lots of hoses and valves on the dang thing but Jeanneau manual and on-line resources nearly useless or non-existent.  Any assist is appreciated.

[Don Reaves]

I have a 2004 SO 35 built in France. I honestly don't know the maker of the water heater, but I suppose the procedure is much the same for any make. To ready it for winter, drain it completely. You do this by opening a valve that will drain the hot water into the bilge. It's very obvious when you open the valve if there is any pressure in the system. I have found that leaving a hot water tap open in the galley promotes air entering the hot water heater so the water can escape.

What you do after draining the tank depends on how you treat the rest of the water system, and whether you have a by-pass valve on the heater. (I don't have such a valve.) If you have one, set it to isolate the heater from the rest of the water system and then do whatever you will to winterize it also. I use compressed air to blow the water out. Then I add about a gallon of potable anti-freeze to each water tank and run the pump to distribute it in order to ensure that any low points in the system don't contain water, which will freeze and cause problems.

In 15 years, I haven't had any problems, with winter temperatures down to about -20F (-29C).

Don

[2953]

Don, helpful. Thanks for the reply.

[whitebird3800]

   2003 SO 35  here. First pump all the water tanks dry.    I pull the incoming water hose off the bottom of the c warm and use a double barb to join it with the hose at the very top of the unit.  This isolates the heater.  There is lever valve near the bottom that you open, this drains the heater into the bilge, leave it open.  Nothing more needed for the c warm.  Our fresh water pump has quick release hoses, i purchased another adapter, (pennies) attached a very short hose and plugged them back into the pump.  Now you can put that hose in a bottle of antifreeze and turn on the pump and 1 at a time open all the hot and cold water faucets until they run antifreeze out.  Keep  changing bottles till done. Don't forget the stern shower. I make sure both water tank selectors are open and remove the screen filter.  I have never put antifreeze in the tanks and have had no problems in upstate NY.  Make sure the shower sump is pumped dry, add some antifreeze to the sump and pump it through.  Take out that filter also.  toilet-- put enough antifreeze in to make sure its pumped through the system.  I usually use about 5 gallons of the pink stuff for the whole job

[Don Reaves]

Mentioning the stern shower reminded me that the handle itself is very susceptible to damage from water freezing in it. The simplest way to protect it is to unscrew it and place it in a safe location. I usually put all removed water system items like this in a plastic bag in the head sink.