Can someone tell me how to winterize a summer home so that the pipes and water heater won't burst ?

Answer 1

Shut the water off and completely drain them (Blow them out if you can) and wrap the pipes with heat tape.

Answer 2

Go into the basement or crawl space beneath the house and turn the incoming (supply) water off. If you have a well, turn off the power to the well pump at the disconnect or at the main panel. While your there turn off any hot water heaters there are (electric) or if it's gas, turn off the control on the heater it's self. If there is no other gas required in the house, turn off the gas main coming into the house. The gas shut off should be right after your gas meter. It will look like a 3 inch metal ''blade type'' handle. Turn the handle 90 degrees (it will only turn one way). Then find the drain cock for the water system. It will be a valve most likely resembling a garden hose valve located near the basement floor (lowest point). Attach a hose to channel the water out of the basement or you can let the water run out on the floor. Now open that valve and let the water drain. Go upstairs and open every faucet there is, both hot and cold. Also flush all the toilets. This is how you will leave the valves for the winter (all open). Now pour a half gallon of anti freeze into each toilet bowl. Pour 1 quart down each sink drain. Also pour a quart into the dishwasher (if present). If the house has hot water heat turn the funace breaker off (in the electric panel or the service switch located next to the furnace) Now find the drain valve for the heating sytem, it should be of the same type and description as the water systems. Open that valve and drain as well. Open the bleeder valves on the radiators upstairs to alow the haeting pipes to drain.That should do the trick

Answer 3

Drain all the pipes at the lowest point (usually the water heater). Keep all valves open. Tha small amount of water that may remian in the pipes will not hurt, no need to "blow" them out. Flush toilets and remove all water from the tank and bowl. Pour a couple of cups of antifreeze into the bowl to mix with the water in the toilets. Do the same for the sink traps.

What ever you do, don't just wrap w/insulation. It won't be pretty.

Answer 4

Shut off the water supply and drain the lines by opening a faucet at the low point of the system. Leave faucets open. Be sure to drain the toilet tank, and get as much water as possible out of the bowl. Don't forget the traps on the sink drains. Pour about a cup of automotive antifreeze down each drain so the traps don't freeze. Empty the water heater. Good luck.

Answer 5

We do it every fall to winterize our summer home. We drain all the pipes, shut every thing off and put antifreeze down the pipes and let it set there all winter. In the spring we just run water to flush the lines out. Have been doing this for at least 8 yrs and have had no problems and it is an easy job.

Answer 6

All the pipe insulation in the world is not going to help if the heat is turned off and the temprature is allowed to fall below 32 degrees.

The insulation will slow down the cold from getting to the pipes, but if you got no heat in the house and the interior house temp falls below freezing for an extended period of time your pipes will still burst.

Drain the lines and put anti freeze in the toilets and all the traps under the sink and showers.

Answer 7

Turn off the water at the "Water Main" You may or may not know where that is. You might want to contact your local water company and ask a rep to come out and show you. Once the water is off, turn on all the water faucets in your home, hot and cold. This will release the pressure in the pipes. You may want to invest in a air compressor to blow excess water out of your pipes just to be safe. Leave the water in your toilet bowl only since it provides a buffer between your home and sewer gas.

Answer 8

Hire someone to do it for you and watch what they do so you can do it yourself next time. It is very important to drain all water and put in the proper anti-freeze - don't try to interpret answers from here. Have someone with experience show you what to do. If you can afford a summer home, you can afford the small price it will cost to have it done by someone once. If this is not done properly, you will have more problems than you know.

Answer 9

Tim r is the most correct with his procedure.
However do not use automotive antifreeze use only RV anti freeze. Automotive antifreeze is toxic and can cause problems at the sewer treatment plant or in a septic system.

Answer 10

There is a pipe insulation you can get... easy to install....just look in home depot or lowes home store. Usually black foam, that wraps around the pipes