Winterizing home water supply

[dustinlee2011]

how do you winterize your home when leaving for extended period of time.
my house has a main shut off in the backyard, there is another shut off valve in the basement where the water line enters. which valve should i block in, the one in the backyard or the one in the basement? blocking one of them in, will it cause freezing in the piping outside of the house cause of no flow? and will not get water flow through the house when I reopen? what is your recomendation?

[backpacker]

Just the one inside the house, if you are in a town/city they will be responcible for the lines outside and you are for the lines inside. Also, the lines outside are likely buried below 8 feet.

[Freedom55]

Typically,if your water supply is going to freeze, it will begin at the point where it accesses your foundation. If you catch it in time, there is a possibility that you can thaw it with a heat gun applied to the copper where it comes through your concrete floor. Leave it too long and the municipality will thaw it once for free and charge a fee for subsequent visits.

The City of Calgary sends out notifications by mail every year to those homeowners who live alongside the rivers warning them that they must leave a cold water tap running ALL WINTER to prevent freeze-up. Water bills are adjusted accordingly.

The valve (curb stop) on your lawn or in your driveway belongs to the municipality and cannot be operated by anyone not with the waterworks. There is a fee. The City (Town-Village) owns the lines from the P/L to the mains; you are responsible for the lines from the P/L to the house and beyond.

Free

[Hawkhills]

That's why I keep coming back to this forum.Learned something new today.

[Bergerboy]

I drain back all of the lines and the hot water tank with the water off and all of the taps open. I run RV antifreeze in the toilets and sink traps. A splash in the washing machine on spin cycle cant hurt either.

[JB_AOL]

My advice...

close the One in the house. BUT, make sure that you have someone checking on your house. It's an insurance requirement that someone check on it every 3 days.

When I'm house sitting for relatives (who go away for the winter), I make sure I turn on the water and run all taps and toilets every couple weeks. Seals & traps will dry out pretty quick.. Traps aren't a big deal, aside from the sewer smell possibly coming back into the house.

[artie]

When I let the traps dry out at my moms place I found that I had some black spiders trapped in the bath tub and a few crawling around the house. I assumed that they came up from the sewer system. I now put R.V. antifreeze in the traps so they won't dry out. Someone else told me every once in awhile they put some bleach down the drain to kill any beasts that are lurking nearby.

[Knownonscents]

Keep your furnace above zero.
Shut off your main in the house. Open a few faucets.

IMPORTANT!! Have someone check the property as noted. Mandatory for ins.

If you are worried about p trap drying up throw a little oil down the drain. Canola oil or something similar. It will create a seal on top of the water and slow the process down.

Also, there is NOT A FEE For having the city come by shut off your curb stop. It's their duty.

Also, as mentioned. You really should have someone run your water regularly to keep seals and components hydrated. They DO dry up and fail very quickly if not.

Have a good trip

[357xp]

Don't turn your furnace off, if you let your house freeze up you might have a bit of a surprise waiting for u come spring. I have seen what concrete shifting can do to a house that wasn't heated in the winter. Not good.

Just turn your water off where it comes into the house, have someone check every couple of days as required by the insurance company.

[benamen]

Just be a bit cautious about how low you set your thermostat.
Here is what is written regarding my Lennox SLP98

NOTE − This furnace is designed for a minimum continuous return air temperature of 60°F (16°C) or an intermittent operation down to 55°F (13°C) dry bulb for cases where a night setback thermostat is used. Return air temperature must not exceed 85°F (29°C) dry CAUTION Do not set thermostat below 60°F (16°C) in heating mode. Setting thermostat below 60°F (16°C) reduces the number of heating cycles. Damage to the unit may occur that is not covered by the warranty.