removing water from waterlines

[truckone176]

Hello guys, I am looking for ideas or actual tools designed to remove water from waterlines in my three season lake house. This past winter here in Kentucky was colder than normal and in the Spring time I found out the hard way that I did not winterize my lake house very well. What I am looking for is a way to hook into my main waterline coming into the house and blowing the lines out with either an air compressor (pressure turned down) or a shop vacuum. My question is, has anyone ever done this or know of a way to do this? I see irrigation companies do this every Fall around here with a large commercial tow behind air compressor but do not know if there is something like this for houses.

 

[LX-Markham]

nope, that's the way to do it, blow them out with compressed air.
60-80 psi is plenty as long as you have enough volume.

 

[2xs]

The cheapest way is blow out the system. You also may want to consider rv antifreeze assuming the have a well pump introduce it there and pump it through the system. If you have city water install have the city shutoff the water and then add a valve and tee to make it easy to blow out the system Or get a bucket and pump with rv antifreeze and pump it through the house.

 

[Streetbu]

Install a drain at the lowest point on the pressure side and make and adapter so you can also use air to blow them out, use RV antifreeze in all the drains and toilets.

 

[abachman]

Blow out with compressed air. You can get an adapter that hooks onto your outside faucet at most camping dealers for just a couple dollars... that's how most people winterize a travel trailer.

 

[JakeKohl]

Install a drain at the lowest point on the pressure side and make and adapter so you can also use air to blow them out, use RV antifreeze in all the drains and toilets.

This part is important - you need that anti-freeze to rest in the p-traps so that water doesn't freeze.

 

[jimindm]

When blowing out a water system, it not about pressure, its volume. Most of the tow behind compressors are only 100 PSI, but 90 or 120 cfm.

I blow out our sprinkler system with my 80 gallon, 30cfm at 60psi, compressor. It does an OK job, but I do it for several days and a couple times a day. Still about every two years, I am digging up a broken line, to repair.

 

[Milton Shaw]

Don't forget the commodes they need rv antifreeze in both the tank and the bowl or they will freeze. Blowing out is the only thing that works for sure. Make sure you remember icemaker water line, laundry and even the washing machine needs antifreeze in it to keep from freezing the pump.

 

[truckone176]

Could a shop vacuum be used since they can move a large volume of air?

 

[Lippyp]

I drain down our holiday home in France for the winter, I've always just done it by gravity as its three floors so the upper two drain pretty well. I have an outside tap that is pretty much the lowest point in the system and drain down to that. Only issue I've had so far is one year I forgot to drain the shower mixer (I leave it turned on normallyso any water can drip out with the hose removed) and it froze and cracked the casting.

Toilets I flush the tank with the water off so it only has a little left in the bottom, the toilet gets a bag of salt tipped in the pan and a plastic mineral water bottle shoved half around the bend so if it freezes it squashes the bottle rather than cracks the pan, bit like putting a football in a fishpond. We don't seem to be able to get RV antifreeze in the UK.

The electric water heater gets drained and I leave the drain **** open so the last drips can run out.

Washing machine again I disconnect and leave with the filter out and so far so good.
Coldest I've seen on the couple of occasions I've been there in winter has been -16C with a week of -4C daytimes.

 

[wkearney99]

I take the 'belt and suspenders' approach when winterizing lines. First blow out the lines with a compressor. Then use a pump to push marine anti-freeze through the lines. Then blow 'em out again, saving the anti-freeze. Then use that left-over to dump into any of the drains or anything else that might have a trap (like drip pans).

 

[wkearney99]

Also note, if there's electricity there are some boat heaters designed to only trip when the temperature drops below a certain temp. 41F is typical because you don't want to be too close to freezing as the heater might not have enough power to overcome a sudden weather change. It might be useful to have one in a closed space where you know there's potential for added hassles. Like where the water heater is located, or in a closed bathroom that has a Jacuzzi-type tub.

I keep one in the engine compartment of our boat as an added measure (I still winterize the engines). The technique has served me well for the past 6 seasons.

 

[bstein]

Northern Alberta Canada.
Garden hose to water tank drain and drain when cool.
Pull the anode out or the hot water tank and install a brass bushing with a tire valve stem.
Hook up compressor to water tank and rotate thru the cabin/ cottage opening taps and flush toilet. If you have a outside hose bib drain it as well. When all drained RV anti freeze or winter windshield wiper anti freeze toilet tank and flush as well add to all P traps. I leave all taps in the open position. We run a pressure system not a deep well pump so the well suction hose is removed and when you are draining / blowing down that side is also done. So far so good... good luck.

 

[Angelfire]

My cabin sees -50 at times during the winter. I have a crawl space and the main water comes up in that space. I simply added a valve after the shutoff to divert water to a drain which I sloped down to the outside. Whenever I leave in the winter, I shut off the water, open my faucets and it drains everything on the supply side. Toilet and p-traps all get anti-freeze in them. Haven't had a burst pipe yet in 17 years of owning it, knock on wood!