Re: Winterizing a summer home

[Charles Pisano]

Can't I just wrap these pipes real good since they are so near the frost line? I don't want to mess with a heated element and worry about it from

1200 miles away..

It comes in from the street plastic and goes to copper and turns up to a shut off before the meter and then a shut off after he meter. From the elbow below it goes up 6 feet or so. So from the top of this rise to the plastic inlet from the street is my concern. I'm 'planning' on having it shut off at the street..

Someone suggested taking it apart and flushing it there . If I have to do that, I'll just get a pro and have him install a bleeder there for future.

TIA CP

[Mike Grooms]

Charles,

Most street valves have a drain that opens on the house side, and the water will drain back. It would be a risk to just shut off the inside ball valve, and just drain the system down to the meter. The Achilles heel is that elbow you mention. You could insulate it carfully, and it'd probably be OK, but the nagging sensation in the back of your mind might drive you crazy.

If there isn't a drain on the street valve, then have your plumber put some sort of drain at the elbow.

[MLD]

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[Charles Pisano]

I agree mike. And I don't have anyone here to look in on it. I am definitly going to have it shut off at the street. Are you saying the water co. might have a (built in) solution?

It is a gated community with a their own water system. There are quite a few seasonals here, so I guess I need to poke around more locally..

One guy here said without pressure from the street there shouldn't be enough water there to cause a problem and I should be able to get most of it out..

I'd hate to come back and have to wait around for a plumber. I dont' know why they didn't just set it up that way.. CP

[Mike Grooms]

Umm, let me guess...you're not a plumber are you?

[Charles Pisano]

Mr. Grooms,

I didn't respond to your suggesion because it doesn't make sense to me...

Are you suggesting drilling the copper tubing to put antifreeze in... I guess that'd be ok if I never planned on using them again..?

I am going to put RV antifreeze in the drain traps in recommended amounts-one gallon for the toilet and one quart each for all the others. Also going to pump down the grinder basin and drain the HW heater after shutting it down.

Also going to shut off the heat and fridge. I will probably end up wrapping that line real good..

My cousin suggested using some type of vacum pump on the nearest opening to that line and sucking out as much water as I can.. That is the best one I've heard yet, assuming I can get a VP to work on that line...

CP

[Mike Grooms]

Charlie,

Chill out dude. I was responding to the DIYer that suggested using antifreeze. I'm the nice guy that gave you the sound advice a few messages ago. MLD, whoever that is, is the guy not making sense.

[Charles Pisano]

I wasn't being hositle.. But I DID get my posters confused..

sorry

[Charles Pisano]

I said Mr. Grooms cause I thought there was 2 mikes..

[MLD]

Right on!!! Was it that obvious? MLD

[Charles Pisano]

Anything to look out for when draining this? Can I just drain out half of it or most of it? Thanks CP

[Taurus]

This is a step by step Instruction on how to drain a water heater...

Step 1: Shut off electrical at the panel, breaker or fuses.

Step 2: Shut the water off to the tank at the valve.

Step 3: Turn on a hot water tap to relieve the water pressure, when there is no more water coming out of the tap, flip open the relief valve (Located on top of the tank).

Step 4: Connect a hose to the drain outlet at the bottom of the tank, and run the hose outside or to a floor drain (Make sure that at no time does any length of the hose go higher then the drain, make sure hose is lower than the drain outlet and running down hill) this will aid in proper drainage.

Step 5: Gently rock the tank until it is evident that all the water is out of the tank, if it is close the valve and then the relief valve.

That is all there is to it. A.A

[Mike Grooms]

Taurus,

I'm going to take it easy on you because I'm a kind person, but your advice left a little to be desired.

First of all, it's a great idea to shut off the electric, unless it's a gas WH, in which case, the gas must be turned off.

Secondly, it's a bad habit, not that I haven't done it before myself, to mess with the relief valve at all. Those things are touchy, and just fooling around can cause them to drip. You advised that the relief valve be opened before draining the tank (at least down below the level of the RV itself). Won't water come out through the relief valve if you do this??

Thirdly, and this was especially interesting. You said that he should rock the water heater back and forth. How do you rock a water heater back and forth if it's still connected to the piping?

Fourthly, since he's winterizing a home, it'd be a bad mistake to shut off the cold water inlet. That valve would hold water that could freeze and cause a leak. The cold water valve should be opened as the heater drains.

Other than that, your advice was just fine.

[Snakebite]

I was thinking along stupid Canadian theory, put a few .44's in it.

[Snakebite]

You get one guess as to why there are so many dead animals in the driveway this time of year ?