It has been quite cold in the northeast for a week or so now. If you are the owner of a vacant home and are sick and tired of paying to heat it here are some simple techniques used to winterize your home. This is given as advice and I will not accept any responsibilty for a frozen pipe.
Tools- A garden hose, pliers maybe, a bucket, a compressor and some boat and rv anti-freeze.
1) Shut off the water from either the curb, if you can or near the water meter or well pump.
2) Go to your boiler if you have hot water baseboard, or hydro-air. Attach the garden hose to the valve at the lowest point of your boiler. Run the garden hose outside or to a drain. Find the water intake valve for your boiler and turn it to the off position.
Open the valve at the lowest point on your boiler water will run out of your system through the hose and down the drain or outside.
Do the same to the hot water heater.
Once they run dry open the intake valve, no water should come out of the hose. If it does you know you did it right.
3) Open all faucets and flush every toilet until they all run dry, bone dry. Do not forget the outside faucets! Take a compressor and blow air into all of the drains and the toilet bowl bottom. If you do not have a compressor use a wet/dry shop vacuum and attach the hose to the fresh air outlet of the vac.
4) Pour an ample amount of boat and rv antifreeze into all of the toilets and sinks so that the antifreeze will sit in the traps.
5)Your exterior faucets should have bleeding valves on them, little nipples that turn to allow the system to be drained. Drain those bleeders into the bucket.
6) If you have a well tank or water tank, drain this as well.
7) Insulate the intake pipe to your home and wrap it heavily or place heat tape on it so the intake from the street or the well will not freeze. If you live in a city it is usually possible to have the water shut off at the curb.
www.247realtyinc.com
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