How to Dewinterize a House is a guide by SF Gate.
When you return to the home after it has been winterized, it will need to be de-winterized.It's a matter of reversing actions you took to winterize the home.Common winterizing actions can include:
To reverse the process and de-winterize a house that was winterized by a professional service, the easiest solution may be to have the same professionals return to do the work again.You can do the work yourself if the same professionals aren't available.
Professional services winterize an RV or mobile home by filling the water lines and drain traps with a special anti-freeze solution.It is difficult to de-winterize yourself if this is the case.To properly dispose of the solution, you'll need to call the service.The pipes need to be flushed to remove the traces of the solution.
It is not uncommon for a home's electrical service to be shut off in a way that leaves only the essential circuits operating, such as the circuit for the furnace or a few essential lighting circuits.Take a look at the individual branch circuit breakers inside the main service panel.Turn on circuit breakers that have been turned off.You will need all the lights to operate in order to get plumbing to work again.
If you disconnected the flexible supply tubes from the plumbing fixture as part of your de-winterizing procedure, you will now need to inspect all the other plumbing fixtures and connect the flex tubes to the shutoff valves or the appliance inlets.Carefully looking at the sinks, toilet, showers, tub, and any other water-supplied appliances is the best way to do this.Carefully re-secure all the flex tubes to their fixture with channel-lock pliers or a wrench.Make sure the fixture shutoff valves are fully shut off before you turn them on.
To make sure their water connections are also re- connected, it's a good idea to inspect the water heater, water softener, and other utility appliances.
Slowly turn on the main water supply when you are sure that all the disconnected tubes and pipes have been reconnected.The main entrance pipe is where this valve is usually located.If there is a utility sink near the main shutoff valve, it's a good idea to turn on that valve and open the faucet as you start to use the water.As the pipes refill with water, trapped air will be allowed to escape.
The water supply should be turned back on at this time if the major appliances have been shut off.The valves are located on the pipes running to and from the appliances.If you follow the manufacturers' recommendations for how to fill these appliances, it may involve opening escape valves to allow trapped water to exit as they fill up with water.
When the main water supply valve is open, visit each plumbing fixture in each room.After opening the fixture shutoff valve, open the faucet on each fixture.The first flow of water may be loud and vigorous, and air will likely rush out of the faucet as trapped air in the pipes escapes.You can shut off the faucet when the water is clear.Check the fixture shutoff valves for leaks, and tighten any joints that are leaking.
Check all the fixture, including refrigerator icemakers, water filters, dishwashers, etc.They need to make sure their water supplies are back to normal.
Make sure the toilets are working correctly.The seals on the flush valves may not be strong enough to seal the toilet tank at the end of a flush cycle.
The main water supply valve should be turned on when all the fixtures seem to be working.
After de-Winterizing, freeze-proof faucets can leak.Every exterior spigot needs to be checked to make sure it doesn't leak.There could be a leaking split in the pipe that extends from the inside of the house.You may need to check the basement or crawl space.
To make sure the water supply connections aren't leaking, go back through every room in the house and double-check the plumbing and appliances for proper operation.
Most lamps and other appliances should be unplugged for winterization.Plugging those essential appliances back into their electrical outlets is thermesing the process.
When a house is left unattended in the winter, natural gas is turned off and you need to turn it back on.In climates where winter heating isn't needed, the gas may have been shut off at the main valve.Gas will be restored throughout the house if this valve is turned back on.In cold climates where a gas furnace must run at a low temperature to prevent serious freezing, the main gas supply may still be open, but individual fixtures may have their local shutoff valves closed.All these valves should be opened.
If you have older gas appliances that operate with standing pilot lights that burn constantly, now is the time to relight them.Older furnaces, water heaters, and stoves may have this kind of pilot light, but your home may not have any of them.