My $8 winterizing tip...

Tools needed

1 Toilet plunger
1 1" Spade drill and Drill
1 3' Section of an Old hose (Male End)
1 Gallon -50 RV Antifreeze (Per Pump)

Remove the handle from the Toilet Plunger... it unscrews

Drill the plunger in the center with the spade drill

Screw the male end of the hose into the rubber part of the plunger

Turn on your bait well or saltwater washdown pump

Put the plunger over the pumps sea strainer and the end of the hose into the gallon of antifreeze.

Hold the plunger tight against the hull and the pump will drink the antifreeze up in seconds...

$50 less than a Fake-A-Lake and it works better!

neeto :btu:

The pumps on my boat,
I just pour the marine antifreeze down the 2in hose, when it starts to come out the pick up, I close the sea cock.

For free you can just let them run dry

Throw your antifreeze into your FRESH water system, holding tank, and engine cooling sys

The proplem with letting them run dry is getting all the lines clear of water so they don't freeze...

It is a great idea you have I have just never heard or seen anyone do such a thing with a saltwater washdown/baitwell pump, but it certainly can't hurt


I have always had issues with Macerator pumps but a few years back learned to remove them for the winter and so far no issues.


happy thanksgiving

Great Post and Tip Thanks.

Just make sure you flush out your baitwell hoses with fresh water when you go out first time or you will pump in a nice amount of anti freeze into your livewell filled with macks. I have a portable 30 gal. livewell and filled it with a 5 gal. bucket and when bait went in I started up the pump for water circulation and areation and presto anti freeze water.