What????? :-) I'm not telling anyone NOT to garner advice on the web. I'm saying it's not a good idea to ignore actual experience. This is the damage done by the web: Fear of experimentation, failure to consider why a non-standard technique may work, and a complete distrust of personal experience. How did some people gather knowledge before the web existed and there were no links to so-called experts, many of whom are no more "expert" than you or I?
it was directed at the opposite side of the argument...
It was hard to tell, but that was me. Doing too many things at once.
Depending on the layout of the house, his method could work fairly well. If you turn off the water with all the faucets open, the upstairs plumbing will drain through the downstairs faucets. If you then flush all the toilets, they're usually the lowest fixture in each bathroom, so they'll drain much of the remaining water in the system. Especially if you flush each toilet again to make sure there's no water left in the tank.
But I'd still worry in a hard freeze, this method doesn't clear the water out of the toilet traps or other drain traps, it doesn't drain the water heater, and it doesn't drain all the pipes in the walls. It really is best to drain the whole system from a low-point drain valve if you have one.
I have 3 bathroom sinks, one kitchen sink, one laundry sink.
One shower, one bathtub, 3 toilets.
What about the washing machine?
Since the water is only a foot above the fllor and the outlet is over the lip of the sink, there is what amounts to a trap in the washing machine output.
What does one do to keep the washing machine from damage?
This is a little strange, or poorly put. You should go to the lowest fixture that has hot water, and the lowest that has cold water.
In my cases and most cases that is the same fixture (if wwe don't count toilets) but if it is isn't, do it my way.
Hmmm. valve open or closed?
And I forgot about the dishwasher. That has what amounts to a trap also. Antifreeze into the dishwasher drain??
The best mixture is 50/50. More antifreeze than that and the freezing temp starts to rise again. No need to mix it with the water in the pipe. It will mix itself, by diffusion or something.
Backwards. You have to switch it off BEFORE you empty it. If it runs without water covering the elements, it will quickly burn them out. Less than 5 minutes I think. Maybe less than one?
"> Anyone that interested in proving a point is hiding some sort of
It's hard for me to tell what he's talking about too, because I never said don't listen to anyone else, or the internet. In fact, I provided several internet links to useful information and even asked for links to information that said otherwise.
From what I can see, you implied that what worked for me actually did NOT work.
What I said was opening all the faucets and then just turning off the main valve without draining the water from the system was not the correct and accepted way to winterize a house subjected to freezing temps. And I provided supporting links. Could someone do it that way and not have the pipes burst? Sure. The pipes also may not have burst had you done nothing. Or you could now have a weakened pipe with a bulge somewhere in a wall.
Could someone not change their engine oil for 50K miles and still have it work OK? Or could someone live in a house with an incorrectly vented gas heater and not die of CO? Sure, but does that doesn't make it an OK and acceptable practice.
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required