Winterize home near the Deleware Water Gap FAQ

No, do not use automotive antifreeze. There is RV antifreeze available for such things. Shut the power off to the well pump. There should be a drain at the bottom of the hot water heater so you can drain that. There should also be a pressure tank to drain. Drain the well pump by removing whatever plugs are available. Blow the lines out with a portable air compressor.

Here's just one google search hit for "winterizing a cottage" :

I forgot a couple things. Automotive antifreeze is poisonous so that's why you don't use it. Turn the power off to the hot water heater before you drain it.

This link has a lot of tips also some other links to check :

that you put in your toilet...are poisonous. So why is that a reason not to use regular antifreeze?

Isn't it particularly harmful to the bacteria in a septic tank?

The most certain way is to use an air compressor connected anywhere on the system to apply enough pressure, maybe 10 PSI, to blow all the water out with all valves open, flushing the toilets etc. Otherwise opening the lowest drain available, eg at the water heater in the basement with all the faucets open, toilets flushed, etc. The latter is probably 95%+ effective. But it some houses, especially old houses, you could have a section of plumbing that dips down, that will still have water in it. In most cases, that still might not freeze and bust, but it can. Also depends on the construction, where that kind of thing can happen. Then use RV antifreeze that you can find at Walmart, HD, etc to pour into the toilet bowls, all sink and bath drains, just enough to fill the traps.

Don't know. The last home I owned with a septic tank was during the Eisenhower administration...

It will not harm the septic bacteria and in fact is not that toxic. I think the LD50 according to OHSA standards would be considered non-toxic.

What makes it toxic is that it is very sweet and human or animal could drink too much of it and it would be toxic.

Methyl alcohol is another substance that is not toxic according to OSHA but is considered toxic when consumed in excess.

If you don't know, why then did you advocate pouring antifreeze down the drain?

It's not clear what antifreeze you're talking about, but if it's auto antifreeze, my understanding is that it is toxic and even drinking small amounts can harm you or kill you, not that you have to drink too much to be harmed. You make it sound like you can drink a cup and no problem.

If you reread my post, you'll notice that I didn't "advocate" anything.

I simply asked how, if auto antifreeze was poisonous, was it any different from the many other poisonous substances that go down the drain into a septic tank.

But hey, thanks for asking...and if you'd like me to recommend a remedial reading comprehension course, just post back ;-)

Ethylene Glycol does not break down as fast in nature as drain cleaners and other newer cleaning products. If you are dumping motor oil and fluorinate hydrocarbons down the drain you are an asshole.

Ideally you don't put anything in a septic tank that you didn't eat first. At least when you do, you usually end up living with the problem, not the water in general.

You can usually blow out pipes with a shop vac if you don't have a compressor. (or suck the water out if it is "wet/dry") The advantage of blowing is you can use Mom's Electrolux if it has a discharge port. ;-)

Google told me this:

"Ethylene glycol is readily biodegradable in standard tests using sewage sludge. Many studies show biodegradation under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. ... Ethylene glycol has generally low toxicity to aquatic organisms."

The other substances are a problem.

I was talking to a friend today that has a cottage he shuts up for the winter on the coast of NC. He mentioned about putting some antifreeze that is safe to drink in the fresh water lines in the cottage. He drains and blows out the lines with air, then puts in the antifreeze. He also does that to a camping trailer he has. He does run the spickets for a short time when he goes back to the cottage in the spring before using any water out of them.

My childhood home was on well & septic ; my first and second homes were town water & septic ; my third & present home is well & septic. We use toilet bowl cleaner and other household cleaners and laundry & bath & dish soaps and also the water softener brine < with rust remover > flushes into the septic system ; the furnace condensate goes there ; latex paint brushes & rollers are cleaned & that goes into the septic system as well. All this goes into the septic tank without us even having a _taste_ of it ! :-) Never a problem. Never needed to add "septic tank helper". John T.

I thank people for the advice, and just want to clarify it's a cesspool, and not a septic system (there is no leach field as far as I know).

It's simply a tank and nothing else. Don't know if that makes it better or worse for winterizing purposes though.

As for the antifreeze, thanks for that advice. This says auto antifreeze contains "ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and methanol."

This doesn't even say what kind of antifreeze to use