Winterizing the Plumbing

[MountainDon]

This relates to cabins and homes that are in locations that have below freezing temperatures and are left unheated.

I have years of experience winterizing RV's. I drain the water tank and blow compressed air through the lines until nothing but air comes out of the faucets and shower head. THose are very simple fixtures, just simple on o valves, separate ones for hot and cold. The sewer drain lines are another matter and receive a dose of RV polypropylene anti-freeze for the traps.

I wonder if I have complicated the issue with the one handle shower valve I've installed. It's been plumbed for a while and pressure tested. The shower is isolated from the rest of the plumbing with line valves in all supply pipes to the shower. This past weekend I replaced the pressure test dummy cartridge with the real thing. The cartridge appears to be nylon with o-rings here and there. Does anyone have any experience in winterizing a building with a one handle cartridge based shower system? Will blowing the water out with compressed air suffice? Or is there a chance that a small quantity of water might be trapped in the unit, freeze and break something? Or do I worry too much?

In the furthermost recesses of my mind there lurks a thought that someone mentioned that they remove or disassemble the shower cartridge when winterizing a building to be left in the deep freeze.

Thanks.

[Redoverfarm]

Don if you are hooking your air valve to the spigot and apply pressure it will only go out the side it is turned to. By applying pressure and turning it to the other side it Should  . Blow out the valve.  I am thinking the opposite direction.  With one side turned off and empty and switching to the other be it hot or cold and repeating the only thing that will flow over will be air.  Make sense.  Let me know how it works as I have a couple in mine as well.   

[MountainDon]

I'm supplying air just past the pump, as in an RV system. (Actually removing the outlet line from the pump and connecting it to an airline adapter I made up.) That's the main cold line, from there the cold line goes to the sink, the water heater and then the shower. From the water heater the hot line goes to the sink and then to the shower. The water heater can be bypassed or isolated (drained and left drained) in freezing weather and thus have just cold running water still available at the sink. Or I'll just get water at the hand pump and hold it in pails just like the olden days on the primitive farm.


I'm thinking that a thorough blow out should remove virtually all the water in the system lines, especially if done at 60 to 80 psi. Just checking... 

[PA-Builder]

. . .  I'm thinking that a thorough blow out should remove virtually all the water in the system lines, especially if done at 60 to 80 psi. Just checking... 

Don,

I have two showers in my cabin with one-handle Moen valves.  I also blow air through the entire system (sloped 1/2" copper) from the basement.  I have had no problems during 3 years of winterizing my system this way, but I believe a little water remains in the valves.  Knowing the problems I had when installing the one-handle valves & cartridges I am hesitant to take them apart.  However, I'm in PA and you're in NM where temps may be colder and for longer periods of time. In your case, why not just blow all the water out as you are currently doing, then (from the suction side of your 12V pump) pump RV antifreeze through the system to displace any remaining water.  You can then leave the RV anti-freeze in the system or blow air through the system again, catching the anti-freeze at each outlet for later use.  Hope this helps !

[ScottA]

Don if your valve is a pressure balanced type, and it most likely is since they are required by code just about everwhere, no water will pass through it unless both hot and cold pressure is applied equaly at the same time. I'd pull just the cartrige.

[MountainDon]

Ah yes! I had a feeling there was something I was missing and that's it. 

The cartridge does pull very easily. I'll just have to keep the allen wrench for the handle in the kitchen small tool drawer. Thanks.