Water · Opening
Turning On the Water & Laundry
In the spring, the water gets turned back on in reverse of how it was shut off in the fall: close every faucet, close every numbered drain, reconnect the washer, then turn on the water pump.
Download opens the video on Vimeo, where you can pick a smaller file size to save space on your phone.
You'll need
- A flashlight
- A flathead screwdriver (for drain 2)
Step by step
8 steps
Close every faucet in the cabin
In the fall, every sink and shower was opened to drain. Go room by room and close every single faucet and shower.
Close drains 1 and 2
Drain 1 closes by hand. Drain 2, by the hot water heater, is different: use a screwdriver to turn the brass valve clockwise until the black dot faces up.
Close drains 3, 4 and 5 in the laundry room
There are three drains to close in the new basement area with the washer and dryer.
Reattach the washer's two water hoses
The hoses were taken off in the fall. Screw them back onto the connections at the top.
Turn the washer's water switch DOWN to ON
Flip the washer's water supply switch down to ON so water can get to the washer.
Close drains 8 and 9 below the stairs
In the center basement under the dining room, turn drains 8 and 9 perpendicular to close them.
Close drains 10, 11 and 12 by the water softener
Drain 10's blue handle tends to fall off; look on the floor for it if it isn't attached. If you open a drain and hear water, it isn't closed yet.
Turn on the main water pump at the breaker box
In the master bathroom, at the breaker box, switch on the two breakers marked with green dots. That turns the water main back on.
Be careful
- Coming in winter? Leave the foot-washing spigot valve (by drains 8 and 9) OFF. Water in that outdoor line can freeze and burst the pipe.
Note
Drains 6 and 7 aren't part of this. The closing-up video notes they don't need to be touched.
