If you are heading off on vacation you should probably shut off your water before leaving your home. I know I do every time I leave for any period of time. As a plumber who has been doing this for more than 30 years I’ve seen first hand on what water damage can do!

If it’s warm outside, you don’t need to do much else to your pipes.

If it’s winter however, you should drain your pipes to prevent them from freezing. If your pipes freeze they could burst, causing a major flood, and no one wants to come home from vacation to a mess.

If you are heading south for the winter it is usually best if you ask your utility provider to shut off the water to your home from the street. If you don’t want to do this or if you are on a well then just shut off the main water supply to the house.

Water Pipes

Drain all of your pipes, beginning at the top floor of your home and working down. The best way to winterize is to blow all the water from the pipes with an air compressor.

1. Open all the faucets that you have in your house, including all the spigots, sink, and bathtub faucets that you have.

2. Go outside and take off any garden hoses that may be attached to your outdoor spigots. Turn on your sprinkler system (if you have one) and drain outdoor faucets.

3. You will have to drain your water heater as well. If you have a drain nearby, attach a hose to the water valve on your heater. Direct the hose to the drainage area and open the water heater valve and let it go. You may need a pump if you don’t have a lower area to drain the water to. .

4. You should leave at least one valve open in your home to allow air to flow through and excess water to drain. This valve should be located in the lowest part of your house, preferably the basement. If you don’t have a basement, open a valve on the first floor, preferably in the garage or utility room.

Drainage Pipes  –

Drainage Pipes can also freeze if there is water left in them and it is very common because most people forget that there is water in them. If you are going away, follow these steps to prevent freezing of your drains:

1. Clear out the traps underneath your sinks. You can do this by removing the trap fully, or by opening the cleanout plug. Have a small bucket ready to catch the waste water

2. Your bathtub, toilet, and basement drain have hidden traps that should be weatherproofed. Use pipeline antifreeze or even windshield fluid that is rated for winter weather. Toilets require a gallon of fluid in the tank. Flush first, then dump the fluid in the tank, and flush again.

3.Bathtubs, floor drains, and other hidden traps require about one quart of antifreeze. Poor the quart down the drain. Simple!

4.Clothes washers and dishwashers should be drained of water. Try to get as much water out as you can. Whatever you do, do not put windshield washer fluid into these appliances, as it will break them.

Now you will want to restore water to your pipes. Turn off all faucets inside and outside that you may have left open. Call your utility and ask them to turn the water if you had it shut off in the street. If you turned off your own water, turn the main water supply back on again, slowly. You should hear a bunch of sputtering. This is normal when you fill the water back into the pipes.

Be sure to turn on the gas or electricity supply to your water heater. It may take an hour or two before you get hot water!

*Don’t turn on the water heater before completely filling it you could damage the tank.

Please give us a call if you need us to do this service for you.