Cottage plumbing winterization

BroadHopper · 01-11-2012, 02:03 PM

I'm not sure how the plumber set this up. My family occasionally use the summer cottage during the winter once or twice a month. When you shut the pump off, the water drains into the lake. There is some kind of valve at the end of the pipes that allows air into the pipes and the water pressure will shut the valves. All the pipes are at an angle so that there is no standing water. The pump is self priming. Somehow the water below the lake level does not freeze, as the line between the pump and the lake is buried in the ground. It's a pretty simple set up. When you turn the pump on you can actually hear the air hissing out of the valves.

The only thing we have to do manually is pour RV antifreeze down the drains so that the water in the traps do not freeze.

01-11-2012, 02:03 PM	#2
BroadHopper Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Laconia NH Posts: 5,590 Thanks: 3,230 Thanked 1,107 Times in 797 Posts	Winter use I'm not sure how the plumber set this up. My family occasionally use the summer cottage during the winter once or twice a month. When you shut the pump off, the water drains into the lake. There is some kind of valve at the end of the pipes that allows air into the pipes and the water pressure will shut the valves. All the pipes are at an angle so that there is no standing water. The pump is self priming. Somehow the water below the lake level does not freeze, as the line between the pump and the lake is buried in the ground. It's a pretty simple set up. When you turn the pump on you can actually hear the air hissing out of the valves. The only thing we have to do manually is pour RV antifreeze down the drains so that the water in the traps do not freeze. __________________ Someday may never be an actual day.