Water · Closing
Shutting Off the Water
Closing the water system at the end of the season so the pipes don't freeze over the winter: stop the pump, shut off the water heater, run every faucet dry, open every numbered drain, then winterize the toilets and drains with antifreeze.
Download opens the video on Vimeo, where you can pick a smaller file size to save space on your phone.
You'll need
- A flathead screwdriver (for drain 2)
- The toilet pumps
- A bucket or tub
- RV & Marine antifreeze, about 4 gallons (Walmart or Amsterdam). Buy it before you come up in winter.
- A plastic cup
Step by step
12 steps
Turn off the water pump breaker
In Grandma and Grandpa's bathroom, at the breaker box, switch off only the breakers marked with green dots (14 and 15). Don't turn off the main switch. This stops water from pumping into the cabin while you drain it.
Turn the water heater's gas valve perpendicular
In the water heater closet, turn the blue gas valve from parallel to perpendicular to the pipe. That shuts off its gas.
Turn the red knob to OFF; don't push it in
Turn the red knob on the water heater all the way to OFF. It's a little tricky: turn it without pushing it in.
Open every faucet in the cabin
Every sink, shower, tub and outdoor spigot. Turn them on and let them run until the water stops.
Where there's a hot option, turn on HOT
On sinks and tubs, turn the hot all the way on, not the cold, so the water heater drains too.
Open the 3 drains in the laundry room
In the new basement with the washer and dryer there are three drains to open (not four). The ones labeled 6 and 7 don't need to be touched.
Open drains 1 and 2 in the water heater closet
Drain 1: turn the valve counterclockwise all the way and you'll hear the tank empty. Drain 2 drains the rest of the water heater: use a flathead screwdriver to turn the black dot toward you as far as it goes.
Open drains 8 and 9 in the wine cellar
In the basement by the stairs (the door across from the powder room off the kitchen and dining room).
Open the last 3 drains by the water softener
Open the three drains next to the blue water softener tank.
Flush and pump out every toilet
Flush each toilet, then use a toilet pump to pull the water out of the bowl and tank, leaving just a little in the bottom. Put the pump's flexible exhaust end in a tub or bucket, the rigid end in the toilet. One pull usually empties the bowl; turning the pump upside down helps it drain.
Half a cup of antifreeze down every drain
Pour about half a cup of RV antifreeze down every sink and shower drain, and half a cup into each toilet bowl and tank.
Leave the cabin with peace of mind
That's the whole water system closed. Easy peasy.
Be careful
- Only switch off the green-dot breakers. Leave the main switch on.
Note
In the video there are two valves by the water softener the family wasn't sure about (they may have been bypassed). Open them anyway until that's confirmed.
