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| I developed this list when shutting down the cabin in Maine.
| | Thanks for spending time on the computer (wtriing) so others don't have to. |
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| ;To prevent pipes from freezing and critters from entering a house, follow these steps:
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| #Remove exterior screens.
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| ##Replace with storm windows if available.
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| #Lock every window and door.
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| #Turn off water heater before turning off water.
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| ##For electric heaters, turn off circuit breaker.
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| ##For gas, follow specific instructions.
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| #Turn off circuit breakers to everything but important lights and security system.
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| ##If there's a breaker to a water pump, turn it off.
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| ##If you turn off the refrigerator, leave the door open so oxygen gets in and mold doesn't grow. But beware of mice, their feces is not something you want in a refrigerator.
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| #Turn off water. There should be a valve where the water supply enters your house, usually just inside the wall penetration.
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| #Drain water pipes and water heater (after water heater is turned off):
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| ##Attach hose to lowest spigot, and the one on the bottom of the water heater. Lead hose outside or to a drain lower than everything else.
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| ##Shut off water supply to house.
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| ##Open drain valve attached to hose.
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| ##Open all faucets, valves. If you have a single knob for both hot and cold, as in a shower mixing valve or kitchen faucet, set it to the middle position so both hot and cold drain.
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| ##Flush all toilets, keeping handle held down while pipes drain.
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| ##Wait two minutes or until there's no more flow.
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| ##Close all but one valve, leaving one slightly open over a sink to allow air and trace water to expand and contract. Since it's a sink, if water does come through, it'll drain.
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| #Pour antifreeze in all drain and toilet traps to keep sewer gases trapped.
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| #Turn heating system thermostat to low or off, depending on your decision.
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| ===Re-opening a winterized house===
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| #Air out the house immediately, in case sewer gases built up.
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| #Open a faucet or two, especially high in your house, to help air escape while you re-fill the pipes. The less air, the less the system will bang and spurt later.
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| #Turn on the circuit for the water pump.
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| #Turn on cold water supply.
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| #Turn on the water supply to the water heater.
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| ##Check to see if there are any leaky pipes. If so, there may have been ice in them which may have burst the pipes. Consider PEX piping.
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| ##Close the faucets you used to release the air.
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| #Open and close all faucets and flush all toilets to release the air from all the branches of the pipes.
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| #Only when the entire system is flushed with water turn on the water heater.
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| #Turn on the house-heating system as needed.
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| [[Category:House and Home]]
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Thanks for spending time on the computer (wtriing) so others don't have to.
