[QUOTE=CampyTime;562579]Hi Tom,
When you say lowest point in house, after I turned off water do I open faucets in laundry tub in basement? Also would you flush toilet and get rid of any water completely in the bowl before adding antifreeze? So what is the vac setting on a water heater? Thank you!
Hi Campy,
My parents house is set up with a "pit" in the basement floor. It contains the pump and the air bladder for a well system. I shut off the water, after the air bladder, open a spigot up stairs, then go back to the pit, where we installed a fitting and just drain it to the floor drain. I'm sure it doesn't get everything out of the line, just not an exact science. We leave the air bladder pressurized and connected to electric.
If you are on city water, just turn off the first valve where it comes inside, from the source. Find a low spot down in the basement and open the faucet. You will drain most of it that way (open a faucet upstairs to aid in draining). I also open the faucets on the outside of the house.They do make little plastic boxes that fit over the faucet to help insulate them.
The toilets get flushed after the water is turned off, then I pour some rv antifreeze into the bowl and the reservoir.
Setting the hot water tank to vacation setting (marked on the tanks temperature setting dial) mostly just runs on the pilot
light. We have had discussions on whether or not to drain it and shut the power off to it. If you have an electric hot water tank, I would probably turn it off and drain it. The only problem then is that when you return home, you may have to wait a few hours until you can take a shower.
What Ed said about the
refrigerator is something I forgot to mention. We unplug it and put a small block in to let air get to the interior. I take the ice maker out and set it in the kitchen sink.
Which just reminded me that I forgot to check under their bar for tonic bottles that could freeze and break. I'll have to look for Bloody Mary and Margaritta mix also, since it has no alcohol.
I will add that to my checklist- which is what I use in the spring to reverse the process. Checklists sure do make it easier, faster and thorough. Start one. Leave it where if someone else is opening the house, they will have a reference to follow.
All the other comments are such a help-that's one of the things about travelers: they have a checklist AND rely on their wits. Even though I don't have a trailer yet, I read all I can here. Because they have been there and done that- I can just coast on their merits.