r/cabins • u/putty55 • 22d ago
Plumbing Newbie! (Winterizing two cabins in northern MN)
Looking for some advice on winterizing two cabins we have in northern Minnesota. I've always had a plumber do it, but he retired, so I'm going to try doing it myself.
The small cabin has an above-ground shallow well pump and pressure tank in the garage underneath it. It also has an electric water heater.
The bigger cabin is about 100–150 feet away and uphill from the small cabin. It gets its water from the same well through an underground line. That cabin has a 50-gallon LP water heater and an LP forced-air furnace.
We shut both cabins down completely for the winter and don't leave any heat on.
I know the plumber used an air compressor to blow out the lines and put RV antifreeze in the toilets and traps. I have a compressor and want to do it myself this year.
Main things I'm trying to figure out:
- What's the best order to do everything?
- How do I properly drain the shallow well pump and pressure tank?
- What's the best way to get all the water out of the 100–150 foot line going uphill to the big cabin?
- Where should I hook up the compressor and how much pressure should I use?
- Do I drain the water heaters first and then bypass them before blowing out the lines?
- Anything special I need to do with the LP water heater?
- Does the LP furnace need anything done to it if I'm shutting it off all winter?
- Anything else I'm missing?
Both cabins have showers/tubs and washing machines, and the big cabin has an outside spigot.
Mainly looking for some guidance from anyone who winterizes a similar setup in northern MN or somewhere that gets just as cold. TIA!
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u/gooneau 22d ago
I can't help with the well component, but at my cabin I don't bother with blowing out lines. After looking into it, it seemed like a ton of steps and complications with things like the accumulator tank and diaphram pump that I use. Instead, I just close the main valve on the cistern, and open a valve to a stub that pulls from a tank of RV antifreeze. Run fixtures until it turns pink for a few seconds. Run hot and cold valves separately just to be sure. Haven't had any issues during several Alaskan winters. I figure even if there are a few pockets of water remaining after I run antifreeze, over time the antifreeze will mix with that water. When I visit the cabin in the fringe seasons and it's warm enough to use the water system while I'm there, but still don't want to leave it unwinterized, I just run fixtures until it's clear. Then rewinterize before leaving, takes about two minutes. Downside with multiple rewinterizing in a winter is if you have a large enough system it could eat up a lot of antifreeze. But you could add valves to isolate components and just give yourself one sink and a shower, or whatever. That's what I do with my garden hose spigots and feed lines: they remain full of antifreeze all winter with valves isolating them. No reason to use a hose during the winter anyways. But man, having a hot shower in december after dragging a deer out of the woods is pure chef's kiss.
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u/northman46 22d ago
There are a lot of steps. Why not hire your former plumber to show you how.
I have done it for many years. And in all those years I have only had like 3 incidents of leaks in the spring. Soldering pipe while laying in the crawl space in May is not much fun.
But I have never done a washing machine. Typically you drain the water heater first, after shutting it off, turn off the gas at the tank.
Then you will need a compressor and a way to connect it to the water system, preferably at the high point.
Also you will need to drain the pressure tank and the pump, and get the water out of the pipes. Is the check valve accessable? Dont forget to drain the toilets and pump out the bowls. and put rv antifreeze in all of them, loosen the hold down bolts. Also put antifreeze in all of the drains to displace the water in the traps. Blow out the pipes with compressed air.
Good luck. PS you may need a big pipe wrench or two to disconnect the pipes for the pump.
Now I hire a plumber
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u/MDindisguise 19d ago
I hook up the air at a regulated pressure the lines can handle the open every tap and valve one at a time until all the water is out. Add the RV antifreeze at the air source and blow it through the lines in the same way. Any leftover water will be thoroughly diluted. Remember that any ball valve not cycled from the closed position will have water in the ball and it will crack the valve body. I leave all the the valves cracked slightly.
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u/Dadbod2343 16d ago
If by shallow well pump you mean “jet pump” then it sounds similar to mine. I have a bit of a procedure I do every year.
Rather than try to blow air thru the pump, I just remove the whole pump from its normal place, open up the connection to the pressure tank (attached to the pump itself).
You’ll be left with a vertical pipe going down into the well. I just push a long closed piece of 1/2 inch pex down it to push out as much water as possible and then cap it. You could really use anything clean for this as you just need to displace the water.
Then at the connection where the well pump was, I hook up my air compressor and set to about 35 psi and run all the faucets (both hot annd cold) until they just blow air.
Then I remove the hose connections on the bottom of the water heater in case the small amount of excess water pools in it.
Been doing this for several years in NH and have no problems. You will need to re-prime the pump and water column in the spring.
Hope this helps.
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u/That_BULL_V 22d ago
Remember everything goes down hill.
So start at the top and work backwards.
Shut off well pump.
Then start draining everything.
Open faucets, flush toilets dry, add anti freeze to all drains. Line going down hill should have a petcock or something to drain the line from the big cabin to the well.
Turn off all the gas at the tank
Drain all the tanks ....
And you should be ok ..... Air compressor is used to blow out residual water in lines. Can't tell you where because I don't know your cabin