ka8mbkcamper
Dundee MI.
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Joined: 12/12/2003
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Yes you want to drain everything. You can blow out the lines under the house. I have a basement so everything drains by gravity.
Ka8mbkcamper
2000 American Tradition
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CountryCoachrv
Niceville, Fl
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Joined: 10/20/2003
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I guess I have been lucky, I never winterize the house when I leave. Have an all electric house and just set the furnace at 60 degrees. We do turn our well pump off but do not drain anything. I guess the risk is that electricity would go out with a big ice storm and be off for an extended period of time.
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snowyowl.13
PEI
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Joined: 08/10/2008
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We have been told that unless someone comes to the house daily to check on things, our insurance will not cover freezing etc. We are planning to go south this winter (Jan.,Feb., & March)but we will get a plumber to winterize the house. By doing that we should be able to turn off the furnace completely. This is how all the summer people that come here handle things and i don't see why it should be any different for a regular house.
Dan
Prince Edward Island
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thecampingman
Wilmington, OH, USA
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I once had a contract with Farmers Home Administration to "winterize" repo'd houses. If it froze the repair was on me.
Here's what I learned. If you get all the water out, nothing is going to freeze. The way to do that is drain everything, and blow out the lines with compressed air.
"Everything" would include ice makers, water filters water heaters, outdoor taps...everything. Compressed air needs to be regulated so you don't blow your plumbing apart. If you only drain your lines water will pool and freeze.
If you leave your heat on you're at the mercy of your heating system, utility company, maybe a low temp warning system, your neighbor, your insurance company...only one of which has to fail for it to cost you. If there's no water it ain't going to freeze!
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Coalminer UG
Nakusp BC
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My One concern is Hot water tank.It will be turned off but what are pros and cons about draining it.
Ches
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Harvard
51.6N 114.7W
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Joined: 12/24/2005
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Do not leave a vacuum cleaner in any enclosed storage space because the VC may cause unwanted odors if left for extended period. Put it outside in a shed.
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Harvard
51.6N 114.7W
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Joined: 12/24/2005
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Contrary to advice received else where, pink antifreeze in traps will evaporate in the Arizona summer, I will be going back to using mineral oil.
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Tom_M
New Hope, MN
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I've been winterizing for 3 winters and am learning the hard way.
The first time I shut off the water and disconnected the main line at the meter in the basement. I drained the lines and the water heater. I did not blow out the lines. Put antifreeze in all traps. Shut off heat. Shut off gas. Gathered up anything that would freeze, mainly canned goods.
When I returned in the spring I discovered the following:
There was a low spot in a water line that had frozen and pushed the soldered fittings off the ends of the pipe. Luckily the pipe did not burst.
An inline water filter had burst.
A solenoid valve for the ice maker in the refrigerator had burst.
A can of Diet Cola had exploded that I had left on the kitchen counter.
I was able to do repairs myself so the cost wasn't too bad, just time consuming. The most costly was $50 for the valve for the frig.
For winter two I did blow out the water lines with air. On returning that spring all was good.
Last winter I found that I had failed to drain the water out of the sprayer for the kitchen sink. It was trashed.
Hopefully I have it all figured out for next winter.
Tom
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cekkk
Southern Nevada
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Wow, already several things I hadn't considered or known about.
'11 Eagle 320RLDS '02 Ford F350 DRW 7.3 PSD
"The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch and do nothing" - Albert Einstein."
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cherie1014
fort myers fl
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Joined: 04/30/2013
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Any ideas on "summerizing" our place in Fla. while we go north for summer?
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