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For yinz camp owners.

5K views 25 replies 17 participants last post by  Fleroo 
#1 ·
When you keep your camp "open" through the fall/winter months, do you have to winterize each time you leave, then turn it all back on during your winter stays, only to winterize again upon returning home ? I would think you have to, or else run the risk of burst pipes ? Is that a large pain, and does it influence the fact that you do not do winter trips ?
 
#4 ·
If I know somebody will be at camp in the next week or so I'll not do a full shut down and just leave the heat on at about 50 degrees.
I'm guessing your pipes are not "the norm" when it comes to where and how camp supply lines are situated. 50 degrees INSIDE the camp, doesn't equate to the same underneath the camp. LOL. I would think many more than not, are susceptible to the outdoor frigid temps ?
 
#5 ·
My pipes run thru crawlspace underneath camp. I have been there when the temp outside was 8* and inside was 70* and had the pipes freeze under camp temporarily. This was thru the night, and if I would have let water drip it wouldn't have been an issue. Small space heater under bathroom area had water running again in less than an hour.

I can have my lines drained off when winterizing in about 20 minutes. Longest part is waiting for the hot water tank and Culligan system tank to drain. It's not really a big deal...
 
#6 ·
Fleroo said:
If I know somebody will be at camp in the next week or so I'll not do a full shut down and just leave the heat on at about 50 degrees.
I'm guessing your pipes are not "the norm" when it comes to where and how camp supply lines are situated. 50 degrees INSIDE the camp, doesn't equate to the same underneath the camp. LOL. I would think many more than not, are susceptible to the outdoor frigid temps ?
My camp is a mobile home with the water supply lines running through the insulated floor joists and walls. I ran the heat at 45-50 degrees over winter for many years until increasing fuel oil prices made it cost prohibitive to do so. Rarely had an issue with frozen pipes and when I did it was always at the same few locations and was quickly dealt with using a hair dryer. Never had a burst pipe.

The supply line from the well where it ran through the crawlspace was protected with heat tape.
 
#7 ·
I lived in a single-wide mobile home when I was a bach. I know all too well the heat-tape tango. Pretty much the only thing that prevented freeze up during the brutal winters back then. In retrospect, I should have been more elaborate in my insulating practices.... young/dumb/carefree.
 
#8 ·
My place isn't completed enough to spend much time there in winter. At the end of fall, I blow out the lines and drain the HW tank and toilet tank. If I go up during winter, it's only for a day and I run the toilet with water collected at a spring. I don't turn on the main water again until spring.
 
#9 ·
My place is so simple. I have a rancher with a full basement. I turn everything off except the refrigerator. I then open the water lines where a washer would be in the basement and let the system drain. I then walk upstairs and open the sinks and flush the toilet. I then pour RV antifreeze down all the drains and toilet. I do not drain the electric hot water tank since its underground. I have been doing this for the last 7 years without any problem except one time, forgot to let the showerhead hang down.
 
#12 ·
I completely drain/winterize when leaving after the two week stay for deer season.

It was drained/winterized (didn't drain water heater) when I left after being up in late October, so had to turn everything back on for deer season.

All of my water lines drain to a pair of freeze pruf outside hydrants thru the crawl space foundation wall, so I only have to turn off the well pump, open the interior faucets, open the freeze prufs to let 'er drain and leave.

Pressure tank is in a covered pit outside, has never frozen down in there.

If I go up over the winter, just turn the pump on to have cold water and heat water on the woodstove. Winter trips are generally just for a few days.
 
#15 ·
Our incoming water outside of camp had heat tape on it and insulated overtop. We do not leave it on if we were to leave because that heat tape is a little dangerous but it keeps all pipes good when we're up when it's cold. No issues at all.
 
#16 ·
Lugnut said:
The shut down procedure I use (drain and blow out all water lines) takes about thirty minutes. If I know somebody will be at camp in the next week or so I'll not do a full shut down and just leave the heat on at about 50 degrees.
Do the same procedure at our Camp.
The only problem with leaving the heat on low because a member will be up in a week is if something comes up and said member is unable to make it up then someone has to make the trip up to blow out the lines.
It's a 5 hour trip.
So we most of the time just do the complete close up.
 
#17 ·
I drain and blow out the lines and drain the hot water tank after the last trip in October and each time after takes about 20 minute's but our heat is a wood burner so we don't have the advantage of leaving the lines filled. Though it is not a big deal to turn on or drain the winter trips are usually just a trip up to check on the place not the water issue it's the warming the place up issue. Still when I get the itch I go no issue.
 
#18 ·
Potter Co. Joe said:
LCLrutnut said:
We leave all valves open, drain the tank, and blow them out with a compressor. Have it all down to about 30 minutes. Don't forget to pour some antifreeze in the traps!
Same here for our Camp.
Pretty much have it down to a Science.
Some of our members avoid the winter season when hunting season is over due to the fact they are unsure of the blowout procedure even though we have a laminated copy of the complete procedure hanging up in Camp.
Thats fine with me we save on propane. (lol)
Same here, I blow out the lines but I drain everything first before charging the system with air. The air is just to get any residual water out after the system is drained.

The procedures (Warm Weather, Partial and Cold Weather Shut-Downs) are posted near the breaker panel, if you are familiar with the procedures it takes 20-30 minutes to completely winterize and shut down (includes rebuilding the fire for the next member up).

The thing that took the most thinking when I started to winterize was what to do with the waterline from the well. It would freeze where it comes out of the ground in the crawl space if left unprotected and I didn't want to leave heat tape turned on for extended periods, besides, we turn off the main breakers.

I ended up having a "drain-back valve installed in the well casing between the submersible pump and pitless adapter. It is about six-feet below grade and operated with a long T-handle that sits just below the well cap. When opened it drains the waterline from where it connects to the pressure tank, problem solved.
 
#19 ·
Lugnut
We have a handle under the well cap also, L shaped.
At the very end of the blowout I open and close the handle a couple of times to blow out any water in the lines in that area.
If this step is not taken there's a good chance of a freeze up at that point.
When we ran into that problem on occasion we would lower a drop light down the pipe to thaw out the freeze up.
 
#23 ·
we look at the forecast to decide on short term drainings of the water. We are taking it down tomorrow, even though I will be back Thursday morning. Frigid temps, and only wood heat really aren't favorable to leave it up for those few days. I did that last year and spent 1 day of my 3 day vacation fixing busted pipes and trying to thaw the pump out!!
 
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