Winter Startup / Shutdown

Brandon's Winter Water Startup Video

Winter Startup

1. Heating

   1. The Nest thermostat should be programmed to start warming up the place before you get there, so that the place is up to temp by the time you get there.  If not, then talk to Richard or Louise to see what's going on.

   2. If the temps are very cold outside and/or the cabin is cold inside and you want to get it up to temp quickly, start a fire in the wood furnace (see HVAC section for video instructions)

2. Water

   1. Ensure all the water valves / faucets inside the house to the OFF position.  Otherwise when you open the main Black Domestic Flow valve, all the faucets will be running water. 

      1. It's possible they are all already in the off position from the previous shutdown

      2. see list in Shutdown of all the valves that should be closed before turning on the main water

   2. Turn Black Domestic Flow valve to vertical position (ON)

Brandon's Winter Water Shutdown Video

Winter Shutdown

1. Turn black main water valve downstairs to horizontal position (OFF)

2. Drain domestic flow pipe into a 5 gallon bucket 

   • Open faucets to let air into the system

     1. Upstairs shower

     2. Upstairs vanity sink

     3. Upstairs bathroom sink

     4. Upstairs toilet flush

     5. Main floor kitchen sink

     6. Main floor laundry room sink

     7. Main floor shower

     8. Main floor toilet flush

     9. Main floor bathroom  sink

   • Open the hot and cold valves downstairs to drain water in bucket

   • Close hot and cold valves again

3. Put anti-freeze solution into traps and some plumbing fixtures. We usually keep stocked on the lower shelf of pantry cabinet in the laundry room.  It has to be RV & Marine antifreeze to protect the bacteria in the septic system.  Pour antifreeze into each drain trap or fixture listed below.  Remove water from the water tanks of each toilet by continuous flushing. Leave water in the toilet bowl:

Main floor -

3. • Main floor shower trap, 2 cups

   • Laundry room sink trap, 1 cup

   • Main floor bathroom sink trap, 1 cup

   • Kitchen sink trap, 1 cup

   • Flush main floor toilet

   • Put antifreeze Main floor toilet bowl, 2 cups

Upstairs - 

3. • Upstairs bathroom sink trap, 1 cup

   • Flush upstairs toilet

   • Put antifreeze in upstairs toilet bowl, 2 cups

   • Upstairs shower, 1 cup

   • Upstairs vanity sink, 1 cup

Basement - 

Rarely do we ever entirely drain the water from piping in the basement and man cave areas. If the electric power for the building were to fail for an extended time (>12 hours) then pipe draining would be required.

4. Guest Bedroom

   • Close heat register vents

   • Close curtains

   • Shut door

5. Heating

   • Off-Peak heaters (big grey boxes)

     1. there are heaters on main floor, basement, garage, and rock room

     2. set all to 3 on the dial on lower right of unit

     3. set all attached thermostats to 50 degrees (there is one thermostat per heater)

   • Auxiliary Electrical Heat downstairs breaker is ON

   • Turn OFF wood burning furnace (if on)

     1. fan off

     2. close both dampers on wood furnace (1 on door, 1 above door)

     3. fire out (obviously)

6. Pull thermal curtains down on all windows that have them

7. Lock doors

   • 2 outdoor basement doors

   • Man cave / rock room door

   • Kitchen patio door

   • Front door

   • Front garage door

   • Back garage door

   • Upstairs garage door

8. Shut off all the lights