Anyone pour a little RV antifreeze in their live wells for winter?

[Jetch114]

Hi all. I keep my boat garaged but it does get cold here in December-February. Was wondering if it would hurt anything to pour a little RV antifreeze into my live wells and circulate it though the pumps and hoses.

[Flippin 416]

I have always stored mine in my garage through the winter and have never felt the need to do what you are asking. We get some cold snaps here that can drop below zero for several days. I have had water bottles in my garage freeze but never had any issues with my boat. I would venture to say if you opened the drain valves after you left the lake and drove home with them open, that you will have a very small amount of residual water left in your lines that probably wouldn't be enough to do any damage even if it froze.

[DavL]

I always back-pour RV antifreeze down both livewell ports and the 2 bilge port lines where they exit the hull of the boat using a funnel as part of the winterization process. I do this until I see antifreeze come out the other end at the intake side. For the pumps I can reach easily, I also pop the cartridge out and leave it just off the housing to prevent damage to the impeller that a small amount of water could make happen. The tubing often has dips or spots that water may pool in and I just don't take any chances in the event we have an extend cold snap.

[Fishysam]

I got a small shop vac and set the hose on the exhaust and blow through the pump out , recirculating fill holes, wipe out and blow the drain out.

and rv antifreeze will work just drain it after running it because it still may freeze and in the spring make sure to pump liberal amounts of water to flush the remanence.

[steinybass]

I do put RV antifreeze in mine. This is my first boat that I have had a garage for. I had a 97 Procraft and have done the same and stored outside. Now in that boat I did have a bilge pump hose break and that could have came from water freezing or not I don't know for sure. My current Nitro last winter I walked into my garage and my 3 drains (bilge and livewell) on the the back of the boat had ice hanging out of. Also had ice in the overflow in the livewells that I never even gave a thought of. This year I have sucked water out of every port and still port RV antifreeze in and drained just incase. Hope I don't get anymore ice this winter.

[XingEyeballs]

I have but only if fishing still when it’s getting in the teens. Otherwise I ensure everything is open and the boat is jacked up. Never been an issue.

[bpicinc]

If you have a water pressure gauge, disconnect it at the console when temps drop down low!

[Jetch114]

Good thinking on the water pressure gauge. Thanks.