Thoughts on my Fresh Water Flush Setup?

[Matt Lyman]

I’ve got it set up, but haven’t run it yet. Here’s the details:

Boat/Power: Grand Banks 2008 EU 47/QSC 8.3

Goal: FWF from my fresh water tank so I can flush on mooring ball because I don’t have dock water available, but I do have a water maker. 

Solution: I utilized an existing port on the base of my water tank, put an inline valve attached to a check valve, then ran 1″ ID reinforced hose 15′ to the strainers through stringers. The plan, when I need to flush will be to open the deck plate (so no vacuum builds up), open the inline valves by the water tank and onto the strainers, run one engine at a time, and see if I can close the seacocks without creating an issue. 

Please see pics for the setup. 

Thoughts? Anybody see anything wrong with this setup/solution? 

Topic

[Rob Schepis]

Further to Gene’s comment, my aftercoolers are original from 2002. Never fresh water flushed but slipped in brackish water from day one and serviced the seaboard way since new. 

[BrisHamish]

OK cool, thank you, thats helpful. I will install a set up running on mains water.

[Gene Fuller]

From a corrosion chemistry point of view slightly brackish water will be better than full-strength seawater. I leave the seacock open to avoid any possible problems due to starving the raw water pump. You will still be taking better care of your engines than 90+ percent of the folks out there.

[donald roth]

Be careful shutting the seacock, the flow may be limited from the small fitting at the tank outlet.

Also, is there enough flexibility atop the strainers to allow removing just one lid?

[BrisHamish]

I am also interested in responses to this thread please, as I have a ‘similar-ish’ boat and QSCs.

The style of muffler on these GBs requires the engines to be running with any flush system, and I have always been nervous that the inlet will not be large enough to provide sufficient waterflow with the seacock closed (and if the seacock cannot be closed, would there really be any point to this exercise)?

Would be interested to read any comments.

Thanks,

[Author]

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