# winterizing cottage / cabin ? How-to's ?



## sillyburt (Mar 16, 2001)

I just recently purchased a cottage on a slab. I want to winterize it soon but have never done it so far.

my greatest concern is the supply pipe from the well to the house. I believe the well is submersible. It also has a spicket for a hose -vertical pipe sticking out of ground about 2-3 feet tall. Is there anything I need to do with the supply line as far as blowing it out? what about the hose spicket? I'll be up this weekend and I'm going to try to get a good idea of where the supply line into the house is located on the outside and how deep -it runs from corner of slab underneath the deck so it's hard to tell how deep it might even be in the ground?? will any water in the supply line drain back into the well ?

I have blow out line attachments on both hot and cold water and that seems pretty straight forward. how much anti-freeze should I use in the toilet bowl?

any help and or general suggestions would help.


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## The Nailer (Feb 7, 2000)

As for the well, you can use a long t-handle to open the well valve. You take the silver cap off the stand pipe drop the wrench down and open the valve. Then open the faucets in the house and the water should drain back into the well. if you don't have one you can get one easily made by any well driller. I think the socket size is the same size for most wells. Then add RV anti-freeze(pink) to all drains, toilets, traps etc. In the toilet make sure you pour it in fast enough that it flushes so it gets in the trap. I would think maybe a 1/2 gallon would be enough. That stuff is pretty cheap so a little more is better than not enough. If you have a high effieciency furnace it will hold water in the condensate drain lines, but I don't know how you winterize that, probably best to talk to a furnace guy.

Not sure about your hose bib, it's hard to tell without seeing what you have.

Hope this helps, good luck!


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## Burksee (Jan 15, 2003)

Good call on the well t-handle. As far as the toilets go I flush the water out of the tank then plunge the water down in the bowl before adding anti-freeze. 

Hose spicots: open them when blowing out the lines and leave them open.


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## filletandrelease (Nov 8, 2008)

thats cool.


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## benster (Jul 31, 2006)

You can also use a 1/2" ridged pipe and flatten out one end to make an oval. Put that down the center of the well head opening and turn slowly until you feel it drop a little. It is like a wingnut you are trying to hit so once you feel it drop you can open it up by turning it clockwise. You should be able to hear the water drain back to the well. Keep your faucets open doing this. Close it back up and you should be good to go. Toilets, drain all the water out of the holding tank and plunge water out of bowl. Then add antifreez and plunge some down so it gets into the trap.


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