Fresh Water Wash Down, Cold v Hot

[petdoc4u]

We would prefer not to introduce salt water into our anchor locker via the salt water washdown system as the dirty salt water courses thru the boat until it eventually reaches the bilge. In as much as the washdown hose at its origin in the ER is in close proximity to both the hot and cold fresh water lines I have decided to abandon the salt water source in favor of fresh. We carry plenty of fresh water. The question is; would it be preferable to use hot or cold fresh water? Hot would be my preference as I would expect it to clean the chain and anchor better than cold water. If I'm going to make the change I would like to maximize the return. Thanks for your responses.
-David

 

[markpierce]

Have fresh-water wash down the anchor chain, but not the option to use hot water. Haven't noticed a negative, yet.

 

[gaston]

I can see no reason to use hot water. First thing I would be doing would be finding a way to stop the wash down water finding its way into the bilge

 

[rwidman]

Yes, I would install a drain for the anchor locker.

 

[markpierce]

I wash the anchor chain just before it comes aboard, (between picking off any vegetation gathered) thus the washing water doesn't enter the boat. ... Isn't an anchor-locker drain standard?

 

[petdoc4u]

the bottom of the chain locker is below the water line, ie not a good place to place a drain. I could block the chain locker water flow aft by creating a "sump" where I could place a bilge type pump and pump that water by tube to the bilge. Down side is that "sump" would be under the sole in the master.

 

[gaston]

the bottom of the chain locker is below the water line, ie not a good place to place a drain. I could block the chain locker water flow aft by creating a "sump" where I could place a bilge type pump and pump that water by tube to the bilge. Down side is that "sump" would be under the sole in the master.

Strange design ??? a bilge pump will soon die if it pumps gritty water maybe a small version of this using a high pressure pump could be the answer.

 

[dhays]

I would agree with the others that if there is any way to avoid the anchor locker draining into the bilge it would be a good idea.

To your original question, I would just plumb it using the cold water. My boat originally had a salt water washdown and the PO rigged it to be able to wash down with fresh water. The nice thing is that I can go back to salt water washdown by changing a couple of valves. When we went North last summer and enough fresh water was going to be a consideration, I just switched to using salt water to wash the anchor during that time. When we were back to civilization I switched back to fresh water.

 

[dwhatty]

Strange design ??? a bilge pump will soon die if it pumps gritty water maybe a small version of this using a high pressure pump could be the answer.

At the speed that that contraption seems to be moving, it might take hours to raise 150', /- of chain.

 

[Crusty Chief]

When we installed the watermaker, we installed a y-valve for the wash down to draw either raw water or fresh water since we were using that thru hull to the watermaker.
When we are cruising and anchoring between locations we just wash down with raw water since it's going back in the salt water in a few hours anyway. If we plan to dock after pulling the anchor, we first wash the chain and anchor before it hits the windless with raw water. Then we wash the chain while in the chain locker with fresh water for a few minutes.
We have a drain that is a couple feet above the waterline.
My suggestion would be to try and figure out a way to discharge the water from the chain locker before it hits the bilges. Maybe a sump pump in a real strong box (especially if all chain rode) at the bottom of your chain locker that can pump overboard. Or put a one way check valve in to an existing overboard drain.
Best of luck.

 

[dhays]

My suggestion would be to try and figure out a way to discharge the water from the chain locker before it hits the bilges. Maybe a sump pump in a real strong box (especially if all chain rode) at the bottom of your chain locker that can pump overboard. Or put a one way check valve in to an existing overboard drain.
Best of luck.

Depending on the depth of the anchor locker, I would try to glass in a floor in the locker that is above the WL and then put a drain in.

 

[Steve]

Our anchor washdown is now raw water I plan to change it over to freshwater before long. I don't think having hot water would make much difference for washing off mud.
Our chainlocker drains down through a hose into a Jabsco shower sump box with a float switch and centrifugal bilge type pump discharging though a hose to an above waterline through hull.

 

[Lepke]

If you have bare wood decks, the salt will preserve the wood. Any chain locker bare wood liner will tend to rot with fresh water.

 

[Pgitug]

Nordhavens have a high pressure pump discharge located just below the bow roller. That could be the raw water wash down and have the fresh water on a hose.

 

[O C Diver]

I have both fresh and salt water wash down. Have a salt water system that's high volume and pressure to blow the mud and debris off. The fresh water part is more of a misting spray rinse to remove the salt. The fresh water part is still a work in progress. Would prefer to have one or more nozzles spraying on the chain that I don't have to hold while I use the salt water blaster. During the refit, I plumbed the anchor locker drain into the shower / sink sump so that the water is pumped overboard instead of in the bilge. Very happy with all of the above; just need to improve the fresh water rinse spray.

To the OP's question, my system would work well with either hot or cold rinse water as it's under 1/2 gallon per minute. My salt water volume is 7 gallons a minute and I would run out of hot water most of the time before the anchor was up. IMO, don't think water temperature makes a significant difference.

Ted

 

[petdoc4u]

Thank you for your replies. I have decided to go with the cold fresh water wash down. That leaves me with a thru hull, and flojet pump which will no longer be connected to anything. Being as this no longer used thru hull is in close proximity to the main engine raw water pump I thought that perhaps (after removing the pump) it would provide redundancy if I were to "T" or "Y" it into the raw water feed to the pump. This past summer I experienced my first ever clogged with seaweed raw water supply blockage. Just never before heard of this particular redundancy. What do you think? Make sense?
Thanks,
-David

 

[petdoc4u]

Removing the pump which supplied the salt water to the wash down. Not the main engine raw water pump.
No matter how many times I read my posts before I post them its not until after theyre posted that I see my mistakes.

 

[O C Diver]

If you have a water maker, quantity may not be an issue. Think I would leave the saltwater system intact till you see how much water you're using. Sticky mud can take quite a bit of water to clean the ground tackle.

Ted

 

[DHeckrotte]

Lots of good ideas! I like the locker draining overboard. I like the raw/fresh choice. We don't have a washdown system yet; the r/f choice is too easy to not do.

I had raw only on the sailboat. I had a chain-rope gypsy on the winch so most washing was done as the rode came up, so lots less mud on deck. The rode went into the locker wet. The drum type we have on Revel requires that filthy rode ends up on deck for subsequent rinsing and drying before feeding the rode into the locker.

 

[Capt.Bill11]

Use hot water.

 

[FlyWright]

Use hot water.

A very efficient post!